In 1830 he married his cousin, Frances Jane Lutwidge, by whom he had eleven children, all of whom, except Lewis Carroll, survive.  His wife, in the words of one who had the best possible opportunities for observing her character, was “one of the sweetest and gentlest women that ever lived, whom to know was to love.  The earnestness of her simple faith and love shone forth in all she did and said; she seemed to live always in the conscious presence of God.  It has been said by her children that they never in all their lives remember to have heard an impatient or harsh word from her lips.”  It is easy to trace in Lewis Carroll’s character the influence of that most gentle of mothers; though dead she still speaks to us in some of the most beautiful and touching passages of his works.  Not so long ago I had a conversation with an old friend of his; one of the first things she said to me was, “Tell me about his mother.”  I complied with her request as well as I was able, and, when I had finished my account of Mrs. Dodgson’s beautiful character, she said, “Ah, I knew it must have been so; I felt sure he must have had a good mother.”

On January 27, 1832, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was born at Daresbury, of which parish his father was then incumbent.  The village of Daresbury is about seven miles from Warrington; its name is supposed to be derived from a word meaning oak, and certainly oaks are very plentiful in the neighbourhood.  A canal passes through an outlying part of the parish.  The bargemen who frequented this canal were a special object of Mr. Dodgson’s pastoral care.  Once, when walking with Lord Francis Egerton, who was a large landowner in the district, he spoke of his desire to provide some sort of religious privileges for them.  “If I only had L100,” he said, “I would turn one of those barges into a chapel,” and, at his companion’s request, he described exactly how he would have the chapel constructed and furnished.  A few weeks later he received a letter from Lord Francis to tell him that his wish was fulfilled, and that the chapel was ready.  In this strange church, which is believed to have been the first of its kind, Mr. Dodgson conducted service and preached every Sunday evening!

[Illustration:  Daresbury Parsonage]

The parsonage is situated a mile and a half from the village, on the glebe-farm, having been erected by a former incumbent, who, it was said, cared more for the glebe than the parish.  Here it was that Charles spent the first eleven years of his life—­years of complete seclusion from the world, for even the passing of a cart was a matter of great interest to the children.

[Illustration:  Lewis Carroll, aged 8.]