The (almost really) Complete Works of Lewis Carroll

1887

When this book appeared last Christmas, I undertook that the profits, if any, should be given to Children’s Hospitals and Convalescent Homes for Sick Children, and that the accounts, down to June 30 in each year, should be published, in the St. James’s Gazette, on the second Tuesday in the following December. On this occasion I have only to announce that—although 1,575 copies of the book had been sold on June 30—the receipts had not quite overtaken the heavy outlay incurred in bringing it out.

1888

When this book made its first appearance, I undertook that the profits, if any, should be given to Children’s Hospitals and Convalescent Homes for Sick Children, and that the accounts, down to June 30 in each year, should be published, in the St. James’s Gazette, on the second Tuesday in the following December. On this occasion I have only to announce that—although 1687 copies of the book had been sold on June 30—the receipts had not quite overtaken the heavy outlay incurred in bringing it out.

1889

When this book (which is a facsimile of the original MS. book, written in 1863, and afterwards developed into “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”) made its first appearance in 1886, I undertook that the profits, if any, should be given to Children’s Hospitals and Convalescent Homes for Sick Children, and that the accounts of the disposal of the profits, down to June 30 in each year, should be published, in the St. James’s Gazette, on the second Tuesday in the following December. On this occasion I have again to announce that—although 1742 copies of the book had been sold on June 30, 1889—the receipts had not overtaken the heavy outlay incurred in bringing it out. The exact balance against the book was £117 14s. 7d. If ever the balance should be in favour of the book, I will advertise again. Till then “speech” may be “silvern,” but “silence” is (literally) “golden”!