BIB_ID
249935
Accession number
MA 6384
Creator
Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898.
Display Date
Guildford, 1869 May 18.
Credit line
Gift of Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., 1987.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 18.4 x 11.4 cm + envelope
Notes
Written from The Chestnuts, the family home in Guildford.
Envelope with stamp and postmarks: "Miss A.B. Argles / Barnack Rectory, / Stamford." The letter is addressed to "Dolly," Agnes's nickname. Agnes Beatrice Argles married Francis Henry Thicknesse, Bishop of Leicester, in 1888.
On mourning stationery.
This item is part of the Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., Lewis Carroll collection. The large collection includes printed books, letters, manuscripts, puzzles and games, personal effects and ephemera, which have been cataloged separately.
Removed from the "Carrolliana" album (MA 6347) assembled by Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., folio 49.
The letter is signed C. L. Dodgson. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson adopted the pseudonym "Lewis Carroll" in 1856 when publishing a poem in "The Train." He used the pseudonym when publishing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and other works, but wrote under his given name, Charles Dodgson, when publishing mathematical works and in daily life. For administrative purposes, all manuscripts are collated under the name Lewis Carroll.
The dogs mentioned in this letter, Fox and Lily, also figure in a cipher poem (MA 6387.1) in the Morgan Library's holdings.
Envelope with stamp and postmarks: "Miss A.B. Argles / Barnack Rectory, / Stamford." The letter is addressed to "Dolly," Agnes's nickname. Agnes Beatrice Argles married Francis Henry Thicknesse, Bishop of Leicester, in 1888.
On mourning stationery.
This item is part of the Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., Lewis Carroll collection. The large collection includes printed books, letters, manuscripts, puzzles and games, personal effects and ephemera, which have been cataloged separately.
Removed from the "Carrolliana" album (MA 6347) assembled by Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., folio 49.
The letter is signed C. L. Dodgson. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson adopted the pseudonym "Lewis Carroll" in 1856 when publishing a poem in "The Train." He used the pseudonym when publishing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and other works, but wrote under his given name, Charles Dodgson, when publishing mathematical works and in daily life. For administrative purposes, all manuscripts are collated under the name Lewis Carroll.
The dogs mentioned in this letter, Fox and Lily, also figure in a cipher poem (MA 6387.1) in the Morgan Library's holdings.
Provenance
From the Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., Lewis Carroll collection; gift of Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., 1987.
Summary
Thanking Agnes for a box of flowers ("Pulsatillas and orchises") that she had sent to him in Oxford; saying that he brought them down to Guildford and gave them to his eldest sister (Frances Jane Dodgson), who was very interested to see the "Green Man"; inquiring about whether it is common near her, and asking whether she could send a root; telling her that they planted one of the Pulsatillas in the garden, "where it looks rather shy, poor thing, but is getting on pretty well"; discussing his travel plans for the spring and summer, partly seriously and partly in humorous terms; writing "I intend to divide my time evenly between Pekin & Peru, week & week about -- both are nice, interesting places -- Pekin being full of foxes, & Peru of lilies [a reference to the Argles' dogs Fox and Lily]. The inhabitants of the former place live entirely on the tails of foxes (with butter, you know), & those of the latter place live by putting lilies in their hair. This is rather curious, and perhaps you may find it hard to believe -- don't, if you find it troublesome"; asking where she will be spending the summer and sending his kindest regards to "any relations you may happen to have."
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