Part 1 (2/2)

In the early part of the last century a certain Rev Christopher Dodgson held a living in Yorkshi+re His son, Charles, also took Holy Orders, and was for some time tutor to a son of the then Duke of Northu of Elsdon, in Northuson discovered The following extracts from his letters to varioussoo:

I aive yourself the trouble of writing to this place, for 'tis aler 16 miles to fetch 'em

'Tis impossible to describe the oddity of my situation at present, which, however, is not void of so upon my curate's head, by way of a block, and his wife powders it with a dredging-box

The vestibule of the castle (used as a tee) is a low stable; above it the kitchen, in which are two little beds joining to each other The curate and his wife lay in one, and Margery the maid in the other I lay in the parlour between two beds to keepfrozen to death, for as we keep open house the winds enter from every quarter, and are apt to sweep into bed to me

Elsdon was once ato others; but as the annals of the parish were lost several centuries ago, it is ie it was either the one or the other

There are not the least traces of the forrandeur to be found, whence some antiquaries are apt to believe that it lost both its trade and charter at the Deluge

There is a very good understanding between the parties [he is speaking of the Churchmen and Presbyterians who lived in the parish], for they not only interether in a white sheet, with a white wand, barefoot, and in the coldest season of the year I have not finished the description for fear of bringing on a fit of the ague Indeed, the ideas of sensation are sufficient to starve arecourse to those of reflection

If I was not assured by the best authority on earth that the world is to be destroyed by fire, I should conclude that the day of destruction is at hand, but brought on by ent very opposite to that of heat

I have lost the use of everything but ht-caps, and my throat, which is very bad, is fortified by a pair of stockings twisted in the for is very cheap, I wear _two_ shi+rts at a tireat coat upon enerally keep on my boots in imitation of my namesake of Sweden Indeed, since the snow became two feet deep (as I wanted a 'chaappin of Yale' froery the s are too thick to reater part of my parishi+oners are not less substantial, and notwithstanding this they are reson became Bishop of Ossory and Ferns, and he was subsequently translated to the see of Elphin He are III, who said that he ought indeed to be thankful to have got away fro was so bad

The Bishop had four children, the eldest of whoe, of Holmrook, in cumberland Two of the others died almost before they had attained manhood Charles, the eldest son, entered the aroon Guards Heand country in Ireland One of the Irish rebels ere supposed to have been concerned in the ive hison would coh he fully realised the risk, the brave captain decided to trust himself to the honour of this outlaw, as he felt that no chance should befirst written a letter of farewell to his wife, he set out on the night of Dece-place--an old hut that stood a 's County In accordance with the terreement, he left his men a few hundred yards froh the night A cowardly shot froe ended his noble life, and alar up in haste, were confronted with the dead body of their leader The story is told that on the saht his wife heard two shots fired, and

Shortly afterwards the news came that her husband had been killed just at that tison left two sons behind him--Hassard, who, after a brilliant career as a special pleader, became a Master of the Court of Common Pleas, and Charles, the father of the subject of this Memoir

Charles, as the elder of the tas born in the year 1800, at Hamilton, in Lanarkshi+re He adopted the clerical profession, in which he rose to high honours He was a distinguished scholar, and took a double first at Christ Church, Oxford Although in after life mathematics were his favourite pursuit, yet the fact that he translated Tertullian for the ”Library of the Fathers” is sufficient evidence that he ood use of his classical education In the controversy about Baptis on the question with the Tractarians, though his views on some other points of Church doctrine were less advanced than those of the leaders of the Oxford movement He was a rave disposition, which, however, was teenerous charity, so that he was universally loved by the poor In ht of his clerical friends, for he had the rare power of telling anecdotes effectively His reverence for sacred things was so great that he was never known to relate a story which included a jest upon words from the Bible

In 1830 he e, by whom he had eleven children, all of whom, except Lewis Carroll, survive His wife, in the words of one who had the best possible opportunities for observing her character, was ”one of the sweetest and gentlest women that ever lived, whom to knoas to love The earnestness of her simple faith and love shone forth in all she did and said; she seemed to live always in the conscious presence of God It has been said by her children that they never in all their lives remember to have heard an impatient or harsh word from her lips” It is easy to trace in Lewis Carroll's character the influence of that h dead she still speaks to us in soes of his works Not so long ago I had a conversation with an old friend of his; one of the first things she said to me was, ”Tell me about his mother” I complied with her request as well as I was able, and, when I had finished son's beautiful character, she said, ”Ah, I knew it ood son was born at Daresbury, of which parish his father was then incue of Daresbury is about seven ton; its na oak, and certainly oaks are very plentiful in the neighbourhood A canal passes through an outlying part of the parish The bargemen who frequented this canal were a special object of Mr Dodgson's pastoral care Once, alking with Lord Francis Egerton, as a large landowner in the district, he spoke of his desire to provide soes for them ”If I only had 100,” he said, ”I would turn one of those barges into a chapel,” and, at his companion's request, he described exactly hoould have the chapel constructed and furnished A feeeks later he received a letter from Lord Francis to tell him that his as fulfilled, and that the chapel was ready In this strange church, which is believed to have been the first of its kind, Mr Dodgson conducted service and preached every Sunday evening!

[Illustration: Daresbury Parsonage]

The parsonage is situated abeen erected by a forlebe than the parish Here it was that Charles spent the first eleven years of his life--years of co of a cart was a reat interest to the children

[Illustration: Lewis Carroll, aged 8]

In this quiet hoest diversions for himself; he made pets of the most odd and unlikely ani his intie civilised warfare a theht if so disposed His notions of charity at this early age were somewhat rudimentary; he used to peel rushes with the idea that the pith would afterwards ”be given to the poor,” though what possible use they could put it to he never attempted to explain Indeed he see ”Wonderland” which he afterwards described so vividly; but for all that he was a thorough boy, and loved to climb the trees and to scramble about in the old marl-pits

One of the few breaks in this very uneventful life was a holiday spent with the other members of his family in Beaumaris The journey took three days each way, for railroads were then alin trains, speed was certainly not one of theson from the first used to take an active part in his son's education, and the following anecdote will show that he had at least a pupil as anxious to learn One day, when Charles was a very small boy, he caarithson told hi about such a difficult subject

The child listened to what his father said, and appeared to think it irrelevant, for he still insisted, ”_But_, please, explain!”

[Illustration: Mrs Dodgson]

On one occasion Mr and Mrs Dodgson went to Hull, to pay a visit to the latter's father, who had been seriously ill From Hull Mrs