As those closest to us know, Mr. C and I are avid book collectors. Earlier this year one of my great-aunts in Michigan sent me a few books in the mail that belonged to my maternal grandmother and great-great-grandmother.
One of the books is pictured below and is entitled Canadian Series Introductory English Grammar. It was published for use in the Ontario school system in 1868. It contains many of the basic grammar rules one would learn in elementary school, and the example sentences used are so quaint.
Inside the front and back covers my great-great-grandmother, whose name was Anna Willis, inscribed her name and the year 1874, Belmont, Ont. I had no idea that my family tree had some roots in Canada!
Although the book is not in the best condition, it is now one of my favorite things. I never met my great-great-grandmother; she died in 1942, over 30 years before my birth. Now I feel a little connection with her, holding something in my hands that she once held in hers. That connection can now be felt by the 6th generation as my children hold it in their hands. I think that Bookworm will really enjoy reading this old grammar book. Today she'll be reading the selections about plurals, which is what we're currently focusing on in grammar. One thing about grammar rules: they stay the same with the passage of time.
Do you have any heirloom books that are special to you?
