Lewis Carroll Mss. and First Editions on Exhibit at Widener-Boyhood Letters of Famous Author Now on View

A Lewis Carroll exhibit has been arranged in the Widener Memorial Room and will be on display through next week. Manuscripts made while the author of "Alice in Wonderland" was a student at Eton and Oxford, Carroll's own copy of the first edition of the classic fairy tale, and the first rough draft for "Through the Looking Glass," are among the many treasures in the exhibition.

While at Eton, Carroll regularly amused his brothers and sisters at home by writing and illustrating stories and poems, which he sent to them in the form of a magazine. An interesting side light on Carroll's sense of humor is given by the signatures under each drawing, for he signed his crude renderings with the names of great artists, such as Rembrandt, and Sir Joshua Reynolds.

At Oxford, Carroll continued his magazine, and a copy is shown in which is written the first stanza of the "Jabberwock," which was afterwards expanded into the book, "Through the Looking Glass." With the stanza is a key to the meanings of the unintelligible words: "Twas bryllyg, and the slythy toves, Did gyre and gymble in the Wabe." The original drawings by John Tennie for the illustrations of the first editions of "Alice in Wonderland," and "Though the Looking Glass," are also exhibited, as well as a first edition of the former with a frontispiece colored by Tennie.

A letter from Carroll to Mrs. Richards, a school teacher, gives the writer's opinion of small boys. "I wish you all success with your little boys," Carroll wrote; "to me they are not an attractive race of beings. As a little boy I was simply detestable, and if you wanted to induce me by money to come and teach them, I can only say you would have to offer me more than 10,000 pounds sterling a year." Another letter of interest is one written by Carroll in such small script that it is hardly legible. The letter was signed "Sylvie," and purported to be from the fairy in Carroll's story, "Sylvie, and Bruno."