The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-04

schooImaster made to his father said: He
smarvellously ingenious In replacing the ordi-
nary infections OF nouns and verbs. as detailed
In our grammars. by more exact analogies,
or convenient forms OF his own dcvisinR." Like
many another big family OF children the Dode-
sons wrote a magazine. the Rectorv Umbrella.
from which Mr.. Collingwood takes n remarkably
well-donc parody OF Macaulay's Lays Of An
Client Rome" and expressive. II not accurately
drawn. pictures. that remind one Of Thacke-
ray, 1t is In his letters to little girls. however,
that Lewis Carroll reveals himself best. and
blots out Mr.. Dodgson, from whom In life he
tried hard to be kept distinct. Extracts from
some of these we must quote:
My Dear Magdalen.-I want TO explain to you
why did not call yesterday. | was sorry to miss
you. Int you see I had 80 many conversations on
tho way. l tried to explain TO the people on the
street that l was going to see you. but they wouldn't
listen; they said they were in u hurry. which was
rude. At last / met a wheelbarrow that / Thought
Would attend to me, but l couldn't make out what
was in II. l saw some features FIRST, then l looked
through II telescope, and found II was a Couutenance;
then looked through a microscope and saw II was
a face! l thought it was rather like me, so l
fetched a large looking glass to make sure, and
then to my great joy / found it was me.
We shook hands, and were Just beginning to talk.
when myself came up and Joined us, and we had
quite a pleasant conversation. l said. Do you re.
member when we all met at Sandown? 2 and myself
said, 1t was very jolly there; there was a child
called Magdalen.' and me said, 1 used to like her
a little; not much. you know-only a little Then
twas time for us TO go to the train, and who do you
think came TO the station to see us odt You would
never guess. so l must tell you. They were two very
dear friends of mine. who happen 10 be here just
now, and beg to he allowed to sign this letter as
your afIectionnte friends. Lewis Carroll and G.. l.
Do1gson.'
My Dear Gaynor.-My name is spelt with a q.
that is to say D0ipsoR.' Any one who spells 1t the
same ms that wretch 4 mean Of course the Chairman
of Committees of the House of mmc oIends
me deeply and for ersrl 1t is a thing | can forget, but
n'uer can JorDirsi If you do it again [ shall call you
''aynor.' Could you live happy with such a name2
As to dancing, my dear, | ncrsr dance, unless | lam al
lowedtodo it in my uvn peculiar trdU. There is no use
trying to describe it; it has to be seen to be believed.
The last house l tried it in the floor broke through.
But then 1t was a poor sort of foor-the beams were
only six inches thick. hardly worth calling beams at
all; stone arches are much more sensible, when any
dancing, Of mn peculiar kind. Is to be done. Did
you ever see the Rhinoceros. and the Hippopotamus,
at tho Geological Gardens. trying to dance a nlinuet
together? 1t is a touching sight. Give any message
from me to Amy that you think will DO likely to sur
prise her.
please offer to your sister all the necessary apol.
oEies for the liberties l have taken with her name.
Ny only excuse is, that l know no other; and how
an l to guess what the full name is? II may be
Carlotta. or Xealot, or Ballot, or Lotusblossom "a
very pretty nance. or even Charlotte. Never have /
sent anything to a young lady OF whom l have a
more shadowy idea. Name, an enigma; age. some
where between 1 and 10 you've no idea how
bewildering it is, alternately picturing her as a
little toddling thing OF ), and a tall girl
of 10 .; disposition-vell l haze "A fragment of in
formation on that qncstion-your mother says, As to
my coming. 1t must be when Lottie is at home, or
she would never forgive us still | cannot consider
the mere fact that she is of an unforStviuG DISPOSE
ton as a complete view Of her character. | feel sure
she has some other qualities besides"
The story OF the three cats is carried on
through several letters.
THAT reminds me OF a very curious thing that
happened to me at halt-past 4 yesterday. Three
visitors came knocking at my door. begging me to
let them in. And when 1 opened the door. who. do
you think they weref You'll never guess. Why,
they were three cats Wasn't it curious? However.
they all looked SO cross and dlsagreeublc that | took
up the first thing l could lay my hand ON (which
happened tp be the rollingpin and knocked them
all down ~ tat a. pancakes! IF you come knocking
at my door. | said. shall come knocking at g0ur
heads That was far. vast ii not?"
About the cats. You know. OF course | didn't
leave them lying fiat On the ground like dried flow
ers; no, l picked them up, aud | was as kind as |
could be to them. | lent them the portfolio for a
| bcd-they wouldn't have been comfortable i'll a real
Dft. III EhFM AlN CIV ~ NAb hAA AANF N'A'
puite happy between the sheets of hlotting paper
| and each of them had \ pcnwiper for a pillow. Well,
then | went to bed; but first ] lent them the three
dinner bells, to ring II they wanted anything in the
| night. You know l have hrre dinner bells: the
first which is the largest is rung when the
dinner il marty ready; the second (which is rather
larger is runG when it IL quite ready; and the third
| (Which is ~ large as the other two put together Is
| rung all the time ! am al dinner. Well, | told them
they might Ying If they happened TO want anything
and, as they rang all the bells all night. | suppose
they did want something or other, only wEs too
sleepy to attend to them.
In tho morning | gave them some rat.tail jelly
and buttrrcd mice for breakfast. and they were as
discuuteuted a. they could be. They wanted some
boiled pelican, but Of course / knew 1t wouldn't be
good for them. So all | said was 90 to Number
Two, Fsnborough Road, aud ask for Agnes Hughes.
| and il it's really good for YOU. she'll give you some.
| Then I shook hands with them all, aud wished them
| all good-by. and drove them up the chimney. They
| seemed very sorry TO 90. and they took the bells
and the portfolio with them. / didn't fnd this out
till after they had gone, aud then | was sorry. too.
| ard wished for them back again. What do | mean
by them? Never mind
are Arthur, and Amy, and Emily Do they
still 90 MP and down FinbOrouglI Road and teach
| the cats to lie kind TO micef | am very fond OF all
the cats in FYnborough Road. Give them my love.
| Who do mean by them 2 Never mind.
You asked me after those three cats. All! the
dear c~rcatures! Do you know, ever since that night
| they first CAM" they have nrr,r iJtBsF Isn't It kind
| of thcm? Tell Agnes this. She will be interested to
hear il. And they are so kind and thoughtful! Do
Won know, when | had gone ont for II walk the
other day they got all my books ont of the book
| case and opened them ON the floor. to be ready
for me TO read. They opened hem all at page so.
because they thought that would he \ nice useful
page 10 begin at. It was rather unfortunate though.
because they took my bottle Of gum and tried 10
- .,,,r.. ,t,ynp thp peiliplF ~ hlrl thty tlplIFlt
would please mo. and by accident they split II
uuantity of It all over my books. 30 when they were
shut up and put by the leaves all stuck together,
and can never read page 30 again In any IT thcml
However, tley meant 1t very kindly, 50 l wasn't
angry. | gave them each u spoonful of ink as u
| treat; but they we're uugrateful for that and made
dreadful ficcs. But of course. as 1t was given them
as a treat, they had 10 drink 1t. one of them has
turned black since; it WAS a white catto begin with
1t is to be hoped that all the letters Lewis
Carroll wrote to his little friends may be gath
a.o1 ,aratI,ar Law nm editor as pareful as MIR,