Helen’s babies! With some account of their ways: innocent, crafty, angelic, impish, witching and repulsive.

Also a partial record of their actions during ten days of their existence. By their latest victim. (Abridged). Cover title: Helen’s Babies. By their latest victim. Melbourne : “Review of Reviews” Office, [c.1900]. Series: The Masterpiece Library. Popular 2d. Novels Series, vol. viii, no. 31. “Australasian edition”. Octavo (190 x 130 mm), original pictorial wrappers, pp 60, [2], includes advertisements for Melbourne businesses; a fine copy.

The American writer John Habberton (1842-1921) was not acknowledged as the author of the popular children’s book Helen’s babies until 1903, even though the story had first been published in Boston in 1876.

The present edition is an abridged version, published in Melbourne around 1900 in a cheap, fragile format. This copy is therefore a rare survivor.

The only example of this edition recorded in Australian collections is held in the National Library of Australia. An unabridged version was published in Melbourne by George Robertson in 1877 (State Library of Victoria); and Melbourne bookseller E.W. Cole produced an illustrated edition around 1900 (State Library of New South Wales; University of Southern Queensland Library; Australian Catholic University Library).