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**TITLE:** Religion and Eternal Life, or Irreligion and Perpetual Ruin, the Only Alternative for Mankind
**AUTHOR:** J.G. Pike
**PUBLISHER:** American Tract Society (150 Nassau-Street, New York)
**DATING:** Circa 1834–1838 (Identified via the early lowercase \"street\" typographic variant layout)
**FOR THE HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL COLLECTOR:**
This is not merely an antique text—it is a thoroughly documented physical timeline of 19th-century American ownership provenance. This volume retains remarkable personal inscriptions on its flyleaves, making it a unique item of interest for family historians, regional genealogists, and collectors of antebellum American social history.
**DOCUMENTED PROVENANCE & TIMELINE:**
1. **The Antebellum Owner (1855):**
Hand-signed in ink on the front pastedown: \"Emma Brown, 1855.\" This ink placement documents the book\'s preservation through the Civil War era.
2. **The Gilded Age Heirloom Hand-off (August 1888):** The facing page contains a beautifully preserved presentation inscription reading:
*\"Presented to Herman P. Fisher and by him presented to Miss Stella A. Pinney — August 1888.\"*
This multi-name lineage provides a rare look at generational keepsake hand-offs within these family circles during the late 1800s.
**PHYSICAL CONDITION REPORT:**
• **Binding:** Original dark blind-stamped publisher\'s cloth with intricate floral/geometric decorative relief borders. Spine and corners show expected structural rubbing and edge wear consistent with a genuine 190-year-old artifact.
• **Text Block:** Completely intact and securely attached. Pages exhibit traditional age-toning and mild foxing spots, but text blocks and ink signatures remain bold and highly legible.
• **Completeness:** Complete text. No loose or detached internal sheets.
**SHIPPING & PRESERVATION:**
Will be shipped securely via USPS Media Mail, fully padded to protect the fragile cloth binding and the historic interior signatures during transit.
