The Desert Daisy - an astonishing gift from my sister!

I just received an absolutely astonishing gift from my sister. The Desert Daisy, the only novel remaining from H.G. Wells written when he was a boy around the age of twelve. It is amazing that a boy of twelve wrote such a book, complete with an Editor's Preface and Notices of the Press (too cute!). Here is the Preface to the First Edition:

Dear Reader
You have in your hand "The Desert Daisy" a romance of the olden time. I am not at all vain but still I think that if this book is not read when Shakespeare is forgotten it will have been grievously ill treated. I, assisted by H.G. Wells of Bromley have illustrated this work as well as written it and although the contrast between my pictures and his is likely to throw his in the shade, still I hope that on the whole the reader will be pleased with them.