Old Order Mennonite Memoirs

"Delay is natural to a writer," quoted E. B. White, 'like a surfer, he bides his time and waits for the perfect wave on which to ride in. Delay is instinctive with him. He waits for the surge (of emotion? of strength? of courage?) that will carry him along." This writer of Charlotte's Web says he has no warm-up exercises, other than taking an occasional drink. "I am apt to let something simmer in my mind before trying to put it in into words," he concludes.

Even if I had time for delay, to wait for the perfect wave to carry me, there are no surges for me tonight, not of emotion or strength...