shelves of curious stuff

As you know I love books. Can't bear to throw them away particularly the ones that I know have soul. A while ago I posted about my South American Handbook 1928 and Lear's Book of Bosh.
This weekend I had a swap around of furniture in the dining room which meant a complete empty of the book case in order to move it.
Well you can imagine it took 5 times longer than it should as I 'ummed' & 'arrred' over the gems in there.

Tucked at the back behind the big meaty books (Times Atlas of the World, Secret Britain, Whale Nation etc) I found a couple of small old slim books. I must tell you my mother gave me them some time ago, she found them whilst clearing out things when her partner died. Her words were ' You may find these amusing?'

The first one is 'mastery of speech Lesson6' - How to speak in private life and in public places.
It is not dated but gives advice on how to talk in the home, to servants, policemen, labourers, foreigners, public officials and so on. It does mention a lot about being frank ... I don't want to me Frank!!
In talking to a foreigner it gives you the scenario that 'you are in a social gathering, or you are travelling and get into a conversation with a foreigner. What topics would be of most use?
1. Present events in the foreigners land (all well and good if you have your Blackberry with you)
2. Great men in the foreigner's land (bit stuck if he is Belgian... sorry!)
3. Great achievements of the foreigners nation at any time (Blackberry time again)
4. The past or present relations of your country and his (tricky on many fronts being British)
Along these lines I have the most interesting conversations with foreigners of all sorts from peasants on the mountain side to bankers'

The second one is the 'woman the home maker; or how to care for your wife'. Published originally in 1905 but the copy I have is the 3rd edition released upon the world in 1914.

It is a corker of a book which swings from a mans chauvinistic view point to how to keep a woman well. It is of particular interest to me as it was published in my home town but I have been unable to track anything down about the Rev. Melville C. Keith , M.D. to date

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I will be keeping these two books at the front of the book case for future reference and will post genuine snippets of madness in the future

btw the lady at the top of the post was tucked in side 'woman the home maker' - knit yourself a long vest pattern!!!