To sum up:
(a) take a firm stand against capitals generally;
(b) be prepared to make moderate (i.e. grudging,) concessions;
(c) have little Murray at your elbow.
After so long a letter, Teixeira contented himself with a few annotations to one next day.
On my telling him that I had congratulated a common friend of his son’s “blue”, he interposed:
(I would write to A. P. if I knew what a “blue” was; but I really have not the remotest idea. Word of honour, I’m not conniegilchristing. I presume it has to do with cricket; and it’s a mere guess.)
I have studied your exposition of capitals, I continued, with great interest and, I hope, profit, though there is a fundamental difficulty which I hasten to put before you.... So long as proper names intrude their capitals into mid-sentence you cannot arrive at flat uniformity, and a few capitals more or less do not offend me....
I did not intend to be unfair about High Mass and first thought of suggesting for your consideration either Holy Communion or that hideous, hypocritical, pusillanimous compromise beloved of Anglicans, the “eucharist,” then substituted the name of a ceremonial in your own church. You, I see, write of the Real Presence without capitals.
(Gross knavery and insincerity on my part; rank scoundrelism. I’d have put caps, on any other occasion.)