A wondrous example you've provided, David. All communication might be considered an art form, whether it be great oratory or a simple exchange. This is especially true of written communication and without verbal descriptors (even those used as nouns ala Shakespeare), it becomes a pallete devoid of color, in danger of losing essential meaning to the reader.

Being a poor orator/communicator, might this explain my love of "smilies" on the net? Obviously, the folks writing in the 1860s didn't need smilies; on the other hand they certainly were enthusiastic purveyors of descriptive language. While some may consider current use of such descriptive words to be bordering on rudeness, still they are also often necessary to convey the writer's meaning without undue verbosity. ;) (I personally refuse to take seriously the idea that people write in such forums as this one, or to author a tome of history, without some degree of intent to influence the thinking of others.)