The (almost really) Complete Works of Lewis Carroll

For over 25 years, I have made it my chief object, with regard to my books, that they should be of the best workmanship attainable for the price. And I am deeply annoyed to find that the last issue of “Through the Looking-Glass,” consisting of the Sixtieth Thousand, has been put on sale without its being noticed that most of the pictures have failed so much, in the printing, as to make the book not worth buying. I request all holders of copies to send them to Messrs. Macmillan & Co., 29, Bedford Street, Covent Garden, with their names and addresses; and copies of the next issue shall be sent them in exchange.

Instead, however, of destroying the unsold copies, I propose to utilise them by giving them away, to Mechanics’ Institutes, Village Reading-Rooms, and similar institutions, where the means for purchasing such books are scanty. Accordingly I invite applications for such gifts, addressed to me, “care of Messrs. Macmillan.” Every such application should be signed by some responsible person, and should state how far they are able to buy books for themselves, and what is their average number of readers.

I take this opportunity of announcing that, if at any future time I should wish to communicate anything to my readers, I will do so by advertising, in the ‘Agony’ Column of some of the Daily Papers, on the first Tuesday in the month.