[REAGAN, Nancy (1921-2016), her copy]. THAYER, William Roscoe (1859-1923). The Life and Letters of John Hay. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1915. FIRST EDITION, INSCRIBED BY THAYER IN BOTH VOLUMES reciting John Hay quotes. In vol. I inscribed on half-title: ?John Hay wrote in his youth: ?Eternity is long enough to make right the errors and deficiencies of time?. Cambridge: January 5, 1918, Wm. R. Thayer?. In vol. inscribed on half-title: ??I am a Republican till I die. When we get to Heaven, we can try a Monday, perhaps.? Hay began his long career as an American statesman, first serving as a private secretary for Abraham Lincoln, later becoming his biographer. Hay, along with John George Nicolay, co-authored the ten-volume biography which helped shape Lincoln?s historical image. This fine set is incredibly rare in the original dust jackets and even more so with the inscription from the author.