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old men and old women？ A dentist of olden time told me that a good…
looking young man once said to him； 〃Keep that incisor presentable；
if you can； till I am fifty； and then I sha'n't care how I look。〃 I
venture to say that that gentleman was as particular about his
personal appearance and as proud of his good looks at fifty； and many
years after fifty； as he was in the twenties； when he made that
speech to the dentist。
My dear friends around the teacups； and at that wider board where I
am now entertaining； or trying to entertain； my company； is it not as
plain to you as it is to me that I had better leave such tasks as
that which I am just finishing to those who live in a more
interesting period of life than one which； in the order of nature； is
next door to decrepitude？ Ought I not to regret having undertaken to
report the doings and sayings of the members of the circle which you
have known as The Teacups？
Dear； faithful reader； whose patient eyes have followed my reports
through these long months； you and I are about parting company。
Perhaps you are one of those who have known me under another name； in
those far…off days separated from these by the red sea of the great
national conflict。 When you first heard the tinkle of the teaspoons；
as the table was being made ready for its guests； you trembled for
me； in the kindness of your hearts。 I do not wonder that you did；I
trembled for myself。 But I remembered the story of Sir Cloudesley
Shovel； who was seen all of a tremor just as he was going into
action。 〃How is this？〃 said a brother officer to him。 〃Surely you
are not afraid？〃 〃 No；〃 he answered； 〃but my flesh trembles at the
thought of the dangers into which my intrepid spirit will carry me。〃
I knew the risk of undertaking to carry through a series of connected
papers。 And yet I thought it was better to run that risk； more
manly； more sensible； than to give way to the fears which made my
flesh tremble as did Sir Cloudesley Shovel's。 For myself the labor
has been a distraction； and one which came at a time when it was
needed。 Sometimes； as in one of those poems recently published；the
reader will easily guess which；the youthful spirit has come over me
with such a rush that it made me feel just as I did when I wrote the
history of the 〃One…hoss Shay〃 thirty years ago。 To repeat one of my
comparisons； it was as if an early fruit had ripened on a graft upon
an old； steady…going tree； to the astonishment of all its later…
maturing products。 I should hardly dare to say so much as this if I
had not heard a similar opinion expressed by others。
Once committed to my undertaking； there was no turning back。 It is
true that I had said I might stop at any moment； but after one or two
numbers it seemed as if there were an informal pledge to carry the
series on； as in former cases； until I had completed my dozen
instalments。
Writers and speakers have their idiosyncrasies； their habits； their
tricks； if you had rather call them so； as to their ways of writing
and speaking。 There is a very old and familiar story； accompanied by
a feeble jest； which most of my readers may probably enough have met
with in Joe Miller or elsewhere。 It is that of a lawyer who could
never make an argument without having a piece of thread to work upon
with his fingers while he was pleading。 Some one stole it from him
one day； and he could not get on at all with his speech；he had lost
the thread of his discourse； as the story had it。 Now this is what I
myself once saw。 It was at a meeting where certain grave matters
were debated in an assembly of professional men。 A speaker； whom I
never heard before or since； got up and made a long and forcible
argument。 I do not think he was a lawyer； but he spoke as if he had
been trained to talk to juries。 He held a long string in one hand；
which he drew through the other band incessantly； as he spoke； just
as a shoe maker performs the motion of waxing his thread。 He
appeared to be dependent on this motion。 The physiological
significance of the fact I suppose to be that the flow of what we
call the nervous current from the thinking centre to the organs of
speech was rendered freer and easier by the establishment of a
simultaneous collateral nervous current to the set of muscles
concerned in the action I have described。
I do not use a string to help me write or speak； but I must have its
equivalent。 I must have my paper and pen or pencil before me to set
my thoughts flowing in such form that they can be written
continuously。 There have been lawyers who could think out their
whole argument in connected order without a single note。 There are
authors；and I think there are many；who can compose and finish off
a poem or a story without writing a word of it until； when the proper
time comes； they copy what they carry in their heads。 I have been
told that Sir Edwin Arnold thought out his beautiful 〃Light of Asia〃
in this way。
I find the great charm of writing consists in its surprises。 When
one is in the receptive attitude of mind； the thoughts which are
sprung upon him； the images which flash through hisconsciousness；
are a delight and an excitement。 I am impatient of every hindrance
in setting down my thoughts；of a pen that will not write； of ink
that will not flow； of paper that will not receive the ink。 And here
let me pay the tribute which I owe to one of the humblest but most
serviceable of my assistants； especially in poetical composition。
Nothing seems more prosaic than the stylographic pen。 It deprives
the handwriting of its beauty； and to some extent of its individual
character。 The brutal communism of the letters it forms covers the
page it fills with the most uniformly uninteresting characters。 But；
abuse it as much as you choose； there is nothing like it for the
poet； for the imaginative writer。 Many a fine flow of thought has
been checked； perhaps arrested； by the ill behavior of a goose…quill。
Many an idea has escaped while the author was dipping his pen in the
inkstand。 But with the stylographic pen； in the hands of one who
knows how to care for it and how to use it； unbroken rhythms and
harmonious cadences are the natural products of the unimpeded flow of
the fluid which is the vehicle of the author's thoughts and fancies。
So much for my debt of gratitude to the humble stylographic pen。 It
does not furnish the proper medium for the correspondence of
intimates； who wish to see as much of their friends' personality as
their handwriting can hold；still less for the impassioned
interchange of sentiments between lovers； but in writing for the
press its use is open to no objection。 Its movement over the paper
is like the flight of a swallow； while the quill pen and the steel
pen and the gold pen are all taking short； laborious journeys； and
stopping to drink every few minutes。
A chief pleasure which the author of novels and stories experiences
is tha