ince I
had to think of this, how, in all adversity, what God takes
away He may give us back with increase. One cannot think
that any holy earthly love will cease, when we shall "be
like the Angels of God in Heaven." Love here must shadow our
love there, deeper because spiritual, without any alloy from
our sinful nature, and in the fulness of the love of God.
But as we grow here by God's grace will be our capacity for
endless love. So, then, if by our very sufferings we are
purified, and our hearts enlarged, we shall, in that endless
bliss, love more those whom we loved here, than if we had
never had that sorrow, never been parted....

Lewis Carroll was summoned home to attend the funeral--a sad interlude
amidst the novel experiences of a first term at College. The Oxford of
1851 was in many ways quite unlike the Oxford of 1898. The position of
the undergraduates was much more similar to that of schoolboys than is
now the case; they were subject to the same penalties--corporal
punishment, even, had only just gone out of vogue!--and were expected
to work, and to work hard.

Early rising then was strictly enforced, as the following extract from
one of his letters will show:--

I am not so anxious as usual to begin my personal history,
as the first thing I have to record is a very sad incident,
namely, my missing morning chapel; before, however, you
condemn me, you must hear how accidental it was. For some
days now I have been in the habit of, I will not say getting
up, but of being called at a quarter past six, and generally
managing to be down soon after seven. In the present
instance I had been up the night before till about half-past
twelve, and consequently when I was called I fell asleep
again, and was thunderstruck to find on waking that it was
ten minutes past eight. I have had no imposition, nor heard
anything about it. It is rather vexatious to have happened
so soon, as I had intended never to be late.

[Illustration: Lewis Carroll, aged 23.]

It was therefore obviously his custom to have his breakfast
_before_ going to chapel. I wonder how many undergraduates of the
present generation follow the same hardy rule! But then no
"impositions" threaten the modern sluggard, even if he neglects chapel
altogether.

During the Long Vacation he visited the Great Exhibition, and wrote
his sister Elizabeth a long accoun