Last week, your Ella Higginson Blog editor got a very special package in the mail. A beautiful first edition copy of Ella Higginson’s A Forest Orchid surfaced in California, but this book contained more than just prose. . .
Tucked inside the front cover was a slip of paper, a printed copy of “Yet am I Not for Pity” with writing on the backside.
The note reads: “For dearest Margaret, from her ill, but her very loving and loyal, friend. E.H.” This is unmistakably Ella Higginson’s handwriting. For another sample here on the blog, see “The Rose” under “Love Poetry,” which feature that poem handwritten out by Higginson.
The identity of Margaret is unknown, though it’s plausible that this is for Mrs. Margaret Sorenson, wife of Bert Sorenson. Bert Sorenson wired one of Ella Higginson’s chandeliers in her home in Bellingham.
A Forest Orchid was printed by the Macmillan in 1897 and contains short stories like “The Lord’s Prayer Drinkin’ Glass,” “Euphemy,” “Belindy’s One Beau,” and “A Passion-Flower of the West.” A second edition was printed in 1902 and there may be more editions yet, but copies of those haven’t been located.
This book is a reminder to keep an eye out for Ella Higginson treasures. You never know what you’ll find and where!