It came today...a book from about 60 years out of my past. In my youth my dad gave me a book he thought I'd enjoy. In my late teens we developed similar likes in reading and shared a number of books.
"Rhubarb" was a favorite and the memory of how much I enjoyed it has stayed with me. I remember one time searching Amazon for it with zero results.
Who or what is a Rhubarb? Well one meaning way back was a dugout emptying fray during a baseball game. The book I got today is the story of a feisty yellow tom cat who can beat up any dog.
An excentric millionaire who hates dogs takes a liking to him, names him Rhubarb, and takes him in. Next thing we know the millionaire dies and leaves his millions and a losing major league baseball team to the cat.
The press secretary becomes executor, taking care of the baseball team, the.cat and the cat's money. Rhubarb the cat becomes a good luck symbol for the baseball team and they start to win.
It's a funny farce and I was reminded again of the book by a current TV commercial where a talking cat inherited most of an estate.
This time when I searched for "Rhubarb", there it was. I ordered it the first part of the week and there it was in the mail this morning. I knew I ordered the hardcover edition but the package seemed smaller.
Well, it is the hardcover but in 1946 when the book was written there was still a paper shortage after the war. Books were downsized to save on paper. Even tho' the book is nearly as old as me it's in fairly good condition. Dust cover has some minor tears, but so do I.
Oh and it's a first edition.
Will be diving into the 1940s New York and baseball before TV real soon.