Page:Tex; a chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (IA texchapterinlife00mcke).pdf/118



''*tress with a capital light-heartedly. On the other hand I should not use a capital for dustman, as this is not a title or office.''

''I am, as you see, quite illogical and inconsistent; and, if I try to follow your rules, it will be only in the hope of pleasing you. I cannot rouse myself to any enthusiasm for or against a liberal use of capitals and I do not think that it is a matter of great importance. On considerations of comeliness, I think the French printed page, with its vile type and vile, fluffy paper, is one of the ugliest things (Nonsense, nonsense, you unæsthetic Celt! The unsought, natural beauty and perfection of the page make up for all the inferiority of the material. Never say that again! Your friend Seymour Leslie would scratch and claw you for it.) ever allowed to issue from a printing press, but that may be only insular prejudice''

''Forgive a boring letter, I beg, but I am in a thoroughly boring mood. (Grawnted.)''

A postscript to this controversy came on a postcard dated 28. 6. 20:

 Darwin spells "the king" with a small "k."

''He is rather good in spelling, bad in punctuation, execrable in statement, logic, deduction. In''