BOSTON TO WASHINGTON 135 



long-felt want in giving forms of letters adapted to all the 

 varied conditions of our modern civilization. The result is 

 that these conditions are found to be so complex that to merely 

 state them from " so-and-so " to " so-and-so " takes up much 

 more space than the letter itself, and is made so humorously 

 involved that I was, and am still, quite unable to read them for 

 laughter. One day a small, active-looking man was pointed 

 out to me as this very clever writer, and though I did not 

 speak to him, it is a pleasure to recall his appearance when I 

 read any of his delightfully fantastic works. For many rea- 

 sons I left Washington with very great regret. 



