New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-02
LEWIS CARROLL.
so>,r CRITICISMS BY HIS COUNTRYMEN-
COMMENTS PROVOKED BY HIS DEAIh
ANECDOTES AND LETTERS.

of the Alice books would not have whceu uI"''
appreciation generally so sympathetic eve" '"CV'
tonate There is an unwonted genueheSs III "e
comments of that usually acrd sheet Inc S''u
day Review" More than any other Englsh Wil'''
II declares Carroll has attracted TO himself '"e
grabbed age and the youth Of his generation
For that cleverness cannot account; 9 e[
Ms work must have struck note or peculiar AZ
Probe mat fcu upon a constitution happily prepared
Tor IT'S Inroads Yet his rendering Of fairy 'aie was
OF Sf' all true airy tale This may be said 1t ho of
never been written down 10 tle ~ 5SoftirC
childish readers. rather. II has been ne HiV'l.S
rSSa ca, exDerience the thrill of bg-hearted adj
ve a,sr ana the grown man the romantic sense
and undis tGrbcd belief in poetic justice VII, wIiiS" ~
has warmed Is im9spaqn =, upon G59 5ss f fqE
3'enindcd elders and do stil have an interest ior
them more or vague. But up TO the latter nan
OF little Interest 20 its elders. Now. however, an
astonishing change has come over the uIonin -,
mankind; and to-day the child is the groWh-Gp
mans fairy book Almost by instinct wise m1nd
stoops TO look into that under Mofa SO COS 20 az
ancicnts and 80 new ground for itIyland ms ms
minds si aeSsitye to chiyary and romance the
ola fairy tale Tsip Mans dred Cd 10 he
world OF childhood and arrested almost siudious-
Ut was through this change of outlook and az
almost its hrst portent. that Lewis CARROTS fairy
% SGfK5 any putting Back Of bright iniegence
rather with al the resources OF VIZ ana h3inUI ana
man of grave reserve and nne intelligence, turned
round upon all tradition to find new fairyiand
ready made iresh-sprung from humanity ne"
interest in the things Of childhood
from the fact that as much fairy tale for ED
ers as for children ana ne nltnCsi mJcLtS, rc VI
have in common. Lewis CARROTS ability TO evoke
cess; the material for it was his great dScoV-
i, may seem strained in the face of the mlrth-
,eiex 20 claim for thcm so much purpose and
mess - can
and battling logic were but the outcome or mere
sensc Of fun. Wherever there is beauty in human
tent II w!stful: and in many Of CARROTS tender
Take as an instance the Fawn that has forgGtieen
wood is cleared; then. crying, Il am a fawn, ana
you-yon are human chic spf I'll s' Wbita
knight of SO much wisdom gone foolishy, astl:ay:
has about II almost tbs SANE charm as Han,s r
satlre too light ana stingless but satire none the
less conveye under cajoling disguise Of parody;
and some may be able 70 see IA The aged aRtd
70 Wordsworth'e "each-gatherer," and in the figure
OF the White Knight. with his horse-lke face some
Lewis Carroll was too much Of scholar and a
recluse IN temperament not 10 ino many things
contrary 20 his taste in the world from which al
most with ascerhty. he guarded ms private PEI
thought received many passing rap from his Wit;
and the desire for intelIosaJlon ana Sts.me:t
carries to the length Of fo0lishness is Teso.ujey
put. down with fnalily which leaves the moor,
annle6 ,yhanitv AZ the new ags which has sprung
a s5S5 10 10 Welcome Sei h
THE Saturday" elsewhere sets forth a fact which
NAV be commended 10 the so-callod "litteTateurs'
Of the period:
In these DAYS Of personal puffs and self-adyertse
nent the career Of the late Lewis Carroll is
trenchant object-lesson. Ply single inspiration Of
unconscious genius he achieved an interna tlouaI
iSe S ,raS and Gesp9ir Il s no iyperb6le 20
2 10 D IS 8
not a language with any pretensions TO literature
to which the Jabberwock and the Cheshire cat are
know of the quiet student Of Christ Church; What
10 the average mind? About the little humorists Of
the hour their wives, their clothes. tfeir p9simes
king Of drolls was content 10 speak only through
his works. and their voi. e IS more lasting man al
the trumpets Of tho noble army or iog-roIIefs pu'
together
The Academy" notes that Lewis CAROLS att-
tude 70 children was more devotion than mere
affection. approaching even 10 alteration. He wrote
Alice In Wonderland" 10 give pleasure 20 TWO
friends. the little daughters Of Dean Liddeh. the
elder Of whom was the original Alice It was pub
nshed that others might share that pleasure. II
was his wish that the Lewis Carroll Of lis books
should be kept apart from tho Rev. Charles Dodg-
son OF hts private life. and THE Academy men
lions a proof y this desire which is TO be found
in the letter he wrote Mr.. II. II. Caine the ed
tor Of a collection of humorous verse. who asked
him for permission reprint some Of his pieces In
that volume
Mr. Game received this reply
Mr. c. l. podeson begs to say. in reply to Mr;
Canes e'ST 10 '1 any sunb pIec1s as are
named by Mr.. Game. His published writings are
able for such volume as Mr.. Game proposes TO
Against this rebuff might be placed the following
letter to a chld " riten IN lS75) wherein the gun
ssss sS'gn 5s !To Bn Fl must be 4s
bered that Mr. Dodeson would do fol child what
he Wou6 not DO f9I any one r S5f - exain 70 YOU
why dit not call Yesterday. was sorry 70 mis-
Inc way tried to explain 10 the people IN the
street that was going 10 see you Du' bn IngE
which was rude: Al last met wheel6aTTGw thas
thought would attend 10 mo, oul (.,u" i m,
Then 7 looked through telescope and found IT was
q noi,ntenance: then / Iookei through a microscope
like me 50 ! fetched large !ooki1g-e ASS 70 ntte
sure and then 10 my great Joy found Il was Ne
Nher Myself came up and joined us; ana we had
member when an met at sant9wn?. And NM yji
self said IT was very l2ly mere tn'TH "I kc S S
little NOT much, you know-ony little linen Il
think came 10 the station 70 see US on You "1 ,
never guess SO ! must tell You. They were TWO
insi now aud beg 10 De allowed to sign this letter
as your affcctionate friends. Lewis tati"l "'"i
c. l.. Dodgson."
His mathematical works were numerous and val
liable although his championship Of Euclid agalnst
more modern systems Of geometry Is held D! NAM
occen;ricit!es which often accompany pr0hcleHcy
in his particular science. and many sood sl3rieS5
are told Of him AT oxford. He was a Watchiul
guardian Of Oxfords honor ard used occasionally
10 nut forth & whimsical pamphlef In when some
yhase Of the I'niversity's welbeinR was examined.
These productions were always witty and mar
velouslv ingenious Mr. DOdFson WAS shy ana
reserved resOute celibatc. man Of few friencs
but At and the patron saint Of children. Incl
dental,y We might mention that he liked them al
10 be familiar with Lewis CARROTS writings. HIS
hobbies. after mathematics, which he looked upon
both as work and play. photography and
the stage. His photographs Of children must be
wellnigh countless Mr. Dodsson-as sage; as Wit
and as sa!nt-wln be mourned by those who knew
him as Lewis Carroll will be mourncd by readers
all the world over.
A correspondent Of THE Academy" says that
few OF Oxford's famous have been incon-
snin,nus IN her rnldst 'Nronde constantly