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, and gradually down it floated, a troop of angelic forms, transparent, and carrying palm branches in their hands:  they waved these over the sleeping queen, with oh! such a sad and solemn grace.  So could I fancy (if the thought be not profane) would real angels seem to our mortal vision, though doubtless our conception is poor and mean to the reality.  She in an ecstasy raises her arms towards them, and to sweet slow music, they vanish as marvellously as they came.  Then the profound silence of the audience burst at once into a rapture of applause; but even that scarcely marred the effect of the beautiful sad waking words of the Queen, “Spirits of peace, where are ye?” I never enjoyed anything so much in my life before; and never felt so inclined to shed tears at anything fictitious, save perhaps at that poetical gem of Dickens, the death of little Paul.

On August 21st he received a long letter from his father, full of excellent advice on the importance to a young man of saving money:—­

I will just sketch for you [writes the Archdeacon] a supposed case, applicable to your own circumstances, of a young man of twenty-three, making up his mind to work for ten years, and living to do it, on an Income enabling him to save L150 a year—­supposing him to appropriate it thus:—­

L s. d.

Invested at 4 per cent. ... ... 100 0 0

Life Insurance of L1,500 ... 29 15 0
Books, besides those bought in
ordinary course ... ... ... 20 5 0
_____________
L150 0 0

Suppose him at the end of the ten years to get a Living
enabling him to settle, what will be the result of his
savings:—­

1.  A nest egg of L1,220 ready money, for furnishing and
other expenses.

2.  A sum of L1,500 secured at his death on payment of a
very much smaller annual Premium than if he had then
begun to insure it.

      3.  A useful Library, worth more than L200, besides the
    books bought out of his current Income during the period....

The picture on the opposite page is one of Mr. Dodgson’s illustrations in Misch-Masch, a periodical of the nature of The Rectory Umbrella, except that it contained printed stories and poems by the editor, cut out of the various newspapers to which he had contributed them.  Of the comic papers of that day Punch, of course, held the foremost place, but it was not without rivals; there was a certain paper called Diogenes, then very near its end, which imitated Punch’s style, and in 1853 the proprietor of The Illustrated News, at that time one of the most opulent publishers in London, started The Comic Times. A capable editor was found in Edmund Yates; “Phiz” and other well-known artists and writers joined the staff, and 100,000 copies of the first number were printed.