1885 The Light on the Path - First Edition (Association Copy)
One of the treasured items in my personal collection is a first edition of the theosophical classic "The Light on the Path" by Mabel Collins. According to theosophical mystic lore, Collins wrote the book after experiencing an event in which her astral body was taken into a hall of spiritual initiation. There, she saw and read lines written in golden letters on the walls. These lines inspired the creation of the concise little book "The Light on the Path," which was published in 1885 by the Reeves & Turner publishing company.
Initially, Collins claimed that she wrote the book under the dictation of her spirit guide, Master Sri Hilarion, who was said to be a member of a secret Greek brotherhood of Masters. However, she later retracted this claim, leading to conflict with H.P. Blavatsky, a leading theoretician of Theosophy, and some loyal followers within the Theosophical Society at that time. This conflict ultimately resulted in Collins' departure from the society. While the publication of the book alone is not solely responsible for these tensions, it is ironic that such a small book sparked significant strife within the organization.
Regarding the publication, the publisher initially released two versions of the first edition: some copies were issued in wrappers, while others were in hardcover. It is widely believed that this edition was printed in limited quantities and is rare in both known variations. What makes this particular copy especially intriguing are the associations and notes included within the book. A signature on the reverse side of the front free endpaper reads, “Elmira Y. Howard, from her friend S.H.R.” Ms. Howard earned her medical degree in 1870 and became a widowed mother after the Civil War. She primarily served women, children, and the African American community in Cincinnati, Ohio. Additionally, she worked as a correspondent for the Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette for a time. Although her precise connection to the Theosophical Society is unclear, it can generally be assumed that her relationship with Theosophical Hall in Cincinnati was primarily geographical.
Another point of inquiry was the identity of 'S.H.R.', the individual from whom the book was presented to Mrs. Howard. Initially, I hoped the book had been gifted by Mabel Collins herself, using the pseudonym Sri. Hilarion (S.H.), as she was known to have signed a few of her works in this informal manner. However, the "R" in 'S.H.R.' posed a challenge. I consulted with respected author and colleague Ronnie Pontiac, who has extensive connections in theosophical circles due to his previous work with Manly P. Hall's Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles. After several days of deliberation, we still found ourselves puzzled.
My second effort to identify 'S.H.R.' involved comparing the handwriting on my copy of the book with previous documents written by Mabel Collins. I contacted Erik Mona, a well-known curator of theosophy, who kindly provided me with a scanned copy of a letter written by Collins. Unfortunately, the handwriting did not appear to match, though we cannot be entirely certain either way. The mystery surrounding this association remains unresolved for now.
Perhaps the most intriguing piece of this puzzle is a contemporary letter that accompanies the book. The handwriting on this letter matches that of 'S.H.R.', suggesting that the letter was presented alongside the book to Ms. Howard. The letter contains a list of 'rules' with additional notes elaborating on several of the rules in the book. This leads us to our next point of reference.
Some years back Weiser Antiquarian cataloged a first edition of Light on the Path in which included a series of notes at the hand of Collins. According to the experts at Weiser, “Around the time of publication of “Light on the Path,” Collins received additional explanatory material on the text from the Master Hilarion, which came to be known as "the Notes." Collins apparently hand-copied "The Notes" onto a number of blank pages, which she inserted into this copy of the first edition. She may have prepared one or two other copies similarly, but if so, we have been unable to trace them, and she could not have done many because of the labor involved (although we have found reference to another with "by Sri Hilarion" written by Collins on the title-page). "The Notes" were subsequently typeset and incorporated in printed form into all later editions of the work."
The annotations in my copy closely resemble those in the Weiser catalog, but they are not identical. This raises the question: Could this be one of the few surviving copies handwritten by Collins? If not Collins, perhaps the annotations were made by an assistant editor or a collaborator. “The Notes” were later typeset and included in all subsequent editions of the work. Therefore, it is also possible that the annotator made these notes based on a later edition before presenting the copy to Mrs. Elmira Howard. Regardless of how we interpret the situation, the notes included with this first edition are extremely rare and truly unique.
Note: This copy remains in Near Fine condition with only minor exterior soiling. It was acquired from an associate bookseller in the U.S. state of Georgia in July of 2022. This edition remains in our permanent collection and is not currently for sale. (Scroll below for additional photos)
Ernest J. Rose
