1880 Rare Victorian Book - The Lamplighter by Maria Susanna Cummins

Author: Maria S. Cummins.
Title: The Lamplighter.
Publisher: London, James Nisbet & Co., 21 Berners Street, [circa 1880s].
Language: Text in English.
Size: 7.5" x 5".
Pages: vi-415 pages.
Binding: Attractive and very good original Victorian publisher’s decorative brown cloth binding. Gilt title to spine and front board. Embossed vignette illustration of the protagonist “Gerty” on the front cover. Floral gilt motif on the spine (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover.
Content: Very good content (clean and bright, tight binding, with only occasional minor foxing and a couple of tiny needle-sized pinholes to the front endpaper and title page, the latter barely noticeable – as shown). 
Illustrations: Beautifully illustrated with 3 full-page black-and-white plates: “Gerty on the Doorstep,” “Gerty Ill,” and “Gerty Saying Her Prayers.” All plates are present and in excellent condition. 

The book: Maria S. Cummins’ The Lamplighter stands among the most beloved sentimental novels of 19th-century America, rivaling even Uncle Tom’s Cabin in popularity during its era. First published in 1854, this deeply moral tale follows the transformation of Gerty, a neglected orphan, whose life is uplifted through the virtues of kindness, faith, and perseverance. This charming late 19th-century British edition by James Nisbet & Co. retains the novel’s emotional resonance and pairs it with three poignant Victorian illustrations that capture the spiritual and emotional growth of its heroine. 

The author: Maria Susanna Cummins (1827–1866) was an American novelist whose debut novel, The Lamplighter, became an extraordinary success—selling over 100,000 copies in its first year alone. Writing in the tradition of domestic and sentimental fiction, Cummins’ works were celebrated for their Christian moral values, gentle perseverance themes, and appeal to young women readers of the time.