If There's No Meaning In It," Said

'when I Use A Word,' Humpty Dumpty Said In Rather A Scornful Tone, 'it Means Just What I Choose It To Mean - Neither More Nor Less.'

A Tale Begun In Other Days, When Summer Suns Were Glowing - A Simple Chime, That Served To Time The Rhythm Of Your Rowing - Whose Echoes Live In Memory Yet, Though Envious Years Would Say 'forget.

I Do Not Know If Alice In Wonderland Was An Original Story-i Was, At Least, No Conscious Imitator In Writing It-but I Do Know That, Since It Came Out, Something Like A Dozen Story-books Have Appeared, On Identically The Same Pattern. The Path I Timidly Explored Believing Myself To Be 'the First That Ever Burst Into That Silent Sea'-is Now A Beaten High-road: All The Way-side Flowers Have Long Ago Been Trampled Into The Dust: And It Would Be Courting Disaster For Me To Attempt That Style Again.

I Believe This Thought, Of The Possibility Of Death - If Calmly Realised, And Steadily Faced Would Be One Of The Best Possible Tests As To Our Going To Any Scene Of Amusement Being Right Or Wrong. If The Thought Of Sudden Death Acquires, For You, A Special Horror When Imagined As Happening In A Theatre, Then Be Very Sure The Theatre Is Harmful For You, However Harmless It May Be For Others; And That You Are Incurring A Deadly Peril In Going.

And How Many Hours A Day Did You Do Lessons?' Said Alice, In A Hurry To Change The Subject. Ten Hours The First Day,' Said The Mock Turtle: 'nine The Next, And So On.' What A Curious Plan!' Exclaimed Alice. That's The Reason They're Called Lessons,' The Gryphon Remarked: 'because They Lessen From Day To Day.