ter of Arts of the
University. In this wider sense Mr. Dodgson did not take his Master's
degree until 1857.

This is anticipating events, and there is much to tell of the year
1855, which was a very eventful one for him. On February 15th he was
made Sub-Librarian. "This will add L35 to my income," he writes, "not
much towards independence." For he was most anxious to have a
sufficient income to make him his own master, that he might enter on
the literary and artistic career of which he was already dreaming. On
May 14th he wrote in his Diary: "The Dean and Canons have been pleased
to give me one of the Bostock scholarships, said to be worth L20 a
year--this very nearly raises my income this year to independence.
Courage!"

His college work, during 1855, was chiefly taking private pupils, but
he had, in addition, about three and a half hours a day of lecturing
during the last term of the year. He did not, however, work as one of
the regular staff of lecturers until the next year. From that date his
work rapidly increased, and he soon had to devote regularly as much as
seven hours a day to delivering lectures, to say nothing of the time
required for preparing them.

The following extract from his Journal, June 22, 1855, will serve to
show his early love for the drama. The scene is laid at the Princess'
Theatre, then at the height of its glory:--

The evening began with a capital farce, "Away with
Melancholy," and then came the great play, "Henry VIII.,"
the greatest theatrical treat I ever had or ever 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's! I almost held my breath to watch: the
illusion is perfect, and I felt as if in a dream all the
time it lasted. It was like a delicious reverie, or the most
beautiful poetry. This is the true end and object of
acting--to raise the mind above itself, and out of its petty
cares. Never shall I forget that wonderful evening, that
exquisite vision--sunbeams broke in through the roof, and
gradually revealed two angel forms, floating in front of the
carved work on the ceiling: the column of sunbeams shone
down upon the sleeping queen, a