“C.L.D., Uncle loving your! Instead grandson his to it give to had you that so, years 80 or 70 for it forgot you that was it pity a what and; him of fond so were you wonder don’t I and, gentleman old nice very a was he. For it made you that him been have must it see you so: Grandfather my was, then alive was that, ‘Dodgson Uncle’ only the, born was I before long was that see you then But. ‘Dodgson Uncle for pretty thing some make I’ll now,’ it began you when yourself to said you that, me telling her without, knew I course of and: ago years many great a it made had you said she. Me told Isa what from was it? For meant was it who out made I how know you do! Lasted has it well how and Grandfather my for made had you Antimacassar pretty that me give to you of nice so was it, Nellie dear my.”

He had often written a looking-glass letter which could only be read by holding it up to a mirror, but this sort of writing was a new departure.

In one of her letters Isa sent “sacks full of love and baskets full of kisses.”

“How badly you do spell your words!” he answered her. “I was so puzzled about the ‘sacks full of love and baskets full of kisses.’ But at last I made out that, of course, you meant a ‘sack full of gloves and a basket full of kittens.’” Then he composed a regular nonsense story on the subject. Isa and her sisters called it the “glove and kitten letter” and read it over and over with much delight, for it was full of quaint fancies, such as Lewis Carroll loved to shower upon the children.

When “Bootle’s Baby” was put upon the stage, Maggie Bowman, though but a tiny child, played the part of Mignon, the little lost girl, who walked into the hearts of the soldiers, and especially one young fellow, to whom she clung most of all. Lewis Carroll, besides taking a personal interest in Maggie herself, was charmed with the play, which appealed to him strongly, so when little Maggie came to Oxford with the company she was treated like a queen. She stayed four days, during which time her “Uncle” took her to see everything worth looking at, and made a rhyming diary for her which he called—

MAGGIE’S VISIT TO OXFORD.
When Maggie once to Oxford came
On tour as “Bootle’s Baby,”
She said: “I’ll see this place of fame,
However dull the day be!”
So with her friend she visited
The sights that it was rich in,
And first of all she poked her head
Inside the Christ Church Kitchen.

The cooks around that little child
Stood waiting in a ring;
And every time that Maggie smiled,
Those cooks began to sing—
Shouting the Battle-cry of Freedom!
“Roast, boil, and bake,
For Maggie’s sake!
Bring cutlets fine
For her to dine;
Meringues so sweet
For her to eat—
For Maggie may be
Bootle’s Baby.”

There are a great many verses describing her walks and what she saw, among other wonders “a lovely Pussy Cat.”

And everywhere that Maggie went
That Cat was sure to go—
Shouting the Battle-cry of Freedom!
“Miaow! Miaow!
Come make your bow!
Take off your hats,
Ye Pussy Cats!
And purr and purr
To welcome her—
For Maggie may be
Bootle’s Baby!”
So back to Christ Church-not too late
For them to go and see
A Christ Church Undergraduate,
Who gave them cakes and tea.
······
In Magdalen Park the deer are wild
With joy that Maggie brings
Some bread, a friend had given the child,
To feed the pretty things.
They flock round Maggie without fear,
They breakfast and they lunch,
They dine, they sup, those happy deer—
Still as they munch and munch,
Shouting the Battle-cry of Freedom!
“Yes, deer are we,
And dear is she.
We love this child
So sweet and mild:
We all are fed
With Maggie’s bread—
For Maggie may be
Bootle’s Baby!”
······
They met a Bishop on their way—
A Bishop large as life—
With loving smile that seemed to say
“Will Maggie be my wife?”
Maggie thought not, because you see
She was so very young,
And he was old as old could be—
So Maggie held her tongue.
“My Lord, she’s Bootle’s Baby; we
Are going up and down,”
Her friend explained, “that she may see
The sights of Oxford-town.”

“Now, say what kind of place it is!”
The Bishop gayly cried,
“The best place in the Provinces!”
The little maid replied.
······
Away next morning Maggie went
From Oxford-town; but yet
The happy hours she there had spent
She could not soon forget.
······
“Oxford, good-bye!
She seemed to sigh,
You dear old City
With gardens pretty,
And lawns and flowers
And College towers,
And Tom’s great Bell,
Farewell! farewell!
For Maggie may be
Bootle’s Baby!”

Here is just a piece of a letter which shows that Lewis Carroll could tease when he liked. It is evident that Isa washed to buy the “Alice” book in French, to give to a friend, so she naïvely wrote to headquarters to ask the price. This is the reply:

“Eastbourne.