The editor was very desirous of securing something for his magazine that would delight children, and he hit upon the idea of trying to induce Lewis Carroll to write another Alice in Wonderland series.  He was told by English friends that this would be difficult, since the author led a secluded life at Oxford and hardly ever admitted any one into his confidence.  But Bok wanted to beard the lion in his den, and an Oxford graduate volunteered to introduce him to an Oxford don through whom, if it were at all possible, he could reach the author.  The journey to Oxford was made, and Bok was introduced to the don, who turned out to be no less a person than the original possessor of the highly colored vocabulary of the “White Rabbit” of the Alice stories.

“Impossible,” immediately declared the don.  “You couldn’t persuade Dodgson to consider it.”  Bok, however, persisted, and it so happened that the don liked what he called “American perseverance.”

“Well, come along,” he said.  “We’ll beard the lion in his den, as you say, and see what happens.  You know, of course, that it is the Reverend Charles L. Dodgson that we are going to see, and I must introduce you to that person, not to Lewis Carroll.  He is a tutor in mathematics here, as you doubtless know; lives a rigidly secluded life; dislikes strangers; makes no friends; and yet withal is one of the most delightful men in the world if he wants to be.”

But as it happened upon this special occasion when Bok was introduced to him in his chambers in Tom Quad, Mr. Dodgson did not “want to be” delightful.  There was no doubt that back of the studied reserve was a kindly, charming, gracious gentleman, but Bok’s profession had been mentioned and the author was on rigid guard.

When Bok explained that one of the special reasons for his journey from America was to see him, the Oxford mathematician sufficiently softened to ask the editor to sit down.  Bok then broached his mission.

“You are quite in error, Mr. Bok,” was the Dodgson comment.  “You are not speaking to the person you think you are addressing.”

For a moment Bok was taken aback.  Then he decided to go right to the point.

“Do I understand, Mr. Dodgson, that you are not ‘Lewis Carroll’; that you did not write Alice in Wonderland?”

For an answer the tutor rose, went into another room, and returned with a book which he handed to Bok.  “This is my book,” he said simply.  It was entitled An Elementary Treatise on Determinants, by C. L. Dodgson.  When he looked up, Bok found the author’s eyes riveted on him.

“Yes,” said Bok.  “I know, Mr. Dodgson.  If I remember correctly, this is the same book of which you sent a copy to Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, when she wrote to you for a personal copy of your Alice.”

Dodgson made no comment.  The face was absolutely without expression save a kindly compassion intended to convey to the editor that he was making a terrible mistake.