First Edition

A few weeks ago, Shawn told me one of his friends grandparents had a yard sale.  In this sale were some very old books.  My husband asked if the books were not sold, if he could have them.  I believe the family was just going to take them to Goodwill if they hadn't been bought so one day Shawn comes home with two bags of books.  I really didn't think anything of it.  Tonight I stumbled across the books and looked through them.  Most are from the early to mid 1900's.  I believe the earliest one I have is from 1895.  I also believe one of these books to be a first edition book.  I've looked it up and it wouldn't go for very much.  I probably wouldn't have sold it even if it had.  I just think it's a little neat to have a first edition book.  (and by the way, had I decided to sell it, I would've given a portion of the profit to the original owner of the book, the grandfather)  The book is a bit worn.  The binding long ago lost it's hold on the pages but everything is together, no pages missing that I can account for.  What I find even more interesting.  The person who wrote this book was born in Indiana and is buried here, along with her daughter.  Apparently, the book I have is one of the most popular books she wrote.  The book is Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter.  Now, I don't know that I'll ever read any of these books and a few of them I might find new homes for but several of them I intend on keeping.  (none of the others are first edition, nor are worth more than ten dollars)  I found by looking through these books that the grandfather would receive many of these books from (assuming) relatives.  I know one was for Christmas.  He also wrote down his address in the books in case they were ever lost, as well as the current date.  One that I'm looking at right this moment has a date of 1911 in the front page, another from 1908.  I just thought it was interesting.