Acrostic
Little maidens, when you look
On this little story-book,
Reading with attentive eye
Its enticing history,
Never think that hours of play
Are your only HOLIDAY,
And that in a HOUSE of joy
Lessons serve but to annoy:
If in any HOUSE you find
Children of a gentle mind,
Each the others pleasing ever—
Each the others vexing never—
Daily work and pastime daily
In their order taking gaily—
Then be very sure that they
Have a life of HOLIDAY.
This poem is in the public domain.
Lewis Carroll presented this poem to "the three Misses Liddell" tucked into a copy of Catherine Sinclair's Holiday House for Christmas, 1861. The acrostic spells out their names: Lorina, Alice, and Edith.
Lewis Carroll
Renowned Victorian author Lewis Carroll is known for his comic fantasies and humorous, childlike verse.