EIGHT OR NINE
WISE WORDS
ABOUT
Letter-Writing
BY
LEWIS CARROLL
EMBERLIN AND SON
4, MAGDALEN STREET
OXFORD
FIRST PUBLISHED
1890.
| Page. | |
| On Stamp-Cases | 5 |
| How to begin a Letter | 9 |
| How to go on with a Letter | 12 |
| How to end a Letter | 21 |
| On registering Correspondence | 23 |
Some American writer has said “the snakes in this district may be dividedinto one species—the venomous.” The same principle applies here.Postage-Stamp-Cases may be divided into one species, the “Wonderland.”Imitations of it will soon appear, no doubt: but they cannot include thetwo Pictorial Surprises, which are copyright.
You don’t see why I call them ‘Surprises’? Well, take the Case in yourleft-hand, and regard it attentively. You see Alice nursing the Duchess’sBaby? (An entirely new combination, by the way: it doesn’t occur in thebook.) Now, with your right thumb and forefinger, lay hold of the littlebook, and[Pg 6] suddenly pull it out. The Baby has turned into a Pig! Ifthat doesn’t surprise you, why, I suppose you wouldn’t be surprised ifyour own Mother-in-law suddenly turned into a Gyroscope!
This Case is not intended to carry about in your pocket. Far from it.People seldom want any other Stamps, on an emergency, than Penny-Stampsfor Letters, Sixpenny-Stamps for Telegrams, and a bit of Stamp-edging forcut fingers (it makes capital sticking-plaster, and will stand three orfour washings, cautiously conducted): and all these are easily carried ina purse or pocketbook. No, this is meant to haunt your envelope-case, orwherever you keep your writing-materials. What made me invent it was theconstantly wanting Stamps of other values, for foreign Letters, ParcelPost, &c., and finding it very bothersome to get at the[Pg 7] kind I wanted ina hurry. Since I have possessed a “Wonderland Stamp Case”, Life has beenbright and peaceful, and I have used no other. I believe the Queen’slaundress uses no other.
Each of the pockets will hold 6 stamps, comfortably. I would recommend youto arrange the 6, before putting them in, something like a bouquet,making them lean to the right and to the left alternately: thus there willalways be a free corner to get hold of, so as to take them out, quicklyand easily, one by one: otherwise you will find them apt to come out twoor