London: St. Catherine Press, 1916

8vo, pp. 162. Original tan boards, lettered in gilt to front panel and spine. Top edge gilt and cut, others uncut. Some offsetting to endpapers, a little bruising to spine ends, otherwise a very good, tight copy.

First edition. One of 500 copies.

An early work by Douglas preceding his best-known work, South Wind, by a year, and speaking to his love of London streets -- and, it must be said, of the boys who played in them. Douglas led a necessarily peripatetic life, moving hastily from place to place just before sexual scandal caught up with him. He was adored by Nancy Cunard: her Hours Press published his essay One Day, and she wrote Memories Of Norman Douglas, published in 1954. Douglas was a contributor to Cunard's mighty anthology Negro, published in 1934 -- and is reputed to be responsible for the finest last words ever:

'Get those fucking nuns away from me.'

A very nice copy of a book which exudes happiness, and a yearning for times gone by.