The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-07
PostaI Gard Craze E7as Relegated
 Letter Wr7tlng To "I,ost Arr CZass
Old Fashioned Twelve and Sixteen Page Letters Seldom Seen Nowadays-Defense of the Post Card-Even Love
 Letters Are Not as of Tore
By DOLLY DALRYMPIE.

We have all heard of the man whose wife went away to spend month in the long, hot summer time, and who had his stenographer to make SC carbon copies of a letter saying how terribly he missed his lovely dove and that each day was the longest he had ever spent and when the confounded business of the country got back into normal old-time conditions, he would have more time to write, and so she must forgive a sh ort letter which con tains his sincerest affections, etc., etc." and signed them and sent them to her each day.
 As a matter of fact, the foreSo- ing isn't bad index to the status of letter writing all over the world now adays. In fact, letter writing has gone so entirely out of fashion that to re- ceive lengthy epistle from a friend Nhich relates more than the state of tl.e weath CT, and the ailments of the various members of the family would be almost curiosity.
 When the final day of reckoning for the postal card comes, when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed one of the greatest sins to be laid at it's door, will be the one of having given leter writing its coup de grace
 Coming from the postoffice a few mornings ago l met a friend of mfne. her face all awry as if something aw ful had happened, and pouting to beat the band, when l said to her:
 What in the world has happened? Bad news from anybody"
 "No said she, snappishly; but just look at this bunch of post cards. There's nothing that makes me as mad as to get all those old gaily colo1.d, non sensical cards from people l love and from whom l want to get letter.
 My dear,'' said I, De thankful that you are remembered at all when your friends are off enjoying themselves on their summer vacations. What lovely cards you have there.' l continued as she held up to view many highly col ored ones from antipodal parts of the world. How much better for instance, that charming lake is described to you by that postal card picture than your friend could have ever described 1t. You can picture easily what sort of charm ing lake it Is according as you have visited and derived your idea of lake from Lake Champlain, for instance or if you have summered in the Muskoka a lakes, then this charming lake for you is Canadian in its aspect; or ii your whole idea of a lake is the impression you have culled from East Lake here, then your vivid ina agination will place your friend as spending the summer near some placid body of water like that"
 You are so silly, Dolly" said she, beginning to take notice after my little spiel in defense of postal cards.
 T have to be when 1 see you on the verge of cutting the acquaintance Why, am postal card mad. buy them up by the dozens and send them to people. When l get bored and don't know what else to do, why, l send somebody a postal of Highland avenue or the Brown Marx building or St. Vincents hospital and have whole barrel of fun doing so.'
 q think it's a very silly custom,' said my offended friend. Just think of your friends abroad and the wonderful things they are seeing. Enough to have kept Madame de Stael or George Sand in data for months, and instead of writing sub lime descriptions I merely get postal of Le Casino, Monte Carlo, for instance, with something like this on it: Just ar rived by auto from Nice. Dandy trip. Wish you were here. Love to alr-when I'm dying to know from an eye witness