(no subject)

[mary_j_59]

I responded to Bluestocking79, as Lord Peter. Here is the meme:

Leave a list of fictional characters in your journal that you would love to get a message from. It is your friend-list's mission, should they choose to accept it, to write you an in-character "letter" from a character on that list. Then they post their own list in their journal and the process continues!

Now, my characters (this is a bit difficult):
Severus Snape (of course)
Herbert Pocket
Father Brown
Harriet Vane
Miss Climpson

And an extra one for good luck-
Dr. Julian Bashir (DS9)

Oh, and here's what I wrote for Bluestocking79:

Hullo, old thing! I was just wonderin', would you like to meet me at the Bellona club for a spot of something? The ladies Annex, of course. You would? Top-hole! See you at 7:00 tonight.

Comments

[anne-arthur.livejournal.com]

My dear Mary,

I was ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED, on my return from evensong, to find your MOST GENEROUS invitation to correspond waiting for me. I am SO SORRY to find that it has lain unanswered for SEVERAL DAYS, but do hope that you will understand when I explain that I have had to travel to the Lake District on behalf of my employer, and that my little boarding house there - although COMFORT ITSELF in all other respects -did not have the facilities to allow me to ACCESS THE INTERNET, as I believe you young people say nowadays!!!

My dear, it will give me the GREATEST PLEASURE to correspond with such a REFINED and INTELLIGENT young lady as yourself. I do think that this INTERNET is such a MARVELLOUS invention!! When I think of the anxious wait we had for news - often for WEEKS at a time - when my poor dear father was in the United States on business, it is quite WONDERFUL to think that we can now send information to the other side of the world at just the CLICK OF A BUTTON!!! I really am MOST GRATEFUL to have lived to see such a development! My only disappointment is that this particular message-system seems to be rather DEFICIENT in the matter of type-faces - to be able to use ITALICS, for example, would be a great boon!! But perhaps I am just TOO OLD to understand the full complexity of how it works! In any case, I look forward with the most EAGER ANTICIPATION to hearing all your news, and hope that my accounts of my LITTLE DOINGS here may afford you some pleasure in return.

Most sincerely yours,
Katharine Alexandra Climpson.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Oh, Miss Climpson, I am thrilled that you have used the internet to respond to me. You're doing very well. The lake district is very beautiful, and I'll be delighted to hear about your adventures there when and if you are at liberty to tell them.

I'm afraid I'm not much of what they call a "techie" myself, but I believe you can write italics on the internet this way. Type this before the words you want to italicize, and this after them. It took me a long time to learn that, but, once I discovered it, I found it to work very well.

It really is wonderful that we can correspond over such distances with just the click of a button! But I'm afraid I don't have much to report at present, except that I have been busy at work and seem to have a cold. I hope you are in good health, and look forward to your next letter.

Sincerely yours,

Mary

[anne-arthur.livejournal.com]

My dear Mary,

Thank you so very much for your most generous response to my little letter, and also for your very useful instructions on how to write in italics. As you can see, I have become quite skilled at it, although I do not think that I would yet dare to describe myself as a techie, as you put it!!!

My stay in the Lake District was a grave disappointment to me, I am afraid. I had travelled there to meet with an elderly gentleman living in quite a remote cottage near Coniston Water, who had advertised for an efficient secretary to help him with his memoirs. My dear! As it turned out, he wanted NO SUCH THING!!! I can say no more, as the matter is now in the hands of the police, but the depravity of human nature never ceases to astound me! However, my dear mother always taught me to make the most of my opportunities, and while I was there I was able to spend some time making sketches of the fells and lakes, some of which have turned out quite well, if I say so myself! But I am always so glad to be able to return to London, to my own little flat and to a proper sung eucharist with the Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bible. The church in Coniston describes itself as evangelical - which seems to mean songs that I believe would be more appropriate at a pop concert - not that I have ever attended one of these events - and the Bible in a most uninspiring modern translation!!!

But I should not bother you with the prejudices of an OLD LADY! I do hope that you have got over your cold, and that your work is not proving too taxing.

Most sincerely yours,
Katharine Alexandra Climpson

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear! I have known gentlemen like that - or boors, one might say. That seems a more appropriate word, doesn't it?

I am now over my cold, and all my work seems to be going well at the moment. My family has begun preparing for Christmas, and I will have to send my overseas cards soon. One great thing about the internet is that it helps in shopping!

A friend of mine called Anne Arthur gave me a gift certificate to amazon, the online bookstore, and I bought myself a book which arrived from England today. It's the fourth in a very exciting adventure series, and is called "Outcast". The author is Michelle Paver. I am looking forward to reading it after I get it back from my sister - I loaned it to her.

We are having a little snow and ice here in New York state. I hope London (and Oxford, where Anne is) are not too cold and that you remain in good health. Miss Climpson, did you know that you can use a machine called a scanner to put pictures on the computer? Perhaps a friend has one and can help you do this. I would love to see your sketches of the lake district!

Best wishes,

Mary