The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26

tious treatment of the theme will not be
thought to be without its virtues:
To THE EDITOR OF THE suS-Str: A question has
arisen in society as to whether It Is good form to
write ones love letters on o typewriter. Will you
decide It?
In case ones spelling Is From q woman's point
o little peculiar, 1t gets all Of view. IL Is better to
Strengthened out. And II have the suitor's feelings
there Is any doubt about q put in his own andwrit-
word, 1.-The type" settles ing because II you have
It. Grammar may also be to sue him for q breach OF
much improved by the promise, he can't dodge.
machine, and nothing Ii He may II his emotions
left in doubt, as II the case are typewriter. Unless
often In badly written the lover himself is a type
manuscript letters. You writer, q woman considers
may be a. warm on . ma It bad form to send n type
chine as in the old style ; written love letter. 10
but you are not so apt to looks cold and mechan-
commit yourself. II is zeal.
safer. Leave II to The Sun.
K. W. K.
1t is hardly to be doubted that our CORE
~spondent takes q somewhat material, not
to say humorous and fippant, view of the
premises and possibilities in the case. Le-
gal suit for breach of promise is a vulgar
and formidable fact in modern life, an un-
pleasant and even a grim phenomenon, and
we find it impossible to permit the thought
of it to enter further into our consideration
Of so delicate a subject.
What ia love7 Perhaps a wholly s~atisfac-
tory definition Of it has never been afforded.
Anybody suffering from it will admit that
1t is about everything that is wonderful. 1t
is q splendid thing-probably quite the most
splendid in all the world. 1t Is more splen-
did and more valuable than diamonds, no
matter what the opinion that may be enter
tanned among pawnbrokers. 1t is the
breeze laden with the scent of flowers and
the murmur of bees. The sting of bees also
enters into it. It is sunrise at sea, likewis
sunset In the same immense and all-myste-
FERROUS locality. 1t is the storm and light
: ming and as well the dew and rainbow Of
the heart. 1t is gold and silver, topaz and
emerald, opal and lapis lazuli. 1t is honey
and gall. poppy and fever, velvet and devil
prickers, bliss with unspeakable pains and
limitations. 1t is frequently thought to be
a question whether 1t should be encour-
aged but, encouraged or not, it is extreme
ly likely to go on.
This being love. why should a typewriter
not express it, especially II the valuable in
strument in question will be at the pains
not to interrupt it's serious and proper flow
with flares of KS and other unnecessary
eccentricities of the kinda What is atype.
writerf Certainly a somewhat cold and
formal-looking machine. But 30 really Is
q pen. Were it not for the sentimental
glamour which the ages have permitted to
gather about a pen, 1t Is safe to say that
this highly considered instrument would
be quite the equal Of the typewriter in its
suggestion of GOODNESS and formality.
May a typewriter express love2 Love be.
ing what 1t VIGOROUSLY Is, is 1t proper to
utter it with thumps and clicks, with
sharp alterations of confident chatter and
doubtful and questioning silence, using
both handsG Suppose that any unsatisfied
and yearning soul, no matter how fastidi.
GUS, felt itself to be particularly In need OF
a love letter, would 1t stint and be aghast,
would 1t cry out In u~nconquerable pro,
test, at the receipt of a letter OF the kind
specified, neatly and legibly performed in
good type on honest foolscap. with broad
n accurate margins, eyelets. and con
aning bow knots of pale pink tape3 Love
uses the telephone, whispers at 80 cents
q word to the Atlantic cable, and dis
plays Itself without fear or punctuation
upon yellow telegraph blanks; why ther
should it hesitate in the presence of
typewriting machlne3 No, we venture tt
say that love IL love, and that its com
munications, at least to those who ar,
suffering from 1t, cannot easily be mad.
to appear ridiculous.
On the other hand, there is, indeed
much that might be said in favor of tn,
pen, which has long been the mouthpiec,
. of love. and is still preferred by many Il
. either the typewriter or the lead pencil
When the distinguished romancer VIII,
constructed "Richelieu" and "The Lad,
, Of Lyons" said that the pen was mightie
than the sword. he said it with suitabl
limitations. and had no mind to declar
that JULIUS CESAR was better armed thai
the conspirators who put an end to him
but he paid to the pen a very strikin
compliment, which 1t undoubtedly dt
a served. The pen, in Its employment 70
" the utterances of love, has won for itself
celebrity and glory of which it can neve
be shorn. ABELARD wrote his love letter
with a pen-a fact that must ever be tel
derby remembered, though 1t really amount
!. to nothing as an argument against III
y typewriter. Since the ingenious CADMU
put the alphabet together love letters hay
r been indited with pens, or instrument
very similar, and the authority of age
attaches to the preparation OF love letter
d in this fashion still 1t is true that frol
r. time immsmoriAl the lover In China hI