Marbles, we've found, is something to which people remain nostalgically attuned, no matter their age, no matter how far removed in time or distance, and we thank those who took time out to inform us:

• That the late Senator Estes Kefauver once shot marbles on the floor of the Senate, and that Representative Bella Abzug was, and possibly is, great at immies.
• That two automobile workers, desirous of helping small boys shoot big marbles, devised a sort of marble-shooting popgun several years ago which could automate marbles games. Patent number 2,791,210.
• That New York University, its football team a thing of the past, created a marbles team, "The New York Institute for the Investigation of Rolling Spheroids," and issued a blanket challenge to all comers.
• That an Indianapolis woman bought her husband a bag of marbles at an auction for one dollar as a joke, and later found them to be 150 aggies, worth one dallar each.
• That a lad in England, who watched his father "swallow" a marble as a magic feat, tried to duplicate it with 14 successive marbles and became ill.

And, finally, our thanks to Margaret Whiton, who wrote to me about a most important, and often overlooked, aspect of marbles: how they are kept and in what.

"During the period that my son was devoting a lot of time to playing marbles I noticed that he spent almost as much time fondly contemplating his collection. Also it was very important that he have a container worthy of these precious beauties. This is where I came in. He was confident that I could produce a beautiful marbles bag, even though my prowess at the sewing machine had previously limited me to ordinary repair work. I remember his standing over me while under his supervision a lovely green woolen bag with silken braided cord for drawstring came to life. Then I embroidered his initials in orange. For several years this was one of this most treasured possessions."