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One of the most difficult parts of TMWWT to explain are the notes Sunday drops, throws, etc. at his pursuers in Chapter 13.
They may be as meaningless as they appear, but at least some have meanings in the real world. Martin Tupper was popular Victorian author and Snowdrop is explained below.

The other seem like gibberish but I began to wonder if they might be



Dr. Bull – SATURDAY - A medical practitioner who always wears dark glasses;
“What about Martin Tupper now?”

Syme - THURSDAY
“No one would regret anything in the nature of an interference by the Archdeacon more than I. I trust it will not come to that. But, for the last time, where are your galoshes? The thing is too bad, especially after what uncle said.”

Ratcliffe - Marquis de St. Eustache – WEDNESDAY -
“Fly at once. The truth about your trouser-stretchers is known.’ - A Friend.”

Gogol - TUESDAY
“The word, I fancy, should be ‘pink.’”

The Secretary - MONDAY
"When the herring runs a mile,
Let the Secretary smile;
When the herring tries to fly,
Let the Secretary die.’
Rustic Proverb.”

Professor de Worms – FRIDAY -
“Your beauty has not left me indifferent.’ - From Little Snowdrop.*”

For a long time--it seemed for hours--that huge masquerade of mankind swayed and stamped in front of them to marching and exultant music. Every couple dancing seemed a separate romance; it might be a fairy dancing with a pillar-box, or a peasant girl dancing with the moon; but in each case it was, somehow, as absurd as Alice in Wonderland, yet as grave and kind as a love story.

*Snowdrop was the name of Alice's white kitten from the final chapter of Through The Looking Glass.

Is it 'cheating' to have done a google search and found this site http://cslewis.drzeus.net/forums/viewto ... =38&t=6345 with interesting commentary on the various obscure clues?
I couldn't resist.
I tend to think the clues were partially a way for Sunday to communicate his intimate knowledge of each of the detectives. He knew more about each than they realized.

And yes, I've been prowling through the feedback on TMWWT and enjoying it, though not contributing. I confess. Thanks to all for the interesting discussion!

No, it is not cheating. I have Gardner's book and have also considered the similarity with Job. The fun thing about Chesterton is that there can be more than one right answer. That, in my opinion, is one reason TMWWT is deep while being shallow (a paradox).

I also think Chesterton may be making the point that it really doesn't matter whether something is too simple or too complex to understand. If Sunday is infinitely complex humans will never understand him but infinite complexity cannot be easily represented on 6 small pieces of paper. On the other hand, suppose an equation for everything was found, would we understand it?

Still, I think that there may be some significance to the clues, not that they are meaningful for the story but that they may resolve into a poem, or Chesterton's wife's name, or ...

I had an idea of putting all the comments together and treating them like a cryptogram but I am horrible at that. That is why I went back to the Introduction, which I had paid little attention to at first. That proved beneficial and I can show that there was more there. See Suicidal.

I hope everyone is having fun; I know that I am and I have learned so much.