It was in 1844, at the mature age of twelve, when he was a pupil at
Richmond School, that he wrote his first story. It was called “The
Unknown One,” and appeared in the school magazine.
That the headmaster anticipated that his young pupil might one day
astonish the world may be gathered by the following extract from his
first report upon him:
“I do not hesitate to express my opinion that he possesses, along
with other and excellent natural endowments, a very uncommon share of
genius; he is capable of acquirements and knowledge far beyond his
years, while his reason is so clear and so zealous of error, that he
will not rest satisfied without a most exact solution of whatever
appears to him obscure. You may fairly anticipate for him a bright
career.”
At the age of fourteen Charles was sent to Rugby School, becoming a
pupil a few years after the death of the great Dr. Arnold, immortalised
in “Tom Brown’s Schooldays.” The headmaster was Dr. A. C. Tait, who
afterwards became Archbishop of Canterbury. His opinion of his pupil’s
ability was thus expressed in a letter to Archdeacon Dodgson:
“I must not allow your son to leave school without expressing to you
the very high opinion I entertain of him. His mathematical knowledge
is great for his age, and I doubt not he will do himself credit in
classics; his examination for the Divinity Prize was one of the most
creditable exhibitions I have ever seen.”
Young Dodgson’s literary activities appear to have definitely commenced
about the year 1845, when the first of a series of amateur magazines,
which he edited during the holidays for the benefit of the inmates
of Croft Rectory made its appearance. The most ambitious of these
home-made journals was “The Rectory Umbrella,” for which, in addition
to editing, he wrote most of the matter and made all the illustrations.
In the spring of 1850 he matriculated, and in January, 1851, following
in the footsteps of his father, he became a student at Christ Church
College, Oxford, and commenced a personal association with it which
lasted until the day of his death, forty-seven years later. Scholastic
honours and distinctions were his almost from the very first, for
he soon won a Boulter Scholarship and obtained First Class Honours
in Mathematics and Second in Classical Moderations. The degrees of
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts followed.
In 1853, during a stay at Ripon, he met a singular person who
identified with remarkable accuracy the qualities and characteristics
which were to make him famous. This was a Miss Anderson, who professed
to have clairvoyant powers, and by merely holding a folded paper
containing writing by a person unknown to her to be able to describe
his or her character. This was her delineation of young Dodgson’s:
“Very clever head, a great deal of imitation; he would make a good
actor; diffident; rather shy in general society; comes out in the home
circle; rather obstinate, very clever; a great deal of concentration;
very affectionate; a great deal of wit and humour; not much faculty for
remembering events; fond of deep reading; imaginative; fond of reading
poetry; may compose.”
The following year he contributed the poem and short story to “The
Whitby Gazette” which are included in this present volume.
His love of the theatre alluded to by the psychical lady was an early
one. In his diary for June 22, 1853, he thus refers to an evening spent
at the Princess’s Theatre, London:
“Then came the great play ‘Henry VIII.,’ the greatest theatrical treat
I have ever had or expect to have. I had no idea that anything so
superb as the scenery and dresses was ever to be seen on the stage.
Kean was magnificent as Cardinal Wolsey, Mrs. Kean a worthy successor
to Mrs. Siddons as Queen Catherine, and all the accessories without
exception were good--but oh, that exquisite vision of Queen Catherine!
I almost held my breath to watch, the illusion is perfect, and I felt
as if in a dream the whole time it lasted. It was like a delicious
reverie or most beautiful poetry. This is the true end and object of
acting--to raise the mind above itself and out of its petty cares.”
Another entry is full of the diffidence about himself and his work
which was characteristic of the man. It read as follows:
“I am sitting alone in my bedroom this last night of the old year
(1857) waiting for midnight. It has been the most eventful year of my
life: I began it as a poor bachelor student, with no definite plans or
expectations; I end it as a master and tutor in Christ Church, with an
income of more than £300 a year, and the course of mathematical tuition
marked out by God’s providence for at least some years to come. Great
mercies, great failings, time lost, talent misapplied--such has been
the past year.”
At Christmas he became the editor of a college publication called
“College Rhymes,” in which first appeared “A Sea Dirge” and “My
Fancy,” both of which are included in this present volume. About the
same period he contributed several poems to “The Comic Times,” and
later to “The Train.” Edmund Yates, the editor of both publications,
expressed the warmest appreciation of his work.