BIB_ID
81494
Accession number
MA 3888.1
Creator
Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898.
Display Date
Oxford, England, 1885 May 14.
Credit line
Gift of Charles Blitzer, 1983.
Description
1 item (3 pages) ; 15.8 x 10 cm
Notes
Written from "Ch. Ch.", Carroll's abbreviation for Christ Church.
Written in purple ink. The ink is severely faded.
Carroll enclosed a mock letter of reference for Standen with this letter, which has been cataloged separately as MA 3888.2.
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.
Written in purple ink. The ink is severely faded.
Carroll enclosed a mock letter of reference for Standen with this letter, which has been cataloged separately as MA 3888.2.
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.
Provenance
Gift of Charles Blitzer, March 29, 1983.
Summary
Gently declining to recommend her as a governess; referring to the enclosure and saying that it will be useful if anyone objects to hiring her on the grounds that she is too young: "you will only need to point to its date, and ask, in a tone of withering scorn, 'Do you suppose I should have troubled myself to get a testimonial written for me before I was born?'"; saying that he would "do anything in my power to be of service to you" but he doesn't think that he can be helpful in this matter: "I know nothing whatever of your qualifications for being a governess. You are forgetting, perhaps, that you never gave me lessons in any subject. I don't think you ever even corrected a sum for me!"; adding "What can I say? It would be worse than useless to say, 'She is an old friend of mine. She is very nice. I like her very much.' They would only reply, 'No followers allowed'"; signing off with "much love."
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