Down Pens is a short story by Saki. You can read it online here. It begins,
"Have you written to thank the Froplinsons for what they sent us?" asked Egbert.
"No," said Janetta, with a note of tired defiance in her voice; "I've written eleven letters to-day expressing surprise and gratitude for sundry unmerited gifts, but I haven't written to the Froplinsons."
"Some one will have to write to them," said Egbert.
"I don't dispute the necessity, but I don't think the some one should be me," said Janetta. "I wouldn't mind writing a letter of angry recrimination or heartless satire to some suitable recipient; in fact, I should rather enjoy it, but I've come to the end of my capacity for expressing servile amiability. Eleven letters to-day and nine yesterday, all couched in the same strain of ecstatic thankfulness: really, you can't expect me to sit down to another. There is such a thing as writing oneself out."
"I've written nearly as many," said Egbert, "and I've had my usual business correspondence to get through, too. Besides, I don't know what it was that the Froplinsons sent us."
"A William the Conqueror calendar," said Janetta, "with a quotation of one of his great thoughts for every day in the year."
"Impossible," said Egbert; "he didn't have three hundred and sixty-five thoughts in the whole of his life, or, if he did, he kept them to himself. He was a man of action, not of introspection."
"Well, it was William Wordsworth, then," said Janetta; "I know William came into it somewhere."
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...sadly, I'm not good at writing thank yous!
ReplyDeleteI was taught the art from my youth. And it is an art, especially with gifts you don't like or can't use.
Delete“I know William came into it somewhee.” 😺
ReplyDeleteWit lol. It's hard to find in stories these days.
DeleteHmmmm. I wonder whether it was even William Wordsworth.
ReplyDeleteRight? lol But you'd be able to fill a calendar with a quote a day from Wordsworth, so I'm guessing it was.
DeleteI used to write a thank you note as soon as I received a gift. However, technology has taken over our lives, postage has gotten almost insane, and my fingers type better these days than they write. Awe the days of proper etiquette.
ReplyDeleteI believe electronic thank you notes, FB messages, texts, etc. can be just as proper as ones sent through the mail. For me it's more in what is said than the form it's sent in. You're right about postage. Yikes!
DeleteGlad you feel that way. I type everything these days, and getting me to write anything by hand is hard. Yes, postage is out of sight. I blew my Christmas budget sending out Christmas cards and tip-ins.
DeleteToo fun! Great story. Thanks, Valerie
ReplyDeleteI've had these conversations lol
DeleteI usually give both! An email acknowledgement and then a written (sometimes handmade) thank you card. It's a dying art. Mores the shame. At least an email would be nice. I remember as a child writing those "thank you for the pajamas" cards to grandparents. It was what you did. :)
ReplyDeleteWe had to write the thank-yous before New Year's Eve and before we could take the presents out from under the tree. We always got thank you note cards in our stockings :)
DeleteI still write thank you letters and I still write letters, which alas seems to be going out of fashion!
ReplyDeleteTo me, there is something nice and personal about receiving a letter through the mail. Yes, I know postage is high but the recipient, especially perhaps an elderly friend or relative that may not get out and about so much often will say how nice it was to receive a letter.
For Christmas one of the children bought me a new writing pen … a most welcome gift.
All the best Jan
My husband uses fountain pens and is still a believer in "real" mail. It does make a difference in the lives of people who aren't online or who really need the feel of a letter in hand.
DeleteIt's nice to be thanked, as you say it's more about what's said than what form it is sent in 😁. Have a great day! Hugs, Jo x
ReplyDeleteYes, especially if you're not there when they open the gift.
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