Sara Munro was the aunt of my great-grandmother. This autograph book was in my grandmother's cellar, in the small rural town of Glencoe, Ontario, Canada. Readers from the area or my family may recognize placenames such as Niagara (-on-the-Lake), Mosa (Township), and Appin. The writings in the book include lines from Sara's friends and relatives, like my great-grandmother Ann Maria Munro and her sister Lizzie.
The book itself is a fine example of Victorian fussiness. It has gilt-edged pages. The cordovan-colored cardboard cover is embossed with a gilt rose design and a print of a Classical-inspired still life. Inside, a color frontispiece centers the word Autographs on an artist's palette. The book is a lovely specimen of the 1880's and was used between 1883 and 1891.
I have left misspellings intact and avoided using [sic] except where clarity would be risked. Thus, the misspellings, grammatical errors, old-timey punctuation, and schoolgirl German you find are authentic. Enjoy!