A tiny, unpublished manuscript written by 19th century English novelist and poet Charlotte Brontë at age 13 will be put on sale for US$1.25 million at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair. Titled “A Book of Ryhmes” by Charlotte Brontë, Sold by Nobody, and Printed by Herself, the manuscript contains 10 poems written by Brontë, including such titles as The Beauty of Nature, Song of an Exile, and A Bit of a Ryhme. According to Henry Wessells, an associate at James Cummins Bookseller, “The Book of Rhymes” (or “ryhmes,” as Charlotte spelled it on the title page), dated December 1829, has not been seen in the public eye since it was sold in 1916. The 15-page work reflects the “sophisticated imaginary world” of Brontë and her siblings, according to a press release from the dealers.

“They wrote adventure stories, dramas, and verse in hand-made manuscript books filled with tiny handwriting intended to resemble print,” the release says. “Just think of the Brontë children telling and writing stories among themselves, learning at home in a remote village, and then blossoming, briefly, to write the books that have been read by millions ever since, and also leaving behind hand-made things such as this manuscript,” said Wessells. Brontë and her sisters Emily and Anne wrote some of the most beloved classics in English literature, including “Jane Eyre” (1847), “Wuthering Heights” (1847), and “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” (1948).