A flashing light--a fleeting shade-- Beginning, end, and middle Of all that human art hath made, Or wit devised "Go, seek her aid, If you would guess my riddle."] While on the subject of the two "Alices," I will put in a letter that he wrote mentioning his books. He was so modest about them, that it was extremely difficult to get him to say, or write, anything at all about them. I believe it was a far greater pleasure for him to know that he had pleased some child with "Alice" or "The Hunting of the Snark," than it was to be hailed by the press and public as the first living writer for children. "EASTBOURNE. "MY OWN DARLING ISA,--The full value of a copy of the French 'Alice' is L45: but, as you want the 'cheapest' kind, and as you are a great friend of mine, and as I am of a very noble, generous disposition, I have made up my mind to a _great_ sacrifice, and have taken L3, 10s. 0d. off the price. So that you do not owe me more than L41, 10s. 0d., and this you can pay me, in gold or bank-notes _as soon as you ever like_. Oh dear! I wonder why I write such nonsense! Can you explain to me, my pet, how it happens that when I take up my pen to write a letter to _you_ it won't write sense? Do you think the rule is that when the pen finds it has to write to a nonsensical good-for-nothing child, it sets to work to write a nonsensical good-for-nothing letter? Well, now I'll tell you the real truth. As Miss Kitty Wilson is a dear friend of yours, of course she's a _sort_ of a friend of mine. So I thought (in my vanity) 'perhaps she would like to have a copy' from the author, 'with her name written in it.' So I've sent her one--but I hope she'll understand that I do it because she's _your_ friend, for, you see, I had never _heard_ of her before: so I wouldn't have any other reason. "I'm still exactly 'on the balance' (like those scales of mine, when Nellie says 'it won't weigh!') as to whether it would be wise to have my pet Isa down here! how _am_ I to make it weigh, I wonder? Can you advise any way to do it? I'm getting on grandly with 'Sylvie and Bruno Concluded.' I'm afraid you'll expect me to give you a copy of it? Well, I'll see if I have one to spare. It won't be out before Easter-tide, I'm afraid. "I wonder what sort of condition the book is in that I lent you to take to America? ('Laneton Parsonage,' I mean). Very shabby, I expect. I find lent books _never_ come back in good condition. However, I've got a second copy of this book, so you may keep it as your own. Love and kisses to any one you know who is lovely and kissable.-- "Always your loving Uncle, "C. L. D." In 1876 appeared the long poem called the "Hunting of the Snark; or, An Agony in Eight Fits," and besides those verses we have from Lewis Carroll's pen two books called "Phantasmagoria" and "Rhyme and Reason."