THE desire to communicate with friends at a distance is not crushed out, although the possibility of doing so is difficult in the extreme. With Americans, correspondence is a part of everyday life, and few are so poor that they cannot pay the postage, or so ignorant that they cannot indict their own epistles. In Europe, however, this is not the ease. In Spain, in Italy, even in the enlightened city of Paris are still to be found the letter-stalls occupied by professed scribes, who put upon paper the offerings of affection, or the claims of business, for the many who would otherwise be altogether unable to correspond with distant persons. These “scribes” are important personages; they know the secrets of the young people, and the cares of the old. To gain a reputation, they are obliged to be faithful, and never betray confidence. In Constantinople the scribe has a sort of religious character, for so ignorant are the masses of the people, that they cannot look upon one who can put words on paper, otherwise than inspired. To such an extent is this carried, his writing implements are displayed with great care on the table before him. The narghillé and chibouque are freely plied by himself and his customers, who always form a very picturesque group.
Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, New York, NY, January 19, 1856
