"Meseg to hh Yf"
Sirs:
George Bernard Shaw's complaints of the inadequacies of the English alphabet and the consequent troubles we have in spelling [TIME, May 12] brings to mind a similar criticism made by a noted American writer and wit more than 150 years ago. Writing to his sister in 1786 he remarks:
"You need not be concern'd, in writing to me, about your bad Spelling; for, in my Opinion as our Alphabet now Stands, the bad Spelling, or what is call'd so, is generally the best, as conforming to the Sound of the...