34 Mr. John Lee on 



listening, and if she had a chance the one thing she would have 

 no taste for would be to listen. It is safer to speak on the 

 telephone than to speak in a tramcar ; it is safer to speak on 

 the telephone than to write. Yet none of us really comprehend 

 the fact. 



I am assured that love-making on the telephone is only 

 indulged by rare souls who have learned to trust the instrument. 

 I heard a story some years ago of a man who was known by all 

 the public (including the telephone staff) to be appallingly in 

 love with his wife ; it was in the earlier days. An operator 

 found him speaking to his wife ; the temptation was too great 

 and she listened, alas ! " And besides," he said, " I think I saw 

 a cobweb over the middle of the sideboard. I'd sack her, if I 

 were you." It was unpoetic ; it cured the operator of listening. 

 But if you want evidence on this heading come with me to the 

 realm of fiction. English fiction makes a good deal of the love 

 interest. Yet you never can find an instance of a love scene on 

 the telephone. The young couple will speak by telephone, but it 

 is a chastened and restrained conversation. I saw a novel last 

 year which handled the situation in this somewhat crude fashion : 

 "Molly!" "Yes, dear." "Did you get my letter f "Yes, 

 what a lovely letter ! " " ^Vhich part did j^ou like best j " " Oh, 

 the last paragraph, it was lovely!" "Ill write again 

 to-night." "Will yon say it all over again?" "Yes, dear." 

 "That will be lovely." Personally, I do not believe that such a 

 conversation ever took place ; I doubt if any self-respecting- 

 telephone Avould stand it. But it throws a light on telephone 

 psychology. The writer of that novel was perfectly certain that 

 on the telephone you could only hint at what you intended to 

 say, and that the real declaration of one's inner feelings must be 

 under a sealed cover. I shall come back to this aspect of the 

 (juestion later, but this timidity is all a part of the one fundamental 

 characteristic of our use of the telephone — we have not realized 

 that it ainiihilates distances — we have not realized its beautiful 

 intimacy. Space is part of the framework of our minds, except 



