Christ Church, Oxford, July 21, 1873. One sheet folded to make four pages, 6 1/4 x 4 in. (159 x 102 mm). Three-page autograph letter on mourning stationery, signed by Lewis Carroll in purple ink, to his speech therapist Henry Frederick Rivers, trying to arrange a first meeting with him. Creasing from when folded. See Cohen, p. 191 n1 (The Letters of Lewis Carroll, Vol. I)

"My dear Sir, I see you advertise that your 'term begins Aug. 5th'. If this means that the 6 or 7 boys which you have in the house are not now with you, & if you could conveniently receive me for 2 or 3 days previous to that date, I would try to squeeze the time out of any present engagements, that I might have the benefit of your hints & supervision in reading and speaking--If however you are yourself taking holiday, & would rather have entire rest, pray do not alter your plans on my account, as I might be able, at some time during the Summer, to arrange to meet you in London, & have a few lessons in that way. With kind regards to Mrs. Rivers, I remain, very truly yours CL Dodgson".

An early letter from Lewis Carroll to his speech therapist Henry Frederick Rivers (1830-1911), attempting to schedule his first session with him. Carroll struggled with a lifelong speech impediment, and previous to seeing Rivers, had been a patient of acclaimed English speech therapist, James Hunt (1833-69) since 1859. Following Hunt's death, Rivers, his brother-in-law, took over his practice, and published an enlarged and revised edition of Hunt's Stammering and Stuttering (1871). Carroll was referred to Rivers by G.T. Hine of Nottingham, and first engaged Rivers's services in a letter of April 6, 1873. The above letter, the third Carroll sent to Rivers, was left unanswered by him, and Carroll followed up three days later (see Cohen, p. 191). Less than two weeks later, from August 1-5, Carroll spent time at Rivers's home near Tonbridge, receiving his first sessions to help with his stammer. Carroll would continue to see Rivers throughout the 1870s (see Lots 51-52).