Antique 1897 The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley Illustrated Hardcover

Antique 1897 The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby by Charles Kingsley. - The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby is a children's novel by Charles Kingsley. Written in 1862–1863 as a serial for Macmillan's Magazine, it was first published in its entirety in 1863. It was written as part satire in support of Charles Darwin's On The Origin of Species. The book was extremely popular in the United Kingdom and was a mainstay of British children's literature for many decades. The protagonist is Tom, a young chimney sweep, who falls into a river after encountering an upper-class girl named Ellie and being chased out of her house. There he appears to drown and is transformed into a "water-baby", as he is told by a caddisfly — an insect that sheds its skin — and begins his moral education. - Hardcover edition published in 1897 by The Macmillan Company - Black and white illustrations by Linley Sambourne throughout - Decorative gilt and embossed cover with leaf designs - Fair condition. Pages have general yellowing and some have age spotting; binding is tight. Cover has surface wear and discoloration, though is in reasonably good condition for age with most of the gilt in tact. Inscription inside front page.