Lewis Carroll anecdote

The hand-written sheet reproduced below is an enclosure in a letter of c.1976 from the musician Sir Thomas Armstrong (1898-1994) to his friend the poet (and librettist) Anne Ridler (1912-2001). It recalls the early years of his time as Organist at Christ Church, Oxford, where he heard from the then Dean, Dr Thomas Banks Strong (1861-1944), a story about C.L.Dodgson.

'Dr Strong told me that when he was first made a member of the S[enior]. C[ommon]. R[oom]. at Ch[rist]: Ch[urch]: they used to dine on Sundays at 5.30 pm or 6 o'clock. A senior clerical student, the Revd T.J.Prout, (I hope the initials are correct) was vicar of Binsey. One dank foggy Sunday evening in late November C.L.Dodgson came in to dinner, and said, as he took his seat, "I have today walked out to Binsey for evensong with my friend Prout for the last time. As I sat, listening to his sermon, the wet green things grew up the legs of my trousers". If you remember what Binsey church was like in the winter even a generation ago you'll realize that this was no exaggeration.' Sold.