When his brother went to school, Jack was tutored by a Presbyterian governess, Miss Harper, and his mother taught him French and Latin. Miss Harper comingled sums and theological homilies–one of the first times Jack was aware that there was Another World in which Christians were supposed to believe. He much preferred the Other World of his own invention.
Two years later, when Jack was nine, he showed the early development of his philosophical nature. The family was preparing for a trip to France. Warnie wrote, in an unpublished "Biography of C. S. Lewis," "Entering the study, where my father was poring over his account books, he [Jack] flung himself into a chair and observed, ‘I have a prejudice against the French.' My father, interrupted in a long addition sum, said irritably, ‘Why?' Jack, crossing his legs and putting his finger tips together, replied, ‘If I knew why, it would not be a prejudice."
That same year Jack wrote an autobiography: "My life during the Xmas holidsas of 1907 by Jacks or Clife Lewis author of ‘Building of the Promanad', ‘Toyland' ‘Living races of Mouse-Land' etc. Dedicated to Miss Maude Scott.
"I begin my life after my 9th birthday, on which I got a book from Papy and a post-card album from Mamy. I have a lot of enymays, however there are only 2 in this house they are called Maude and Mat. Maude is far worse than Mat but she thinks she is a saint. I rather like Mat, but I HATE Maude, she is very nasty and bad tempered, also very ugly, as you can see in the picture....
"Mamy is like most middle-aged ladys, stout, brown hair, spectacles, kniting her chief industry etc. etc. I am like most boys of 9 and I am like Papy, bad temper, thick lips, thin and generaly wearing a jersy."
Of course, writing was not a new venture with Jack. He had been doing that since he was five.
In 1908, hard times hit the Lewis family. First, Jack's mother, Flora, became seriously ill with cancer. Next, their grandfather, Richard Lewis, died of a stroke in April. Flora died at the end of August. Uncle Joe, brother of Jack's father Albert, died two weeks after Flora.
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