,a ,,star ,,book ,,how ,,to ,,write ,,letters 7,formerly ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,letters7 ,a ,complete ,guide to ,correct ,business and ,personal ,correspondence ,,by ,,mary ,,owens ,,crowther ,,garden ,,city ,,publishing ,,company1 ,,inc4 ,,new ,,york ,,cl ,,copyright1 #aibb1 ,,by ,,doubleday1 ,,page ,,company ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,at ,,the ,,country ,,life ,,press1 ,,garden ,,city1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,acknowledgments ,the forms for engraved invitations1 announcements1 and the like1 and the styles of notepapers1 addresses1 monograms1 and crests are by courtesy of the ,bailey1 ,banks and ,biddle ,company1 ,brentano's1 and ,the ,gorham ,company4 ,the ,western ,union ,telegraph ,company has been very helpful in the chapter on telegrams4 ,,contents ,,page ,,chapter ,i ,,what ,,is ,a ,,letter8 #a ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,purpose ,,of ,,the ,,letter #f ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,parts ,,of ,a ,,letter #a4 ,,the ,,heading #aj #b4 ,,the ,,inside ,,address #ab #c4 ,,the ,,salutation #af #d4 ,,the ,,body ,,of ,,the ,,letter #bb #e4 ,,the ,,complimentary ,,close #bf #f4 ,,the ,,signature #bi #g4 ,,the ,,superscription #cc ,,chapter ,,iv ,,being ,,appropriate--,,what ,,to ,,avoid ,,common ,,offenses #cf ,,stock ,,phrases ,,in ,,business ,,letters #ch ,,chapter ,v ,,personal ,,letters--,,social ,,and ,,friendly ,,invitations ,,and ,,acknowledgments #dd ,,the ,,letter ,,of ,,condolence #ia ,,letters ,,of ,,sympathy ,,in ,,case ,,of ,,illness #ie ,,letters ,,of ,,congratulation #aja ,,letters ,,of ,,introduction #ajg ,,letters ,,of ,,thanks #aaj ,,letters ,,between ,,friends #aah ,,chapter ,,vi ,,personal ,,business ,,letters #abd ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,business ,,letter #ace ,,sales ,,and ,,announcement ,,letters #adf ,,keeping ,,the ,,customer #afj ,,selling ,,real ,,estate #afc ,,bank ,,letters #agc ,,letters ,,of ,,order ,,and ,,acknowledgment #ahb ,,letters ,,of ,,complaint ,,and ,,adjustment #ahf ,,credit ,,and ,,collection ,,letters #aic ,,letters ,,of ,,application #baa ,,letters ,,of ,,reference #bag ,,letters ,,of ,,introduction #bbj ,,letters ,,of ,,inquiry #bbc ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,form ,,paragraphs #bbg ,,chapter ,,ix ,,children',s ,,letters #bcj ,,chapter ,x ,,telegrams #bcf ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,letters #bdg ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,cost ,,of ,a ,,letter #beb ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,stationery1 ,,crests ,,and ,,monograms #beh ,,list ,,of ,,text ,,illustrations ,,page ,in the business letterhead appear the name of the firm1 its address1 and the kind of business engaged in #aa ,letterheads used by a life insurance company1 a law firm1 and three associations #ac ,in the case of widely known firms1 or where the name of the firm itself indicates it1 reference to the nature of the business is often omitted from letterheads #ad ,specimens of letterheads used for official stationery #bg ,as to the use of the symbol and the abbreviation of the word ,company1 the safest plan in writing to a company is to spell its name exactly as it appears on its letterhead #db ,specimen of formal wedding invitation #dh ,specimens of formal invitations to a wedding reception #ea ,specimen of wedding announcement #ed ,specimens of formal dinner invitations #fj ,specimens of formal invitations to meet #fc ,specimens of formal invitations to a dance #fh ,specimens of business letterheads #adj ,arrangement of a business letter 7block form7 #add ,arrangement of a business letter 7indented form7 #ade ,specimens of business letterheads used by ,english firms #bjg ,specimens of addressed social stationery #bei ,specimens of addressed social stationery #bfj ,the monograms in the best taste are the small round ones1 but many pleasing designs may be had in the diamond1 square1 and oblong shapes #bfb ,specimens of crested letter and notepaper #bfc ,specimens of monogrammed stationery #bff ,specimens of business letterheads #bfg ,department stores and firms that write many letters to women often employ a notepaper size #bgj ,specimens of stationery used by men for personal business letters #bga ,,how ,,to ,,write ,,letters ,,chapter ,i ,,what ,,is ,a ,,letter8 ,it is not so long since most personal letters1 after an extremely formal salutation1 began ,i take my pen in hand4 ,we do not see that so much nowadays1 but the spirit lingers4 ,pick up the average letter and you cannot fail to discover that the writer has grimly taken his pen in hand and1 filled with one thought1 has attacked the paper4 ,that one thought is to get the thing over with4 ,and perhaps this attitude of getting the thing over with at all costs is not so bad after all4 ,there are those who lament the passing of the ceremonious letter and others who regret that the literary letter--the kind of letter that can be published--is no longer with us4 ,but the old letter of ceremony was not really more useful than a powdered wig1 and as for the sort of letter that delights the heart and lightens the labor of the biographer--well1 that is still being written by the kind of person who can write it4 ,it is better that a letter should be written because the writer has something to say than as a token of culture4 ,some of the letters of our dead great do too often remind us that they were not forgetful of posterity4 ,the average writer of a letter might well forget culture and posterity and address himself to the task in hand1 which1 in other than the most exceptional sort of letter1 is to say what he has to say in the shortest possible compass that will serve to convey the thought or the information that he wants to hand on4 ,for a letter is a conveyance of thought2 if it becomes a medium of expression it is less a letter than a diary fragment4 ,most of our letters in these days relate to business affairs or to social affairs that1 as far as personality is concerned1 might as well be business4 ,our average letter has a rather narrow objective and is not designed to be literature4 ,we may1 it is true1 write to cheer up a sick friend1 we may write to tell about what we are doing1 we may write that sort of missive which can be classified only as a love letter--but unless such letters come naturally it is better that they be not written4 ,they are the exceptional letters4 ,it is absurd to write them according to rule4 ,in fact1 it is absurd to write any letter according to rule4 ,but one can learn the best usage in correspondence1 and that is all that this book attempts to present4 ,the heyday of letter writing was in the eighteenth century in ,england4 ,george ,saintsbury1 in his interesting ,a ,letter ,book1 says3 ,by common consent of all opinion worth attention that century was1 in the two ,european literatures which were equally free from crudity and decadence--,french and ,english--the very palmiest day of the art4 ,everybody wrote letters1 and a surprising number of people wrote letters well4 ,our own three most famous epistolers of the male sex1 ,horace ,walpole1 ,gray1 and ,cowper--belong wholly to it2 and ',lady ,mary'--our most famous she-ditto--belongs to it by all but her childhood2 as does ,chesterfield1 whom some not bad judges would put not far if at all below the three men just mentioned4 ,the rise of the novel in this century is hardly more remarkable than the way in which that novel almost wedded itself--certainly joined itself in the most frequent friendship--to the letter-form4 ,but perhaps the excellence of the choicer examples in this time is not really more important than the abundance1 variety1 and popularity of its letters1 whether good1 indifferent1 or bad4 ,to use one of the informal superlatives sanctioned by familiar custom it was the 'letter-writingest' of ages from almost every point of view4 ,in its least as in its most dignified moods it even overflowed into verse if not into poetry as a medium4 ,serious epistles had--of course on classical models--been written in verse for a long time4 ,but now in ,england more modern patterns1 and especially ,anstey's ,new ,bath ,guide1 started the fashion of actual correspondence in doggerel verse with no thought of print--a practice in which persons as different as ,madame d',arblay's good-natured but rather foolish father1 and a poet and historian like ,southey indulged2 and which did not become obsolete till ,victorian times1 if then4 ,there is a wide distinction between a letter and an epistle4 ,the letter is a substitute for a spoken conversation4 ,it is spontaneous1 private1 and personal4 ,it is non-literary and is not written for the eyes of the general public4 ,the epistle is in the way of being a public speech--an audience is in mind4 ,it is written with a view to permanence4 ,the relation between an epistle and a letter has been compared to that between a ,platonic dialogue and a talk between two friends4 ,a great man's letters1 on account of their value in setting forth the views of a school or a person1 may1 if produced after his death1 become epistles4 ,some of these1 genuine or forgeries1 under some eminent name1 have come down to us from the days of the early ,roman ,empire4 ,cicero1 ,plato1 ,aristotle1 ,demosthenes1 are the principal names to which these epistles1 genuine and pseudonymous1 are attached4 ,some of the letters of ,cicero are rather epistles1 as they were intended for the general reader4 ,the ancient world--,babylonia1 ,assyria1 ,egypt1 ,rome1 and ,greece--figures in our inheritance of letters4 ,in ,egypt have been discovered genuine letters4 ,the papyrus discoveries contain letters of unknowns who had no thought of being read by the general public4 ,during the ,renaissance1 ,cicero's letters were used as models for one of the most common forms of literary effort4 ,there is a whole literature of epistles from ,petrarch to the ,epistolae obscurorum virorum4 ,these are1 to some degree1 similar to the ,epistles of ,martin ,marprelate4 ,later epistolary satires are ,pascal's ,provincial ,letters1 ,swift's ,drapier ,letters1 and the ,letters of ,junius4 ,pope1 soon to be followed by ,lady ,mary ,montagu1 was the first ,englishman who treated letter writing as an art upon a considerable scale4 ,modern journalism uses a form known as the open letter which is really an epistle4 ,but we are not here concerned with the letter as literature4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,purpose ,,of ,,the ,,letter ,no one can go far wrong in writing any sort of letter if first the trouble be taken to set out the exact object of the letter4 ,a letter always has an object--otherwise why write it8 ,but somehow1 and particularly in the dictated letter1 the object frequently gets lost in the words4 ,a handwritten letter is not so apt to be wordy--it is too much trouble to write4 ,but a man dictating may1 especially if he be interrupted by telephone calls1 ramble all around what he wants to say and in the end have used two pages for what ought to have been said in three lines4 ,on the other hand1 letters may be so brief as to produce an impression of abrupt discourtesy4 ,it is a rare writer who can say all that need be said in one line and not seem rude4 ,but it can be done4 ,the single purpose of a letter is to convey thought4 ,that thought may have to do with facts1 and the further purpose may be to have the thought produce action4 ,but plainly the action depends solely upon how well the thought is transferred4 ,words as used in a letter are vehicles for thought1 but every word is not a vehicle for thought1 because it may not be the kind of word that goes to the place where you want your thought to go2 or1 to put it another way1 there is a wide variation in the understanding of words4 ,the average ,american vocabulary is quite limited1 and where an exactly phrased letter might completely convey an exact thought to a person of education1 that same letter might be meaningless to a person who understands but few words4 ,therefore1 it is fatal in general letter writing to venture into unusual words or to go much beyond the vocabulary of1 say1 a grammar school graduate4 ,statistics show that the ordinary adult in the ,united ,states--that is1 the great ,american public--has either no high school education or less than a year of it4 ,you can assume in writing to a man whom you do not know and about whom you have no information that he has only a grammar school education and that in using other than commonplace words you run a double danger--first1 that he will not know what you are talking about or will misinterpret it2 and second1 that he will think you are trying to be highfalutin and will resent your possibly quite innocent parade of language4 ,in a few very effective sales letters the writers have taken exactly the opposite tack4 ,they have slung language in the fashion of a circus publicity agent1 and by their verbal gymnastics have attracted attention4 ,this sort of thing may do very well in some kinds of circular letters1 but it is quite out of place in the common run of business correspondence1 and a comparison of the sales letters of many companies with their day-to-day correspondence shows clearly the need for more attention to the day-to-day letter4 ,a sales letter may be bought4 ,a number of very competent men make a business of writing letters for special purposes4 ,but a higher tone in general correspondence cannot be bought and paid for4 ,it has to be developed4 ,a good letter writer will neither insult the intelligence of his correspondent by making the letter too childish1 nor will he make the mistake of going over his head4 ,he will visualize who is going to receive his letter and use the kind of language that seems best to fit both the subject matter and the reader1 and he will give the fitting of the words to the reader the first choice4 ,there is something of a feeling that letters should be elegant--that if one merely expresses oneself simply and clearly1 it is because of some lack of erudition1 and that true erudition breaks out in great1 sonorous words and involved constructions4 ,there could be no greater mistake4 ,the man who really knows the language will write simply4 ,the man who does not know the language and is affecting something which he thinks is culture has what might be called a sense of linguistic insecurity1 which is akin to the sense of social insecurity4 ,now and again one meets a person who is dreadfully afraid of making a social error4 ,he is afraid of getting hold of the wrong fork or of doing something else that is not done4 ,such people labor along frightfully4 ,they have a perfectly vile time of it1 but any one who knows social usage takes it as a matter of course4 ,he observes the rules1 not because they are rules1 but because they are second nature to him1 and he shamelessly violates the rules if the occasion seems to warrant it4 ,it is quite the same with the letter4 ,one should know his ground well enough to do what one likes1 bearing in mind that there is no reason for writing a letter unless the objective is clearly defined4 ,writing a letter is like shooting at a target4 ,the target may be hit by accident1 but it is more apt to be hit if careful aim has been taken4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,parts ,,of ,a ,,letter ,the mechanical construction of a letter1 whether social1 friendly1 or business1 falls into six or seven parts4 ,this arrangement has become established by the best custom4 ,the divisions are as follows3 #a4 ,heading #b4 ,inside address 7,always used in business letters but omitted in social and friendly letters7 #c4 ,salutation #d4 ,body #e4 ,complimentary close #f4 ,signature #g4 ,superscription #a4 ,,the ,,heading ,the heading of a letter contains the street address1 city1 state1 and the date4 ,the examples below will illustrate3 #bjah ,calumet ,street or #adbi ,eighth ,avenue ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,new ,york1 ,n4,y4 ,may #ab1 #aiba ,march #h1 #aibb ,illustration3 ,in the business letterhead appear the name of the firm1 its address1 and the kind of business engaged in ,when the heading is typewritten or written by hand1 it is placed at the top of the first letter sheet close to the right-hand margin4 ,it should begin about in the center1 that is1 it should extend no farther to the left than the center of the page4 ,if a letter is short and therefore placed in the center of a page1 the heading will of course be lower and farther in from the edge than in a longer letter4 ,but it should never be less than an inch from the top and three quarters of an inch from the edge4 ,in the business letterhead appear the name of the firm1 its address1 and the kind of business engaged in4 ,the last is often omitted in the case of widely known firms or where the nature of the business is indicated by the name of the firm4 ,in the case of a printed or engraved letterhead1 the written heading should consist only of the date4 ,the printed date-line is not good4 ,to mix printed and written or typed characters detracts from the neat appearance of the letter4 ,in social stationery the address1 when engraved1 should be about three quarters of an inch from the top of the sheet1 either in the center or at the right-hand corner4 ,when the address is engraved1 the date may be written at the end of the last sheet1 from the left-hand corner1 directly after the signature4 ,illustration3 ,letterheads used by a life insurance company1 a law firm1 and three associations ,illustration3 ,in the case of widely known firms1 or where the name of the firm itself indicates it1 reference to the nature of the business is often omitted from letterheads #b4 ,,the ,,inside ,,address ,in social correspondence what is known as the inside address is omitted4 ,in all business correspondence it is obviously necessary4 ,the name and address of the person to whom a business letter is sent is placed at the left-hand side of the letter sheet below the heading1 about an inch from the edge of the sheet1 that is1 leaving the same margin as in the body of the letter4 ,the distance below the heading will be decided by the length and arrangement of the letter4 ,the inside address consists of the name of the person or of the firm and the address4 ,the address should comprise the street number1 the city1 and the state4 ,the state may1 in the case of certain very large cities1 be omitted4 ,either of the following styles may be used--the straight edge or the diagonal3 ,wharton ,whaley ,co4 ,madison ,avenue ,forty-,fifth ,street ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 or ,wharton ,whaley ,co4 ,madison ,avenue ,forty-,fifth ,street ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,punctuation at the ends of the lines of the heading and the address may or may not be used4 ,there is a growing tendency to omit it4 ,the inside address may be written at the end of the letter1 from the left1 below the signature4 ,this is done in official letters1 both formal and informal4 ,these official letters are further described under the heading ,salutation and in the chapter on stationery4 #c4 ,,the ,,salutation ,social ,letters ,the salutation1 or complimentary address to the person to whom the letter is written1 in a social letter should begin at the left-hand side of the sheet about half an inch below the heading and an inch from the edge of the paper4 ,the form ,my dear is considered in the ,united ,states more formal than ,dear4 ,thus1 when we write to a woman who is simply an acquaintance1 we should say ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans4 ,if we are writing to someone more intimate we should say ,dear ,mrs4 ,evans4 ,the opposite is true in ,england--that is1 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans would be written to a friend and ,dear ,mrs4 ,evans to a mere acquaintance4 ,in writing to an absolute stranger1 the full name should be written and then immediately under it1 slightly to the right1 ,dear ,madam or ,dear ,sir4 ,for example3 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans1 ,dear ,madam3 or ,mr4 ,william ,sykes1 ,dear ,sir3 ,the salutation is followed by a colon or a comma4 ,business ,letters ,in business letters the forms of salutation in common use are3 ,dear ,sir1 ,gentlemen1 ,dear ,madam1 and ,mesdames4 ,in the still more formal ,my dear ,sir and ,my dear ,madam note that the second word is not capitalized4 ,a woman1 whether married or unmarried1 is addressed ,dear ,madam4 ,if the writer of the letter is personally acquainted with the person addressed1 or if they have had much correspondence1 he may use the less formal address1 as ,my dear ,mr4 ,sykes4 ,the salutation follows the inside address and preserves the same margin as does the first line of the address4 ,the following are correct forms3 ,white ,brothers ,co4 #eia ,fifth ,avenue ,new ,york ,gentlemen3 or ,white ,brothers ,co4 #eia ,fifth ,avenue ,new ,york ,gentlemen3 ,dear ,sirs is no longer much used--although in many ways it seems to be better taste4 ,in the case of a firm or corporation with a single name1 as ,daniel ,davey1 ,inc41 or of a firm or corporation consisting of men and women1 the salutation is also ,gentlemen 7or ,dear ,sirs74 ,in letters to or by government officials the extremely formal ,sir or ,sirs is used4 ,these are known as formal official letters4 ,the informal official letter is used between business men and concerns things not in the regular routine of business affairs4 ,these letters are decidedly informal and may be quite conversational in tone4 ,the use of a name alone as a salutation is not correct1 as3 ,mr4 ,john ,evans3 ,i have your letter of-- ,forms of salutation to be avoided are ,dear ,miss1 ,dear ,friend1 ,messrs4 ,in memoranda between members of a company the salutations are commonly omitted--but these memoranda are not letters4 ,they are messages of a telegraphic nature4 ,titles ,in the matter of titles it has been established by long custom that a title of some kind be used with the name of the individual or firm4 ,the more usual titles are3 ,mr41 ,mrs41 ,miss1 ,messrs41 ,reverend1 ,doctor1 ,professor1 and ,honorable4 ,esquire1 written ,esq4 is used in ,england instead of the ,mr4 in common use in the ,united ,states4 ,although still adhered to by some in this country1 its use is rather restricted to social letters4 ,of course it is never used with ,mr4 ,write either ,mr4 ,george ,l4 ,ashley or ,george ,l4 ,ashley1 ,esq4 ,the title ,messrs4 is used in addressing two or more persons who are in business partnership1 as ,messrs4 ,brown and ,clark or ,brown ,clark2 but ,the ,national ,cash ,register ,company1 for example1 should not be addressed ,messrs4 ,national ,cash ,register ,company but ,the ,national ,cash ,register ,company4 ,the form ,messrs4 is an abbreviation of ,messieurs and should not be abbreviated in any way other than ,messrs4 ,the title ,miss is not recognized as an abbreviation and is not followed by a period4 ,honorary degrees1 such as ,m4,d41 ,ph4,d41 ,m4,a41 ,b4,s41 ,,ll4,d41 follow the name of the person addressed4 ,the initials ,m4,d4 must not be used in connection with ,doctor as this would be a duplication4 ,write either ,dr4 ,herbert ,reynolds or ,herbert ,reynolds1 ,m4,d4 ,the titles of ,doctor1 ,reverend1 and ,professor precede the name of the addressed1 as3 ,dr4 ,herbert ,reynolds1 ,rev4 ,philip ,bentley1 ,prof4 ,lucius ,palmer4 ,it will be observed that these titles are usually abbreviated on the envelope and in the inside address1 but in the salutation they must be written out in full1 as ,my dear ,doctor1 or ,my dear ,professor4 ,in formal notes one writes ,my dear ,doctor ,reynolds or ,my dear ,professor ,palmer4 ,in less formal notes1 ,dear ,doctor ,reynolds and ,dear ,professor ,palmer may be used4 ,a question of taste arises in the use of ,doctor4 ,the medical student completing the studies which would ordinarily lead to a bachelor's degree is known as ,doctor1 and the term has become associated in the popular mind with medicine and surgery4 ,the title ,doctor is1 however1 an academic distinction1 and although applied to all graduate medical practitioners is1 in all other realms of learning1 a degree awarded for graduate work1 as ,doctor of ,philosophy 7,ph4,d471 or for distinguished services that cause a collegiate institution to confer an honorary degree such as ,doctor of ,common ,law 7,d4,c4,l471 ,doctor of ,law and ,literature 7,,ll4,d471 ,doctor of ,science 7,sc4,d471 and so on4 ,every holder of a doctor's degree is entitled to be addressed as ,doctor1 but in practice the salutation is rarely given to the holders of the honorary degrees--mostly because they do not care for it4 ,do not use ,mr4 or ,esq4 with any of the titles mentioned above4 ,the ,president of the ,united ,states should be addressed formally as ,sir1 informally as ,my dear ,mr4 ,president4 ,members of ,congress and of the state legislatures1 diplomatic representatives1 judges1 and justices are entitled ,honorable1 as ,honorable ,samuel ,sloane1 thus3 7,formal7 ,honorable 7or ,hon47 ,john ,henley ,sir3 7,informal7 ,honorable 7or ,hon47 ,john ,henley ,my dear ,mr4 ,henley3 ,titles such as ,cashier1 ,secretary1 and ,agent are in the nature of descriptions and follow the name2 as ,mr4 ,charles ,hamill1 ,cashier4 ,when such titles as ,honorable and ,reverend are used in the body of the letter they are preceded by the article the4 ,thus1 ,the ,honorable ,samuel ,sloane will address the meeting4 ,a woman should never be addressed by her husband's title4 ,thus the wife of a doctor is not ,mrs4 ,dr4 ,royce but ,mrs4 ,paul ,royce4 ,the titles of ,judge1 ,general1 and ,doctor belong to the husband only4 ,of course1 if a woman has a title of her own1 she may use it4 ,if she is an ,m4,d4 she will be designated as ,dr4 ,elizabeth ,ward4 ,in this case her husband's ,christian name would not be used4 ,in writing to the clergy1 the following rules should be observed3 ,for a ,cardinal the only salutation is ,your ,eminence4 ,the address on the envelope should read ,his ,eminence ,john ,cardinal ,farley4 ,to an ,archbishop one should write ,most ,rev4 ,patrick ,j4 ,hayes1 ,d4,d41 ,archbishop of ,new ,york4 ,the salutation is usually ,your ,grace1 although it is quite admissible to use ,dear ,archbishop4 ,the former is preferable and of more common usage4 ,the correct form of address for a ,bishop is ,the ,right ,reverend ,john ,jones1 ,d4,d41 ,bishop of ----4 ,the salutation in a formal letter should be ,right ,reverend and dear ,sir1 but this would be used only in a strictly formal communication4 ,in this salutation dear is sometimes capitalized1 so that it would read ,right ,reverend and ,dear ,sir2 although the form in the text seems preferable1 some bishops use the capitalized ,dear4 ,the usual form is ,my dear ,bishop1 with ,the ,right ,reverend ,john ,jones1 ,d4,d41 ,bishop of ---- written above it4 ,in the ,protestant ,episcopal ,church a ,dean is addressed ,the ,very ,reverend ,john ,jones1 ,d4,d41 ,dean of ----4 ,the informal salutation is ,my dear ,dean ,jones and the formal is ,very ,reverend and dear ,sir4 ,in addressing a priest1 the formal salutation is ,reverend and dear ,sir1 or ,reverend dear ,father4 ,the envelope reads simply3 ,the ,rev4 ,joseph ,j4 ,smith1 followed by any titles the priest may enjoy4 ,the form used in addressing the other clergy is ,the ,reverend ,john ,jones1 and the letter1 if strictly formal1 would commence with ,reverend and ,dear ,sir4 ,the more usual form1 however1 is ,my dear ,mr4 ,brown 7or ,dr4 ,brown1 as the case may be74 ,the use of the title ,reverend with the surname only is wholly inadmissible4 ,in general usage the salutation in addressing formal correspondence to a foreign ambassador is ,his ,excellency1 to a ,minister or ,charge d',affaires1 ,sir4 ,in informal correspondence the general form is ,my dear ,mr4 ,ambassador1 ,my dear ,mr4 ,minister1 or ,my dear ,mr4 ,charge d',affaires4 #d4 ,,the ,,body ,,of ,,the ,,letter ,in the placing of a formal note it must be arranged so that the complete note appears on the first page only4 ,the social letter is either formal or informal4 ,the formal letter must be written according to certain established practice4 ,it is the letter used for invitations to formal affairs1 for announcements1 and for the acknowledgment of these letters4 ,the third person must always be used4 ,if one receives a letter written in the third person one must answer in kind4 ,it would be obviously incongruous to write ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans regret that we are unable to accept ,mrs4 ,elliott's kind invitation for the theatre on ,thursday1 ,may the fourth as we have a previous engagement ,it should read ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans regret that they are unable to accept ,mrs4 ,elliott's kind invitation for the theatre on ,thursday1 ,may the fourth as they have a previous engagement ,in these notes1 the hour and date are never written numerically but are spelled out4 ,if the family has a coat-of-arms or crest it may be used in the centre of the engraved invitation at the top1 but monograms or stamped addresses are never so used4 ,for the informal letter there are no set rules except that of courtesy1 which requires that we have our thought distinctly in mind before putting it on paper4 ,it may be necessary to pause a few moments before writing1 to think out just what we want to say4 ,a rambling1 incoherent letter is not in good taste any more than careless1 dishevelled clothing4 ,spelling should be correct4 ,if there is any difficulty in spelling1 a small dictionary kept in the desk drawer is easily consulted4 ,begin each sentence with a capital4 ,start a new paragraph when you change to a new subject4 ,put periods 7or interrogation points as required7 at the ends of the sentences4 ,it is neater to preserve a margin on both sides of the letter sheet4 ,in the body of a business letter the opening sentence is in an important position1 and this is obviously the place for an important fact4 ,it ought in some way to state or refer to the subject of or reason for the letter1 so as to get the attention of the reader immediately to the subject4 ,it ought also to suggest a courteous personal interest in the recipient's business1 to give the impression of having to do with his interests4 ,for instance1 a reader might be antagonized by ,yours of the #adth regarding the shortage in your last order received4 ,how much more tactful is ,we regret to learn from your letter of ,march #adth that there was a shortage in your last order4 ,paragraphs should show the division of the thought of the letter4 ,if you can arrange and group your subjects and your thoughts on them logically in your mind1 you will have no trouble in putting them on paper4 ,it is easier for the reader to grasp your thought if in each paragraph are contained only one thought and the ideas pertaining to it4 ,the appearance of a business letter is a matter to which all too little concern has been given4 ,a firm or business which would not tolerate an unkempt salesman sometimes will think nothing of sending out badly typed1 badly placed1 badly spelled letters4 ,the first step toward a good-looking letter is proper stationery1 though a carefully typed and placed letter on poor stationery is far better than one on good stationery with a good letterhead but poor typing and placing4 ,the matter of correct spelling is merely a case of the will to consult a dictionary when in doubt4 ,the proper placing of a letter is something which well rewards the care necessary at first4 ,estimate the matter to go on the page with regard to the size of the page and arrange so that the centre of the letter will be slightly above the centre of the letter sheet4 ,the margins should act as a frame or setting for the letter4 ,the left-hand space should be at least an inch and the right-hand at least a half inch4 ,of course if the letter is short the margins will be wider4 ,the top and bottom margins should be wider than the side margins4 ,the body of the letter should begin at the same distance from the edge as the first line of the inside address and the salutation4 ,all paragraphing should be indicated by indenting the same distances from the margin--about an inch--or if the block system is used no paragraph indentation is made but double or triple spacing between the paragraphs indicates the divisions4 ,if the letter is handwritten1 the spacing between the paragraphs should be noticeably greater than that between other lines4 ,never write on both sides of a sheet4 ,in writing a business letter1 if the letter requires more than one page1 use plain sheets of the same size and quality without the letterhead4 ,these additional sheets should be numbered at the top4 ,the name or initials of the firm or person to whom the letter is going should also appear at the top of the sheets4 ,this letter should never run over to a second sheet if there are less than three lines of the body of the letter left over from the first page4 ,in the formal official letter1 that is1 in letters to or by government officials1 members of ,congress1 and other dignitaries1 the most rigid formality in language is observed4 ,no colloquialisms are allowed and no abbreviations4 ,illustration3 ,specimens of letterheads used for official stationery #e4 ,,the ,,complimentary ,,close ,the complimentary close follows the body of the letter1 about two or three spaces below it4 ,it begins about in the center of the page under the body of the letter4 ,only the first word should be capitalized and a comma is placed at the end4 ,the wording may vary according to the degree of cordiality or friendship4 ,in business letters the forms are usually restricted to the following3 ,yours truly 7or7 ,truly yours 7not good form7 ,yours very truly 7or7 ,very truly yours ,yours respectfully 7or7 ,respectfully yours ,yours very respectfully4 ,if the correspondents are on a more intimate basis they may use ,faithfully yours ,cordially yours ,sincerely yours4 ,in formal official letters the complimentary close is ,respectfully yours ,yours respectfully4 ,the informal social letter may close with ,yours sincerely ,yours very sincerely ,yours cordially ,yours faithfully ,yours gratefully 7if a favor has been done7 ,yours affectionately ,very affectionately yours ,yours lovingly ,lovingly yours4 ,the position of yours may be at the beginning or at the end1 but it must never be abbreviated or omitted4 ,if a touch of formal courtesy is desired1 the forms ,i am or ,i remain may be used before the complimentary closing4 ,these words keep the same margin as the paragraph indenting4 ,but in business letters they are not used4 #f4 ,,the ,,signature ,the signature is written below the complimentary close and a little to the right1 so that it ends about at the right-hand margin4 ,in signing a social letter a married woman signs herself as ,evelyn ,rundell1 not ,mrs4 ,james ,rundell nor ,mrs4 ,evelyn ,rundell4 ,the form ,mrs4 ,james ,rundell is used in business letters when the recipient might be in doubt as to whether to address her as ,mrs4 or ,miss4 ,thus a married woman would sign such a business letter3 ,yours very truly1 ,evelyn ,rundell 7,mrs4 ,james ,rundell74 ,an unmarried woman signs as ,ruth ,evans1 excepting in the case of a business letter where she might be mistaken for a widow4 ,she then prefixes ,miss in parentheses1 as 7,miss7 ,ruth ,evans4 ,a woman should not sign only her given name in a letter to a man unless he is her fiance or a relative or an old family friend4 ,a widow signs her name with ,mrs4 in parentheses before it1 as 7,mrs47 ,susan ,briggs ,geer4 ,a divorced woman1 if she retains her husband's name1 signs her letters with her given name and her own surname followed by her husband's name1 thus3 ,janet ,hawkins ,carr4 and in a business communication3 ,janet ,hawkins ,carr 7,mrs4 ,janet ,hawkins ,carr74 ,a signature should always be made by hand and in ink4 ,the signature to a business letter may be simply the name of the writer4 ,business firms or corporations have the name of the firm typed above the written signature of the writer of the letter4 ,then in type below comes his official position4 ,thus3 ,hall1 ,haines ,company 7typewritten7 ,alfred ,jennings 7handwritten7 ,cashier 7typewritten74 ,if he is not an official1 his signature is preceded by the word ,by4 ,in the case of form letters or routine correspondence the name of the person directly responsible for the letter may be signed by a clerk with his initials just below it4 ,some business firms have the name of the person responsible for the letter typed immediately under the name of the firm and then his signature below that4 ,this custom counteracts illegibility in signatures4 ,in circular letters the matter of a personal signature is a very important one4 ,some good points on this subject may be gathered from the following extract from ,printers' ,ink4 ,who shall sign a circular letter depends largely on circumstances entering individual cases4 ,generally speaking1 every letter should be tested on a trial list before it is sent out in large quantities4 ,it is inadvisable to hazard an uncertain letter idea on a large list until the value of the plan1 as applied to that particular business1 has been tried out4 ,there are certain things about letter procedure1 however1 that experience has demonstrated to be fundamental4 ,one of these platforms is that it is best to sign the letter with some individual's name4 ,covering up the responsibility for the letter with such a general term as sales department or advertising department takes all personality out of the missive and to that extent weakens the power of the message4 ,but even in this we should be chary of following inflexible rules4 ,we can conceive of circumstances where it would be advisable to have the letter come from a department rather than from an individual4 ,of course the management of many business organizations still holds that all letters should be signed by the company only4 ,if the personal touch is permitted at all1 the extent of it is to allow the writer of the letter to subscribe his initials4 ,this idea1 however1 is pretty generally regarded as old-fashioned and is fast dying out4 ,most companies favor the plan of having the head of the department sign the circular letters emanating from his department4 ,if he doesn't actually dictate the letter himself1 no tell-tale signs such as the initials of the actual dictator should be made4 ,if it is a sales matter1 the letter would bear the signature of the sales manager4 ,if the communication pertained to advertising1 it would be signed by the advertising manager4 ,where it is desired to give unusual emphasis to the letter1 it might occasionally be attributed to the president or to some other official higher up4 ,the big name idea should not be overdone4 ,people will soon catch on that the president would not have time to answer all of the company's correspondence4 ,if he has1 it is evident that a very small business must be done4 ,a better idea that is coming into wide vogue is to have the letter signed by the man in the company who comes into occasional personal contact with the addressee4 ,one concern has the house salesman who waits on customers coming from that section of the country when they visit headquarters sign all promotion letters going to them4 ,the house salesman is the only one in the firm whom the customer knows4 ,it is reasoned that the latter will give greater heed to a letter coming from a man with whom he is on friendly terms4 ,another company has its branch managers take the responsibility for circular letters sent to the trade in that territory4 ,another manufacturer has his salesmen bunched in crews of six4 ,each crew is headed by a leader4 ,this man has to sell1 just as his men do1 but in addition he acts as a sort of district sales manager4 ,all trade letters going out in his district carry the crew leader's signature4 ,there is much to be said in favor of this vogue4 ,personal contact is so valuable in all business transactions that its influence should be used in letters1 in so far as it is practicable to do so4 ,the signature should not vary4 ,do not sign ,g4 ,smith to one letter1 ,george ,smith to another1 and ,g4 ,b4 ,smith to a third4 ,a man should never prefix to his signature any title1 as ,mr41 ,prof41 or ,dr4 ,a postscript is sometimes appended to a business letter1 but the letters ,p4,s4 do not appear4 ,it is not1 however1 used as formerly--to express some thought which the writer forgot to include in the letter1 or an afterthought4 ,but on account of its unique position in the letter1 it is used to place special emphasis on an important thought4 #g4 ,,the ,,superscription ,in the outside address or superscription of a letter the following forms are observed3 ,a letter to a woman must always address her as either ,mrs4 or ,miss1 unless she is a professional woman with a title such as ,dr4 ,but this title is used only if the letter is a professional one4 ,it is not employed in social correspondence4 ,a woman is never addressed by her husband's title1 as ,mrs4 ,captain ,bartlett4 ,a married woman is addressed with ,mrs4 prefixed to her husband's name1 as ,mrs4 ,david ,greene4 ,this holds even if her husband is dead4 ,a divorced woman is addressed 7unless she is allowed by the courts to use her maiden name7 as ,mrs4 followed by her maiden name and her former husband's surname1 as3 ,mrs4 ,edna ,boyce ,blair1 ,edna ,boyce being her maiden name4 ,a man should be given his title if he possess one4 ,otherwise he must be addressed as ,mr4 or ,esq4 ,titles of those holding public office1 of physicians1 of the clergy1 and of professors1 are generally abbreviated on the envelope except in formal letters4 ,it is rather customary to address social letters to ,edward ,beech1 ,esq41 business letters to ,mr4 ,edward ,beech1 and a tradesman's letter to ,peter ,moore4 ,a servant is addressed as ,william ,white4 ,the idea has arisen1 and it would seem erroneous1 that if the man addressed had also ,sr4 or ,jr4 attached1 the title ,mr4 or ,esq4 should not be used4 ,there is neither rhyme nor reason for this1 as ,sr4 and ,jr4 are certainly not titles and using ,mr4 or ,esq4 would not be a duplication4 ,so the proper mode of address would be ,mr4 ,john ,evans1 ,jr4 or ,john ,evans1 ,jr41 ,esq4 ,the ,sr4 is not always necessary as it may be understood4 ,business envelopes should have the address of the writer printed in the upper left-hand corner as a return address4 ,this space should not be used for advertising4 ,in addressing children's letters1 it should be remembered that a letter to a girl child is addressed to ,miss ,jane ,green1 regardless of the age of the child4 ,but a little boy should be addressed as ,master ,joseph ,green4 ,the address when completed should be slightly below the middle of the envelope and equidistant from right and left edges4 ,the slanting or the straight-edge form may be used1 to agree with the indented or the block style of paragraphing respectively4 ,punctuation at the ends of the lines in the envelope address is not generally used4 ,the post office prefers the slanting edge form of address1 thus3 7not7 ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ,if there is a special address1 such as ,general ,delivery1 ,personal1 or ,please forward1 it should be placed at the lower left-hand corner of the envelope4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,being ,,appropriate--,,what ,,to ,,avoid ,,common ,,offenses ,under this head are grouped a few of the more common offenses against good form in letter writing2 some of these have been touched on in other chapters4 ,never use ruled paper for any correspondence4 ,never use tinted paper for business letters4 ,do not have date lines on printed letterheads4 ,this of course has to do with business stationery4 ,do not use simplified spelling1 if for no other reason than that it detracts from the reader's absorption of the contents of the letter itself4 ,enthuse is not a word--do not use it4 ,avoid blots1 fingermarks1 and erasures4 ,do not use two one-cent stamps in place of a two-cent stamp4 ,somehow one-cent stamps are not dignified4 ,never use ,dear ,friend1 ,friend ,jack1 ,my dear ,friend1 or ,friend ,bliss as a form of salutation4 ,in the case of a business letter where a salutation for both sexes may be necessary1 use ,gentlemen4 ,never cross the writing in a letter with more writing4 ,never use oblige in the place of the complimentary close4 ,do not double titles1 as ,mr4 ,john ,walker1 ,esq4 ,write either ,mr4 ,john ,walker or ,john ,walker1 ,esq4 ,a woman should never sign herself ,mrs4 or ,miss to a social letter4 ,in business letters 7,see ,chapter #c7 it may be necessary to prefix ,mrs4 or ,miss in parentheses to show how an answer should be addressed to her4 ,never omit ,yours in the complimentary close4 ,always write ,yours sincerely1 ,yours truly1 or whatever it may be4 ,never write a letter in the heat of anger4 ,sleep on it if you do and the next morning will not see you so anxious to send it4 ,in some business offices it has become the custom to have typed at the bottom of a letter1 or sometimes even rubber-stamped1 such expressions as3 ,dictated but not read4 ,dictated by but signed in the absence of ----4 ,dictated by ,mr4 ,jones1 but1 as ,mr4 ,jones was called away1 signed by ,miss ,walker4 ,while these may be the circumstances under which the letter was written and may be necessary for the identification of the letter1 they are no less discourtesies to the reader4 ,and it cannot improve the situation to call them to the reader's attention4 ,in the matter of abbreviations of titles and the like a safe rule is ,when in doubt do not abbreviate4 ,sentences like ,dictated by ,mr4 ,henry ,pearson to ,miss ,oliver are in bad form1 not to speak of their being bad business4 ,they intrude the mechanics of the letter on the reader and in so doing they take his interest from the actual object of the communication4 ,all necessary identification can be made by initials1 as3 ,l4 ,s4 ,b4--,t4 ,do not write a sales letter that gives the same impression as a strident1 raucous-voiced salesman4 ,if the idea is to attract attention by shouting louder than all the rest1 it might be well to remember that the limit of screeching and of words that hit one in the eye has probably been reached4 ,the tack to take1 even from a result-producing standpoint and aside from the question of good taste1 is to have the tone of the letter quiet but forceful--the firm1 even tone of a voice heard through a yelling mob4 ,do not attempt to put anything on paper without first thinking out and arranging what you want to say4 ,complimentary closings in business letters1 such as ,yours for more business1 should be avoided as the plague4 ,,stock ,,phrases ,,in ,,business ,,letters ,there are certain expressions1 certain stock phrases1 which have in the past been considered absolutely necessary to a proper knowledge of so-called business ,english4 ,but it is gratifying to notice the emphasis that professors and teachers of business ,english are placing on the avoidance of these horrors and on the adoption of a method of writing in which one says exactly what one means and says it gracefully and without stiltedness or intimacy4 ,their aim seems to be the ability to write a business letter which may be easily read1 easily understood1 and with the important facts in the attention-compelling places4 ,but for the sake of those who still cling to these hackneyed improprieties 7which most of them are71 let us line them up for inspection4 ,many of them are inaccurate1 and a moment's thought will give a better method of conveying the ideas4 ,we beg to state1 ,we beg to advise1 ,we beg to remain4 ,there is a cringing touch about these4 ,a courteous letter may be written without begging4 ,your letter has come to hand or is at hand belongs to a past age4 ,say ,we have your letter of ---- or ,we have received your letter4 ,we shall advise you of ---- ,this is a legal expression4 ,say ,we shall let you know or ,we shall inform you4 ,as per your letter4 ,also of legal connotation4 ,say according to or in agreement with4 ,your esteemed favor is another relic4 ,this is a form of courtesy1 but is obsolete4 ,favor1 used to mean communication or letter1 is obviously inaccurate4 ,replying to your letter1 would say1 or wish to say4 ,why not say it at once and abolish the wordiness8 ,state gives the unpleasant suggestion of a cross-examination4 ,use say4 ,and oblige adds nothing to the letter4 ,if the reader is not already influenced by its contents1 and oblige will not induce him to be4 ,the telegraphic brevity caused by omitting pronouns and all words not necessary to the sense makes for discourtesy and brusqueness1 as3 ,answering yours of the #bast inst41 order has been delayed1 but will ship goods at once4 ,how much better to say3 ,we have your letter of #bast ,october concerning the delay in filling your order4 ,we greatly regret the delay1 but we can now ship the goods at once4 ,same is not a pronoun4 ,it is used as such in legal documents1 but it is incorrect to employ it in business letters as other than an adjective4 ,use instead they1 them1 or it4 ,incorrect3 ,we have received your order and same will be forwarded4 ,correct3 ,we have received your order and it will be forwarded4 ,kindly--as in3 ,we kindly request that you will send your subscription4 ,there is nothing kind in your request and if there were1 you would not so allude to it4 ,kindly in this case belongs to send1 as ,we request that you will kindly send your subscription4 ,the word kind to describe a business letter--as your kind favor--is obviously misapplied4 ,there is no element of kindness on either side of an ordinary business transaction4 ,the months are no longer alluded to as inst41 ult41 or prox4 abbreviations of the ,latin instant 7present71 ultimo 7past71 and proximo 7next7 as ,yours of the #ajth inst4 ,call the months by name1 as ,i have your letter of #ajth ,may4 ,contents carefully noted is superfluous and its impression on the reader is a blank4 ,i enclose herewith4 ,herewith in this sense means in the envelope4 ,this fact is already expressed in the word enclose4 ,avoid abbreviations of ordinary words in the body or the closing of a letter1 as ,resp4 ,yrs4 instead of ,respectfully yours4 ,the word ,company should not be abbreviated unless the symbol is used4 ,but the safest plan in writing to a company is to write the name exactly as they write it themselves or as it appears on their letterheads4 ,illustration3 ,as to the use of the symbol and the abbreviation of the word company1 the safest plan in writing to a company is to spell its name exactly as it appears on its letterhead ,names of months and names of states may be abbreviated in the heading of the letter but not in the body4 ,but it is better form not to do so4 ,names of states should never be abbreviated on the envelope4 ,for instance1 ,california and ,colorado1 if written ,cal4 and ,col41 may easily be mistaken for each other4 ,the participial closing of a letter1 that is1 ending a letter with a participial phrase1 weakens the entire effect of the letter4 ,this is particularly true of a business letter4 ,close with a clear-cut idea4 ,the following endings will illustrate the ineffective participle3 ,hoping to hear from you on this matter by return mail4 ,assuring you of our wish to be of service to you in the future4 ,thanking you for your order and hoping we shall be able to please you4 ,trusting that you will start an investigation as soon as possible4 ,more effective endings would be3 ,please send a remittance by return mail4 ,if we can be of use to you in the future1 will you let us know8 ,we thank you for your order and hope we shall fill it to your satisfaction4 ,please investigate the delay at once4 ,the participial ending is merely a sort of habit4 ,a letter used to be considered lacking in ease if it ended with an emphatic sentence or ended with something that had really to do with the subject of the letter4 ,it might be well in concluding a letter1 as in a personal leavetaking1 to ,stand not on the order of your going4 ,good-byes should be short4 ,,chapter ,v ,,personal ,,letters--,,social ,,and ,,friendly ,,invitations ,,and ,,acknowledgments ,general ,directions ,the format of an invitation is not so important as its taste4 ,some of the more formal sorts of invitations--as to weddings--have become rather fixed1 and the set wordings are carried through regardless of the means at hand for proper presentation4 ,for instance1 one often sees a wedding invitation in impeccable form but badly printed on cheap paper4 ,it would be far better1 if it is impossible to get good engraving or if first-class work proves to be too expensive1 to buy good white notepaper and write the invitations4 ,a typewriter is1 of course1 out of the question either for sending or answering any sort of social invitation4 ,probably some time in the future the typewriter will be used1 but at present it is associated with business correspondence and is supposed to lack the implied leisure of hand writing4 ,the forms of many invitations1 as ,i have said1 are fairly fixed4 ,but they are not hallowed4 ,one may vary them within the limits of good taste1 but on the whole it is considerably easier to accept the forms in use and not try to be different4 ,if the function itself is going to be very different from usual then the invitation itself may be as freakish as one likes--it may be written or printed on anything from a postcard to a paper bag4 ,the sole question is one of appropriateness4 ,but there is a distinct danger in trying to be ever so unconventional and all that4 ,one is more apt than not to make a fool of one's self4 ,and then1 too1 being always clever is dreadfully hard on the innocent by-standers4 ,here are things to be avoided3 ,do not have an invitation printed or badly engraved4 ,hand writing is better than bad mechanical work4 ,do not use colored or fancy papers4 ,do not use single sheets4 ,do not use a very large or a very small sheet--either is inappropriate4 ,do not have a formal phraseology for an informal affair4 ,do not abbreviate anything--initials may be used in informal invitations and acceptances1 but1 in the formal1 ,h4 ,e4 ,jones invariably has to become ,horatio ,etherington ,jones4 ,do not send an answer to a formal invitation in the first person4 ,a formal invitation is written in the third person and must be so answered4 ,do not use visiting cards either for acceptances or regrets even though they are sometimes used for invitations4 ,the practice of sending a card with ,accepts or ,regrets written on it is discourteous4 ,do not seek to be decorative in handwriting--the flourishing ,spencerian is impossible4 ,do not overdo either the formality or the informality4 ,do not use ,r4,s4,v4,p4 7the initials of the ,french words ,repondez1 s'il vous plait1 meaning ,answer1 if you please7 unless the information is really necessary for the making of arrangements4 ,it ought to be presumed that those whom you take the trouble to invite will have the sense and the courtesy to answer4 ,in sending an evening invitation where there are husband and wife1 both must be included1 unless1 of course1 the occasion is stag4 ,if the invitation is to be extended to a daughter1 then her name is included in the invitation4 ,in the case of more than one daughter1 they will receive a separate invitation addressed to ,the ,misses ,smith4 ,each male member of the family other than husband should receive a separately mailed invitation4 ,an invitation1 even the most informal1 should always be acknowledged within a week of its receipt4 ,it is the height of discourtesy to leave the hostess in doubt either through a tardy answer or through the undecided character of your reply4 ,the acknowledgment must state definitely whether or not you accept4 ,the acknowledgment of an invitation sent to husband and wife must include both names but is answered by the wife only4 ,the name of a daughter also must appear if it appears in the invitation4 ,if ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,smith receive an invitation from ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,jones1 their acknowledgment must include the names of both ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,jones1 but the envelope should be addressed to ,mrs4 ,jones only4 ,,formal ,,invitations ,wedding invitations should be sent about three weeks--certainly not later than fifteen days--before the wedding4 ,two envelopes should be used1 the name and address appearing on the outside envelope1 but only the name on the inside one4 ,the following are correct for formal invitations3 ,for a church wedding 7,a7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,honour of ---- 7,name written in7 ,presence at the ,marriage of ,their ,daughter ,dorothy and ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster ,on the ,evening of ,monday1 the ,eighth of ,june at ,six o',clock ,at ,the ,church of the ,heavenly ,rest ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city ,illustration3 ,specimen of formal wedding invitation 7,b7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,honour of ,your ,presence at ,the ,marriage of ,their ,daughter ,dorothy and ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster ,on ,monday1 ,june the ,eighth ,at ,six o',clock ,at the ,church of the ,heavenly ,rest ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,for a home wedding ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,pleasure of ---- 7,name written in7 ,company at the ,marriage of ,their ,daughter ,dorothy and ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster ,on ,wednesday1 ,june the ,tenth ,at ,twelve o',clock ,five ,hundred ,park ,avenue ,or either of the forms ,a and ,b for a church wedding may be used4 ,honour of your presence is more formal than pleasure of your company and hence is more appropriate for a church wedding4 ,it is presumed that an invitation to a home wedding includes the wedding breakfast or reception1 but an invitation to a church wedding does not4 ,a card inviting to the wedding breakfast or reception is enclosed with the wedding invitation4 ,good forms are3 ,for a wedding breakfast ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,pleasure of ---- 7,name written in7 ,at ,breakfast on ,tuesday1 ,june the ,fourth at ,twelve o',clock #ejj ,park ,avenue ,for a wedding reception ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,pleasure of ,your ,company ,at the ,wedding ,reception of ,their ,daughter ,dorothy and ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster ,on ,monday ,afternoon1 ,june the ,third ,at ,four o',clock ,five ,hundred ,park ,avenue ,illustration3 ,specimens of formal invitations to a wedding reception ,for a second marriage ,the forms followed in a second marriage--either of a widow or a divorcee--are quite the same as above4 ,the divorcee uses whatever name she has taken after the divorce--the name of her ex-husband or her maiden name if she has resumed it4 ,the widow sometimes uses simply ,mrs4 ,philip ,brewster or a combination1 as ,mrs4 ,dorothy ,evans ,brewster4 ,the invitations are issued in the name of the nearest relative--the parent or parents1 of course1 if living4 ,the forms are3 7,a7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,honour of ,your ,presence ,at the ,marriage of ,their ,daughter ,dorothy 7,mrs4 ,philip ,brewster7 to ,mr4 ,leonard ,duncan ,on ,thursday1 ,april the ,third ,at ,six o',clock ,trinity ,chapel 7,b7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,honour of ,your ,presence ,at the ,marriage of ,their ,daughter ,mrs4 ,dorothy ,evans ,brewster to ,mr4 ,leonard ,duncan ,on ,thursday1 ,april the ,third ,at ,six o',clock ,trinity ,chapel ,if there are no near relatives1 the form may be3 7,c7 ,the ,honour of ,your ,presence is ,requested ,at the ,marriage of ,mrs4 ,dorothy ,evans ,brewster and ,mr4 ,leonard ,duncan ,on ,thursday1 ,april the ,third ,at ,six o',clock ,trinity ,chapel ,in formal invitations honour is spelled with a u4 ,recalling an ,invitation ,the wedding may have to be postponed or solemnized privately1 owing to illness or death1 or it may be put off altogether4 ,in such an event the invitations will have to be recalled4 ,the card recalling may or may not give a reason1 according to circumstances4 ,the cards should be engraved if time permits1 but they may have to be written4 ,convenient forms are3 7,a7 ,owing to the ,death of ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster's ,mother1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans beg to ,recall the ,invitations for ,their ,daughter's ,wedding on ,monday1 ,june the ,eighth4 ,illustration3 ,specimen of wedding announcement 7,b7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans beg to ,recall ,the ,invitations for the ,marriage of ,their ,daughter1 ,dorothy1 and ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster1 on ,monday1 ,june the ,eighth ,wedding announcements ,if a wedding is private1 no formal invitations are sent out2 they are unnecessary1 for only a few relatives or intimate friends will be present and they will be asked by word of mouth or by a friendly note4 ,the wedding may be formally announced by cards mailed on the day of the wedding4 ,the announcement will be made by whoever would have sent out wedding invitations--by parents1 a near relative1 or by the bride and groom1 according to circumstances4 ,the custom with the bride's name in the case of a widow or divorcee follows that of wedding invitations4 ,an engraved announcement is not acknowledged 7although a letter of congratulations--see page #aja--may often be sent74 ,a card is sent to the bride's parents or whoever has sent the announcements4 ,the announcement may be in the following form3 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,announce the ,marriage of ,their ,daughter ,dorothy to ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster ,on ,monday1 ,june the ,tenth ,one ,thousand ,nineteen ,hundred and ,twenty-,two ,replying to the invitation ,the acceptance or the declination of a formal invitation is necessarily formal but naturally has to be written by hand4 ,it is better to use double notepaper than a correspondence card and it is not necessary to give a reason for being unable to be present--although one may be given4 ,it is impolite to accept or regret only a day or two before the function--the letter should be written as soon as possible after the receipt of the invitation4 ,the letter may be indented as is the engraved invitation1 but this is not at all necessary4 ,the forms are3 ,accepting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,frothingham ,smith accept with pleasure ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans's kind invitation to be present at the marriage of their daughter ,dorothy and ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster on ,monday1 ,june the twelfth at twelve o'clock 7and afterward at the wedding breakfast7 ,or it may be written out3 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,frothingham ,smith accept with pleasure ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans's kind invitation to be present at the marriage of their daughter ,dorothy and ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster on ,monday1 ,june the twelfth at twelve o'clock 7and afterward at the wedding breakfast74 ,regretting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,frothingham ,smith regret exceedingly that they are unable to accept ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans's kind invitation to be present at the marriage of their daughter ,dorothy and ,mr4 ,philip ,brewster on ,monday1 ,june the twelfth 7and afterward at the wedding breakfast7 ,or this also may be written out4 ,the portion in parentheses will be omitted if one has not been asked to the wedding breakfast or reception4 ,for the formal dinner ,formal dinner invitations are usually engraved1 as in the following example4 ,in case they are written1 they may follow the same form or the letter form4 ,if addressed paper is used the address is omitted from the end4 ,the acknowledgment should follow the wording of the invitation4 7,a7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,pleasure of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,trent's ,company at ,dinner ,on ,thursday1 ,october the ,first at ,seven o',clock and ,afterward for the ,play 7or ,opera1 etc47 #ejj ,park ,avenue 7,b7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,pleasure of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,trent's ,company for ,dinner and ,opera on ,thursday1 ,october the ,first at ,seven o',clock ,accepting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,george ,trent accept with much pleasure ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans's kind invitation for dinner on ,thursday1 ,october the first1 at seven o'clock and afterward for the opera #ghh ,east ,forty-,sixth ,street ,regretting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,george ,trent regret that they are unable to accept the kind invitation of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans for dinner and opera on ,thursday1 ,october the first1 owing to a previous engagement4 #ghh ,east ,forty-,sixth ,street ,for a dinner not at home ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,pleasure of ,mrs4 and ,miss ,pearson's ,company at ,dinner ,at ,sherry's on ,friday1 ,march the ,thirtieth ,at ,quarter ,past ,seven o',clock #ejj ,park ,avenue ,accepting ,mrs4 ,richard ,pearson and ,miss ,pearson accept with much pleasure ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans's very kind invitation for dinner at ,sherry's on ,friday1 ,march the thirtieth at quarter past seven o'clock #fdj ,west ,seventy-,second ,street ,regretting ,mrs4 ,richard ,pearson and ,miss ,pearson regret exceedingly that they are unable to accept ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans's very kind invitation for dinner at ,sherry's on ,friday1 ,march the thirtieth owing to a previous engagement to dine with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,spencer #fdj ,west ,seventy-,second ,street ,illustration3 ,specimens of formal dinner invitations ,or the reply may follow the letter form3 ,accepting #fdj ,west ,seventy-,second ,street1 ,march #af1 #aibj4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,richard ,pearson accept with pleasure ,mrs4 ,john ,evans's kind invitation for ,friday evening1 ,march the thirtieth4 ,regretting #fdj ,west ,seventy-,second ,street ,march #af1 #aibj4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,richard ,pearson regret sincerely their inability to accept ,mrs4 ,john ,evans's kind invitation for ,friday evening1 ,march the thirtieth4 ,these acknowledgments1 being formal1 are written in the third person and must be sent within twenty-four hours4 ,dinner to meet ,if the dinner or luncheon is given to meet a person of importance or a friend from out of town1 the purpose should appear in the body of the invitation1 thus3 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,pleasure of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,trent's ,company at ,dinner on ,thursday1 ,november the ,ninth at ,eight o',clock to ,meet ,mr4 ,william ,h4 ,allen ,to a formal luncheon ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,requests the ,pleasure of ,miss ,blake's ,company at ,luncheon ,to meet ,miss ,grace ,flint on ,tuesday1 ,march the ,fourth at ,one o',clock and ,afterward to the ,matinee #ejj ,park ,avenue ,accepting ,miss ,blake accepts with pleasure ,mrs4 ,evans's very kind invitation for luncheon on ,tuesday1 ,march the fourth at one o'clock to meet ,miss ,flint and to go afterward to the matinee #bcb ,west ,thirty-,first ,street ,regretting ,miss ,blake regrets that a previous engagement prevents her from accepting ,mrs4 ,evans's very kind invitation for luncheon on ,tuesday1 ,march the fourth at one o'clock to meet ,miss ,flint and to go afterward to the matinee #hcb ,west ,thirty-,first ,street ,illustration3 ,specimens of formal invitations to meet ,for the reception ,afternoon receptions and ,at ,homes for which engraved invitations are sent out are practically the same as formal teas4 ,an invitation is engraved as follows3 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,at ,home ,wednesday ,afternoon1 ,september ,fourth from ,four until ,half-,past ,seven o',clock ,five ,hundred ,park ,avenue ,these cards are sent out by mail in a single envelope about two weeks or ten days before the event4 ,the recipient of such a card is not required to send either a written acceptance or regret4 ,one accepts by attending the ,at ,home4 ,if one does not accept1 the visiting card should be sent by mail so that it will reach the hostess on the day of the reception4 ,where an answer is explicitly required1 then the reply may be as follows3 ,accepting ,mrs4 ,john ,evans accepts with pleasure ,mrs4 ,emerson's kind invitation for ,wednesday afternoon ,november the twenty-eighth ,regretting ,mrs4 ,john ,evans regrets that she is unable to accept ,mrs4 ,emerson's kind invitation for ,wednesday afternoon ,november the twenty-eighth ,mrs4 ,john ,evans regrets that she is unable to be present at ,mrs4 ,emerson's ,at home on ,wednesday afternoon ,november the twenty-eighth ,reception to meet 7,a7 ,mrs4 ,bruce ,wellington ,requests the ,pleasure of ,mrs4 ,evans's ,presence on ,thursday ,afternoon1 ,april ,fifth to ,meet the ,board of ,governors of the ,door-of-,hope ,society from ,four-,thirty to ,seven o',clock ,accepting ,mrs4 ,john ,evans accepts with pleasure ,mrs4 ,wellington's kind invitation to meet ,the ,board of ,governors of the ,door-of-,hope ,society ,on ,thursday afternoon1 ,april fifth ,regretting3 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans regrets that a previous engagement prevents her from accepting ,mrs4 ,wellington's kind invitation to meet ,the ,board of ,governors of the ,door-of-,hope ,society ,on ,thursday afternoon1 ,april fifth ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,request the ,pleasure of ,your ,company to ,meet ,general and ,mrs4 ,robert ,e4 ,lee on ,thursday ,afternoon1 ,february ,fourth from ,four until ,seven o',clock ,five ,hundred ,park ,avenue ,if one accepts this invitation1 one acknowledges simply by attending4 ,if one is unable to attend1 then the visiting card is mailed4 ,if unforeseen circumstances should prevent attending1 then a messenger is sent with a card in an envelope to the hostess1 to reach her during the reception4 ,invitations for afternoon affairs ,for afternoon affairs--at homes1 teas1 garden parties--the invitations are sent out in the name of the hostess alone1 or if there be a daughter1 or daughters1 in society1 their names will appear immediately below the name of the hostess4 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,the ,misses ,evans ,at ,home ,thursday ,afternoon1 ,january ,eleventh from ,four until ,seven o',clock ,five ,hundred ,park ,avenue ,if the purpose of the reception is to introduce a daughter1 her name would appear immediately below that of the hostess1 as ,miss ,evans1 without ,christian name or initial4 ,if a second daughter is to be introduced at the tea1 her name in full is added beneath that of the hostess3 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,miss ,ruth ,evans ,miss ,evans ,at ,home ,friday ,afternoon1 ,january ,twentieth from ,four until ,seven o',clock ,five ,hundred ,park ,avenue ,for balls and dances ,the word ball is used for an assembly or a charity dance1 never otherwise4 ,an invitation to a private house bears ,dancing or ,cotillion in one corner of the card4 ,this ball or formal dance invitation is engraved on a white card1 sometimes with a blank space so that the guest's name may be written in by the hostess4 ,it would read thus3 7,a7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,charles ,elliott ,request the ,pleasure of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,evans's ,company at a ,cotillion to ,be ,held at the ,hotel ,ritz-,carlton on ,saturday1 ,december the ,third at ,ten o',clock ,please ,address ,reply to #cdg ,madison ,avenue ,illustration3 ,specimens of formal invitations to a dance 7,b7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,charles ,elliott ,request the ,pleasure of ,company on ,saturday ,evening ,january the ,sixth1 at ,ten o',clock ,dancing #cdg ,madison ,avenue ,an older style of invitation--without the blank for the written name1 but instead the word your engraved upon the card--is in perfectly good form4 ,the invitation would be like this3 7,c7 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,charles ,elliott ,request the ,pleasure of ,your ,company on ,saturday ,evening1 ,january the ,sixth at ,ten o',clock ,dancing #cdg ,madison ,avenue ,accepting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans accept with pleasure ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,elliott's very kind invitation to a cotillion to be held at the ,hotel ,ritz-,carlton ,on ,saturday1 ,december the third at ten o'clock ,regretting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,evans regret exceedingly that they are unable to accept ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,elliott's kind invitation to attend a dance on ,saturday1 ,january the sixth ,in sending a regret the hour is omitted1 as1 since the recipient will not be present1 the time is unimportant4 7,d7 ,the ,honour of ,your ,presence ,is ,requested at the ,lincoln's ,birthday ,eve ,ball of the ,dark ,hollow ,country ,club on ,monday ,evening1 ,february ,eleventh at ,half-,past ,ten o',clock #aibb ,accepting ,miss ,evans accepts with pleasure the kind invitation of the ,dark ,hollow ,country ,club for ,monday evening1 ,february eleventh at half-past ten o'clock ,for christenings ,christenings are sometimes made formal4 ,in such case engraved cards are sent out two or three weeks ahead4 ,a good form is3 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,philip ,brewster ,request the ,pleasure of ,your ,company at the ,christening of ,their ,son on ,sunday ,afternoon1 ,april ,seventeenth ,at ,three o'clock at the ,church of the ,redeemer ,accepting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,charles ,elliot accept with pleasure ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,brewster's kind invitation to attend the christening of their son on ,sunday afternoon1 ,april seventeenth at three o'clock ,a reason for not accepting may or may not be given--it is better to put in a reason if you have one4 ,regretting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,charles ,elliott regret that a previous engagement prevents their accepting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,brewster's kind invitation to the christening of their son on ,sunday afternoon1 ,april seventeenth ,,informal ,,invitations ,for a wedding ,an engraved invitation always implies a somewhat large or elaborate formal function4 ,an informal affair requires simply a written invitation in the first person4 ,the informal wedding is one to which are invited only the immediate family and intimate friends4 ,the reason may be simply the desire for a small1 quiet affair or it may be a recent bereavement4 ,the bride-to-be generally writes these invitations4 ,the form may be something like this3 7,a7 ,june #b1 #aibb4 ,dear ,mrs4 ,smith1 ,on ,wednesday1 ,june the twelfth1 at three o'clock ,mr4 ,brewster and ,i are to be married4 ,the ceremony will be at home and we are asking only a few close friends4 ,i hope that you and ,mr4 ,smith will be able to come4 ,yours very sincerely1 ,dorothy ,evans4 7,b7 ,june #af1 #aibb4 ,dear ,mary1 ,owing to the recent death of my sister1 ,mr4 ,brewster and ,i are to be married quietly at home4 ,the wedding will be on ,wednesday1 ,june the twentieth1 at eleven o'clock4 ,we are asking only a few intimate friends and ,i shall be so glad if you will come4 ,sincerely yours1 ,dorothy ,evans4 ,accepting ,june #g1 #aibb4 ,dear ,dorothy1 ,we shall be delighted to attend your wedding on ,wednesday1 ,june the twelfth1 at three o'clock4 ,we wish you and ,mr4 ,brewster every happiness4 ,sincerely yours1 ,helen ,gray ,smith4 ,regretting ,june #d1 #aibb4 ,dear ,dorothy1 ,i am so sorry that ,i shall be unable to attend your wedding4 ,the ,adriatic is sailing on the tenth and ,father and ,i have engaged passage4 ,let me wish you and ,mr4 ,brewster every happiness4 ,sincerely yours1 ,mary ,lyman4 ,for dinners and luncheons ,an informal invitation to dinner is sent by the wife1 for her husband and herself1 to the wife4 ,this invitation must include the latter's husband4 ,it is simply a friendly note4 ,the wife signs her ,christian name1 her maiden name 7or more usually the initial of her maiden name71 and her married name4 ,five ,hundred ,park ,avenue1 ,december #eth1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,trent1 ,will you and ,mr4 ,trent give us the pleasure of your company at a small dinner on ,tuesday1 ,december the twelfth1 at seven o'clock8 ,i hope you will not be otherwise engaged on that evening as we are looking forward to seeing you4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,to cancel an informal dinner invitation ,my dear ,mrs4 ,trent1 ,on account of the sudden death of my brother1 ,i regret to be obliged to recall the invitation for our dinner on ,tuesday1 ,december the twelfth4 ,sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,december #h1 #aibb4 ,accepting #ghh ,east ,forty-,sixth ,street1 ,december #gth1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,mr4 ,trent and ,i will be very glad to dine with you on ,tuesday1 ,december the twelfth1 at seven o'clock4 ,with kind regards1 ,i am ,very sincerely yours1 ,charlotte ,b4 ,trent ,regretting #ghh ,east ,forty-,sixth ,street1 ,december #gth1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,we regret deeply that we cannot accept your kind invitation to dine with you on ,tuesday1 ,december the twelfth4 ,mr4 ,trent and ,i1 unfortunately1 have a previous engagement for that evening4 ,with cordial regards1 ,i am ,yours very sincerely1 ,charlotte ,b4 ,trent4 ,the daughter as hostess ,when a daughter must act as hostess in her father's home1 she includes his name in every dinner invitation she issues1 as in the following3 #cdj ,madison ,avenue1 ,january #b1 #aiba4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,father wishes me to ask whether you and ,mr4 ,evans will give us the pleasure of dining with us on ,wednesday1 ,january the fifteenth1 at quarter past seven o'clock4 ,we do hope you can come4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,edith ,haines4 ,the answer to this invitation of a daughter-hostess must be sent to the daughter1 not to the father4 ,accepting ,my dear ,miss ,haines1 ,we shall be delighted to accept your father's kind invitation to dine with you on ,wednesday1 ,january the fifteenth1 at quarter past seven o'clock4 ,with most cordial wishes1 ,i am ,very sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,january #e1 #aibb ,regretting ,my dear ,miss ,haines1 ,we regret exceedingly that we cannot accept your father's kind invitation to dine with you on ,wednesday1 ,january the fifteenth4 ,a previous engagement of ,mr4 ,evans prevents it4 ,will you convey to him our thanks8 ,very sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,gerard ,evans4 ,january #e1 #aibb4 ,adding additional details ,the invitation to an informal dinner may necessarily include some additional details4 ,for example3 ,five ,hundred ,park ,avenue1 ,september #af1 #aibj4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,allen1 ,mr4 ,evans and ,i have just returned from ,canada and we hear that you are in ,new ,york for a short visit4 ,we should like to have you take dinner with us on ,friday1 the twentieth1 at half-past seven o'clock1 if your time will permit4 ,we hope you can arrange to come as there are many things back home in old ,sharon that we are anxious to hear about4 ,yours very sincerely1 ,katherine ,gerard ,evans4 ,mr4 ,roger ,allen ,hotel ,gotham ,new ,york ,accepting ,hotel ,gotham1 ,september #ag1 #aibj4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,i shall be very glad to accept your kind invitation to dinner on ,friday1 ,september the twentieth1 at half-past seven o'clock4 ,the prospect of seeing you and ,mr4 ,evans again is very delightful and ,i am sure ,i have several interesting things to tell you4 ,yours very sincerely1 ,roger ,allen4 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans #ejj ,park ,avenue ,new ,york ,regretting ,hotel ,gotham1 ,september #af1 #aibj4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,i am sorry to miss the pleasure of accepting your kind invitation to dinner on ,friday1 ,september the twentieth4 ,a business engagement compels me to leave ,new ,york to-morrow4 ,there are indeed many interesting bits of news1 but ,i shall have to wait for a chat until my next visit4 ,with kindest regards to you both1 ,i am ,very sincerely yours1 ,roger ,allen4 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans #ejj ,park ,avenue ,new ,york ,a last-moment vacancy3 ,a last-moment vacancy may occur in a dinner party4 ,to send an invitation to fill such a vacancy is a matter requiring tact1 and the recipient should be made to feel that you are asking him to fill in as a special courtesy4 ,frankly explain the situation in a short note4 ,it might be something like this3 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,february #af1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,jarrett1 ,will you help me out8 ,i am giving a little dinner party to-morrow evening and one of my guests1 ,harry ,talbot1 has just told me that on account of a sudden death he cannot be present4 ,it is an awkward situation4 ,if you can possibly come1 ,i shall be very grateful4 ,cordially yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,mr4 ,harold ,jarrett #fbh ,washington ,square ,south ,new ,york ,accepting #fbh ,washington ,square ,south1 ,february #af1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,it is indeed a fortunate circumstance for me that ,harry ,talbot will not be able to attend your dinner4 ,let me thank you for thinking of me and ,i shall be delighted to accept4 ,yours very sincerely1 ,harold ,jarrett4 ,if the recipient of such an invitation cannot accept1 he should1 in his acknowledgment1 give a good reason for declining4 ,it is more considerate to do so4 ,for an informal luncheon ,an informal luncheon invitation is a short note sent about five to seven days before the affair4 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,april #cj1aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,emerson1 ,will you come to luncheon on ,friday1 ,may the fifth1 at half-past one o'clock8 ,the ,misses ,irving will be here and they want so much to meet you4 ,cordially yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,accepting #iaa ,sutton ,place1 ,may #b1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,i shall be very glad to take luncheon with you on ,friday1 ,may the fifth1 at half-past one o'clock4 ,it will be a great pleasure to meet the ,misses ,irving4 ,with best wishes1 ,i am ,yours sincerely1 ,grace ,emerson4 ,regretting #iaa ,sutton ,place1 ,may #b1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,thank you for your very kind invitation to luncheon on ,friday1 ,may the fifth1 but ,i am compelled1 with great regret1 to decline it4 ,my mother and aunt are sailing for ,europe on ,friday and their ship is scheduled to sail at one4 ,i have arranged to see them off4 ,it was good of you to ask me4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,grace ,emerson4 ,for an informal tea ,my dear ,miss ,harcourt1 ,will you come to tea with me on ,tuesday afternoon1 ,april the fourth1 at four o'clock8 ,i have asked a few of our friends4 ,cordially yours1 ,katherine ,gerard ,evans4 ,april first ,telephone invitations are not good form and may be used only for the most informal occasions4 ,invitations to the theatre1 concert1 and garden party1 are mostly informal affairs and are sent as brief letters4 ,a garden party is a sort of out-of-doors at home4 ,to a garden party which is not formal or elaborate ,locust ,lawn1 ,june #bi1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,miss ,burton1 ,will you come to tea with me informally on the lawn on ,thursday afternoon1 ,july the fourth1 at four o'clock8 ,i know you always enjoy tennis and ,i have asked a few enthusiasts4 ,do try to come4 ,cordially yours1 ,ruth ,l4 ,anson4 ,such an invitation is acknowledged in kind--by an informal note4 ,it may be of interest to read a letter or two from distinguished persons along these lines4 ,here1 for example1 is the delightfully informal way in which ,thomas ,bailey ,aldrich invited his friend ,william ,h4 ,rideing to dinner on one occasion3#a ,april #f1 #ahhb4 ,dear ,rideing3 ,will you come and take an informal bite with me to-morrow 7,friday7 at #f ,p4 ,m4 at my hamlet1 ,no4 #aca ,charles ,street8 ,mrs4 ,aldrich and the twins are away from home1 and the thing is to be sans ceremonie4 ,costume prescribed3 ,sack coat1 paper collar1 and celluloid sleeve buttons4 ,we shall be quite alone1 unless ,henry ,james should drop in1 as he promises to do if he gets out of an earlier engagement4 ,suppose you drop in at my office to-morrow afternoon about #e o'clock and ,i act as pilot to ,charles ,street4 ,yours very truly1 ,t4 ,b4 ,aldrich4 #a ,from ,many ,celebrities and a ,few ,others--,a ,bundle of ,reminiscences1 by ,william ,h4 ,rideing4 ,copyright1 #aiab1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,and one from ,james ,russell ,lowell to ,henry ,w4 ,longfellow3#b ,elmwood1 ,may #c1 #ahgf4 ,dear ,longfellow3 ,will you dine with me on ,saturday at six8 ,i have a ,baltimore friend coming1 and depend on you4 ,i had such a pleasure yesterday that ,i should like to share it with you to whom ,i owed it4 ,j4 ,r4 ,osgood ,co4 sent me a copy of your ,household ,edition to show me what it was1 as they propose one of me4 ,i had been reading over with dismay my own poems to weed out the misprints1 and was awfully disheartened to find how bad they 7the poems7 were4 ,then ,i took your book to see what the type was1 and before ,i knew it ,i had been reading two hours and more4 ,i never wondered at your popularity1 nor thought it wicked in you2 but if ,i had wondered1 ,i should no longer1 for you sang me out of all my worries4 ,to be sure they came back when ,i opened my own book again--but that was no fault of yours4 ,if not ,saturday1 will you say ,sunday8 ,my friend is a ,mrs4 ----1 and a very nice person indeed4 ,yours always1 ,j4 ,r4 ,l4 #b ,from ,letters of ,james ,russell ,lowell1 edited by ,c4 ,e4 ,norton4 ,copyright1 #ahic1 by ,harper ,bros4 ,george ,meredith 7,robin7 accepting an informal dinner invitation from his friend1 ,william ,hardman 7,tuck73#c ,jan'y #bh1 #ahfc4 ,dear at any price ,tuck3 ,i come4 ,dinner you give me at half-past five1 ,i presume4 ,a note to ,foakesden1 if earlier4 ,let us have #e ms4 for a pipe1 before we go4 ,you know we are always better tempered when this is the case4 ,i come in full dress4 ,and do the honour to the ,duke's motto4 ,i saw my little man off on ,monday1 after expedition over ,bank and ,tower4 ,thence to ,pym's1 ,poultry3 oysters consumed by dozings4 ,thence to ,purcell's3 great devastation of pastry4 ,thence to ,shoreditch1 where ,sons calmly said3 ,never mind1 ,papa2 it is no use minding it4 ,i shall soon be back to you1 and so administered comfort to his forlorn ,dad4--,my salute to the ,conquered ,one1 and ,i am your loving1 hard-druv1 much be-bullied ,robin4 #c ,from ,the ,letters of ,george ,meredith4 ,copyright1 #aiab1 by ,charles ,scribner's ,sons4 ,by permission of the publishers4 ,to a theatre #cdg ,madison ,avenue1 ,december #h1 #aiai4 ,my dear ,miss ,evans1 ,mr4 ,smith and ,i are planning a small party of friends to see ,the ,mikado on ,thursday evening1 ,december the eighteenth1 and we hope that you will be among our guests4 ,we have arranged to meet in the lobby of the ,garrick ,theatre at quarter after eight o'clock4 ,i do hope you have no other engagement4 ,very cordially yours1 ,gertrude ,ellison ,smith4 ,accepting ,my dear ,mrs4 ,smith1 ,i shall be delighted to come to your theatre party on ,thursday evening1 ,december the eighteenth4 ,i shall be in the lobby of the ,garrick ,theatre at a quarter past eight o'clock4 ,it is so kind of you to ask me4 ,sincerely yours1 ,ruth ,evans4 ,december #ab1aiai4 ,regretting ,my dear ,mrs4 ,smith1 ,with great regret ,i must write that ,i shall be unable to join your theatre party on ,thursday evening1 ,december the eighteenth4 ,my two cousins are visiting me and we had planned to go to the ,hippodrome4 ,i much appreciate your thinking of me4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,ruth ,evans4 ,for an informal affair1 if at all in doubt as to what kind of invitation to issue1 it is safe to write a brief note in the first person4 ,two or more sisters may receive one invitation addressed ,the ,misses ,evans4 ,but two bachelor brothers must receive separate invitations4 ,a whole family should never be included in one invitation4 ,it is decidedly not proper to address one envelope to ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,elliott and family4 ,to an informal dance ,invitations to smaller and more informal dances may be short notes4 ,or a visiting card is sometimes sent with a notation written in ink below the hostess's name and toward the left1 as shown below3 7,a7 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans ,at ,home ,dancing at half after nine #ejj ,park ,avenue ,january the eighteenth ,r4,s4,v4,p4 ,if the visiting card is used ,r4,s4,v4,p4 is necessary1 because usually invitations on visiting cards do not presuppose answers4 ,the reply to the above may be either formal1 in the third person1 or may be an informal note4 7,b7 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,january #d1 #aibj4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,elliott1 ,will you and ,mr4 ,elliott give us the pleasure of your company on ,thursday1 ,january the eighteenth1 at ten o'clock8 ,we are planning an informal dance and we should be so glad to have you with us4 ,cordially yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,an acknowledgment should be sent within a week4 ,never acknowledge a visiting-card invitation by a visiting card4 ,an informal note of acceptance or regret is proper4 ,accepting #cdg ,madison ,avenue1 ,january #aj1 #aibj4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,both ,mr4 ,elliott and ,i shall be delighted to go to your dance on ,thursday1 ,january the eighteenth1 at ten o'clock4 ,thank you so much for asking us4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,jane ,s4 ,elliott4 ,regretting #cdg ,madison ,avenue1 ,january #aj1 #aibj4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,thank you for your kind invitation for ,thursday1 ,january the eighteenth2 ,i am so sorry that ,mr4 ,elliott and ,i shall not be able to accept4 ,mr4 ,elliott has been suddenly called out of town and will not be back for two weeks4 ,with most cordial regards1 ,i am ,very sincerely yours1 ,jane ,s4 ,elliott4 ,a young girl sends invitations to men in the name of her mother or the person under whose guardianship she is4 ,the invitation would say that her mother1 or ,mrs4 ,burton1 or whoever it may be1 wishes her to extend the invitation4 ,to a house-party ,an invitation to a house-party1 which may imply a visit of several days' duration 7a week1 ten days1 or perhaps two weeks7 must state exactly the dates of the beginning and end of the visit4 ,the hostess's letter should mention the most convenient trains1 indicating them on a timetable4 ,the guest at a week-end party knows he is to arrive on ,friday afternoon or ,saturday morning and leave on the following ,monday morning4 ,it is thoughtful for the hostess to give an idea of the activities or sports planned4 ,the letter might be somewhat in the following manner3 7,a7 ,glory ,view1 ,august #a1 #aibb4 ,dear ,miss ,evans1 ,will you be one of our guests at a house-party we are planning8 ,we shall be glad if you can arrange to come out to ,glory ,view on ,august eighth and stay until the seventeenth4 ,i have asked several of your friends1 among them ,mary ,elliott and her brother4 ,the swimming is wonderful and there is a new float at the ,yacht ,club4 ,be sure to bring your tennis racquet and also hiking togs4 ,i enclose a timetable with the best trains marked4 ,if you take the #d3bi on ,thursday you can be here in time for dinner4 ,let me know what train you expect to get and ,i will have ,jones meet you4 ,most cordially yours1 ,myra ,t4 ,maxwell4 ,accepting #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,august #c1 #aibb4 ,dear ,mrs4 ,maxwell1 ,let me thank you and ,mr4 ,maxwell for the invitation to your house-party4 ,i shall be very glad to come4 ,the #d3bi train which you suggest is the most convenient4 ,i am looking forward to seeing you again4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,ruth ,evans4 7,b7 ,hawthorne ,hill1 ,january #aj1 #aibj4 ,my dear ,anne1 ,we are asking some of ,dorothy's friends for this week-end and we should be glad to have you join us4 ,some of them you already know1 and ,i am sure you will enjoy meeting the others as they are all congenial4 ,mr4 ,maxwell has just bought a new flexible flyer and we expect some fine coasting4 ,be sure to bring your skates4 ,goldfish ,pond is like glass4 ,the best afternoon train on ,friday is the #c3ab1 and the best ,saturday morning train is the #i3cj4 ,i hope you can come4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,myra ,t4 ,maxwell4 ,a letter of thanks for hospitality received at a week-end party or a house-party would seem to be obviously necessary4 ,a cordial note should be written to your hostess thanking her for the hospitality received and telling her of your safe arrival home4 ,this sort of letter has come into the title of the ,bread-and-,butter-,letter4 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,august #ah1 #aibb4 ,dear ,mrs4 ,maxwell1 ,having arrived home safely ,i must tell you how much ,i appreciate the thoroughly good time ,i had4 ,i very much enjoyed meeting your charming guests4 ,let me thank you and ,mr4 ,maxwell most heartily1 and with kindest regards ,i am ,sincerely yours1 ,ruth ,evans4 ,to a christening ,most christenings are informal affairs4 ,the invitation may run like this3 ,september #h1 #aibj4 ,my dear ,mary1 ,on next ,sunday at three o'clock1 at ,st4 ,michael's ,church1 the baby will be christened4 ,philip and ,i should be pleased to have you there4 ,sincerely yours1 ,dorothy ,evans ,brewster4 ,to bring a friend ,often in the case of a dance or an at home we may wish to bring a friend who we think would be enjoyed by the hostess4 ,we might request her permission thus3 #fjj ,riverside ,drive1 ,april #be1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,dean1 ,may ,i ask you the favor of bringing with me on ,wednesday evening1 ,may the second1 my old classmate1 ,mr4 ,arthur ,price8 ,he is an old friend of mine and ,i am sure you will like him4 ,if this would not be entirely agreeable to you1 please do not hesitate to let me know4 ,yours very sincerely1 ,herbert ,page4 ,for a card party #ejj ,park ,avenue ,my dear ,mrs4 ,king1 ,will you and ,mr4 ,king join us on ,thursday evening next at bridge8#d ,we expect to have several tables1 and we do hope you can be with us4 ,cordially yours1 ,katherine ,gerard ,evans4 ,march the eighteenth #d ,or whatever the game may be4 ,sometimes the visiting card is used with the date and the word ,cards written in the lower corner as in the visiting-card invitation to a dance4 ,this custom is more often used for the more elaborate affairs4 ,miscellaneous invitations ,the following are variations of informal party and other invitations3 #hc ,woodlawn ,avenue1 ,november #d1 #aiba4 ,my dear ,alice1 ,i am having a little party on ,thursday evening next and ,i want very much to have you come4 ,if you wish me to arrange for an escort1 let me know if you have any preference4 ,sincerely yours1 ,helen ,westley4 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,may #ab1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,alice1 ,on ,saturday next ,i am giving a small party for my niece1 ,miss ,edith ,rice of ,albany1 and ,i should like very much to have her meet you4 ,i hope you can come4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,,the ,,letter ,,of ,,condolence ,a letter of condolence may be written to relatives1 close friends1 and to those whom we know well4 ,when the recipient of the condolatory message is simply an acquaintance1 it is in better taste to send a visiting card with sincere sympathy4 ,flowers may or may not accompany the card4 ,but in any case the letter should not be long1 nor should it be crammed with sad quotations and mushy sentiment4 ,of course1 at best1 writing a condolence is a nice problem4 ,do not harrow feelings by too-familiar allusions to the deceased4 ,the letter should be sent immediately upon receiving news of death4 ,when a card is received1 the bereaved family acknowledge it a few weeks later with an engraved acknowledgment on a black-bordered card4 ,a condolatory letter may be acknowledged by the recipient or by a relative or friend who wishes to relieve the bereaved one of this task4 ,formal acknowledgment engraved on card ,mrs4 ,gordon ,burroughs and ,family ,gratefully acknowledge ,your kind expression of sympathy ,the cards1 however1 may be engraved with a space for the name to be filled in3 ,gratefully acknowledge ,kind expression of sympathy ,when the letter of condolence is sent from a distance1 it is acknowledged by a note from a member of the bereaved family4 ,when the writer of the condolence makes the customary call afterward1 the family usually makes a verbal acknowledgment and no written reply is required4 ,letters of condolence 7,a7 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,burroughs1 ,may every consolation be given you in your great loss4 ,kindly accept my deepest sympathy4 ,sincerely yours1 ,jane ,everett4 ,october #d1 #aiba 7,b7 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,burroughs1 ,it is with the deepest regret that we learn of your bereavement4 ,please accept our united and heartfelt sympathies4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,gerard ,evans4 ,october #e1 #aiba 7,c7 ,my dear ,eleanor1 ,may ,i express my sympathy for you in the loss of your dear mother1 even though there can be no words to comfort you8 ,she was so wonderful to all of us that we can share in some small part in your grief4 ,with love1 ,i am ,affectionately yours1 ,ruth ,evans4 ,july #h1 #aibb 7,d7 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,burroughs1 ,i am sorely grieved to learn of the death of your husband1 for whom ,i had the greatest admiration and regard4 ,please accept my heartfelt sympathy4 ,yours sincerely1 ,douglas ,spencer4 ,october #f1 #aiba ,a letter of condolence that is something of a classic is ,abraham ,lincoln's famous letter to ,mrs4 ,bixby1 the bereaved mother of five sons who died for their country3 ,washington1 ,november #ba1 #ahfd4 ,dear ,madam3 ,i have been shown in the files of the ,war ,department a statement of the ,adjutant-,general of ,massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle4 ,i feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming4 ,but ,i cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the ,republic they died to save4 ,i pray that our ,heavenly ,father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement1 and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost1 and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom4 ,yours very sincerely and respectfully1 ,abraham ,lincoln4 ,this is the letter#e that ,robert ,e4 ,lee1 when he was president of ,washington ,college1 wrote to the father of a student who was drowned3 ,washington ,college1 ,lexington1 ,virginia1 ,march #ai1 #ahfh4 ,my dear ,sir3 ,before this you have learned of the affecting death of your son4 ,i can say nothing to mitigate your grief or to relieve your sorrow3 but if the sincere sympathy of his comrades and friends and of the entire community can bring you any consolation1 ,i can assure you that you possess it in its fullest extent4 ,when one1 in the pureness and freshness of youth1 before having been contaminated by sin or afflicted by misery1 is called to the presence of his ,merciful ,creator1 it must be solely for his good4 ,as difficult as this may be for you now to recognize1 ,i hope you will keep it constantly in your memory and take it to your comfort2 pray that ,he who in ,his wise ,providence has permitted this crushing sorrow may sanctify it to the happiness of all4 ,your son and his friend1 ,mr4 ,birely1 often passed their leisure hours in rowing on the river1 and1 on last ,saturday afternoon1 the #dth inst41 attempted what they had more than once been cautioned against--to approach the foot of the dam1 at the public bridge4 ,unfortunately1 their boat was caught by the return-current1 struck by the falling water1 and was immediately upset4 ,their perilous position was at once seen from the shore1 and aid was hurried to their relief1 but before it could reach them both had perished4 ,efforts to restore your son's life1 though long continued1 were unavailing4 ,mr4 ,birely's body was not found until next morning4 ,their remains were1 yesterday1 ,sunday1 conveyed to the ,episcopal church in this city1 where the sacred ceremonies for the dead were performed by the ,reverend ,dr4 ,pendleton1 who nineteen years ago1 at the far-off home of their infancy1 placed upon them their baptismal vows4 ,after the service a long procession of the professors and students of the college1 the officers and cadets of the ,virginia ,military ,academy1 and the citizens of ,lexington accompanied their bodies to the packetboat for ,lynchburg1 where they were placed in charge of ,messrs4 ,wheeler ,baker to convey them to ,frederick ,city4 ,with great regard and sincere sympathy1 ,i am1 ,most respectfully1 ,r4 ,e4 ,lee4 #e ,from ,recollections and ,letters of ,general ,robert ,e4 ,lee1 by ,capt4 ,robert ,e4 ,lee4 ,copyright1 #aijd1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,,letters ,,of ,,sympathy ,,in ,,case ,,of ,,illness ,when ,president ,alderman1 of the ,university of ,virginia1 was forced to take a long rest in the mountains in #aiab because of incipient tuberculosis1 the late ,walter ,h4 ,page1 at the time editor of the ,world's ,work1 wrote the following tenderly beautiful letter of sympathy to ,mrs4 ,alderman3 ,cathedral ,avenue1 ,garden ,city1 ,l4 ,i41 ,december #i1 #aiab4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,alderman3 ,in ,raleigh the other day ,i heard a rumor of the sad news that your letter brings1 which ,i have just received on my return from a week's absence4 ,i had been hoping that it was merely a rumor4 ,the first impression ,i have is thankfulness that it had been discovered so soon and that you have acted so promptly4 ,on this ,i build a great hope4 ,but underlying every thought and emotion is the sadness of it--that it should have happened to him1 now when he has done that prodigious task and borne that hard strain and was come within sight of a time when1 after a period of more normal activity1 he would in a few years have got the period of rest that he has won4--,but these will all come yet2 for ,i have never read a braver thing than your letter4 ,that bravery on your part and his1 together with the knowledge the doctors now have1 will surely make his recovery certain and1 ,i hope1 not long delayed4 ,if he keep on as well as he has begun1 you will1 ,i hope1 presently feel as if you were taking a vacation4 ,forget that it is enforced4 ,there comes to my mind as ,i write man after man in my acquaintance who have successfully gone through this experience and without serious permanent hurt4 ,some of them live here4 ,more of them live in ,north ,carolina or ,colorado as a precaution4 ,i saw a few years ago a town most of whose population of several thousand persons are recovered and active1 after such an experience4 ,the disease has surely been robbed of much of its former terror4 ,your own courage and cheerfulness1 with his own1 are the best physic in the world4 ,add to these the continuous and sincere interest that his thousands of friends feel--these to keep your courage up1 if it should ever flag a moment--and we shall all soon have the delight to see and to hear him again--his old self1 endeared1 if that be possible1 by this experience4 ,and ,i pray you1 help me 7for ,i am singularly helpless without suggestions from you7 to be of some little service--of any service that ,i can4 ,would he like letters from me8 ,i have plenty of time and an eagerness to write them1 if they would really divert or please him4 ,books8 ,what does he care most to read8 ,i can1 of course1 find anything in ,new ,york4 ,a visit some time8 ,it would be a very real pleasure to me4 ,you will add to my happiness greatly if you will frankly enable me to add even the least to his4 ,and now and always give him my love4 ,that is precisely the word ,i mean2 for1 you know1 ,i have known ,mr4 ,alderman since he was graduated1 and ,i have known few men better or cared for them more4 ,and ,i cannot thank you earnestly enough for your letter2 and ,i shall hope to have word from you often--if 7when you feel indisposed to write more7 only a few lines4 ,how can ,i serve8 ,command me without a moment's hesitation4 ,most sincerely yours1 ,walter ,h4 ,page4 ,to ,mrs4 ,edwin ,a4 ,alderman4 ,joaquin ,miller wrote the following letter to ,walt ,whitman on receiving news that the latter was ill3 ,revere ,house1 ,boston1 ,may #bg1 '#ge4 ,my dear ,walt ,whitman3#f ,your kind letter is received and the sad news of your ill health makes this pleasant weather even seem tiresome and out of place4 ,i had hoped to find you the same hale and whole man ,i had met in ,new ,york a few years ago and now ,i shall perhaps find you bearing a staff all full of pain and trouble4 ,however my dear friend as you have sung from within and not from without ,i am sure you will be able to bear whatever comes with that beautiful faith and philosophy you have ever given us in your great and immortal chants4 ,i am coming to see you very soon as you request2 but ,i cannot say to-day or set to-morrow for ,i am in the midst of work and am not altogether my own master4 ,but ,i will come and we will talk it all over together4 ,in the meantime1 remember that whatever befall you you have the perfect love and sympathy of many if not all of the noblest and loftiest natures of the two hemispheres4 ,my dear friend and fellow toiler good by4 ,yours faithfully1 ,joaquin ,miller4 #f ,from ,with ,walt ,whitman in ,camden1 by ,horace ,traubel4 ,copyright1 #aije1 #aijf1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,when ,theodore ,roosevelt was ill in hospital1 ,lawrence ,abbott wrote him this letter3#g ,please accept this word of sympathy and best wishes4 ,some years ago ,i had a severe attack of sciatica which kept me in bed a good many days3 in fact1 it kept me in an armchair night and day some of the time because ,i could not lie down1 so ,i know what the discomfort and pain are4 ,i want to take this opportunity also of sending you my congratulations4 ,for ,i think your leadership has had very much to do with the unconditional surrender of ,germany4 ,last ,friday night ,i was asked to speak at the ,men's ,club of the ,church of the ,messiah in this city and they requested me to make you the subject of my talk4 ,i told them something about your experience in ,egypt and ,europe in #aiaj and said what ,i most strongly believe1 that your address at the ,sorbonne--in strengthening the supporters of law and order against red ,bolshevism--and your address in ,guildhall--urging the ,british to govern or go--contributed directly to the success of those two governments in this war4 ,if ,great ,britain had allowed ,egypt to get out of hand instead of1 as an actual result of your ,guildhall speech1 sending ,kitchener to strengthen the feebleness of ,sir ,eldon ,gorst1 the ,turks and ,germans might have succeeded in their invasion and have cut off the ,suez ,canal4 ,so you laid the ground for preparedness not only in this country but in ,france and ,england4 ,i know it was a disappointment to you not to have an actual share in the fighting but ,i think you did a greater piece of work in preparing the battleground and the battle spirit4 #g ,from ,impressions of ,theodore ,roosevelt1 by ,lawrence ,f4 ,abbott ,copyright1 #aiai1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,in reply ,mr4 ,roosevelt sent ,mr4 ,abbott this note3 ,that's a dear letter of yours1 ,lawrence4 ,i thank you for it and ,i appreciate it to the full4 ,acknowledgments 7,a7 ,my dear ,mr4 ,spencer1 ,i am grateful to you for your comforting letter4 ,thank you for your sympathy4 ,sincerely yours1 ,mary ,cole ,burroughs4 ,october #bf1 #aiba4 7,b7 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,let me thank you in behalf of myself and my family for your sympathy4 ,do not measure our appreciation by the length of time it has taken me to reply4 ,we appreciated your letter deeply4 ,sincerely yours1 ,mary ,cole ,burroughs4 ,october #bf1 #aiba4 7,c7 ,my dear ,arthur1 ,i want to thank you for your sympathetic letter received in our bereavement4 ,sincerely yours1 ,mary ,cole ,burroughs4 ,october #bf1 #aiba4 7,d7 ,dear ,mr4 ,treadwell1 ,thank you very much for your sympathy4 ,your offer to be of service to me at this time ,i greatly appreciate1 but ,i shall not need to trouble you1 although it is comforting to know that ,i may call on you4 ,i shall never forget your kindness4 ,sincerely yours1 ,mary ,cole ,burroughs4 ,october #bd1 #aiba4 ,this is the note#h that ,thomas ,bailey ,aldrich wrote to his friend ,william ,h4 ,rideing upon receiving from the latter a note of condolence3 ,dear ,rideing3 ,i knew that you would be sorry for us4 ,i did not need your sympathetic note to tell me that4 ,our dear boy's death has given to three hearts--his mother's1 his brother's and mine--a wound that will never heal4 ,i cannot write about it4 ,my wife sends her warm remembrance with mine to you both4 ,ever faithfully your friend1 ,t4 ,b4 ,aldrich4 #h ,from ,many ,celebrities and a ,few ,others--,a ,bundle of ,reminiscences1 by ,william ,h4 ,rideing4 ,copyright1 #aiab1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,,letters ,,of ,,congratulation ,the letter of congratulation must be natural1 not stilted1 and must be sincere4 ,in congratulating a new acquaintance on a marriage it is not necessary to send more than the visiting card with heartiest congratulations4 ,to a bride and groom together a telegram of congratulation may be sent on the day of the wedding1 as soon as possible after the ceremony4 ,to a bride one does not send congratulations1 but the best of good wishes4 ,the congratulations are for the groom4 ,the following letters will serve as examples for congratulatory letters for different occasions3 ,on a birthday #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,february #f1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,elliott1 ,congratulations on your birthday6 ,i hope that all your years to come will be as happy and as helpful to others as those past4 ,i am sending you a little gift as a token of appreciation for your kindness to me1 which ,i hope you will enjoy4 ,most sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,from a gentlemen to a young lady on her birthday #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,april #ac1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,miss ,judson1 ,may ,i send you my congratulations on this your birthday8 ,i am sending a little token of my best wishes for you for many years to come4 ,yours sincerely1 ,richard ,evans4 ,on a wedding day anniversary #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,june #a1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,charlotte and ,george1 ,please accept my heartiest good wishes on this1 the fifteenth anniversary of your marriage4 ,may the years to come bring every blessing to you both4 ,sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,gerard ,evans4 7,b7 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,december #d1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,smith1 ,congratulations on this the twentieth anniversary of your wedding4 ,our heartiest wishes to you both from ,mr4 ,evans and me4 ,yours very sincerely1 ,katherine ,gerard ,evans4 ,on the birth of a child #ghh ,east #dfth ,st41 ,august #aa1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,dorothy1 ,congratulations upon the birth of your daughter4 ,may the good fairies shower upon her the gifts of goodness1 wisdom1 and beauty4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,charlotte ,b4 ,trent4 ,on a graduation #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,june #cj1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,john1 ,it is with great pleasure that ,i hear of your graduation this year4 ,it is a fine thing to have so successfully finished your college course4 ,may ,i send my heartiest congratulations8 ,sincerely yours1 ,ruth ,evans4 ,on an engagement ,in writing to a girl or a man on the occasion of an engagement to be married there is no general rule if one knows the man or woman4 ,one may write as one wishes4 ,if a stranger is to be received into the family1 one writes a kindly letter4 #bh ,odell ,avenue1 ,april #c1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,haines1 ,let me be among the first to congratulate you on your engagement to ,miss ,bruce4 ,i have not met her but ,i know that to reach your high ideals she must indeed be a wonderful girl4 ,i hope ,i may soon have the pleasure of meeting her4 ,sincerely yours1 ,charles ,lawson4 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,may #ad1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,miss ,bruce1 ,my nephew has told me his great news4 ,i am much pleased to hear that you are soon to come into the family1 because ,i know that the girl of ,edward's choice must be sweet and charming4 ,i hope that you will learn to love us for our own sake as well as for ,edward's4 ,sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,september #ah1 #aibc4 ,dear ,helen1 ,the announcement of your engagement to ,robert ,haines is a delightful surprise4 ,he is1 as we all know1 a splendid chap4 ,i am so happy that this great happiness has come to you4 ,i hope that ,i may hear all about it1 and with best wishes to you both1 ,i am ,affectionately yours1 ,ruth ,evans4 ,on the subject of engagements1 perhaps the following letter from ,charles ,lamb to ,fanny ,kelly1 and her reply1 will be of interest--though the unarduous and somewhat prosaic tone of ,elia's proposal of marriage--beautifully expressed as it is--is hardly to be recommended as a model calculated to bring about the desired result6 ,dear ,miss ,kelly3 ,we had the pleasure1 pain ,i might better call it1 of seeing you last night in the new play4 ,it was a most consummate piece of acting1 but what a task for you to undergo6 ,at a time when your heart is sore from real sorrow it has given rise to a train of thinking1 which ,i cannot suppress4 ,would to ,god you were released from this way of life2 that you could bring your mind to consent to take your lot with us1 and throw off forever the whole burden of your profession4 ,i neither expect nor wish you to take notice of this which ,i am writing1 in your present over occupied and hurried state--but to think of it at your leisure4 ,i have quite income enough1 if that were all1 to justify for me making such a proposal1 with what ,i may call even a handsome provision for my survivor4 ,what you possess of your own would naturally be appropriated to those1 for whose sakes chiefly you have made so many hard sacrifices4 ,i am not so foolish as not to know that ,i am a most unworthy match for such a one as you1 but you have for years been a principal object in my mind4 ,in many a sweet assumed character ,i have learned to love you1 but simply as ,f4 ,m4 ,kelly ,i love you better than them all4 ,can you quit these shadows of existence1 and come and be a reality to us8 ,can you leave off harassing yourself to please a thankless multitude1 who know nothing of you1 and begin at last to live to yourself and your friends8 ,as plainly and frankly as ,i have seen you give or refuse assent in some feigned scene1 so frankly do me the justice to answer me4 ,it is impossible ,i should feel injured or aggrieved by your telling me at once1 that the proposal does not suit you4 ,it is impossible that ,i should ever think of molesting you with idle importunity and prosecution after your mind is once firmly spoken--but happier1 far happier1 could ,i have leave to hope a time might come1 when our friends might be your friends2 our interests yours2 our book knowledge1 if in that inconsiderable particular we have any like advantage1 might impart something to you1 which you would every day have it in your power ten thousand fold to repay by the added cheerfulness and joy which you could not fail to bring as a dowry into whatever family should have the honor and happiness of receiving you1 the most welcome accession that could be made to it4 ,in haste1 but with entire respect and deepest affection1 ,i subscribe myself ,c4 ,lamb4 ,to this letter ,miss ,kelly replied3 ,henrietta ,street1 ,july #bj1 #ahai4 ,an early and deeply rooted attachment has fixed my heart on one from whom no worldly prospect can well induce me to withdraw it1 but while ,i thus frankly and decidedly decline your proposal1 believe me1 ,i am not insensible to the high honour which the preference of such a mind as yours confers upon me--let me1 however1 hope that all thought upon this subject will end with this letter1 and that you will henceforth encourage no other sentiment towards me than esteem in my private character and a continuance of that approbation of my humble talents which you have already expressed so much and so often to my advantage and gratification4 ,believe me ,i feel proud to acknowledge myself ,your obliged friend1 ,f4 ,m4 ,kelly4 ,to ,c4 ,lamb1 ,esq4 ,,letters ,,of ,,introduction ,letters of introduction should not be given indiscriminately4 ,if the giver of the letter feels that something of benefit may come to both of the persons concerned1 then there is no doubt about the advisability of it4 ,but a letter of introduction should not be given to get rid of the person who asks for it4 ,it is not good form to ask for one4 ,if it is really necessary to have one and the friend to be requested knows that you need it1 he will probably give you the letter unsolicited4 ,a letter of introduction should not be sealed by the person giving it4 ,it is written in social form and placed in an unsealed envelope addressed to the person to whom the introduction is made4 ,if the letter is a friendly letter1 it is enclosed in an additional envelope by the person who requested the letter1 sealed1 and with his card on which appears his city address1 sent to the person addressed4 ,the person addressed1 upon the receipt of the letter1 calls within three days upon the person who is introduced4 ,it has been customary to deliver a business letter of introduction in person1 but on consideration1 it would seem that this is not the wisest course4 ,the letters of introduction most in demand are those to very busy men--men of affairs4 ,if one calls personally at the office of such a man1 the chance of seeing him on the occasion of presenting the letter is slight4 ,and1 as has often been proved in practice1 a telephone call to arrange an appointment seldom gets through4 ,the best plan seems to be to mail the letter with a short note explaining the circumstances under which it was written4 ,sometimes 7more often in business7 an introduction is made by a visiting card with ,introducing ,mr4 ,halliday written at the top4 ,this method may be used with a person with whom we are not well acquainted4 ,this introductory card is usually presented in person1 but what has been said concerning the letter applies here also4 ,matters of a personal or private nature should not appear in letters of introduction4 7,a7 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 ,june #h1 #aibb4 ,dear ,dick1 ,the bearer of this note1 ,mr4 ,donald ,ritchie of ,boston1 expects to be in your town for six months or so4 ,he is an old friend of mine--in fact1 ,i knew him at ,college--and ,i think you would like him4 ,he is going to ,black ,rock in the interest of the ,sedgwick ,cement ,company4 ,he knows nobody in ,black ,rock1 and anything you can do to make his stay pleasant1 ,i shall greatly appreciate4 ,cordially yours1 ,john ,hope4 7,b7 ,canajoharie1 ,new ,york1 ,june #h1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,evans1 ,this will introduce to you ,miss ,caroline ,wagner who is the daughter of one of my oldest friends4 ,she will be in ,new ,york this winter to continue her music studies4 ,she is a girl of charming personality and has many accomplishments4 ,i am sure you will enjoy her company4 ,she is a stranger in ,new ,york and any courtesy you may extend to her ,i shall be deeply grateful for4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,edna ,hamilton ,miller4 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans #ejj ,park ,avenue ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 7,c7 #h ,beacon ,street1 ,boston1 ,mass41 ,march #ag1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,brent1 ,the bearer1 ,william ,jones1 is a young acquaintance of mine who is going to live in ,cleveland4 ,if there is anything you can do without too much trouble to yourself in recommending a place to board1 or assisting him to a situation1 ,i shall be grateful4 ,he has good habits1 and if he gets a foothold ,i am sure he will make good4 ,yours sincerely1 ,robert ,t4 ,hill4 ,another letter1 already immortal as a literary gem1 is ,benjamin ,franklin's ,model of a ,letter of ,recommendation of a ,person ,you ,are ,unacquainted ,with3 ,sir1 ,the bearer of this1 who is going to ,america1 presses me to give him a letter of recommendation1 though ,i know nothing of him1 not even his name4 ,this may seem extraordinary1 but ,i assure you it is not uncommon here4 ,sometimes1 indeed1 one unknown person brings another equally unknown1 to recommend him2 and sometimes they recommend one another6 ,as to this gentleman1 ,i must refer you to himself for his character and merits1 with which he is certainly better acquainted than ,i can possibly be4 ,i recommend him1 however1 to those civilities1 which every stranger1 of whom one knows no harm1 has a right to2 and ,i request you will do him all the good offices1 and show him all the favor1 that1 on further acquaintance1 you shall find him to deserve4 ,i have the honor to be1 etc4 ,,letters ,,of ,,thanks ,for a wedding gift ,the letter of thanks for a wedding gift must be sent as soon as possible after the receipt of the gift4 ,the bride herself must write it4 ,when the wedding is hurried or when gifts arrive at the last moment1 the bride is not required to acknowledge them until after the honeymoon4 ,in all cases the gift is acknowledged both for herself and her husband-elect or husband4 7,a7 #hih ,east #ecrd ,street ,may #e1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,elliott1 ,the bouillon spoons are exquisite4 ,it was simply lovely of you to send us such a beautiful gift4 ,leonard wishes to express with me our deepest appreciation4 ,with all good wishes1 ,i am ,sincerely yours1 ,dorothy ,evans ,duncan4 7,b7 #hih ,east #ecrd ,street ,may #h1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,callender1 ,this is the first opportunity ,i have had to thank you for your wonderful gift4 ,but1 as you know1 our arrangements were changed at the last moment and many of our wedding gifts we did not have time to open before going away4 ,so we hope you will forgive us for the delay4 ,we are now back in town established in our new home and ,i want you to know how appropriate are those exquisite candlesticks4 ,mr4 ,duncan and ,i are both deeply grateful for your thought of us4 ,yours most sincerely1 ,dorothy ,evans ,duncan4 ,for a ,christmas gift #acd ,bolton ,place ,december #bh1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,alice1 ,your handsome ,christmas gift is something ,i have wanted for a long time1 but never could get for myself4 ,the bag and its beautiful fittings are much admired4 ,i send my warmest thanks for your thoughtfulness in selecting it4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,mary ,scott4 ,for a gift received by a girl from a man #djj ,ellsworth ,place ,april #ad1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,everett1 ,thank you for your good wishes and for your lovely gift in remembrance of my birthday4 ,it is a charming book and one which ,i am very anxious to read4 ,it was most kind of you to think of me4 ,sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,judson4 ,for a gift to a child #gih ,east #chth ,street1 ,december #ca1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,basset1 ,your wonderful ,christmas gift to ,barbara came this morning4 ,she is wholly captivated with her beautiful doll and ,i am sure would thank you for it if she could talk4 ,let me thank you for your kindness in remembering her4 ,cordially yours1 ,dorothy ,evans ,brewster4 ,for a gift to another #di ,maxwell ,avenue1 ,bayview1 ,long ,island1 ,july #ae1 #aibc4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,haines1 ,i appreciate very much the exquisite flowers which you so kindly sent to ,mrs4 ,evans4 ,she is rapidly improving and will soon be about again4 ,we send our warmest thanks4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,john ,evans4 ,for favor shown to another #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,november #be1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,howard1 ,you were very kind indeed in entertaining my cousin1 ,mrs4 ,douglas1 during her stay in your city4 ,i am exceedingly grateful and ,i hope to find some way of reciprocating4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,following are actual letters of thanks written by distinguished persons4 ,here is one#i from ,george ,meredith to ,lady ,granby1 acknowledging the receipt of a reproduction of a portrait by her of ,lady ,marjorie ,manners3 ,box ,hill1 ,dorking1 ,dec4 #bf1 #ahii4 ,dear ,lady ,granby3 ,it is a noble gift1 and bears the charms to make it a constant pleasure with me4 ,i could have wished for the full face of your daughter1 giving eyes and the wild sweep of hair1 as of a rivule issuing from under low eaves of the woods--so ,i remember her4 ,you have doubtless other sketches of a maid predestined to be heroine4 ,i could take her for one4 ,all the women and children are heaven's own1 and human still1 and individual too4 ,behold me1 your most grateful ,george ,meredith4 #i ,from ,letters of ,george ,meredith4 ,copyright1 #aiab1 by ,chas4 ,scribner's ,sons4 ,by permission of the publishers4 ,from ,lord ,alfred ,tennyson to ,walt ,whitman3#aj ,farringford1 ,freshwater1 ,isle of ,wight1 ,jan'y #aeth1 #ahhg4 ,dear old man3 ,i the elder old man have received your ,article in the ,critic1 and send you in return my thanks and ,new ,year's greeting on the wings of this east-wind1 which1 ,i trust1 is blowing softlier and warmlier on your good gray head than here1 where it is rocking the elms and ilexes of my ,isle of ,wight garden4 ,yours always1 ,tennyson4 #aj ,this and the following four letters are from ,with ,walt ,whitman in ,camden1 by ,horace ,traubel4 ,copyright1 #aije1 #aijf1 #aiab1 #aiad1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,from ,ellen ,terry to ,walt ,whitman3 ,grand ,pacific ,hotel1 ,chicago1 ,january #dth1 '#hh4 ,honored ,sir--and ,dear ,poet3 ,i beg you to accept my appreciative thanks for your great kindness in sending me by ,mr4 ,stoker the little big book of poems--,as a ,strong ,bird1 etc41 etc4 ,since ,i am not personally known to you ,i conclude ,mr4 ,stoker asked for me--it was good of him--,i know he loves you very much4 ,god bless you1 dear sir--believe me to be with much respect ,yours affectionately1 ,ellen ,terry4 ,from ,moncure ,conway to ,walt ,whitman3 ,hardwicke ,cottage1 ,wimbledon ,common1 ,london1 ,s4 ,w41 ,sept4 #aj1 '#fg4 ,my dear friend3 ,it gave me much pleasure to hear from you2 now ,i am quite full of gratitude for the photograph--a grand one--the present of all others desirable to me4 ,the copy suitable for an edition here should we be able to reach to that ,i have and shall keep carefully4 ,when it is achieved it will probably be the result and fruit of more reviewing and discussion4 ,i shall keep my eyes wide open2 and the volume with ,o',c4's introduction shall come out just as it is3 ,i am not sure but that it will in the end have to be done at our own expense--which ,i believe would be repaid4 ,it is the kind of book that if it can once get out here will sell4 ,the ,english groan for something better than the perpetual rechauffe of their literature4 ,i have not been in ,london for some little time and have not yet had time to consult others about the matter4 ,i shall be able to write you more satisfactorily a little later4 ,i hear that you have written something in ,the ,galaxy4 ,pray tell ,o',connor ,i shall look to him to send me such things4 ,i can't take all ,american magazines2 but if you intend to write for ,the ,galaxy regularly ,i shall take that4 ,with much friendship for you and ,o',connor and his wife1 ,i am yours1 ,moncure ,conway4 ,from ,john ,addington ,symonds to ,walt ,whitman3 ,clifton ,hill ,house1 ,bristol1 ,july #ab1 #ahgg4 ,dear ,mr4 ,whitman3 ,i was away from ,england when your welcome volumes reached me1 and since my return 7during the last six weeks7 ,i have been very ill with an attack of hemorrhage from the lung--brought on while ,i was riding a pulling horse at a time when ,i was weak from cold4 ,this must account for my delay in writing to thank you for them and to express the great pleasure which your inscription in two of the volumes has given me4 ,i intend to put into my envelope a letter to you with some verses from one of your great admirers in ,england4 ,it is my nephew--the second son of my sister4 ,i gave him a copy of ,leaves of ,grass in #ahgd1 and he knows a great portion of it now by heart4 ,though still so young1 he has developed a considerable faculty for writing and is an enthusiastic student of literature as well as a frank vigorous lively young fellow4 ,i thought you might like to see how some of the youth of ,england is being drawn towards you4 ,believe me always sincerely and affectionately yours4 ,j4 ,a4 ,symonds4 ,from ,edward ,everett ,hale to ,dr4 ,lyman ,abbott3#aa ,jan4 #bi1 #aijj1 ,roxbury1 ,monday morning4 ,dear ,dr4 ,abbott3 ,i shall stay at home this morning--so ,i shall not see you4 ,all the same ,i want to thank you again for the four sermons3 and to say that ,i am sure they will work lasting good for the congregation4 ,more than this4 ,i think you ought to think that such an opportunity to go from church to church and city to city--gives you a certain opportunity and honour--which even in ,plymouth ,pulpit a man does not have--and to congregations such a turning over the new leaf means a great deal4 ,did you ever deliver the ,lectures on ,preaching at ,new ,haven8 ,with ,love always1 ,always yours1 ,e4 ,e4 ,hale4 #aa ,from ,silhouettes of ,my ,contemporaries1 by ,lyman ,abbott4 ,copyright1 #aiba1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,from ,friedrich ,nietzsche to ,karl ,fuchs3#ab ,sils-,maria1 ,oberengadine1 ,switzerland1 ,june #cj1 #ahhh4 ,my dear ,friend3 ,how strange6 ,how strange6 ,as soon as ,i was able to transfer myself to a cooler clime 7for in ,turin the thermometer stood at #ca day after day7 ,i intended to write you a nice letter of thanks4 ,a pious intention1 wasn't it8 ,but who could have guessed that ,i was not only going back to a cooler clime1 but into the most ghastly weather1 weather that threatened to shatter my health6 ,winter and summer in senseless alternation2 twenty-six avalanches in the thaw2 and now we have just had eight days of rain with the sky almost always grey--this is enough to account for my profound nervous exhaustion1 together with the return of my old ailments4 ,i don't think ,i can ever remember having had worse weather1 and this in my ,sils-,maria1 whither ,i always fly in order to escape bad weather4 ,is it to be wondered at that even the parson here is acquiring the habit of swearing8 ,from time to time in conversation his speech halts1 and then he always swallows a curse4 ,a few days ago1 just as he was coming out of the snow-covered church1 he thrashed his dog and exclaimed3 ,the confounded cur spoiled the whole of my sermon6444 ,yours in gratitude and devotion1 ,nietzsche4 #ab ,from ,selected ,letters of ,friedrich ,nietzsche1 edited by ,oscar ,levy4 ,copyright1 #aiba1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,in making a donation of ,l#ajj1jjj for branch libraries in the city of ,glasgow1 this is the letter#ac that ,andrew ,carnegie sent to the ,lord ,provost of the city council3 ,my dear ,lord ,provost3 ,it will give me pleasure to provide the needed ,l#ajj1jjj for ,branch ,libraries1 which are sure to prove of great advantage to the masses of the people4 ,it is just fifty years since my parents with their little boys sailed from ,broomielaw for ,new ,york in the barque ,wiscassett1 #ijj tons1 and it is delightful to be permitted to commemorate the event upon my visit to you4 ,glasgow has done so much in municipal affairs to educate other cities1 and to help herself1 that it is a privilege to help her4 ,let ,glasgow flourish6 ,so say all of us ,scotsmen throughout the ,world4 ,always yours1 ,andrew ,carnegie4 #ac ,from ,andrew ,carnegie1 the ,man and ,his ,work1 by ,bernard ,alderson4 ,copyright1 #aijb1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,,letters ,,between ,,friends ,dear ,grace1 ,your 'phone call surely caught me napping2 but after an hour or so of effort ,i did recall just how ,sato mixed the shrimps and carrots in the dish which you so much enjoyed4 ,first1 catch your shrimp6 ,when they have been cleaned and prepared as for a salad1 place on ice and in ice1 if possible4 ,grate the carrots on the coarse side of the grater1 placing immediately on the salad plates1 which of course have already been garnished with lettuce leaves4 ,then add just a fine sprinkling of chopped apples 7,i find this the best substitute for alligator pears7 and then the shrimps4 ,pour over this the mayonnaise and serve at once4 ,i do not know what he called it and could not spell it if ,i did1 but you are at liberty to call it anything you like4 ,at all events1 ,i am sure the crowd will agree it is a little different1 and ,i am glad to have been able to give the idea4 ,cordially yours1 ,ruth ,wilson4 ,july #ad1 #aiba ,my dear ,mrs4 ,sampson1 ,i am so glad to know that you have completely recovered from your recent illness4 ,i trust you will soon be able to resume your wonted activities4 ,we all have missed you--at bridge and tennis particularly4 ,sincerely yours1 ,mary ,e4 ,wells4 ,july #ah1 #aibc ,my dear ,mr4 ,baines1 ,i have just heard of your success in getting your book published4 ,i have always had a great admiration for you and your work1 and ,i am sending this little note to assure you of my regard1 and to wish you still further successes4 ,yours very sincerely1 ,madeleine ,strickland4 ,march #aj1 #aibc ,my dear ,miss ,gwynne1 ,i am very sorry that ,i was out when you called4 ,i hope you will come again soon for ,i do so much want to see you4 ,sincerely yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,february #af1 #aibc ,it may be of passing interest to read a letter or two from distinguished persons to their boyhood friends4 ,here is one#ad from the late ,john ,burroughs3 ,esopus1 ,n4 ,y41 ,june #a1 #ahhc4 ,dear ,tom ,brown3 ,i have been a-fishing or ,i should have answered your letter before4 ,i always go a-fishing about this time of year1 after speckled trout1 and ,i always catch some1 too4 ,but dog-fighting ,i have nothing to do with1 unless it be to help some little dog whip some saucy big cur4 ,game birds are all right in their season1 but ,i seldom hunt them4 ,yet this is about the best way to study them4 ,you want to know how ,i felt as a boy4 ,very much as ,i do now1 only more so4 ,i loved fishing1 and tramping1 and swimming more than ,i do these late years4 ,but ,i had not so tender a heart4 ,i was not so merciful to the birds and animals as ,i am now4 ,much of what ,i have put in my books was gathered while a boy on the farm4 ,i am interested in what you tell me of your ,band of ,mercy1 and should like much to see you all1 and all the autographs in that pink covered book4 ,well1 youth is the time to cultivate habits of mercy1 and all other good habits4 ,the bees will soon be storing their clover honey1 and ,i trust you boys and girls are laying away that which will by and by prove choicest possessions4 ,sincerely your friend1 ,john ,burroughs4 #ad ,from ,john ,burroughs1 ,boy and ,man1 by ,dr4 ,clara ,barrus4 ,copyright1 #aibj1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,the following letter#ae was written when ,j4 ,j4 ,hill--perhaps the greatest railroading genius ,america has ever produced--was twenty years of age4 ,it is one of the few letters written by him at this time of his life that have been preserved3 ,saint ,paul1 ,february #aa1 #aheh4 ,dear ,william3 ,your epistle bearing date of seventeenth ult4 came to hand on good time and your fertile imagination can scarcely conceive what an amount of pleasure ,i derived from it1 as it was the first epistle of ,william to ,james at ,st4 ,paul for a long back4 ,my surprise at receiving your letter was only surpassed by my surprise at not receiving one from you after you left ,st4 ,paul1 or sometime during the ensuing season4 ,still1 a good thing is never too late or done too often4 ,it gave me much pleasure to hear that you were all well and enjoying yourselves in the good and pious 7as ,i learn7 little town of ,rockwood4 ,i did intend to go to ,canada this winter1 but it is such a long winter trip ,i thought ,i should defer it until summer1 when ,i hope to be able to get away1 as ,i intend to go on the river this summer if all goes as well as ,i expect4 ,capt4 ,w4 ,f4 ,davidson wrote me from ,cincinnati about going with him as first clerk on the side-wheel packet ,frank ,steele1 a new boat about the size of the ,war ,eagle4 ,the ,captain is ,letter ,a1 ,no4 #a1 and ,i think ,i shall go with him4 ,if not1 ,i have two or three good offers for coming season on the levee1 besides my present berth1 which is nevertheless very comfortable4 ,i think it mighty strange that some 7of my letters7 have not reached home as ,i wrote several times to my brother ,alex4 and ,i never was more surprised in my life than when old ,bass handed me a letter of inquiry as to my whereabouts4 ,but after the boats stop running our mails are carried so irregularly that whole bags of mail matter are often mislaid at way stations for weeks and some finally lost or otherwise destroyed4 ,on the tenth of ,november last ,i was returning from the ,winslow ,house with ,charley ,coffin1 ,clerk of the ,war ,eagle1 about eleven o'clock1 and when we were coming down ,fourth ,street passing one of those rum holes1 two ,irishmen1 red mouths1 came out and1 following us1 asked us if we would not go back and take a drink4 ,charley said no1 and we were passing on when two more met us who1 along with the other two1 insisted that they meant no harm and that we should go in and drink4 ,i told them that ,i did not drink and that1 generally speaking1 ,i knew what ,i was about4 ,we attempted to go on1 but they tried to have us go back1 so ,i hauled off and planted one1 two in ,paddie's grub grinder1 and knocked him off the sidewalk about eight feet4 ,the remainder pitched in and ,charley got his arm cut open and ,i got a button hole cut through my left side right below the ribs4 ,the city police came to the noise and arrested three of them on the spot and the other next day and they turned out to be ,chicago ,star ,cleaners1 a name given to midnight ruffians4 ,i was not compelled to keep my bed1 but it was some two months before ,i was quite recovered from the effects of the cut4 ,one day on the levee ,i was going aboard one of the boats and slipped on the gang plank and sprained my knee1 which laid me up for about two weeks4 ,about a week ago my pugnacious friend who gave me his mark escaped from the penitentiary at ,stillwater1 along with all the rest of the prisoners confined at the time4 ,i am sincerely very grateful to you for your generous offer in your letter and fully appreciate your kindness4 ,but notwithstanding my bad luck ,i have still a shot in the locker1 about #bjj1 which will put me out of any trouble until spring4 ,our winter here has been very mild and open4 ,we have scarcely had any snow1 but what was altogether unprecedented1 rain storms lasting three or four days in succession4 ,times have been mighty dull here this winter and money scarce4 ,write to me as soon as you receive this and give me a bird's eye view of ,rockwood and its inhabitants4 ,believe me ,yours sincerely1 ,j4 ,j4 ,hill4 ,send me some papers4 #ae ,from ,the ,life of ,james ,j4 ,hill1 by ,joseph ,gilpin ,pyle4 ,copyright1 #aiaf1 #aiag1 by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,personal ,,business ,,letters ,one does not have to be in business in order to write business letters4 ,a thousand personal affairs crop up which require letters of a commercial rather than a social nature4 ,there is only one rule--say what you have to say clearly and quickly4 ,although the letter should be written on the ordinary social stationery and follow the placing and spacing of the social letter1 no time should be wasted in trying to make the letter appear friendly and chatty4 ,the clerks in business houses who usually attend to the mail seem to be picked for their obtuseness1 and do not often understand a letter which is phrased in other than commonplace terms4 ,once ,i overheard a conversation between an ,italian shoemaker and a ,boston woman over the repairing of a pair of shoes4 ,the woman wanted the soles fastened on with nails4 ,the only word she knew for that operation was tapped4 ,the only word the shoemaker knew was nailed4 ,they were absolutely at a deadlock until the shoemaker1 knowing that the woman did not want the soles sewed on1 proceeded to demonstrate with hammer and nail just what he meant by nailed4 ,it is well to remember that motion pictures do not accompany letters and hence to take for granted that if a way exists for getting what you mean wrong that way will be found4 ,it is unfortunately safe to take for granted that a personal business letter is going to be read by a moron4 ,ordering goods from a department store #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,april #c1 #aibb4 ,l4 ,burton ,company1 ,fifth ,ave4 #cith ,st41 ,new ,york ,gentlemen3 ,please send me as soon as possible and charge to my account the following goods3 #a doz4 hemstitched huck towels1 large size1 from #ab4jj to #ae4jj a dozen #b pairs infants' laced shoes1 sizes #d ,d and #d-a_/b ,d4 ,one pair to be returned as ,i am not certain of the correct size4 #c pairs children's rompers1 size #b years1 band knee1 #a all white1 #a white with blue collar1 #a white with pink collar4 ,very truly yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans 7,mrs4 ,john ,evans7 ,to correct an error #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,april #c1 #aibb4 ,caldwell ,sons ,co41 #hida ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,gentlemen3 ,may ,i call your attention to my account rendered on ,april #ast8 ,there would seem to be two errors1 as follows3 ,under date of ,march #ahth ,i am charged with four pairs of silk stockings at #c4ej a pair1 although ,i purchased only three pairs4 ,on ,march #bbnd ,i am credited with one pair of children's shoes at #e4jj4 ,i had two pairs sent on approval1 but returned both of them as neither pair fitted4 ,i enclose my check in the sum of #adh4if which is the total less the overcharge4 ,to assist in the adjustment ,i also enclose the original slip for the stockings and the driver's call receipt for the two pairs of shoes4#af ,very truly yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 7,mrs4 ,john ,evans7 #af ,or instead of enclosing these slips it is often better to mention the numbers that appear on them and to retain the slips themselves4 ,letter to department store requesting charge account #ajah ,south ,elm ,street1 ,chicago1 ,ill41 ,may #c1 #aibb4 ,marshall ,field ,co41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,gentlemen3 ,i have recently come to live in ,chicago and ,i should like to open a charge account with you4 ,my present accounts are all in ,new ,york and ,i can give you the following references3 ,lord ,taylor ,tiffany ,co4 ,abercrombie ,fitch ,co4 ,j4 ,j4 ,slater ,lincoln ,trust ,co4 ,very truly yours1 ,alberta ,t4 ,white4 7,mrs4 ,james ,white7 ,asking for estimate for draperies and furnishings #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,may #af1 #aibb4 ,forsythe ,white1 #dch ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,gentlemen3 ,will you send me an approximate estimate of the cost of materials and labor necessary for the doing of the following work3 ,slip covers with valances of ,english hand-blocked linen for two large wing chairs and one chaise-longue4 ,two reversible portieres of the linen for doorways #aa feet high and #h feet wide4 ,three pairs curtains for casement windows #f feet high and #e feet wide1 with pleated valance4 ,these curtains to be of habutai silk4 ,of course ,i shall understand that this is purely an approximate estimate4 ,i should like to have this as soon as you can conveniently send it4 ,very truly yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 7,mrs4 ,john ,evans7 ,declining to have work done as estimated #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,may #bc1 #aibb4 ,forsythe ,white1 #dch ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,gentlemen3 ,thank you for your letter of #aith ,may in answer to mine of the #afth1 requesting an estimate for slip covers and curtains4 ,your estimate calls for more outlay than ,i should care to make at the present time1 so ,i shall have to postpone the matter until next year4 ,very truly yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 7,mrs4 ,john ,evans7 ,recommendation for a servant ,june #ad1 #aibb4 ,this is to certify that ,katrina ,hellman has been in my employ as assistant nurse for one year4 ,during that period ,i have found her honest1 capable1 and reliable4 ,i can give her an unqualified recommendation4 ,k4 ,g4 ,evans4 7,mrs4 ,john ,evans7 ,for information concerning a servant #ecjj ,deming ,place ,chicago1 ,ill41 ,may #i1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans1 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,new ,york4 ,dear ,madam3 ,i hope you will pardon me1 but ,i should be very much indebted to you for any facts concerning ,gaston ,duval1 who has been in your employ as chauffeur4 ,if you will give me this information ,i shall treat it as confidential4 ,yours very truly1 ,cecelia ,b4 ,duke4 7,mrs4 ,samuel ,duke7 ,answers to request for information concerning a servant #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city1 ,may #ac1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,samuel ,duke1 #ecjj ,deming ,place1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,dear ,madam3 ,i have your inquiry of ,may the ninth concerning my former chauffeur1 ,gaston ,duval4 ,i am very glad to recommend him4 ,he is sober and honest1 and ,i always found him thoroughly dependable during his fifteen months in my employ4 ,he drives well and is an expert mechanician4 ,yours very truly1 ,k4 ,g4 ,evans1 7,mrs4 ,john ,evans7 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 ,may #ac1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,samuel ,duke1 #ecjj ,deming ,place1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,dear ,madam3 ,i have your inquiry of ,may the ninth concerning my former chauffeur1 ,gaston ,duval4 ,i hope that you will not think me discourteous but ,i should much prefer not to discuss him4 ,yours very truly1 ,k4 ,g4 ,evans4 7,mrs4 ,john ,evans7 7,in letters which in effect decline to give a recommendation it is wiser not to set out facts or even actually to decline to give the recommendation4 ,see ,chapter ,,xi on the ,law of ,letters4 ,the following letter to a servant1 which is an indirect way of declining to recommend1 is on the danger line47 ,to a servant ,harbor ,view1 ,long ,island1 ,august #bi1 #aiba4 ,my dear ,margaret1 ,mrs4 ,hubert ,forbes has written me concerning your qualifications as cook1 and asks if ,i would recommend you in every way4 ,also ,i have your request to me for a reference4 ,with regard to your skill in cooking there can be no question4 ,i can recommend you as having served me for two years and ,i can vouch for your honesty4 ,but1 as you know1 you are not to be depended on--for instance1 to return promptly after your days off or to do any work at all during your frequent disputes with the butler4 ,this ,i have told ,mrs4 ,forbes4 ,i could not conscientiously do otherwise2 but ,i have asked that she try you in the hope that you have decided to remedy these faults4 ,very truly yours1 ,f4 ,b4 ,scott4 7,mrs4 ,harrison ,scott7 ,harbor ,view1 ,l4 ,i41 ,august #bi1 #aiba4 ,mrs4 ,hubert ,forbes1 ,bayshore1 ,l4 ,i4 ,my dear ,mrs4 ,forbes3 ,i have your letter of ,august twenty-fifth concerning my former cook1 ,margaret ,dickson4 ,she is an extremely good cook4 ,she was with me for two years1 and ,i can vouch for her honesty1 but she is not to be depended on--for instance1 to return promptly after her days off or to do any work during her frequent quarrels with the butler4 ,but she seems anxious to improve1 and if you would care to give her a trial1 ,i think she might be satisfactory in new surroundings4 ,i hope this reply will answer your questions4 ,very truly yours1 ,flora ,b4 ,scott4 ,letter to a former servant ,dear ,delia1 ,if you will not be too busy next week1 will you come out and take care of the children for three or four days8 ,mr4 ,stone and ,i expect to be away4 ,i am sure your husband can spare you4 ,you will be surprised at the way ,jack is growing4 ,he often speaks of you4 ,let me know immediately4 ,cordially yours1 ,b4 ,l4 ,stone4 7,note the signature--the use of initials instead of writing the full name47 ,inquiry concerning house for rental #dh ,cottage ,road1 ,somerville1 ,mass41 ,april #h1 #aiba4 ,schuyler ,realty ,company1 #di ,fulton ,street1 ,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y4 ,gentlemen3 ,will you be good enough to send me the following information concerning the house at #bh ,bedford ,park which you have advertised for rental3 ,location of the house with regard to subway and ,l station1 and the nearest public school4 ,general character of the immediate neighborhood4 ,distance to the nearest ,methodist ,episcopal ,church4 ,condition and kind of plumbing in each of the three bathrooms4 ,make of furnace and the amount of coal necessary to heat the house4 ,is the house completely screened8 ,are there awnings8 ,the floors--of what wood and in what condition are they8 ,is the cellar dry8 ,where is the laundry8 ,when can the house be ready for occupancy8 ,i should like to have the facts as soon as you can furnish them4 ,very truly yours1 ,george ,m4 ,hall4 ,inquiry concerning house for purchase #cde ,amsterdam ,avenue1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa41 ,may #aj1 #aiba4 ,wheaton ,manor ,development ,co41 ,dobbs ,ferry1 ,new ,york4 ,gentlemen3 ,will you let me know without delay1 if possible1 if you have any property in your immediate neighborhood fulfilling the following requirements3 ,house--,twelve rooms1 four bathrooms1 and sun porch4 ,a modern house of stucco and half-timber construction preferred4 ,ground--about five acres1 part woodland1 part cleared2 lawn1 vegetable1 and flower garden4 ,distance from railroad station--not more than fifteen minutes' ride4 ,i do not want to pay more than #be1jjj4 ,i shall be here until the twentieth of the month4 ,after that a reply will reach me at the ,hotel ,pennsylvania1 ,new ,york4 ,very truly yours1 ,jerome ,hutchinson4 ,inquiry concerning a child at school3 #ahdb ,riverside ,drive1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 ,february #aj1 #aibb4 ,my dear ,professor ,ritchie1 ,my son ,john's report for the term just closed is far from satisfactory4 ,while ,i do not expect perfection from him1 ,i think--in fact1 ,i know--he is capable of better work than is shown by his present rating4 ,i observe that he did not pass in mathematics1 a subject in which he was always first in the elementary school4 ,my first thought was that possibly he was not physically well1 but his activity in athletics would seem to refute this4 ,this leads me to another thought--perhaps he is giving too much time and interest to athletics4 ,what is your opinion and what course would you recommend8 ,would it be possible by coaching to have him make up the required averages8 ,as ,i am leaving ,new ,york in two weeks for an extended trip1 ,i would like to take some steps toward improving his scholarship status4 ,will you let me hear from you as soon as possible8 ,very truly yours1 ,john ,crandall4 ,letter ordering ,easter gifts from a magazine shopping service ,quogue1 ,long ,island1 ,march #bg1 #aibb4 ,standard ,shopping ,service1 #ajj ,west #chth ,street1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,gentlemen3 ,i enclose my check for #be4jj for which please send by express the following articles to ,miss ,dorothea ,allen ,sunrise ,lodge ,highland1 ,pa4 ,two sterling silver candlesticks in ,colonial pattern at #ab4ej each1 on ,page #agh1 ,march issue4 ,or if you cannot secure them1 will you purchase as second choice ,two jars in ,kashan ware1 with blue as the predominating color8 ,very truly yours1 ,laura ,waite4 7,mrs4 ,herbert ,waite7 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,business ,,letter ,a reporter was sent out on a big story--one of the biggest that had broken in many a day4 ,he came back into the office about eight o'clock all afire with his story4 ,he was going to make a reputation on the writing of it4 ,he wanted to start off with a smashing first paragraph--the kind of lead that could not help being read4 ,he knew just what he was going to say2 the first half-dozen lines fairly wrote themselves on the typewriter4 ,then he read them over4 ,they did not seem quite so clever and compelling as he had thought4 ,he pulled the sheet out and started another4 ,by half-past ten he was in the midst of a sea of copy paper--but he had not yet attained a first paragraph4 ,the ,city ,editor--one of the famous old ,sun school--grew anxious4 ,the paper could not wait until inspiration had matured4 ,he walked quietly over to the young man and touching him on the shoulder he said3 ,just one little word after another1 son4 ,and that is a good thought to carry into the composition of a business or any other kind of letter4 ,the letter is written to convey some sort of idea4 ,it will not perfectly convey the idea4 ,words have their limitations4 ,it will not invariably produce upon the reader the effect that the writer desires4 ,you may have heard of irresistible letters--sales letters that would sell electric fans to ,esquimaux or ice skates to ,hawaiians1 collection letters that make the thickest skinned debtor remit by return mail1 and other kinds of resultful1 masterful letters that pierce to the very soul4 ,there may be such letters4 ,i doubt it4 ,and certainly it is not worth while trying to concoct them4 ,they are the outpourings of genius4 ,the average letter writer1 trying to be a genius1 deludes only himself--he just becomes queer1 he takes to unusual words1 constructions1 and arrangements4 ,he puts style before thought--he thinks that the way he writes is more important than what he writes4 ,the writer of the business letter does well to avoid cleverness--to avoid it as a frightful and devastating disease4 ,the purpose of a business letter is to convey a thought that will lead to some kind of action--immediately or remotely4 ,therefore there are only two rules of importance in the composition of the business letter4 ,the first is3 ,know what you want to say4 ,the second is3 ,say it4 ,and the saying is not a complicated affair--it is a matter of one little word after another4 ,business letters may be divided into two general classes3 7#a7 ,where it is assumed that the recipient will want to read the letter1 7#b7 ,where it is assumed that the recipient will not want to read the letter4 ,the first class comprises the ordinary run of business correspondence4 ,if ,i write to ,john ,smith asking him for the price of a certain kind of chair1 ,smith can assume in his reply that ,i really want that information and hence he will give it to me courteously and concisely with whatever comment on the side may seem necessary1 as1 for instance1 the fact that this particular type of chair is not one that ,smith would care to recommend and that ,style ,x1 costing #ab4jj1 would be better4 ,the ordinary business letter is either too wordy or too curt2 it either loses the subject in a mass of words or loses the reader by offensive abruptness4 ,some letters gush upon the most ordinary of subjects2 they are interspersed with friendly ejaculations such as ,now1 my dear ,mr4 ,jones1 and give the impression that if one ever got face to face with the writer he would effervesce all over one's necktie4 ,many a man takes a page to say what ought to be said in four lines4 ,on the other hand1 there are letter writers so uncouth in the handling of words that they seem rude when really they only want to be brief4 ,the only cure for a writer of this sort is for him to spend some months with any good ,english composition book trying to learn the language4 ,the second class of letters--those in which it is presumed that the recipient will not want to read--comprises all the circular letters4 ,these are selling or announcement letters and it is hoped that they will play the part of a personal representative4 ,the great bulk of these letters are sales letters4 ,their characteristic is that the writer and the reader are unknown to each other4 ,it is not quite accurate to say that the reader will never want to read the letters--no one knows how many of the millions of circular letters sent out are read4 ,a farmer will read practically every letter that comes to him2 many business men will throw every circular letter into the waste basket unread4 ,it is well to assume in this kind of letter1 however1 that the recipient does not want to read it but that he will open and glance at it4 ,it is up to you to make such a good letter that the first glance will cause him to read more4 ,there is no way of catching the man who throws letters away unopened2 any attempt to have the envelope tell what the letter should tell is apt to be unfortunate1 because it will have no effect upon the inveterate tosser away and may deter even some of those who commonly do open circular mail4 ,the best method is to make the letter look so much like a routine business letter that no one will dare to throw it away without investigation4 ,the cost of a sales letter is not to be reckoned otherwise than by results4 ,the merit of a sales letter is to be judged solely by the results4 ,therefore it is not a question of what kind of letter one thinks ought to produce results4 ,the single question is what kind of letter does produce results4 ,there is only one way to ascertain results1 and that is by test4 ,no considerable expenditure in direct mail solicitation and no form letter should be extensively used without an elaborate series of tests4 ,otherwise the money may be thrown away4 ,the extent of the tests will depend upon the contemplated expenditure4 ,every concern that sends out many sales letters keeps a careful record of results4 ,these records show the letter itself1 the kind of envelope1 the typing1 the signature1 and the kind of list to which it has been sent4 ,thus a considerable fund of information is obtained for future use4 ,this information1 however1 has to be very carefully handled because it may easily become misinformation1 for we cannot forget the appeal of the product itself4 ,no one as yet has ever been able to gauge in advance the appeal of a product4 ,some apparently very bad letters have sold very good products4 ,some apparently very good letters have quite failed to sell what turned out to be bad products4 ,therefore1 the information that is obtained in the circularizing and sale of one product has to be taken warily when applied to another product4 ,it should be taken only for what it is worth1 and that is as a general guide4 ,illustration3 ,specimens of business letterheads ,several concerns with a mind for statistical information have in the past so carefully compiled the effectiveness of their letters1 but without regard to the product1 that they have discovered an inordinately large number of things that cannot be done and extremely few things that can be done4 ,this is the danger of placing too much faith in previous experience4 ,one of these companies entirely discarded its records of what could not be done and started afresh4 ,they found that several of the methods which they had previously used and discarded happened to do well under changed conditions and with different products4 ,if any large expenditure be contemplated then many tests should be made4 ,the kind of envelope1 the manner of addressing1 the one cent as opposed to the two-cent stamp1 the kind of letterhead1 the comparative merits of printing1 multigraphing1 or electric typewriting1 the length and composition of the letter1 the effect of the return card1 the effect of enclosing a stamped return card or a stamped return envelope1 the method of signing1 and so on1 through each detail1 must be tried out4 ,no test is ever conclusive1 but very little information of value is to be obtained by circularizing less than five hundred names4 ,these names may be taken sectionally or at random4 ,the sectional method is somewhat better1 for then comparison of results in several sections may be made1 and it may turn out that it would be well to phrase differently letters for different sections4 ,the returns on the letters are not of themselves conclusive4 ,if one section responds and another does not1 it is well to look into business conditions in the sections4 ,it may be that in one section the people are working and that in another there is considerable unemployment4 ,the main point about all of these statistics is to be sure that what one terms results are results1 bearing in mind that it is the test and not what one thinks about a letter that counts4 ,it is distinctly harmful for any one to say that a letter should be long or short4 ,it all depends on who is going to get the letter4 ,the tendency in recent years has been toward the very long sales letter4 ,this is because in a large number of cases the long letter has been singularly effective4 ,however1 the long letter can be overdone4 ,it is the test that counts4 ,the exact purpose for which a letter is written is to be stated clearly before entering upon the composition4 ,very few letters will sell articles costing as much as fifty dollars unless perhaps the payments are on the installment plan4 ,many men of experience put the limit as low as five dollars4 ,others put it as high as one hundred dollars4 ,it is safe to say that the effectiveness of a letter which is designed to achieve a sale decreases as the price of that which is offered for sale increases4 ,therefore1 most of the letters written concerning more expensive articles are not intended to effect sales4 ,they are designed to bring responses that will furnish leads for salesmen4 ,other letters are more in the nature of announcements1 by which it is hoped prospects may be brought into a store4 ,where the article offered for sale is quite high in price1 the letters sometimes may be very expensively prepared4 ,on one occasion the late ,john ,h4 ,patterson1 discovering that his salesmen could not get to the heads of several department stores1 ordered some very fine leather portfolios4 ,on each portfolio he had stamped the name of the man who was to receive it4 ,they were gifts such as any one would welcome and which no one could possibly ignore4 ,inside each portfolio were contained a letter and a number of photographs showing exactly what he desired to have the agents demonstrate4 ,each gift cost about fifty dollars4 ,he sent the portfolios with his compliments4 ,the secretaries of the men that he wanted to interest could not possibly toss them away4 ,they simply had to give them to their principals4 ,my impression is that the entire expenditure ran to several thousand dollars1 but as a result some two hundred thousand dollars in sales were effected1 for in practically every case the photographs awakened an interest that led to an appointment with the salesman4 ,the following letters are intended to be suggestive4 ,they cannot honestly be put forward as being more than that4 ,they are all letters that have gained results under certain circumstances4 ,that they will gain results under new and different circumstances is a matter on which no one can speak with any assurance4 ,every sales letter is a matter of cut and try4 ,some of these letters may produce results exactly as they stand4 ,others may better be used in combination4 ,illustration3 ,arrangement of a business letter 7block form7 ,illustration3 ,arrangement of a business letter 7indented form7 ,whether the letter should have a return card or envelope depends upon circumstances1 as also does the inclusion of an illustrated folder4 ,the return card is more valuable with a letter that goes to a home than with a letter that goes to an office4 ,very few men with stenographers will bother with return cards--their stenographers or secretaries will send a note4 ,on the other hand1 letter-writing facilities are not so easily available in the usual home and the card is likely to be used4 ,the putting in of a folder sometimes takes away from the force of the letter4 ,it is often better to reserve the folder for a second letter or for answering an inquiry4 ,for once the prospect has written in for more information the whole purpose of the letter changes4 ,the interest can be presumed1 and the object of the letter is to give the greatest possible amount of clear information to the end of causing action4 ,saying too much in the first letter may give the reader an opportunity to reach a conclusion1 when the purpose of the first letter is primarily to get a name--a prospective purchaser4 ,many a salesman kills a sale by talking too much2 so does many a sales letter4 ,,sales ,,and ,,announcement ,,letters ,to charge customers selling and announcement letters are sent out before the public advertising4 7,they can also be used as general announcements by eliminating the portions referring particularly to the charge accounts47 ,announcing a sale ,,brice ,,haskell ,,south ,,michigan ,,avenue ,,chicago ,july #ca1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,as one of our regular patrons1 we are telling you in advance of a coming big sale--,the ,august ,furniture ,sale1 which will begin ,monday1 ,august #gth4 ,we should like our charge customers to have first choice of the interesting values before they are announced to the public4 ,therefore we shall have three ,courtesy ,days1 ,thursday1 ,friday1 and ,saturday of this week1 when you may come in and make your selections at the ,sale ,prices4 ,our guide in choosing furniture is our clientele1 so we feel sure you will find the type of furniture here that pleases you--and in greater variety than usual because we complete our collection for this event4 ,prices this year are very attractive4 ,they have been reduced far lower than you will anticipate4 ,we should like you to have the advantage in these values soon1 and hope you will come in one of the three ,courtesy ,days4 ,very truly yours1 ,brice ,haskell4 ,following are letters of slightly different type3 ,s4 ,,black ,,company #bh ,,washington ,,street ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,april #bf1 #aibj4 ,mrs4 ,arthur ,moore1 #acag ,hillside ,avenue1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,dear ,madam3 ,our ,spring ,sale of ,misses' ,suits1 ,coats1 ,dresses1 and ,hats will begin ,monday1 ,april #cjth1 continuing throughout the week4 ,this sale presents an unusual opportunity to secure seasonable apparel at decided price concessions4 ,,misses' ,,suits3 ,smartly tailored suits of ,english navy serge1 navy gabardine1 tan covert cloth1 imported mixtures1 homespuns1 and light-weight knit cloths--adapted for town or country usage4 ,a splendid selection of all sizes from #ad to #ah years4 ,,misses' ,,coats3 ,coats for motor1 country club1 or town wear1 in soft velours1 burella cloth1 and imported coatings4 ,,misses' ,,dresses3 ,dresses of imported serges and gabardines1 for street wear1 and a number of exclusive knit cloth models in attractive colorings for sports wear--sizes #ad to #ah years4 ,,misses' ,,hats3 ,the balance of our stock of ,trimmed ,hats at one half their former prices4 ,on account of the greatly reduced prices1 none of these goods will be sent on approval1 nor can they be returned for credit4 ,very truly yours1 ,s4 ,black ,company4 ,note3 ,to our charge customers is extended the privilege of making their selections on ,friday and ,saturday1 ,april #bgth and #bhth4 ,,swanson ,,sons ,,company #bi ,,superior ,,avenue ,,cleveland1 ,,ohio ,january #af1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we enclose advance announcements of our ,private ,sales of ,boys' ,heatherweave ,clothes and ,ironhide ,shoes1 and we believe you will find the economies presented a great relief after your large ,christmas outlays4 ,of course1 such reductions mean that the assortments will quickly be depleted1 and we urge you to act promptly in order to secure the full benefit of the available selections4 ,to enable you to do this we are telling you before the public announcement of these sales4 ,yours very truly1 ,swanson ,sons ,company4 ,this letter encloses a proof of a newspaper advertisement4 ,,callender ,,crump #bijj ,,euclid ,,avenue ,,cleveland1 ,o4 ,september #aj1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,in appreciation of your patronage we wish to extend to you a personal invitation to attend a private sale of women's tailor-made fall suits 7sizes #cd to #df7 in some especially well-chosen models4 ,these suits will be priced at the very low figure of #dj4 ,our regular patrons may have first selection before the sale is open to the public1 and may thus avoid the discomforts of a public sale4 ,we have arranged to show these suits privately on ,friday1 ,october #c1 in the fitting department on the sixth floor4 ,if you care to avail yourself of this special opportunity1 please bring this letter with you and present it at the fitting department4 ,very truly yours1 ,callender ,crump4 7,note3--,an excellent idea when a special offering of foreign goods is made is to have the letters mailed from ,paris or ,london4 ,the foreign stamp will usually attract attention47 ,,callender ,,crump #bijj ,,euclid ,,avenue ,,cleveland1 ,o4 ,paris1 ,france1 ,september #a1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we wish to let you know in advance that our annual sale of ,real ,french ,kid gloves1 at #hi cents a pair1 takes place on ,tuesday1 ,october #i1 #aibb4 ,to insure a choice selection we suggest that you make your purchases early on that day4 ,very truly yours1 ,callender ,crump4 ,this is an excellent1 matter-of-fact letter that sets out values3 ,,le ,,fevre ,,brothers #bic ,,washington ,,blvd ,,detroit1 ,,mich4 ,may #aa1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,john ,williams1 #ai ,concourse ,ave41 ,detroit1 ,mich4 ,madam3 ,on ,monday and ,tuesday1 ,may #aeth and #afth1 we shall hold our ,,annual ,,spring ,,clearance ,,sale of seasonable apparel for ,,boys1 ,,girls1 and ,,young ,,ladies1 offering exceptional values1 and an unusual opportunity to secure regular ,le ,fevre productions at lower prices than we have been able to offer for several years4 ,this sale will include other items which are not enumerated in this announcement4 ,,boys' ,,wool ,,norfolk ,,suits3 ,sizes #g to #ae years4 ,formerly up to #ce4jj ,sale ,price #ad4ej1 #ah4ej1 and #bc4ej ,,boys' ,,overcoats3 ,sizes #c to #g years4 ,formerly up to #cb4ej ,sale ,price #ad4ej and #ah4ej ,,girls' ,,coats ,,and ,,capes3 ,sizes #c to #af years4 ,formerly up to #ee4jj ,sale ,price #ai4ej and #bi4ej ,,girls' ,,wool ,,dresses3 ,sizes #d to #ad years4 ,formerly up to #fe4jj ,sale ,price #ag4ej and #bg4ej ,,young ,,ladies' ,,suits3 ,sizes #ad to #ah years4 ,formerly up to #he4jj ,sale ,price #bd4ej and #ci4ej ,,young ,,ladies' ,,dresses3 ,sizes #ad to #ah years4 ,formerly up to #gj4jj ,sale ,price #bb4ej and #cg4ej ,,young ,,ladies' ,,coats ,,and ,,capes3 ,sizes #ad to #ah years4 ,formerly up to #ge4jj ,sale ,price #bi4ej and #db4ej ,,girls' ,,and ,,young ,,ladies' ,,trimmed ,,and ,,tailored ,,hats3 ,formerly up to #cj4jj ,sale ,price #g4ej and #ab4ej ,sale goods will not be sent on approval1 exchanged1 nor can they be returned for credit4 ,yours very truly1 ,le ,fevre ,brothers4 ,our charge customers will have the privilege of making their purchases from this sale on ,friday and ,saturday1 ,may #abth and #acth4 ,on opening a store ,this form for the opening of a new store in a town may be used with variations for a reopening after improvements4 ,,james ,,bonner ,,co4 ,,wichita1 ,,kan4 ,april #ad1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,henry ,jerome1 #bi ,water ,st41 ,wichita1 ,kan4 ,dear ,madam3 ,this is a sale to win friends for a new store4 ,we want you to see our values4 ,our store is but six weeks old4 ,our stock is just the same age4 ,everything that we have is fresh and new4 ,we want you to compare our qualities and prices4 ,we are out to prove to the women of ,wichita that we can give style and service at prices they will like4 ,will you give us the chance to get acquainted8 ,yours very truly1 ,james ,bonner ,co41 7,handwritten7 ,l4 ,jones1 ,manager4 ,selling home-made articles #ai ,waverly ,place1 ,bridgetown1 ,n4 ,j41 ,april #e1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,have you ever counted the cost of making your pickles1 jams1 and jellies at home8 ,if you have1 and are satisfied that yours is the cheapest way1 considering time1 labor1 and the use of the best materials1 then my product will not appeal to you4 ,but before you decide1 may ,i ask you to make a comparison8 ,i make at home in large quantities and according to the best recipes gathered over years of experience1 all kinds of pickles and relishes--sweet1 sour1 dill1 chow-chow1 piccalilli4 ,my special jams are raspberry1 strawberry1 plum1 peach1 and quince4 ,crabapple is my best liked jelly1 and red currant a close second4 ,a very special conserve is a grape and walnut1 for which ,i have a large call1 for teas4 ,the peaches ,i put up in pint and quart jars4 ,i use only the very best vinegar and spices4 ,my products are made only to order and at the lowest possible cost4 ,to do this ,i must get my orders some time in advance so that ,i may take advantage of attractive prices on fruits and other ingredients4 ,i append a list of prices which ,i charged last year4 ,this year they will be no higher and in all probability less4 ,may ,i get a small trial order from you8 ,very truly yours1 ,martha ,walker4 7,mrs4 ,william ,walker7 ,a letter to recently married people in moderate circumstances ,j4 ,l4 ,,bascom ,,company #bj ,,main ,,street ,,richmond1 ,,va4 ,may #h1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,this store is for sensible1 saving people who want to make every dollar buy its utmost4 ,but sometimes being sensible and saving seems to mean just being commonplace and dowdy4 ,ours is not that sort of a store4 ,we believe that useful articles ought also to be good looking1 and our buying has been so skillful that we believe we are safe in saying that our goods are not only absolutely dependable but also will compare in appearance with any goods anywhere1 regardless of price4 ,we think that this statement will mean something to you1 for in furnishing a home1 although appearance may not be everything1 it is certainly a good deal4 ,between two articles of the same durability the better-looking one is the better4 ,it is our aim not merely to make home furnishing easy but to make a beautiful home at the price of an ugly one4 ,our experience has been that it does not pay to put into a household any article which in a few years you will get so tired of looking at that you will want to smash it with a hatchet4 ,we have the values and also we have terms that are as good as the values4 ,we enclose a little booklet that will give you a hint of what you can find here4 ,we cannot give you more than a hint4 ,the best way is to come to the store4 ,tell us your problems1 and let us aid you with our experience4 ,very truly yours1 ,j4 ,l4 ,bascom ,company4 ,introducing the mail order department3 ,l4 ,,girard ,,co4 ,,st4 ,,louis1 ,,mo4 ,april #d1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,benjamin ,brown1 #bi ,shadyside ,vine ,avenue1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo4 ,dear ,madam3 ,this ,spring brings to us many new ideas in merchandise that our buyers have picked up in their travels4 ,in many ways we have now the most interesting stock we have ever been able to show4 ,it is indeed so large and varied that we shall hardly be able to give you more than a suggestion of it in our public advertising4 ,we feel sure that we have something which you have been looking for among the splendid values in both personal and household necessities4 ,you will find that through our individual shopping service purchasing by mail is made most convenient and entirely personal4 ,may we look forward to having again the pleasure of serving you8 ,very truly yours1 ,l4 ,girard ,co4 ,announcement of overcoats ,,the ,,barbour ,,clothing ,,co4 #bbdi ,,wabash ,,avenue ,,chicago ,october #ai1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,charles ,reid1 ,winnetka1 ,ill4 ,my dear ,sir3 ,in a couple of weeks you are going to think a good deal about your overcoat4 ,why not start thinking now8 ,we are offering this year the most complete line of overcoats that we have ever been able to buy4 ,we have found that we could buy absolutely first-class coats at absolutely fair prices4 ,we are selling them on the basis on which we bought them1 and we bought a lot because we think the values will sell them4 ,the prices are surprisingly low4 ,they range from #bj to #gj4 ,at the lowest price we are selling a coat which1 if you saw it on the back of a friend1 you would think cost at least #ej4 ,the highest priced coat is as good as money can buy4 ,if you expected to spend #ej for a coat1 you may find that you can get what you want for #bj or #be1 or you may find that you will want an even better coat than you had expected to buy4 ,we think that it would be worth your while to look at this stock4 ,very truly yours1 ,the ,barbour ,clothing ,co4 ,selling a farm product 7can be used for vegetables1 eggs1 hams1 and bacon or any farm product7 ,,corn ,,center ,,new ,,jersey ,june #a1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,do you like perfectly fresh vegetables--right off the farm8 ,what kind of vegetables are you getting8 ,do you know how long ago they were picked8 ,perhaps you think that you cannot have absolutely fresh vegetables for your table or that it really makes no difference8 ,did you ever taste ,golden ,bantam corn the same day or the day after it was picked8 ,do you know ,golden ,bantam or is corn just corn8 ,do you think that string beans are just string beans8 ,and do you know about stringless string beans8 ,i grow only the thoroughbred varieties4 ,i pick them when they are tender--just right for the palate4 ,and ,i send them to you the same day that they are picked4 ,i arrange hampers according to the size of the family4 ,the prices1 quantities1 and selections are on the enclosed card4 ,i will deliver at your door 7or send by parcel post7 every day1 every second day1 or as often as you like4 ,you can have the best that is grown in its best season and as fresh as though you were living on a farm4 ,try a hamper and know what vegetables are6 ,very truly yours1 ,henry ,raynor4 ,storage service ,,howard ,,moth ,,proof ,,bag ,,co4 ,,winsted1 ,,conn4 ,may #b1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,have you ever taken your best coat to an invisible mender and paid him ten dollars to have him mend two moth holes8 ,have you ever gone to your trunk to take out your furs and found that the moths had got into them8 ,sometimes they are so badly eaten that they are utterly hopeless and must be thrown away4 ,all this trouble1 disappointment1 and expense can be avoided if you will only take the precaution this spring to put away your clothing and furs in the ,howard ,moth ,proof ,garment ,bags4 ,strongly constructed of a heavy and durable cedar paper1 and made absolutely moth-proof by our patented closing device1 the ,howard bag provides absolute protection against moths4 ,as the ,howard bag comes in several sizes1 from the suit size1 ranging through the overcoat1 ulster1 and automobile sizes1 and as each bag has room for several garments1 you can surely have protection for all your clothing at small cost4 ,the hook by which the bag is hung up is securely stapled in place by brass rivets4 ,this bag is so strong and so well designed for service that it will with care last for several years4 ,very truly yours1 ,the ,howard ,moth-,proof ,bag ,co4 ,a type of ,christmas sales letter ,,the ,,pink ,,shop #dj ,,main ,,street ,,grand ,,rapids1 ,,mich4 ,november #bh1 #aibb4 ,dear ,madam3 ,this is your opportunity to get a lot of fine ,christmas stockings at very low cost--if you order at once4 ,the ,camille is made of beautiful thread silk richly hand embroidered4 ,it comes in black or white1 all silk4 ,the ,diana is a silk stocking with lisle top and soles4 ,it is a fine wearing stocking and comes in all street shades4 ,the ,juliet is especially attractive as a gift for a girl friend4 ,these stockings are clocked and have all silk feet and lisle tops4 ,the colors are black1 beige1 and taupe4 ,they are especially good looking worn with saddle pumps4 ,the ,evening ,mist is a fascinating stocking for evening wear4 ,it is sheer1 almost cobwebby1 and will enhance any evening gown4 ,the colors are gold1 silver1 light blue1 corn1 pale green1 black1 and white4 ,it is splendid for a gift stocking4 ,the ,priscilla is an excellent stocking for everyday hard wear4 ,it is of heavy lisle1 full fashioned and fast color--black or tan4 ,send your order off now4 ,you will have the advantage of an early selection4 ,attractive prices are quoted in the circular enclosed4 ,the big holiday rush will soon be on4 ,make up your order for stockings for ,christmas giving1 attach remittance for amount and mail to-day4 ,your order will be filled promptly and if everything does not fully satisfy you1 you may return it and get your money back4 ,yours very truly1 ,the ,pink ,shop4 ,an automobile announcement ,,memphis ,,auto ,,supply ,,co4 #bi ,,maple ,,avenue ,,memphis1 ,,tenn4 ,march #af1 #aibd4 ,dear ,sir3 ,just a few weeks and spring will be here4 ,that means pleasure motoring4 ,when you are getting ready for this new season1 you may find that you will need certain things for your car--perhaps a new tire1 or a pair of pliers1 or an inner tube4 ,but whatever it is1 remember that our new stock of accessories is here and we believe that we can supply you with anything you will need4 ,in inviting you to give us part of your trade1 we give you this assurance3 ,if any article you buy from us is not entirely right1 we will return your money4 ,we hope to see you soon4 ,yours very truly1 ,memphis ,auto ,supply ,co4 ,changing from a credit to a cash plan 7,should be in the nature of a personal letter7 ,,pelletier ,,co4 #adb ,,casco ,,street ,,portland1 ,,me4 ,february #a1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,john ,troy1 #ad ,ocean ,ave41 ,portland1 ,me4 ,dear ,madam3 ,when this store was opened ten years ago1 we believed that our service would be the most effective if we operated on a credit basis4 ,therefore we solicited charge accounts1 of course taking extreme care that only people of known integrity and substance should be on our books4 ,we have had the privilege of serving you through such an account4 ,there are two fundamental methods of conducting a retail business4 ,the one is on the cash and the other is on the credit plan4 ,in the cash plan all goods are either paid for at the time of purchase or at the time of delivery4 ,in the credit plan1 those who have not credit or do not care to use credit pay cash2 those who have credit rating charge their purchases and bills are rendered monthly4 ,credit was not extended by the store as a favor2 it formed part of a way of doing business4 ,the favor is on the part of the customer4 ,the charge system has many advantages1 principally in the way of permitting the store to know its customers better than it could otherwise4 ,the disadvantage of the credit basis is the expense of bookkeeping which1 of course1 has to be added into the price of the goods sold4 ,our losses through unpaid bills have been negligible4 ,our customers are honest4 ,but it has seemed unfair that the customer who pays cash should have to bear the cost of the credit accounts4 ,as our business has worked out more than fifty per cent4 of our whole trade is on the cash basis4 ,after careful consideration we have finally decided to go entirely upon a cash footing in order that we may further reduce our costs of doing business and hence our prices to you4 ,we think that in such fashion we can better serve you4 ,therefore1 on ,july #ast1 which marks the end of our fiscal year1 we shall go upon an exclusively cash basis and no longer maintain charge accounts4 ,we think that you will agree when you see the savings reflected in lower prices for the highest grade of goods that the change in policy is a wise one and that you will continue to favor us with your patronage4 ,very truly yours1 ,pelletier ,co41 7,handwritten7 ,c4 ,brown1 ,credit ,manager4 ,,keeping ,,the ,,customer ,thanking a new customer ,,larue ,,brothers ,,saint ,,louis1 ,,mo4 ,october #d1 #aibc4 ,mrs4 ,lee ,white1 #bi ,main ,street1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo4 ,dear ,madam3 ,the purchase which you made yesterday is the first that we have had the pleasure of recording for your account and we want to take this opportunity to thank you for the confidence that you repose in us and to hope that it will be the beginning of a long and happy relation4 ,we shall1 from time to time1 send you bulletins of our special offerings and we believe that you will be interested in them4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,j4 ,m4 ,briggs1 ,credit ,manager1 ,larue ,brothers4 ,where a charge account has been inactive ,s4 ,,black ,,company #bh ,,washington ,,street ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,february #e1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,tudor ,sweet1 #bd ,commonwealth ,ave41 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we have just been looking over our books and are sorry to learn that you have not given us your patronage for some time past4 ,we feel that something may have gone wrong to have caused you to discontinue trading at our store4 ,if you are not fully satisfied with anything you bought from us1 remember that we are always eager and ready to adjust the matter to your satisfaction4 ,we shall certainly appreciate it if you will write to us and tell us frankly just what the trouble has been4 ,will you use the inclosed envelope to let us know8 ,yours truly1 ,s4 ,black ,company1 7,handwritten7 ,george ,sims1 ,credit ,manager4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,sweetser ,,co4 #djjj ,,main ,,street ,,columbus1 ,o4 ,june #h1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,arthur ,thomas1 #be ,spruce ,avenue1 ,columbus1 ,o4 ,dear ,madam3 ,does our store please you8 ,sometime ago it probably did and you had an account with us1 but we find with regret that you have not used it lately4 ,if we disappointed you1 or if something went wrong and possibly your complaint was not properly attended to1 we are extremely anxious to know about it4 ,perhaps there was some lack of courtesy1 some annoying error in your bill which we were exasperatingly obtuse in rectifying8 ,were we stupid in filling some order or did we delay in delivery8 ,perhaps we did not have just what you were looking for1 or our prices seemed higher than elsewhere4 ,whatever the difficulty1 we do want you to know that we try to stand for good service--to supply promptly what you want at the price you want to pay1 and always to conduct our business with an unfailing courtesy which will make your shopping a pleasure4 ,being a woman ,i may understand your point of view a little better4 ,will you be quite frank and tell me why you do not buy from ,sweetser's now8 ,either write or call me on the telephone2 or1 better still1 if you are in our neighborhood1 can you come in to see me8 ,the information booth is at the door and ,i can be found in a minute4 ,it might help to talk things over4 ,sincerely yours1 7,handwritten7 ,mrs4 ,margaret ,b4 ,williams1 ,courtesy ,manager1 ,a4 ,b4 ,sweetser ,co4 ,,meyer1 ,,haskell ,,co4 #bcj ,,elm ,,street ,,bloomfield1 ,,ill4 ,march #h1 #aibc4 ,mrs4 ,bruce ,wells1 #ai ,dwight ,ave41 ,bloomfield1 ,ill4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we very much regret that you do not use more often your charge account at our store1 and we hope it is not due to any lack on our part of prompt and intelligent service4 ,we know that with our large and well-assorted stocks of merchandise and competent organization we ought to be able to supply your needs to your complete satisfaction4 ,one of five stores1 we have great opportunities for advantageous buying and we can continually undersell others4 ,in this connection permit us to call your attention to our newly installed telephone order department4 ,this department is in charge of competent house shoppers1 whose duty it is to satisfy your every want1 thus enabling our charge patrons to shop by telephone with perfect certainty4 ,we feel that these advantages may appeal to you and result in our receiving your orders more often4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,t4 ,hunter1 ,credit ,manager1 ,meyer1 ,haskell ,co4 ,,selling ,,real ,,estate ,there are two phases in the writing of letters concerning the sale of real estate4 ,the first phase has to do with the presentation of the proposal in order to arouse sufficient interest in the mind of the prospect to cause him to inspect the property4 ,comparatively little real estate is sold without personal inspection4 ,the exceptions are offerings of low-priced building sites in distant sections of the country4 ,these are sold sight unseen--else1 as a rule1 they would never be sold at all4 ,but such real estate selling is more apt to be in the class with fake mining stock than with legitimate buying and selling1 and therefore has no place here4 ,the second phase of letters on real estate comprehends the closing of the sale4 ,for instance1 let us say that ,john ,hope has gone so far as to look at a property4 ,he apparently wants to buy the property or is at least interested1 but the price and conditions of sale do not exactly suit him4 ,he is so situated that he does not want to talk personally with an agent1 or perhaps lives too far away4 ,at any rate1 the sale has to be closed by mail4 ,the fact which most concerns the buyer of real estate1 provided he is otherwise satisfied with a property1 is the title4 ,the title is the legal term by which is denoted the exact character of the ownership4 ,quite frequently an owner may believe that he has a clear title when1 as a matter of fact1 his title is derived through some testamentary instrument which gives him a holding only for life1 or perhaps trusts have been set up in the will which are a charge upon the property1 although all of the beneficiaries of the trust have been long since dead4 ,there are many hundreds of possible legal complications affecting the validity of the title and it is usual to-day to have titles insured and1 in agreeing to buy1 to specify that the title must be marketable and insurable by a reputable title insurance company4 ,the word marketable as here used means a title which is unquestionable4 ,the prospective buyer must also be careful to specify that the title shall be free and clear and that all taxes shall be apportioned to the day of settlement4 ,otherwise the buyer would have to take title subject to a lien of any judgments or other liens of record and also subject to unpaid taxes4 ,a real estate transaction may be very complicated indeed1 and it is wise for a buyer to take precautions to the end of seeing that he purchases a piece of real property rather than a right to a lawsuit4 ,most letters offering real estate for sale are written in response to inquiries generated by an advertisement4 ,the letter offering the property is designed to bring forth a visit from the inquirer4 ,therefore only the information which seems best adapted to bring about that visit should go into the letter4 ,the temptation is to tell too much1 and the danger of telling too much is that one may inadvertently force a negative conclusion4 ,it is better to keep down to the bare1 although complete1 description rather than to attempt any word painting4 ,the description is best supplemented by one or several photographs4 ,the important points to be summarized are the situation of the house1 the architectural style1 the material of which it is constructed1 the number of rooms1 and the size of the lot1 with of course a description of any stable1 garage1 or other substantial out-buildings4 ,these are the elementary points of the description4 ,one may then summarize the number and size of the rooms1 including the bathrooms1 laundry1 and kitchen1 the closet spaces1 fireplaces1 the lighting1 the roofing1 the floors1 the porches1 and the decorating4 ,the most effective letter is always the one that catalogues the features rather than describes them4 ,an agent asking for a list of property ,,jones ,,realty ,,co4 ,,harrisburg1 ,,pa4 ,april #c1 #aibd4 ,mr4 ,james ,renwick1 #abf ,pelham ,road1 ,westville1 ,pa4 ,my dear ,sir3 ,i am constantly having inquiries from people who want to buy property in your immediate vicinity1 and ,i am writing to learn whether you would give me the opportunity to dispose of your property for you1 if ,i can obtain an entirely satisfactory price4 ,if you will name the price and the terms at which you would sell1 ,i should be glad to put the property on my list and ,i believe that ,i can make a sale4 ,it would be helpful if ,i had a good description of the property and also one or two good photographs4 ,of course if you list the property with me that will not bar you from listing it with any other broker unless you might care to put it exclusively in my hands for disposal4 ,my commission is #b-a_/b1 the same as charged by other brokers in this vicinity1 and ,i know from experience that ,i can give you satisfactory service4 ,very truly yours1 ,henry ,jones4 ,from an owner instructing an agent to list property #abf ,pelham ,road1 ,westville1 ,pa41 ,may #f1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,henry ,jones1 ,jones ,realty ,co41 ,harrisburg1 ,pa4 ,my dear ,sir3 ,i have your letter of ,may #crd and ,i am entirely willing that you should list my property for sale1 although ,i do not want a ,for ,sale sign displayed nor do ,i want the property inspected while ,i am in it unless by a previously arranged appointment4 ,i enclose a description and a photograph4 ,i will take #be1jjj for the place1 of which #aj1jjj has to be paid in cash4 ,i am willing to hold a second mortgage of #e1jjj and there is #aj1jjj already ready against the place1 which can remain4 ,very truly yours1 ,james ,renwick4 ,selling a property by mail #adcg ,lawrence ,street1 ,greenville1 ,n4 ,y41 ,april #bj1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,george ,a4 ,allen1 #ghi ,fourth ,avenue1 ,hillside1 ,n4 ,y4 ,my dear ,sir3 ,i have your letter of ,april #agth asking for further particulars on the property which ,i advertised for sale in last ,sunday's ,republic4 ,i think that by inspecting this property you can gain a much clearer idea of its desirability than ,i can possibly convey to you in a letter4 ,if you will telephone to me1 ,i will arrange any appointment that suits your convenience4 ,the house is ten years old--that is1 it was built when materials and workmanship were first-class4 ,it has been kept up by the owner1 has never been rented1 and is to-day a more valuable house than when it was originally constructed4 ,it is three stories in height1 contains fifteen rooms1 four bathrooms1 breakfast porch1 sun porch1 children's breakfast porch1 a laundry1 butler's pantry1 a storage pantry1 and a refrigerator pantry4 ,it stands on a plot of ground #aej x #bjj feet1 which has been laid out in lawn and gardens1 and in fact there are several thousand dollars' worth of well-chosen and well-placed plants1 including many evergreens and rhododendrons4 ,the trim of the house1 including the floors1 is hard wood throughout1 and the decorations are such that nothing whatsoever would have to be done before occupancy4 ,i enclose two photographs4 ,the owner's price is #fj1jjj1 and ,i know that he would be willing to arrange terms4 ,very truly yours1 ,r4 ,a4 ,smith4 7,note--,essentially the same letter could be written offering the house for rental1 furnished or unfurnished1 as the case might be47 #di ,main ,street1 ,albany1 ,n4 ,y41 ,october #h1 #aibd4 ,mr4 ,henry ,grimes1 ,catskill1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,sir3 ,the business property that ,i offered for sale in yesterday's ,republic and concerning which ,i have a letter from you this morning is particularly well suited for a specialty shop or any kind of a store that would be benefited by the passing of large numbers of people before its show windows4 ,it is located at the corner of ,third and ,main ,streets with a frontage of thirty feet on ,main ,street and runs back seventy feet on ,third ,street4 ,there is one large show window on ,main ,street and two on ,third ,street4 ,it is a three-story brick structure1 solidly built1 and the upper floors1 if they could not be used for your own purposes1 will as they stand bring a rental of #bjj a month each1 and with a few changes could probably be leased at a higher amount4 ,they are at present leased at the above figures1 but the leases will expire on ,january #ast4 ,both tenants are willing to renew4 ,by actual count this property is on the third busiest corner in town4 ,if you are interested1 ,i should like to discuss the price and terms with you4 ,very truly yours1 ,henry ,eltinge4 ,offering a farm for sale ,goschen1 ,ohio1 ,r4 ,f4 ,d4 #e1 ,may #e1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,harry ,more1 ,bridgeton1 ,ohio4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i am glad to get your letter inquiring about my farm4 ,i am acting as my own agent because ,i think it is a farm that will sell itself on inspection and ,i would rather split the commission with the buyer than with a middle-man4 ,the farmhouse1 barns1 and dairy are good1 substantial frame buildings1 and they have been well painted every second season4 ,there is nothing to be done to them4 ,the house has six rooms and a large1 dry cellar4 ,the water is soft and there is plenty of it4 ,the barn is #fj by #ej2 the poultry house is a big one that ,i built myself4 ,the sheds are all in first-class condition4 ,this farm contains #bdj acres1 two miles from ,goschen1 ,ohio1 and there is a state road leading into town and to the railroad4 ,we have rural delivery and telephone4 ,the land is high and in first-class cultivation4 ,the orchard has been kept up and there are well-established strawberry and asparagus beds4 ,you will not find a better farm of its kind than this one4 ,i have made a living off it for twelve years and anybody else can1 but the only way for you really to find out what the place amounts to is to come down yourself and look it over4 ,if you will let me know when you expect to come ,i will meet you at the station in my automobile4 ,the price is ten thousand dollars4 ,there is a mortgage of #b1ejj that can remain1 and1 other things being satisfactory1 we can arrange the down payment and the terms for the balance4 ,very truly yours1 ,john ,hope4 ,accepting an offer #cdj ,chestnut ,street1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa41 ,dec4 #ae1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,joseph ,barlow1 ,haines ,crossing1 ,delaware4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i have your letter of ,december #abth offering to sell to me the property that we have been discussing for #ae1jjj of which #c1jjj is to be in cash1 #e1jjj to remain on three-year mortgage at six per cent41 and the remaining #g1jjj to be cared for by the present mortgage in that amount and which ,i understand has four years yet to run4 ,i accept your offer as stated by you1 with the provision of course that ,i shall receive a clear and marketable title1 insurable by a real estate title company1 and that all taxes shall be adjusted as of the day of settlement1 which settlement is to take place three months from to-day4 ,if you will have a contract of sale drawn1 ,i shall execute it and at the same time hand you my check for five hundred dollars as the consideration for the contract of purchase4 ,this letter is written in the assumption that the dimensions of the property are such as have been represented to me4 ,i am ,very truly yours1 ,martin ,fields4 7,note--,the above letter replying to an offer to sell would of itself close the contract and the formal contract of sale is unnecessary4 ,a contract is1 however1 advisable because it includes all the terms within a single sheet of paper and therefore makes for security47 ,letter inquiring as to what may be had #ecd ,gramercy ,park1 ,february #h1 #aibc4 ,home ,development ,co41 ,hastings1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i am writing to learn what property you have listed in your vicinity that would seem to meet my particular requirements4 ,i want a house of not less than ten rooms1 with some ground around it and not more than fifteen minutes from the railroad station4 ,the house must contain at least two bathrooms1 have a good heating plant1 and either be in first-class condition or offered at a price that would permit me to put it in first-class condition without running into a great deal of money4 ,i am willing to pay between ten and fifteen thousand dollars4 ,will you send me a list of properties that you can suggest as possibly being suitable8 ,very truly yours1 ,julian ,henderson4 ,renting apartments ,,young ,,reynolds #dh ,,green ,,street ,,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y4 ,may #ae1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,robert ,pardee1 #bi ,prentiss ,place1 ,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,sir3 ,your name has been handed to me as one who might be interested in leasing one of the extremely attractive apartments in the ,iroquois at ,number #bj ,east ,third ,street1 which will be ready for occupancy on ,september #aeth4 ,i enclose a descriptive folder which will give you an idea of the grounds that we have for basing our claim that this is the most convenient apartment house that has ever been erected4 ,the apartments vary in size1 as you will see on the plan1 and for long leases we can arrange any combination of rooms that may be desired4 ,these features are common to all of the apartments4 ,every bedroom has a private bathroom4 ,every living and dining room contains an open fireplace1 and every apartment1 no matter what its size1 is connected with a central kitchen so that service may be had equivalent to that of any hotel and at any hour from seven in the morning until midnight4 ,there is a complete hotel service1 all of which is entirely optional with the tenant4 ,we invite your inspection4 ,a number of the apartments have already been leased1 but many desirable ones still remain and an early selection will permit of decoration according to your own wishes in ample time for the opening of the building4 ,the renting office is on the premises4 ,very truly yours1 ,young ,reynolds4 ,,bank ,,letters ,the qualities which make a bank popular in a community are1 first1 safety2 second1 intelligence2 and third1 courtesy4 ,one bank has potentially nothing more to offer than has another bank1 excepting that of course a very large bank has a greater capacity for making loans than has a small bank4 ,the amount which by law a bank may lend is definitely fixed by the resources of the bank4 ,however1 this is not a question of particular concern here1 for very large and important accounts are never gained through letter writing4 ,the field that can be reached through letters comprises the substantial householder1 the moderate-sized man in business1 and the savings depositor4 ,a bank has no bargains to offer4 ,what a man or a woman principally asks about a bank is3 ,will my money be safe8 ,will my affairs be well looked after8 ,shall ,i be treated courteously when ,i go into the bank8 ,the answers to these questions should be found in the conduct of the bank itself4 ,a bank is not a frivolous institution4 ,therefore its stationery and the manner of its correspondence should be eminently dignified4 ,it must not draw comparisons between the service it offers and the service any other bank offers4 ,it must not make flamboyant statements4 ,neither may it use slang1 for slang connotes in the minds of many a certain carelessness that does not make for confidence4 ,above all1 a bank cannot afford to be entertaining or funny in its soliciting letters4 ,the best bank letter is usually a short one1 and it has been found effective to enclose a well-designed1 well-printed card or folder setting out some of the services of the bank1 its resources1 and its officers4 ,bank solicitation is very different from any other kind of solicitation4 ,soliciting savings accounts ,,guardian ,,trust ,,co4 ,,bayville1 ,n4 ,j4 ,january #ae1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,george ,dwight1 ,bayville1 ,n4 ,j4 ,dear ,sir3 ,some time ago we delivered to you a little home safe for savings1 and we are writing to learn how you are making out with it4 ,have you saved as much as you had expected8 ,are you waiting to get a certain sum before bringing it in to be credited in your passbook8 ,we are often asked if it is necessary to fill a home safe before bringing it in to have the contents deposited1 and we always recommend that the bank be brought in at regular intervals1 regardless of the amount saved1 for you know the money begins to earn interest only when it is deposited with us4 ,we give to small deposits the same careful attention we give to large deposits1 so we suggest that you bring in and deposit whatever you have saved4 ,that will make a start1 and once started it is truly surprising how quickly a bank account rolls up4 ,i hope that we may have the benefit of your patronage4 ,very truly yours1 ,the ,guardian ,trust ,company1 7,handwritten7 ,j4 ,d4 ,wallace1 ,secretary4 ,where a savings account is inactive ,,guardian ,,trust ,,co4 ,,bayville1 ,n4 ,j4 ,august #aj1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,george ,dwight1 ,bayville1 ,n4 ,j4 ,dear ,sir3 ,a little home bank may be made a power for good4 ,it can accomplish nothing by itself1 standing unused in an out-of-the-way place4 ,it can only be an assistant to the saver4 ,it can assist your boy and girl to great things4 ,it can assist you in daily economies upon which big results are often built4 ,it cannot furnish the initiative1 but it can be a constant reminder and an ever-ready recipient4 ,why not use the little bank we delivered to you when you opened your savings account with us to teach the children to save1 or to collect together small amounts for yourself4 ,why not8 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,j4 ,d4 ,wallace1 ,secretary4 ,checking accounts ,a letter soliciting a home account3 ,,guardian ,,trust ,,co4 ,,poughkeepsie1 ,n4 ,y4 ,october #ad1 #aibc4 ,mrs4 ,hester ,wickes1 #ei ,market ,street1 ,poughkeepsie1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,madam3 ,do you ever have arguments over bills that you have paid in cash8 ,do you always remember to get a receipt8 ,do you find it a nuisance to carry cash8 ,do you know that it is dangerous to keep much cash in the house8 ,there can be no dispute about an account if you pay it with a bank check4 ,your cancelled check is a perfect receipt4 ,more than that1 your bank book shows you when1 how much1 and to whom you have paid money4 ,it is not only the easy way of paying bills but the safe way4 ,you escape all the danger of carrying or having in the house more than mere pocket money4 ,you will find by opening a checking account with us not only the advantages of paying by check but you will also discover many conveniences and services which we are able to offer to you without any charge whatsoever4 ,i hope that you will call and let us explain our services4 ,i enclose a folder telling you more about the bank than ,i have been able to tell in this letter4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,j4 ,d4 ,wallace1 ,secretary4 ,p4,s4 ,we have some very attractive styles in pocket check books that might interest you4 ,soliciting a commercial account ,,the ,,logansburg ,,national ,,bank ,,logansburg1 ,,wis4 ,april #ae1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,fred ,haynes1 #ba ,nassau ,street1 ,logansburg1 ,wis4 ,dear ,sir3 ,every man in business is entitled to an amount of credit accommodation in accordance with his resources4 ,it is one of the functions of this bank to help the business of the community by extending credit to those who make the business for the community4 ,we are here to be of service and we should like to serve you4 ,i enclose a folder giving the latest statement of the resources of the bank and something about the organization4 ,will you not drop in some time and at least permit us to become acquainted8 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,r4 ,t4 ,newell1 ,president4 ,general services ,trust companies and national banks are very generally extending their services to cover the administration of decedents' estates1 to advise upon investments1 to care for property1 and to offer expert tax services4 ,in most cases1 these services are set out in booklets and the letter either encloses the booklet or is phrased to have the recipient ask for the booklet4 ,letter proffering general services3 ,,griggs ,,national ,,bank #bh ,,fifth ,,ave4 ,,new ,,york ,november #af1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,henry ,larkin1 #cdbh ,cathedral ,parkway1 ,new ,york4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we are writing to call your attention to several services which this bank has at your command and which we should be happy to have you avail yourself of3 7#a7 ,the ,bond ,department can give you expert and disinterested advice on investments and can in addition offer you a selection of well-chosen season bonds of whatever character a discussion of your affairs may disclose as being best suited to your needs4 7#b7 ,our safe deposit vaults will care for your securities and valuable papers at an annual cost which is almost nominal4 7#c7 ,we have arrangements by which we can issue letters of credit that will be honored anywhere in the world1 foreign drafts1 and travellers' checks4 7#d7 ,if you expect to be away through any considerable period or do not care to manage your own investments1 our ,trust ,department will manage them for you and render periodical accounts at a very small cost4 ,this service is especially valuable because so frequently a busy man fails to keep track of conversion privileges and rights to new issues and other matters incident to the owning of securities4 7#e7 ,we will advise you1 if you like1 on the disposition of your property by will1 and we have experienced and expert facilities for the administration of trusts and estates4 ,i hope that we may have the opportunity of demonstrating the value of some or all of these services to you2 it would be a privilege to have you call and become acquainted with the officers in charge of these various departments4 ,i am ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,lucius ,clark1 ,president4 ,a letter offering to act as executor ,,griggs ,,national ,,bank #bh ,,fifth ,,avenue ,,new ,,york ,june #be1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,lawrence ,loring1 #aa ,river ,avenue1 ,yonkers1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,sir3 ,may ,i call to your attention the question which every man of property must at some time gravely consider1 and that is the disposition of his estate after death8 ,i presume that as a prudent man you have duly executed a last will and testament1 and ,i presume that it has been drawn with competent legal advice4 ,but the execution of the will is only the beginning4 ,after your death will come the administration of the estate1 and it is being more and more recognized that it is not the part of wisdom to leave the administration of an estate in the hands of an individual4 ,it used to be thought that an executor could be qualified by friendship or relationship1 but unfortunately it has been proved through the sad experience of many estates that good intentions and integrity do not alone make a good executor4 ,skill and experience also are needed4 ,this company maintains a trust department1 under the supervision of ,mr4 ,thomas ,g4 ,shelling1 our trust officer1 who has had many years of experience in the administration of estates4 ,associated with him is a force of specialists who can care for any situation1 usual or unusual1 that may arise4 ,the services of these men can be placed at your disposal4 ,i can offer to you not only their expert services but also the continuity of a great institution4 ,individuals die4 ,institutions do not die4 ,if you will turn over in your mind what may be the situation thirty years hence of any individual whom you might presently think of as an executor1 ,i believe you will be impressed with the necessity for the continuity of service that can be offered only by a corporation4 ,in many cases there are personal matters in the estate which a testator may believe can best be handled only by some of his friends4 ,in such a case it is usual to join the individual executors with a corporate executor4 ,it would be a privilege to be able to discuss these matters with you4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,lucius ,clark1 ,president4 ,p4,s4 ,wills are quite frequently lost or mislaid and sometimes months elapse before they are discovered4 ,it is needless to point out the expense and inconvenience which may be entailed4 ,we are happy to keep wills free of charge4 ,a letter offering tax services ,,intervale ,,national ,,bank ,,intervale1 ,n4 ,y4 ,june #a1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,michael ,graham1 ,intervale1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,sir3 ,this bank is prepared to advise you in the preparation of your income and other tax returns4 ,it is a service that is yours for the asking1 and we hope that you will avail yourself of it4 ,the department is open during banking hours1 but if these hours are not convenient to you1 special appointments can be made4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,samuel ,drake1 ,president4 ,a letter giving the record of the bank ,,intervale ,,national ,,bank ,,intervale1 ,n4 ,y4 ,july #f1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,donald ,west1 ,intervale1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,sir3 ,as a depositor you will be interested in the enclosed booklet which records what the officers and directors think is a notable showing for the bank during the past year4 ,i hope that you will also find it inspiring and will pass it on to a friend who is not a depositor with us4 ,may ,i thank you for your patronage during the past year1 and believe me ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,samuel ,drake1 ,president4 ,,letters ,,of ,,order ,,and ,,acknowledgment ,order where the price of articles is known ,north ,conway1 ,n4 ,h41 ,august #ai1 #aiba4 ,messrs4 ,l4 ,t4 ,banning1 #dhh ,broadway1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,gentlemen3 ,please send me1 at your earliest convenience1 by ,united ,states ,express1 the following3 #a doz4 linen handkerchiefs1 tape edge1 regular size #f4jj #a pr4 ,triumph garters1 silk1 black 4#ge #d white oxford tennis shirts1 size #ae-a_/b #c4jj #ab4jj #f pr4 white lisle socks1 size #aa 4#ej #c4jj ,total #ba4ge ,i am enclosing a money order for #ba4ge4 ,yours very truly1 ,oscar ,trent4 ,enclosure 7,money ,order7 ,order where the price is not known ,flint1 ,michigan1 ,july #ad1 #aibb4 ,the ,rotunda1 #eha ,state ,street1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,gentlemen3 ,please send as soon as possible the following3 #b prs4 camel's hair sport stockings1 wide-ribbed1 size #i #a blue flannel middy blouse1 red decoration1 size #af #a ,dix make housedress1 white pique1 size #ch #a copy of ,main ,street ,i enclose a money order for thirty dollars 7#cj4jj7 and will ask you to refund any balance in my favor after deducting for invoice and express charges4 ,very truly yours1 ,florence ,kepp4 ,encl4 ,m4 ,o4 ,williamsport1 ,pa41 ,march #aj1 #aiba4 ,carroll ,bros41 #had ,chestnut ,st41 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,gentlemen3 ,please send me the following articles by parcels post as soon as possible3 #b doz4 paper napkins1 apple blossom or nasturtium design #a ,century cook book #a pair ,luxury blue felt bedroom slippers1 leather sole and heel #a large bar imported ,castile soap #a pair elbow length white silk gloves1 size #f-c_/d ,enclosed is a money order for #ae4jj4 ,please refund any balance due me4 ,yours truly1 ,janet ,m4 ,bent 7,mrs4 ,elmer ,bent7 ,formal acknowledgments ,it is still a formal custom to acknowledge some kinds of orders by a printed or an engraved form4 ,some of the older ,new ,york business houses use the engraved forms which arose in the days before typewriters and they are very effective4 ,general acknowledgment forms ,,the ,,general ,,stores ,,co4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 ,april #ah1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,walter ,crump1 #bi ,adams ,street1 ,maple ,centre1 ,ill4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we acknowledge with thanks your order ,no4 which will be entered for immediate shipment and handled under our ,no4 to which you will please refer if you have occasion to write about it4 ,if we are unable to ship promptly we will write you fully under separate cover4 ,very truly yours1 ,the ,general ,stores ,co4 ,s4 ,,the ,,general ,,stores ,,co41 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 ,june #ac1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,joseph ,ward1 ,wadsworth ,hill1 ,ill4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we have received your order requesting attention to ,no4 4 ,unless special attention is demanded1 the routine schedule is on a ten-day basis1 and we therefore expect to your instrument on or about 4 ,in corresponding on this subject please refer to order ,no4 4 ,very truly yours1 ,the ,general ,stores ,co4 ,s4 ,in answer to a letter without sufficient data ,,the ,,general ,,stores ,,co4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 ,september #h1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,benjamin ,brown1 ,carr ,city1 ,ill4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we thank you for your order recently received for one shirt waist and two pairs of stockings4 ,we were unable to proceed with the order1 as the size of the waist was not given4 ,if you would be kind enough to state what size you wish1 we shall gladly make immediate shipment4 ,very truly yours1 ,the ,general ,stores ,co4 ,s4 ,where the goods are not in hand ,l4 4 ,l4 ,,young #fjj ,,fifth ,,avenue ,,new ,,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,november #c1 #aiba4 ,mrs4 ,john ,evans1 #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we are out of size #e ,b at present in the white kid shoes you desire1 but we should be pleased to order a pair for you1 if you wish1 which would take two weeks4 ,if this is not satisfactory to you1 perhaps you will call and select another pair4 ,kindly let us know what you wish done in this matter4 ,very truly yours1 ,l4 ,l4 ,young4 ,,letters ,,of ,,complaint ,,and ,,adjustment ,the letter of complaint is purely a matter of stating exactly what the trouble is4 ,the letter replying to the complaint is purely an affair of settling the trouble on a mutually satisfactory basis4 ,the ,marshall ,field attitude that the customer is always right is the one that it pays to assume4 ,the customer is by no means always right1 but in the long run the goodwill engendered by this course is worth far more than the inevitable losses through unfair customers4 ,the big ,chicago mail order houses have been built up on the principle of returning money without question4 ,legalistic quibbles have no place in the answer to a complaint4 ,the customer is rightly or wrongly dissatisfied2 business is built only on satisfied customers4 ,therefore the question is not to prove who is right but to satisfy the customer4 ,this doctrine has its limitations1 but it is safer to err in the way of doing too much than in doing too little4 ,claims for damaged goods ,this letter is complete in that it states what the damage is4 #dbj ,commonwealth ,avenue1 ,boston1 ,mass41 ,february #h1 #aibb4 ,messrs4 ,wells ,sons1 #bi ,summer ,street1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,gentlemen3 ,the furniture that ,i bought on ,february #crd came to-day in good condition with the exception of one piece1 the green enamel tea-wagon4 ,that has a crack in the glass tray and the lower shelf is scratched4 ,will you kindly call for it and1 if you have one like it in stock1 send it to me to replace the damaged one8 ,very truly yours1 ,edna ,joyce ,link4 7,mrs4 ,george ,link7 #hcj ,main ,street1 ,saltview1 ,n4 ,y41 ,may #b1 #aiba4 ,acme ,dishwasher ,co41 ,syracuse1 ,n4 ,y4 ,gentlemen3 ,i regret to inform you that the ,acme dishwasher which ,i purchased from your local dealer1 ,i4 ,jacobs1 on ,december #d1 #aibj1 has failed to live up to your one-year guarantee4 ,in fact1 the dishwasher is now in such bad condition that ,i have not used it for three weeks4 ,i must therefore request that in accordance with the terms of your guarantee you refund the purchase price of ninety dollars 7#ij74 ,very truly yours1 ,eleanor ,scott4 7,mrs4 ,lawrence ,scott7 ,complaint of poor service ,webster ,corners1 ,mo41 ,april #bd1 #aibj4 ,messrs4 ,peter ,swann ,co41 ,kansas ,city1 ,mo4 ,gentlemen3 ,attention ,mr4 ,albert ,brann4 ,on ,tuesday last ,i bought at your store two boys' wash suits4 ,this is ,monday and the goods have not yet been delivered4 ,the delay has caused me great inconvenience4 ,if this were the first time that you had been careless in sending out orders ,i should feel less impatient1 but three times within the last four weeks ,i have been similarly annoyed4 ,on ,march #crd ,i sent back my bill for correction1 goods returned not having been credited to my account4 ,on ,march #aeth the bill was again sent in its original form with a please remit4 ,i again wrote1 making explanation1 but to date have received no reply4 ,if ,i must be constantly annoyed in this manner1 ,i shall have to close my account4 ,very truly yours1 ,helena ,young ,tremp4 7,mrs4 ,kenneth ,tremp7 ,replies to letters of complaint ,,wells ,,sons #bi ,,summer ,,street ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,august #ab1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,samuel ,sloane1 ,chelsea1 ,mass4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we have your letter of ,august #hth in regard to the damaged perambulator4 ,we are very sorry indeed that it was damaged1 evidently through improper crating1 so that there does not seem to be any redress against the railway4 ,we shall be glad to make a reasonable allowance to cover the cost of repairs1 or if you do not think the perambulator can be repaired1 you may return it to us at our expense and we will give your account credit for it4 ,we will send you a new one in exchange if you desire4 ,very truly yours1 ,wells ,sons4 ,,wells ,,sons #bi ,,summer ,,street ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,may #aa1 #aibc4 ,mrs4 ,julia ,furniss1 #bi ,oak ,street1 ,somerville1 ,mass4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we have received your note of ,may #hth in regard to the bathroom scales on your bill of ,may #ast4 ,we do not send these scales already assembled as there is considerable danger of breakage1 but we shall send a man out to you on ,wednesday the twelfth to set them up for you4 ,the missing height bar will be sent to you4 ,very truly yours1 ,wells ,sons4 ,,the ,,sterling ,,silver ,,co4 #bhjj ,,fifth ,,ave4 ,,new ,,york ,december #ag1 #aibc4 ,mrs4 ,daniel ,everett1 #bij ,washington ,square1 ,new ,york4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we regret that it will be impossible to have your tea spoons marked as we promised4 ,marking orders were placed in such quantities before yours was received that the work cannot be executed before ,december #bhth4 ,we are1 therefore1 holding the set for your further instructions and hope that this will not cause any disappointment4 ,very truly yours1 ,the ,sterling ,silver ,co4 ,,rex ,,typewriter ,,co4 #bj ,,so4 ,,michigan ,,ave4 ,,chicago1 ,,ill4 ,november #f1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,john ,harris1 ,wayside1 ,ill4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we are in receipt of the damaged ,no4 #hjf typewriter which you returned1 and have forwarded a new typewriter which was charged to your account4 ,please mail us a freight bill properly noted1 showing that the typewriter which you returned was received in a damaged condition1 so that the cost of repairs can be collected from the transportation company and the proper credit placed to your account4 ,very truly yours1 ,rex ,typewriter ,co4 ,,wells ,,sons #bi ,,summer ,,street ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,september #be1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,louis ,wright1 ,quincy1 ,mass4 ,dear ,sir3 ,our warehouse headquarters have just informed us in reply to our telegram1 that your order ,no4 #bfc of ,september #fth was shipped on ,september #adth by express direct4 ,we regret the delay1 and hope the goods have already reached you4 ,very truly yours1 ,wells ,sons4 ,,wells ,,sons #bi ,,summer ,,street ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,june #g1 #aibc4 ,mrs4 ,ralph ,curtis1 #eibh ,commonwealth ,ave41 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we are sorry to learn from your letter of ,june #eth that you found two buttons missing from your suit4 ,we have no more buttons like the one you enclosed and cannot get any1 as the suit is an import4 ,but if you will let us know the number of buttons in the entire set1 we will send you a complete set of buttons as nearly like the sample as possible4 ,i hope this will be a satisfactory solution4 ,very truly yours1 ,wells ,sons4 ,a routine letter of adjustment ,,hall ,,brothers #ejj ,,fourth ,,street ,,dayton1 ,o4 ,january #bh1aibc4 ,mr4 ,philip ,drew1 #dhj ,milk ,street1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we have received your letter of and regret to learn that 4 ,we will carefully investigate the matter at once and within a day or two will write you fully4 ,very truly yours1 ,hall ,brothers4 ,,wells ,,sons #bi ,,summer ,,street ,,boston1 ,,mass ,january #b1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,george ,larabee1 ,sunnyside1 ,vt4 ,dear ,sir3 ,in compliance with your request of ,december #bgth we shall mail our check to-morrow for #af4ih for the humidor which you returned4 ,we regret very much the delay in this matter4 ,our only excuse for it is the holiday rush in our delivery department which prevented the delivery of the humidor in time for ,christmas4 ,we hope you will overlook the delay and give as another opportunity to serve you4 ,very truly yours1 ,wells ,sons4 ,,credit ,,and ,,collection ,,letters ,business is done largely on credit1 but comparatively few men in business seem to understand that in the letters concerning accounts lies a large opportunity for business building4 ,the old-style credit man thinks that it is all important to avoid credit losses2 he opens an account suspiciously and he chases delinquent accounts in the fashion that a dog goes after a cat4 ,business is not an affair of simply not losing money3 it is an affair of making money4 ,many a credit grantor with a perfect record with respect to losses may be a business killer2 he may think that his sole function is to prevent losses4 ,his real function is to promote business4 ,the best credit men in the country are rarely those with the smallest percentage of losses1 although it does happen that the man who regards every customer as an asset to be conserved in the end has very few losses4 ,therefore1 in credit granting1 in credit refusing1 and in collection1 the form letter is not to be used without considerable discrimination4 ,it is inadvisable to strike a personal note1 and many firms have found it advantageous to get quite away from the letter in the first reminders of overdue accounts4 ,they use printed cards so that the recipient will know that the request is formal and routine4 ,another point to avoid is disingenuousness1 such as accounts are opened for the convenience of customers4 ,that is an untrue statement4 ,they are opened as a part of a method of doing business and that fact ought clearly to be recognized4 ,it does not help for good feeling to take the favoring attitude4 ,every customer is an asset2 every prospective customer is a potential asset4 ,they form part of the good-will of the concern4 ,tactless credit handling is the most effective way known to dissipate good-will4 ,to open a charge account #dfja ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,may #c1 #aibb4 ,hoyt ,jennings1 #cb ,east ,forty ,eighth ,street1 ,new ,york4 ,gentlemen3 ,i desire to open a credit account with your company4 ,will you let me know what information you desire8 ,very truly yours1 ,harold ,grant4 or1 according to the circumstances any of the following may be used3 ,i desire to open a line of credit ,i desire to open an account ,i desire to maintain an open account ,i desire to maintain a charge account ,replies to application for credit ,,hoyt ,,jennings #cb ,,east #dh,,th ,,st4 ,,new ,,york ,may #h1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,harold ,grant1 #dh ,dey ,street1 ,new ,york4 ,dear ,sir3 ,may we thank you for your letter of ,may #crd in which you expressed a desire to have an account with us8 ,we enclose a copy of our usual form and trust that we shall have the privilege of serving you4 ,yours very truly1 7,handwritten7 ,f4 ,burdick1 ,credit ,manager1 ,hoyt ,jennings4 ,,hoyt ,,jennings #cb ,,east #dh,,th ,,street ,,new ,,york ,may #ah1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,harold ,grant1 #dh ,dey ,street1 ,new ,york4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we are glad to notify you that1 in accordance with your request1 a charge account has been opened in your name4 ,at the beginning of our new business relations1 we wish to assure you that we shall try to give satisfaction1 both with our goods and with our service4 ,whenever you purchase an article1 it is simply necessary that you inform the sales person waiting on you that you have a charge account--and then give your name and address4 ,as is customary in our business1 a statement of purchases made during the preceding month will be rendered and will be due on the first of each month4 ,we are awaiting with pleasant anticipation the pleasure of serving you4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,f4 ,burdick1 ,credit ,manager1 ,hoyt ,jennings4 ,refusing credit 7,this is one of the most difficult of all letters to write and one in which extreme care should be used for it may happen that the references have not replied accurately or that there may be somewhere an error4 ,many people entitled to credit have never asked for it and therefore have trouble in giving references4 ,a brusque refusal will certainly destroy a potential customer and is always to be avoided4 ,the best plan is to leave the matter open4 ,then1 if the applicant for credit has really a standing1 he will eventually prove it47 ,,hoyt ,,jennings #cb ,,east #dh,,th ,,street ,,new ,,york ,mr4 ,harold ,grant1 #dh ,dey ,street1 ,new ,york4 ,dear ,sir3 ,may we thank you for your letter of ,may #eth and for the names of those whom you were kind enough to give as references8 ,the information that we have received from them is unfortunately not quite complete enough for the purposes of our formal records4 ,would you care to furnish us with further references in order that the account may be properly opened8 ,or perhaps you would rather call in person4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,f4 ,burdick1 ,credit ,manager1 ,hoyt ,jennings4 ,where an order has been sent in by one who has not opened an account ,,gregory ,,supply ,,co4 #aad ,,main ,,street ,,baltimore1 ,,md4 ,july #ac1 #aibc4 ,j4 ,k4 ,cramer ,brothers1 ,new ,sussex1 ,md4 ,gentlemen3 ,we write to thank you for your order of ,july #ajth1 amounting to #cbj and we are anxious to make shipment quickly4 ,our records do not show that we have previously been receiving your orders and hence unfortunately we have not the formal information desired by our credit department so that we can open the account that we should like to have in your name4 ,for we trust that this will be only the first of many purchases4 ,will you favor us by filling out the form enclosed and mailing it back as soon as convenient8 ,the information1 of course1 will be held strictly confidential4 ,we are preparing the order for shipment and it will be ready to go out4 ,yours truly1 7,handwritten7 ,b4 ,allen1 ,credit ,manager ,gregory ,supply ,co4 ,,letters ,,to ,,references ,,given ,,by ,,the ,,applicant ,to a bank 7,a bank will not give specific information7 ,,gregory ,,supply ,,co4 #aad ,,main ,,street ,,baltimore1 ,,md4 ,july #be1 #aibc4 ,haines ,national ,bank1 ,baltimore1 ,md4 ,gentlemen3 ,we have received a request from ,mr4 ,cramer of ,new ,sussex1 ,md41 who informs us that he maintains an account with you for the extension of credit4 ,he has given you as a reference4 ,will you kindly advise us1 in confidence and with whatever particularity you find convenient1 what you consider his credit rating8 ,any other information that you may desire to give will be appreciated4 ,we trust that we may have the opportunity to reciprocate your courtesy4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,b4 ,allen1 ,credit ,manager1 ,gregory ,supply ,co4 ,to a commercial house ,,gregory ,,supply ,,co4 #aad ,,main ,,street ,,baltimore1 ,,md4 ,july #be1 #aibc4 ,bunce ,co41 #bi ,vine ,ave41 ,baltimore1 ,md4 ,gentlemen3 ,we shall be much obliged to you if you will kindly inform us concerning your credit experience with ,mr4 ,j4 ,k4 ,cramer of ,new ,sussex1 ,md41 who desires to open an account with us and who has referred us to you4 ,we shall be happy at any time to reciprocate the courtesy4 ,yours truly1 7,handwritten7 ,b4 ,allen1 ,credit ,manager ,gregory ,supply ,co4 ,another letter of the same description in a printed form 7,name and address to be typewritten in7 ,,gregory ,,supply ,,co4 #aad ,,main ,,street ,,baltimore1 ,,md4 7,date to be typewritten in7 ,gentlemen3 ,j4 ,k4 ,cramer1 of ,new ,sussex1 ,md41 desires to open an account with our store and has given your name as a reference4 ,your courtesy in answering the questions given below will be appreciated4 ,we shall be glad to reciprocate it at any time4 ,yours truly1 ,gregory ,supply ,co4 7,please fill out and return as soon as convenient47 #a4 ,has he an account with you now8 #b4 ,how long has he had the account8 #c4 ,how does he pay8 ,prompt ,medium ,slow #d4 ,have you ever had difficulty in collecting8 #e4 ,what limit have you placed on the account8 #f4 ,special information4 ,in reply to the above 7,a7 ,,bunce ,,company #hi ,,state ,,st4 ,,baltimore1 ,,md4 ,july #bi1 #aibc4 ,gregory ,supply ,co41 ,baltimore1 ,md4 ,gentlemen3 ,in reply to your letter of ,october #adth in which you inquire concerning the responsibility of ,j4 ,k4 ,cramer of ,new ,sussex1 ,md41 we are glad to help you with the following information4 ,mr4 ,cramer has had a charge account with our store during the last five years4 ,our records show that he has always met our bills in a satisfactory manner4 ,his account is noted for a monthly limit of #cjj1 but he has never reached it4 ,our own experience is that ,mr4 ,cramer is a desirable customer4 ,yours very truly1 ,bunce ,company4 7,b7 ,,walsh ,,machine ,,co4 #bi ,,elm ,,street ,,baltimore1 ,,md4 ,july #cj1 #aibc4 ,gregory ,supply ,co41 ,baltimore1 ,md4 ,gentlemen3 ,concerning ,mr4 ,j4 ,k4 ,c41 about whom you inquired in your letter of ,october #adth1 our records show that our experience with this account has not been satisfactory4 ,we find that during the last five years in which he has had an account with us he has caused us considerable trouble with regard to his payments4 ,at the present moment he owes us #bdj for purchases made approximately six months ago1 to recover which amount we have instructed our attorneys to institute legal proceedings4 ,we hope that this information will be of assistance to you4 ,yours very truly1 ,walsh ,machine ,co4 ,,plum ,,brothers #bhjj ,,broad ,,street ,,philadelphia1 ,,pa4 ,july #ca1 #aibc4 ,gregory ,supply ,co41 #fad ,main ,street1 ,baltimore1 ,md4 ,gentlemen3 ,we are glad to give you the information you wish concerning our experiences with the ,a4 ,b4 ,c4 ,company1 about whom you inquire in your letter of ,april #ith4 ,the company first came to us on ,november #h1 #aibj4 ,on that date they purchased from us #ej lawn mowers at a total cost of #ejj4 ,they took advantage of the discount by paying the bill on ,november #ahth4 ,in ,january1 #aiba1 they gave us an order for #ajj at a total cost of #ijj4 ,this bill they paid in ,february4 ,their latest purchase from us was in ,july1 #aiba4 ,at this time their order amounted to #be lawn mowers4 ,they paid the bill in ,october after we had sent them several requests for remittance4 ,we trust this information will be of some value to you in determining just what amount of credit you may feel justified in extending to them4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,h4 ,plum1 ,plum ,brothers4 ,offering credit ,,dwight ,,davis #hi ,,park ,,street ,,albany1 ,n4 ,y4 ,october #i1 #aibb4 ,mrs4 ,herbert ,reid1 #adjj ,fourth ,avenue1 ,albany1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,madam3 ,whenever you wish to come in and purchase without cash1 it will be a great pleasure to us to open a charge account with you4 ,we have made a record here in the store so that whenever you call it will have been arranged for you to purchase whatever you want4 ,we think you will approve of the character of service and the quality of merchandise4 ,we wish to win not only your patronage1 but your friendship for our store4 ,every up-to-date woman realizes the many benefits1 the conveniences1 and even prestige she enjoys through having a charge account at a dependable store4 ,a store1 in turn1 is judged by its charge accounts--it is rated by the women who have accounts there4 ,and so1 because of your standing in the community1 if you avail yourself of our invitation to do your buying here1 you are reflecting credit both on yourself and on us4 ,we hope you will decide to let us serve you--all our facilities are completely at your service4 ,we should like you to feel that our store is especially adapted to your needs4 ,yours very truly1 7,handwritten7 ,c4 ,dale1 ,credit ,manager1 ,dwight ,davis4 ,,summit ,,box ,,company ,,kansas ,,city1 ,,mo4 ,november #ac1 #aibc4 ,george ,harrow ,co41 #bi ,fifth ,street1 ,kansas ,city1 ,mo4 ,gentlemen3 ,we want to thank you for your order of ,november #ajth1 with your check enclosed in full payment4 ,we appreciate the business you have been giving us4 ,the thought has frequently occurred to us that you may desire the advantages of an open account with us4 ,we believe that such an arrangement will make transactions more convenient4 ,we therefore have the pleasure of notifying you that we have noted your account for our regular credit terms of #b #aj net #cj1 up to a limit of #ejj4 ,we hope that both your business and our acquaintance with you will develop to such an extent that it will be a pleasure to extend to you from time to time larger credit accommodations to take care of your increasing needs4 ,the business relations between us have been so agreeable that we feel they will continue so4 ,please remember that if we can ever be of assistance to you in helping you in your business we only ask that you call upon us4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,g4 ,harris ,credit ,manager ,summit ,box ,company4 ,collection letters may very easily be overdone4 ,the old idea was that any expense or any threat was justified if it got the money1 but among the more advanced collection departments common sense has crept in1 and it has been ascertained by cost-finding methods that it is not worth while to pursue a small account beyond a certain point and that when that point is reached it is economy to drop the matter4 ,how far it is wise to go in attempting to collect an account is an affair of costs1 unless one has a penchant for throwing good money after bad4 ,the point to bear in mind in writing a collection letter is that it is a collection letter--that it is an effort to get money which is owed4 ,it would not seem necessary to emphasize so entirely self-evident a point were it not unfortunately sometimes overlooked and the collection letter made an academic exercise4 ,there is no excuse for a long series of collection letters--say eight or ten of them4 ,after a man has received three or four letters you can take it for granted that he is beyond being moved by words4 ,you must then have recourse to some other mode of reaching him4 ,drawing on a debtor is also of small use2 the kind of a man who will honor a collection draft would pay his bill anyhow4 ,if a debtor has assets and there is no dispute concerning the account1 he will usually pay4 ,he may pay because you threaten him1 but most people with the ability to owe money are quite impervious to threats1 and although a threatening letter may seem to bring results1 it can never be the best letter because on the other side of the ledger must be recorded the loss of the customer4 ,the average writer of a collection letter usually gets to threatening something or other and quite often exposes himself to the danger of counter legal action4 7,see ,chapter ,,xi on ,the ,law of ,letters47 ,the most successful collection men do not threaten4 ,the best of them actually promote good-will through their handling of the accounts4 ,the bully-ragging1 long-winded collection letter has no place in self-respecting business4 ,the so-called statements of collection by which papers drawn up to resemble writs are sent through the mails1 or served1 not only have no place in business but many of them are actually illegal4 ,the letters which are appended have been chosen both for their effectiveness and their courtesy4 ,they represent the best practice4 ,it is1 by the way1 not often wise for the creditor to set out his own need for money as a reason why the debtor should pay the account4 ,it is true that the sympathy of the debtor may be aroused1 but the tale of misery may lead him to extend comfort rather than aid4 ,however1 several such letters have been included1 not because they are good but because sometimes they may be used4 ,collection letters ,most firms have adopted a series of collection letters beginning with the routine card reminder of an overdue account and following with gradually increasingly personal second1 third1 fourth1 and so on1 letters4 ,first letter--printed card ,,the ,,enclosed ,,statement ,,of ,,account ,,is ,,sent ,,to ,,you ,,as ,,we ,,believe ,,you ,,have ,,overlooked ,,its ,,payment4 ,,stone ,,brothers ,second letter ,,stone ,,brothers ,,new ,,york ,march #ae1 #aiag4 ,miss ,grace ,duncan1 #adf ,prospect ,park ,west1 ,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,madam3 ,there appears an amount of #bi4cf open in your name for the months of ,october to ,january which1 according to our terms of sale1 is now overdue1 and if no adjustment is necessary1 we trust you will kindly favor us with a check in settlement4 ,very truly yours1 ,stone ,brothers1 ,new ,york1 7,handwritten7 ,james ,miller1 ,collection ,manager4 ,illustration3 ,specimens of business letterheads used by ,english firms ,third letter ,,stone ,,brothers ,,new ,,york ,april #b1 #aiag4 ,miss ,grace ,duncan1 #adf ,prospect ,park ,west1 ,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,madam3 ,our letters of ,february #aeth and ,march #aeth have brought no reply from you4 ,since they have not been returned by the ,post ,office we must presume that you received them4 ,you naturally wish to keep your credit clear4 ,we wish to have it clear4 ,it is really a mutual affair4 ,will you not send a check and keep the account on a pleasant basis8 ,very truly yours1 ,stone ,brothers1 7,handwritten7 ,james ,miller1 ,collection ,manager4 ,the amount is #bi4cf4 ,fourth letter ,,stone ,,brothers ,,new ,,york ,april #af1 #aiag4 ,miss ,grace ,duncan1 #adf ,prospect ,park ,west1 ,brooklyn1 ,new ,york4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we have no desire to resort to the law to collect the #bi4cf due us1 but unless your remittance is in our hands by ,may #ast1 we shall take definite steps for the legal collection of your account4 ,may we hear from you at once8 ,very truly yours1 ,stone ,brothers1 7,handwritten7 ,james ,miller1 ,collection ,manager4 ,the following are collection letters of varying degrees of personal tone4 ,in these seven letters are given the body of the letter1 with the salutation and the complimentary close4 ,headings and signatures have been omitted4 ,dear ,sir3 ,a statement is enclosed of your account1 which is now past due4 ,a remittance will be appreciated4 ,yours truly1 ,dear ,madam3 ,we desire to call your attention again to your past-due account for the month of ,january for #ij4eb1 a statement of which was mailed to you several weeks ago4 ,we shall appreciate receiving your check in payment of this account by return mail4 ,very truly yours1 ,gentlemen3 ,two weeks ago we mailed you a statement of account due at that time1 and as we have heard nothing from you we thought it possible that our letter may have miscarried4 ,we are sending you a duplicate of the former statement1 which we hope may reach you safely and have your attention4 ,very truly yours1 ,to follow the preceding letter ,gentlemen3 ,we call your attention to the enclosed statement of account which is now past due4 ,we have sent you two statements previous to this1 to which you seem to have given no attention4 ,it may be possible that you have overlooked the matter1 but we hope this will be a sufficient reminder and that you will oblige us with a remittance without further delay4 ,very truly yours1 ,dear ,sir3 ,we are enclosing a statement of your account and we request as a special favor that you send us a remittance previous to the #bhth of this month if possible4 ,the amount is small1 but not the less important4 ,we have unusually heavy obligations maturing on the first of next month and you will understand that for the proper conduct of business the flow of credit should not be dammed up4 ,in looking over your account for the last few months1 it occurs to us that we are not getting a great deal of your business4 ,if this is due to any failure or negligence on our part1 perhaps you will undertake to show us where we are lacking because we surely want all of your business that we can get4 ,very truly yours1 ,follow-up letters ,dear ,sir3 ,we wrote you on #ahth ,february and enclosed a statement of your account4 ,we hoped at the time that you would send us a check by return mail4 ,if our account does not agree with your books1 kindly let us know at once so that we may promptly adjust the differences4 ,we hope that you can accommodate us as requested in our previous letter and that we will hear from you by the #ajth of ,march4 ,we again assure you that a remittance at this particular time will be greatly appreciated4 ,also please remember that we want your orders1 too4 ,prices on copper wire are likely to make a sharp advance within a few days4 ,very truly yours1 ,january #ai1 #aiba4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we are enclosing a statement showing the condition of your account at this writing1 and we must ask you to be kind enough to do your utmost to forward us your check by return mail4 ,our fiscal year closes ,january #cast and it is naturally our pride and endeavor to have as many accounts closed and in good standing as is possible for the coming year1 and this can materialize only with your kind cooeperation4 ,very truly yours1 ,,letters ,,of ,,application ,application for position as stenographer #fdh ,west #afhth ,street1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 ,april #d1 #aibb4 ,mr4 ,b4 ,c4 ,kellerman1 #aaci ,broad ,street1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,sir3 ,this may interest you3 ,i can take dictation at an average rate of #ajj words a minute and ,i can read my notes4 ,they are always accurate4 ,if you will try me1 you will find you do not have to repeat any dictation4 ,i never misspell words4 ,i am nineteen1 a high school graduate1 quick and accurate at figures4 ,i have a good position now1 uptown1 but ,i should prefer to be with some large corporation downtown4 ,i am interested in a position with room at the top4 ,i am willing to work for #ah a week until ,i have demonstrated my ability and then ,i know you will think me worth more4 ,a letter or a telephone message will bring me in any morning you say to take your morning's dictation1 write your letters1 and leave the verdict to you4 ,will you let me try8 ,very truly yours1 ,edith ,hoyt4 ,telephone ,riverside #hajj ,application for position as secretary #adi ,east #efth ,street1 ,chicago1 ,ill41 ,december #a1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,ralph ,hodge1 ,boone ,co41 #bjjj ,so4 ,michigan ,ave41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,dear ,sir3 ,this is in answer to your advertisement for a secretary4 ,i have had the experience and training which would1 ,i think enable me satisfactorily to fill such a position4 ,i recognize1 of course1 that whatever my experience and training have been they would be worse than useless unless they could be modified to suit your exact requirements4 7,here set out the experience47 ,the lowest salary ,i have ever received was twelve dollars a week1 when ,i began work4 ,the highest salary ,i have received was thirty dollars a week1 but ,i think that it would be better to leave the salary matter open until it might be discovered whether ,i am worth anything or nothing4 ,very truly yours1 7,miss7 ,mary ,rogers4 ,answer to an advertisement from an applicant who has had no experience #bde ,east #hcrd ,street1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,mr4 ,ralph ,hodge1 ,boone ,co41 #bjjj ,so4 ,michigan ,ave41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,dear ,sir3 ,this is in answer to your advertisement for a secretary1 in which you ask that the experience of the applicant be set forth4 ,i have had no experience whatsoever as a secretary4 ,therefore1 although ,i might have a great deal to learn1 ,i should have nothing to unlearn4 ,i understand what is expected of a secretary1 and ,i hope that ,i have at least the initial qualifications4 ,i have had a fair education1 having graduated from ,central ,high ,school and the ,crawford ,business ,academy1 and ,i have done a great deal of reading4 ,i am told that ,i can write a good letter4 ,i know that ,i can take any kind of dictation and that ,i can transcribe it accurately1 and ,i have no difficulty in writing letters from skeleton suggestions4 ,your advertisement does not give the particular sort of business that you are engaged in1 but in the course of my reading ,i have gathered a working knowledge of economics1 finance1 business practice1 and geography1 some of which might be useful4 ,i am writing this letter in spite of the fact that you specified that experience was necessary1 because one of my friends1 who is secretary to a very well-known corporation president1 told me that she began in her present place quite without experience and found herself helped rather than handicapped by the lack of it4 ,i am twenty-two years old and ,i can give you any personal or social references that you might care for4 ,i have no ideas whatsoever on salary4 ,in fact1 it would be premature even to think of anything of the kind4 ,what ,i am most anxious about is to have a talk with you4 ,very truly yours1 7,miss7 ,margaret ,booth4 ,applications for position as sales manager #abdi ,huntington ,ave41 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,mr4 ,henry ,jessup1 ,white ,manufacturing ,co41 #hi ,milk ,street1 ,columbus1 ,o4 ,dear ,sir3 ,mr4 ,a4 ,c4 ,brown of the ,bronson ,company tells me you are in immediate need of a sales manager for the ,western ,illinois territory4 ,western ,illinois offers a promising opportunity for the sale of farm implements and devices4 ,during my experience with the ,johnson ,jones ,company1 ,i got to know the people of this section very well1 and ,i know how to approach them4 ,the farmers are well-to-do and ready for improvements that will better their homes1 lands1 and stock4 ,there could not be a better place to start4 ,as ,mr4 ,brown will tell you1 ,i have been with the ,bronson ,company for five years4 ,i started as clerk in the credit office1 gradually working out into the field--first as investigator1 then salesman1 and for the last two years as sales manager of the ,western ,virginia territory4 ,the returns from this field have increased #ajj per cent4 since ,i began4 ,with the hearty cooeperation of the men on the road1 ,i have built up a system about which ,i should like to tell you4 ,it would work out splendidly selling ,defiance ,harrows in ,western ,illinois4 ,my home is in ,joliet and ,i want to make my headquarters there4 ,i have no other reason for quitting the ,bronson ,company1 who are very fair as far as salary and advancement are considered4 ,my telephone number is ,cherry #ajj4 ,a wire or letter will bring me to ,columbus to talk with you4 ,very truly yours1 ,gerald ,barbour4 #gj ,blain ,ave41 ,boston1 ,mass41 ,may #d1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,john ,force1 #f ,beacon ,street1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,dear ,sir3 ,this letter may be of some concern to you4 ,i am not a man out of a job1 but have what most men would consider one that is first-class4 ,but ,i want to change1 and if you can give me a little of your time1 ,i will tell you why and how that fact may interest you4 ,in a word1 ,i have outgrown my present position4 ,i want to get in touch with a business that is wide-awake and progressive2 one that will permit me to work out1 unhampered1 my ideas on office organization and management--ideas that are well-founded1 conservative1 and efficient4 ,my present position does not give play to initiative4 ,if you at this time happen to be looking for a man really to manage your office1 audit accounts1 or take charge of credits1 my qualifications and business record will show you that ,i am able to act in any or all of these capacities4 ,i have written with confidence because ,i am sure of myself1 and if ,i undertake to direct your work1 you may be assured that it has a big chance of being successful4 ,if you so desire1 ,i shall be glad to submit references in a personal interview4 ,very truly yours1 ,clive ,drew4 ,telephone ,winthrop #eei-w ,answers to letters of application ,,harrison ,,national ,,bank ,,trenton1 ,n4 ,j4 ,february #b1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,james ,russell1 #fc ,state ,street1 ,trenton1 ,n4 ,j4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i wish to acknowledge your letter of application of ,december #hth4 ,at present we have no vacancies of the type you desire4 ,i am1 however1 placing your application on file4 ,very truly yours1 ,samuel ,caldwell4 ,,harrison ,,national ,,bank ,,trenton1 ,n4 ,j4 ,february #b1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,james ,russell1 #fc ,state ,street1 ,trenton1 ,n4 ,j4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i wish to acknowledge your letter of application of ,december #hth4 ,at present we have no vacancies of the type that you desire4 ,however1 ,i should be very glad to have a talk with you on ,december #abth at my office at four o'clock4 ,very truly yours1 ,samuel ,caldwell4 ,,letters ,,of ,,reference ,letter asking for reference #dfh ,walnut ,street1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa41 ,may #e1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,william ,moyer1 ,triumph ,hosiery ,co41 #djjj ,broad ,street1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,moyer3 ,i am looking for a position as cashier with the ,bright ,weaving ,company4 ,my duties there would be similar in every way to my work in your office1 and a recommendation from you would help greatly4 ,mr4 ,sawyer1 the first vice-president of the ,bright ,weaving ,company1 knows you personally1 hence an opinion from you would have particular effect4 ,your kindness would be deeply appreciated1 as have been all your kindnesses in the past4 ,yours very sincerely1 ,philip ,rockwell4 ,a useful practice adopted by some firms is the requirement of a photograph from every applicant for a position4 ,,haddon ,,iron ,,works ,,philadelphia1 ,,pa4 ,paste photograph of applicant here ,april #cj1 #aiag4 ,b4 ,f4 ,harlow ,co41 ,paterson1 ,n4 ,j4 ,dear ,sirs3 ,philip ,smith 7photo attached7 has applied to us for a position as steamfitter4 ,his application states that he has been in your employ for three years and that he is leaving to take a position in this city4 ,as all applicants are required by us to furnish references as to character and ability1 we shall appreciate your giving us the following information4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,samuel ,sloane1 ,employment ,manager4 ,is his statement correct8 ,are his character and habits good8 ,had he the confidence of his employers8 ,can he fill the position for which he has applied8 ,remarks3 ,signed ,dated ,some general letters of recommendation ,march #d1 #aibc4 ,to ,whom ,it ,may ,concern3 ,i have known the bearer1 ,john ,hope1 for four years4 ,he is of fine family and has been one of our most highly regarded young men4 ,i would heartily recommend him4 ,richard ,brown4 ,april #ah1 #aibb4 ,gentlemen3 ,the bearer1 ,george ,frothingham1 is a young man of my acquaintance whom ,i know and whose family ,i have known for some time4 ,they are splendid people4 ,this boy is ambitious and thoroughly reliable4 ,i hope you can find a place for him4 ,very truly yours1 ,gerald ,law4 ,june #af1 #aibb4 ,to ,whom ,it ,may ,concern3 ,this is to certify that the bearer1 ,ernest ,hill1 is an acquaintance of mine1 a man whom ,i know to be thoroughly trustworthy4 ,harold ,smith4 ,july #ab1 #aibc4 ,dear ,sir3 ,this is to certify that ,joseph ,rance has been in my employ for eighteen months4 ,he is a most willing and able worker1 honest1 steady1 and faithful4 ,i regret that ,i was obliged to let him go from my employ4 ,i feel very safe in highly recommending him to you4 ,very truly yours1 ,george ,bunce4 ,recommendation for a special position ,,harcourt ,,manufacturing ,,co4 #bi ,,boylston ,,street ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,october #aj1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,gordon ,edwards1 #dh ,tremont ,street1 ,boston1 ,mass4 ,dear ,mr4 ,edwards3 ,at luncheon last ,wednesday you mentioned that you were in need of another advertising writer4 ,if the position is still open1 ,i should like to recommend ,mr4 ,bruce ,walker4 ,when ,i first met ,mr4 ,walker he was with ,bellamy1 ,sears ,co41 ,boston1 and was doing most of their newspaper advertising4 ,his work was so good that ,i offered him a position as advertising writer with us4 ,he accepted1 with the approval of ,bellamy ,sears ,co41 and has been with me for the last three years4 ,he has written for us some of the best drawing copy that we ever used1 and his work has been satisfactory in every way4 ,he is original and modern in his advertising ideas1 and knows how to express them forcefully but without exaggeration4 ,his ,english is perfect4 ,i shall greatly regret losing ,mr4 ,walker1 but ,i cannot advance him above his present position1 and ,i agree with him that he is equal to a bigger position than he has here4 ,i hope you can give him the opportunity that he seeks4 ,if you will see him personally1 you will oblige both him and me4 ,very sincerely yours1 ,b4 ,a4 ,yeomans4 ,thanks for recommendation #bi ,kelley ,ave41 ,cleveland1 ,o41 ,october #d1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,john ,saunders1 ,jones ,publishing ,co41 ,cleveland1 ,o4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,saunders3 ,your influence and kindly interest have secured for me the position with ,tully ,clark4 ,i want to thank you for the excellent recommendation which you gave me and to assure you that ,i shall give my best attention to my new work4 ,very truly yours1 ,john ,dillon4 ,,letters ,,of ,,introduction ,the method of delivering letters of introduction is fully described under social letters of introduction4 ,answer to a request for a letter of introduction #hi ,grand ,ave41 ,detroit1 ,mich41 ,august #h1 #aibc4 ,mr4 ,albert ,hall1 #bi ,main ,street1 ,detroit1 ,mich4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,hall3 ,accompanying this note you find letters of introduction which ,i hope will be what you want4 ,i am glad to give you these letters and should you need any further assistance of this kind1 please consider me at your disposal4 ,yours truly1 ,clement ,wilks4 ,general letters of introduction #hi ,grand ,ave41 ,detroit1 ,mich41 ,august #h1 #aibc4 ,this will introduce the bearer1 ,mr4 ,albert ,hall1 whom ,i personally know as being a gentleman in conduct and reputation4 ,any courtesy shown to ,mr4 ,hall ,i shall consider a favor to myself1 and ,i ask for him all possible attention and service4 ,clement ,wilks4 ,june #i1 #aibc4 ,to ,whom ,it ,may ,concern3 ,the bearer1 ,david ,clark1 has been an acquaintance of mine for five years4 ,he is a young man of good habits4 ,i would recommend him for any position within his ability4 ,ellery ,saunders4 ,special introduction 7,the inside address1 heading1 and signature are to be supplied7 ,dear ,sir3 ,mr4 ,walter ,green1 whom this will introduce to you1 is a member of our ,credit ,department4 ,he is visiting ,new ,york on a personal matter1 but he has offered to make a personal investigation of the ,crump case and ,i have advised him to see you1 as the man who knows most about that affair4 ,if you can find the time to give him a brief interview1 you will do him a favor1 and ,i also shall appreciate it4 ,yours very truly1 ,vice-,president4 ,introducing a stenographer in order to secure a position for her #ajj ,wall ,street1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 ,february #f1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,william ,everett1 #cdg ,madison ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,everett3 ,the bearer of this letter1 ,miss ,mildred ,bryan1 my stenographer1 is available for a position1 owing to the fact that ,i am moving my office to ,cincinnati4 ,she is an unusually competent young woman--quick1 accurate1 intelligent1 and familiar with the routine of a law office4 ,if you need a stenographer1 you cannot do better than engage ,miss ,bryan1 and ,i am taking the liberty of giving her this letter for you4 ,very truly yours1 ,howard ,s4 ,briggs4 ,,letters ,,of ,,inquiry ,requests for information ,bradford ,mills1 ,pa41 ,august #i1 #aibc4 ,dr4 ,louis ,elliott1 #bi ,walnut ,street1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,my dear ,dr4 ,elliott3 ,i am writing a paper on ,vitamines to be read before the ,mothers' ,club1 an organization of ,bradford ,mills mothers4 ,i have drawn most of my material from your article in the ,medical ,magazine1 acknowledging1 of course1 the source of my information4 ,there are several points1 however1 on which ,i am not clear4 ,as it is of great importance that this subject be presented to the mothers correctly1 ,i am addressing you personally to get the facts4 #a4 ,am ,i to understand that no other foods than those you mention contain these vitamines8 #b4 ,are all the classes of vitamines necessary to life and will a child fed on foods containing all the known vitamines be better conditioned than one fed on only one kind8 ,i shall greatly appreciate your answering my questions4 ,the members of the club have shown surprising interest in this matter of food4 ,yours sincerely1 ,mabel ,manners4 #abh ,east ,forty-,sixth ,street1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 ,june #ae1 #aibb4 ,the ,prentiss ,candy ,co41 ,long ,island ,city1 ,n4 ,y4 ,gentlemen3 ,the ,better ,food ,magazine1 to which ,i am a contributor1 has asked me to make an investigation of the manufacture of the most widely advertised foods1 with a view to writing an article on foods for the magazine4 ,i should like if possible to talk with someone and to make a short visit to the factory4 ,if you can arrange an appointment for me during the next week1 will you let me know8 ,i shall greatly appreciate it4 ,very truly yours1 7,miss7 ,vera ,henderson4 ,answers to letters of inquiry ,,the ,,prentiss ,,candy ,,co4 ,,long ,,island ,,city1 ,n4 ,y4 ,june #ag1 #aibb4 ,miss ,vera ,henderson1 #abh ,east ,forty-,sixth ,street1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,madam3 ,we have your letter of #aeth ,june and we shall be glad to give you any assistance in our power4 ,if you will call at the factory office next week on ,tuesday the #bbnd or ,wednesday the #bcrd and present the enclosed card to ,mr4 ,jones1 you will get all the information you desire4 ,very truly yours1 7,handwritten7 ,b4 ,j4 ,clark1 ,the ,prentiss ,candy ,co4 ,,pine ,,grove ,,lodge1 ,,stanton1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,absolutely ,,fireproof ,,open ,,all ,,the ,,year ,,the ,,finest ,,resort ,,hotel ,,in ,,the ,,country ,may #f1 #aiba4 ,mr4 ,charles ,keith1 #djjj ,madison ,ave41 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,dear ,sir3 ,we have your letter of ,may #dth and in answer we are enclosing some of our descriptive literature4 ,we can offer you absolute comfort together with an almost matchless environment in the points of beauty and of suitability for all sports4 ,our rates are on the ,american plan4 ,we have the finest ,american plan kitchen and table anywhere4 ,we enclose a menu4 ,our single rooms with private bath are #ej1 #fb1 and #gj per week up for one person4 ,rooms without bath1 but with hot and cold running water and adjacent to bath are #de per week4 ,double rooms with private bath and furnished with two single beds are #ie1 #aje1 and #aae per week up for two persons4 ,rooms for two without bath are #hj per week4 ,these rates hold until ,september #ast4 ,the difference in rates is caused by the size and location of rooms1 but every room is furnished with taste and care4 ,the decorations have been carefully thought out4 ,there are no undesirable rooms at the ,lodge and every room is an outside room4 ,those on the east overlook the #abj-;acre golf course with a magnificent view of the mountains1 and those on the west front the wooded slopes of ,sunset ,mountain4 ,stanton affords the greatest combination of scenery1 health-giving climate1 and facilities for enjoyment4 ,add to this the comforts and luxuries of a modern hotel such as ,pine ,grove ,lodge and the result is perfect4 ,we feel quite sure you will find a visit here restful or lively--as you will4 ,one of the attractions of the place is its facilities for occupying oneself in one's own way4 ,we shall be glad to make reservation for you at any time or to answer any further inquiries4 ,yours very truly1 ,pine ,grove ,lodge4 ,if you should receive an inquiry for advice1 opinion1 or information1 which you do not care1 for some reason1 to give1 you should at least reply stating that you cannot comply with the request1 in as courteous a manner as possible4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,form ,,paragraphs ,a considerable part of the day's run of correspondence in a business office has to do with not more than half-a-dozen subjects4 ,quotations will be asked for4 ,tenders will be made4 ,complaints will be made and received4 ,adjustments of various kinds will be done1 and so on1 through a list that varies with the particular business of the office4 ,it is advisable to keep the tone of correspondence on a fairly uniform level4 ,therefore if each letter has to be individually dictated1 only a man mentally equipped to write letters can do the dictating4 ,the time of such a man is expensive and often might better be devoted to other matters4 ,hence the invention of what is known as a form paragraph1 which is a standardized paragraph that can be used with slight variations as a section of a great many letters4 ,the result is that most routine mail does not have to be dictated4 ,a letter is merely read1 the essential facts dictated or noted on the letter itself1 and certain symbols added which tell the stenographer the form paragraphs that are to be used4 ,the letter is then almost mechanically produced4 ,some companies have gone so extensively into the writing of form paragraphs that they have sections covering practically every subject that can arise4 ,this possibly carrying the idea too far4 ,convenience may become inconvenience1 and there is of course always the danger of getting in a slightly unsuitable paragraph which will reveal to the reader that the letter has not been personally dictated4 ,however1 a certain number of form paragraphs considerably reduces the cost of letter writing and also conduces to the raising of the standards1 for the mere reading of well-phrased form letters will often induce in an otherwise poor correspondent a certain regard for clear expression4 ,the proper form paragraphs that any concern may profitably use are a matter of specific investigation4 ,the way to get at the list of useful forms is to take all of the letters received and all of the letters written during1 say1 one or two months and then classify them4 ,a number of letters will have to do with purely individual cases4 ,these letters should be discarded4 ,they are letters which would have to be personally dictated in any event and there is no use wasting time composing forms for them4 ,the remaining letters will fall into divisions1 and through these divisions it will become apparent what points in the correspondence arise so frequently and in so nearly the same form as to be capable of being expressed in form paragraphs4 ,there will probably be a number of subjects which can be covered fully by two or three form letters1 but a nicer adjustment will usually be had by thinking of form paragraphs rather than of form letters1 for skillfully drawn and skillfully used form paragraphs will so closely simulate the personal letter as to leave no doubt in the mind of the reader that considerable trouble has been taken to put the matter before him courteously and exactly4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,children',s ,,letters ,children's letters may be written on ordinary stationery1 but it adds a good deal of interest to their letter writing if they may use some of the several pretty1 special styles to be had at any good stationer's4 ,the following examples of children's letters include3 ,letter of invitation from a child to a child4 ,letter of invitation from a parent to a child4 ,letter from a parent to a parent inviting a child4 ,letter of thanks to an aunt for a gift4 ,letter to a sick playmate4 ,letter to a teacher4 ,letter to a grandmother on her birthday4 ,invitation to a birthday party ,april #ad1 #aiba4 ,dear ,frank3 ,i am going to have a birthday party next ,friday afternoon1 from three-thirty until six o'clock4 ,i hope you will come and help us to have a good time4 ,sincerely yours1 ,harriet ,evans4 #ejj ,park ,avenue ,accepting #dci ,manhattan ,avenue1 ,april #af1 #aiba4 ,dear ,harriet3 ,it is so kind of you to ask me to your birthday party next ,friday afternoon4 ,i shall be very glad to come4 ,sincerely yours1 ,frank ,dawson4 ,regretting #dci ,manhattan ,avenue1 ,april #af1 #aiba4 ,dear ,harriet3 ,i am very sorry that ,i cannot go to your birthday party on next ,friday4 ,my mother is taking me to visit my cousin1 so ,i shall be away4 ,thank you for asking me4 ,i hope you will all have a great deal of fun4 ,sincerely yours1 ,frank ,dawson4 ,invitation from a parent to a child ,dear ,ethel3 ,the twins are going to have a little party on ,friday afternoon and they would like you to come4 ,can you come at three-thirty8 ,tell your mother we will arrange that you get home at six4 ,cordially yours1 ,katherine ,g4 ,evans4 ,from a parent to another parent ,dear ,mrs4 ,heywood3 ,dorothy will have a birthday on ,tuesday1 the thirteenth of ,june4 ,we are planning1 if the weather is fine1 to have a lawn party4 ,otherwise we shall have it in the house4 ,she hopes that you will let ,madeline come and ,i am sure they will all have a good time4 ,if you send ,madeline at four ,i will see that she returns home at six4 ,cordially yours1 ,bernice ,lawson ,grant4 ,to a friend ,bellville1 ,lancaster ,county1 ,pa41 ,june #ad1 #aibb4 ,dear ,bob3 ,will you visit us on the farm during your summer vacation8 ,father has bought me a boat and we can go fishing and swimming4 ,mabel has a pony and ,i know she will let us ride him4 ,please let me know if you may come and if you may stay two weeks4 ,sincerely yours1 ,roger ,palmer4 ,thanks for a gift3 #aei ,west ,tenth ,street4 ,december #ab1 #aiba4 ,dear ,aunt ,louise3 ,you were wonderful to think of sending me those fine skates for my birthday4 ,they are just the kind ,i wanted and ,i wish to thank you4 ,i shall take good care of them4 ,your affectionate nephew1 ,john ,orr4 ,to a sick playmate #df ,elmwood ,avenue1 ,june #af1 #aibb4 ,dear ,dorothy3 ,i am so sorry you are ill1 but your mother says you are getting better4 ,if you like1 ,i shall let you have my book with the poem called ,the ,land of ,counterpane4 ,it is about a sick little boy who is playing with his toy soldiers and people and villages4 ,in the picture they seem to be making him forget he is sick4 ,all the boys and girls hope you will soon be out to play again4 ,sincerely yours1 ,betty ,foster4 ,to a teacher #ejj ,park ,avenue1 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 ,february #h1 #aibj4 ,dear ,miss ,sewell3 ,i want to thank you for your kindness in helping me with my studies1 especially arithmetic4 ,without your help ,i should not have been able to pass my examinations4 ,mother asks that you will come some day next week to take tea with us4 ,sincerely yours1 ,susan ,evans4 ,to a grandparent ,dear ,grandmother3 ,i wish you a very happy birthday and ,i hope you will like the present ,i sent you4 ,mother helped me to make it4 ,i send you my best love4 ,your loving grandchild1 ,evelyn4 ,here is a charming letter#ag that ,helen ,keller when she was ten years of age wrote to ,john ,greenleaf ,whittier on the occasion of his birthday3 ,south ,boston1 ,dec4 #ag1 #ahij4 ,dear ,kind ,poet1 ,this is your birthday2 that was the first thought which came into my mind when ,i awoke this morning2 and it made me glad to think ,i could write you a letter and tell you how much your little friends love their sweet poet and his birthday4 ,this evening they are going to entertain their friends with readings from your poems and music4 ,i hope the swift winged messengers of love will be here to carry some of the sweet melody to you1 in your little study by the ,merrimac4 ,at first ,i was very sorry when ,i found that the sun had hidden his shining face behind dull clouds1 but afterwards ,i thought why he did it1 and then ,i was happy4 ,the sun knows that you like to see the world covered with beautiful white snow and so he kept back all his brightness1 and let the little crystals form in the sky4 ,when they are ready1 they will softly fall and tenderly cover every object4 ,then the sun will appear in all his radiance and fill the world with light4 ,if ,i were with you to-day ,i would give you eighty-three kisses1 one for each year you have lived4 ,eighty-three years seems very long to me4 ,does it seem long to you8 ,i wonder how many years there will be in eternity4 ,i am afraid ,i cannot think about so much time4 ,i received the letter which you wrote to me last summer1 and ,i thank you for it4 ,i am staying in ,boston now at the ,institution for the ,blind1 but ,i have not commenced my studies yet1 because my dearest friend1 ,mr4 ,anagnos1 wants me to rest and play a great deal4 ,teacher is well and sends her kind remembrance to you4 ,the happy ,christmas time is almost here6 ,i can hardly wait for the fun to begin6 ,i hope your ,christmas ,day will be a very happy one and that the ,new ,year will be full of brightness and joy for you and every one4 ,from your little friend ,helen ,a4 ,keller4 #ag ,this and the letter following are from ,the ,story of ,my ,life1 by ,helen ,keller4 ,copyright1 #aijb1 #aijc1 by ,helen ,keller4 ,published in book form by ,doubleday1 ,page ,co4 ,and the distinguished poet's reply3 ,my dear ,young ,friend3 ,i was very glad to have such a pleasant letter on my birthday4 ,i had two or three hundred others and thine was one of the most welcome of all4 ,i must tell thee about how the day passed at ,oak ,knoll4 ,of course the sun did not shine1 but we had great open wood fires in the rooms1 which were all very sweet with roses and other flowers1 which were sent to me from distant friends2 and fruits of all kinds from ,california and other places4 ,some relatives and dear old friends were with me through the day4 ,i do not wonder thee thinks eighty-three years a long time1 but to me it seems but a very little while since ,i was a boy no older than thee1 playing on the old farm at ,haverhill4 ,i thank thee for all thy good wishes1 and wish thee as many4 ,i am glad thee is at the ,institution2 it is an excellent place4 ,give my best regards to ,miss ,sullivan1 and with a great deal of love ,i am ,thy old friend1 ,john ,g4 ,whittier4 ,,chapter ,x ,,telegrams ,perhaps the most important thing to guard against in the writing of telegrams is a choice of words which1 when run together1 may be read two ways4 ,as there should be no punctuation 7and telegraph companies do not hold themselves responsible for punctuation7 the sentences must be perfectly clear4 ,there are instances where the use of punctuation has caused trouble4 ,in cases where punctuation is absolutely necessary1 as for instance when more than one subject must be covered in the same message1 the word stop is employed to divide the sentences1 as3 ,will arrive eight-thirty ,wednesday stop telephone ,gaines am coming stop will be at ,hotel ,pennsylvania ,therefore write sentences so that when they are run together there is only one interpretation4 ,use no salutation or complimentary closing4 ,leave out all words that are not necessary to the meaning4 ,omit first-person pronouns where they are sure to be understood4 ,do not divide words in a telegram4 ,compound words are accepted as one word4 ,numbers should be spelled out1 principally because it is more likely to insure correct transmission1 and secondly because it costs less4 ,for example1 in the ordinal #bdth the suffix th is counted as another word4 ,the minimum charge for telegrams is the cost of ten words1 not counting the name1 address1 and signature4 ,nothing is saved by cutting the message to less than ten words4 ,there is a certain fixed rate of charge for every word over ten4 ,in counting the words1 count as one word the following3 ,i--,every word in the name of an individual or a concern as3 ,clive and ,meyer ,co4 7four words7 ,de,forest and ,washburn ,co4 7four words also1 as ,de,forest is counted as one word74 ,,ii--,every dictionary word4 ,in the case of cablegrams1 words of over fifteen letters are counted as two words4 ,,iii--,every separate letter as the ,m in ,george ,m4 ,sykes 7three words74 ,,iv--,every figure in a number as #eih 7three words74 ,v--,names of states1 territories1 counties1 cities1 and villages4 ,,vi--,weights and measures1 decimal points1 punctuation marks within the sentence4 ,to save expense in long messages codes can be used in which one word stands for several words4 ,the ,western ,union has an established code--or private codes can be arranged4 ,five letters are allowed as one code word4 ,a word of six or seven letters will thus count as two words4 ,in cablegrams the use of codes is common on account of the higher rate for cablegrams4 ,since the name1 address1 date1 and signature are all counted1 code words are frequently used for the name and address4 ,code language is allowed only in the first class of cable messages4 ,,occasional ,,telegrams ,a graceful1 concise1 pertinent1 and well-worded occasional telegram is frequently not easy to write4 ,the following forms are suggested for the composition of some of these telegrams4 ,the longer forms can be sent most cheaply as ,night ,letters or ,day ,letters4 ,a ,night ,letter of fifty words can be sent for the cost of a ten-word full-rate telegram1 i4e41 from #cj cents to #a4bj1 depending on the distance4 ,a ,day ,letter of fifty words can be sent for one and one half the cost of a ten-word full-rate message1 i4e41 from #de cents to #a4hj1 depending on the distance4 ,new ,year greetings ,best wishes for the ,new ,year4 ,may it bring to you and your family health1 happiness1 peace1 and prosperity4 ,may it see your hopes fulfilled and may it be rich in the successful accomplishment of your highest aims4 ,best wishes for a ,happy ,new ,year4 ,may peace and happiness be yours in the ,new ,year4 ,may fortune smile upon you and favor you with many blessings4 ,i 7,we7 wish you a ,happy ,new ,year1 a year big with success and achievement1 a year rich with the affection of those who are dear to you1 a year mellow with happiness and contentment4 ,what the coming year may hold we can none of us foresee4 ,it is my 7our7 earnest wish that for you it may bring forth a generous harvest of happiness and good fortune4 ,may the coming year and all that succeed it deal lightly and kindly with you4 ,may the coming year bring you happiness in fullest measure4 ,we think of you with the affection born of our long friendship which the recurring year only strengthens4 ,may the ,new ,year bring you health1 happiness1 and all other good things4 ,health1 happiness1 and contentment1 may these be yours in the ,new ,year4 ,may health1 happiness1 and prosperity be yours in bountiful measure in the year to come4 ,may the ,new ,year be a good year to you and yours--full of health and happiness4 ,may each of the three hundred and sixty-five days of the ,new ,year be a happy one for you4 ,the happiest of ,new ,years to you and yours4 ,may the ,new ,year find you in the enjoyment of health and happiness4 ,easter greetings ,our thoughts turn to you with affection and best wishes at this ,easter season with the hope that peace1 prosperity1 and plenty may attend your life to-day and through all your days to come4 ,easter ,greeting from a friend who thinks of you with constant affection4 ,this ,easter ,greeting carries to you the affection of an old friend4 ,may this ,easter ,day find you in the enjoyment of health and happiness4 ,best wishes for a happy ,easter4 ,best wishes for a happy ,easter ,day4 ,may your future ever be as bright as the ,springtime4 ,just a message to a friend1 to convey to you my wish that this ,easter may bring you happiness and good fortune4 ,may ,easter gladness fill your heart to-day and may all good attend you4 ,i 7,we7 ,wish you joy and happiness at this ,eastertide4 ,may happiness and health be yours on this ,easter ,day and in the days to come4 ,we all join in best wishes for a happy ,easter ,day to you and your family4 ,easter ,greetings to you and yours4 ,may your ,easter be a bright and happy one4 ,we all wish you and yours a happy ,easter4 ,love and best wishes for a happy ,easter4 ,my 7,our7 ,easter ,greetings go to you4 ,may the day be a joyful one for you4 ,thanksgiving ,day greetings ,best wishes for a happy ,thanksgiving ,day4 ,good cheer and plenty1 the love of your dear ones1 the affection of your friends1 may all these contribute to a happy ,thanksgiving ,day4 ,may your ,thanksgiving ,day be a day of happiness and contentment4 ,may your ,thanksgiving ,day be full of happiness and all good cheer4 ,that ,i am 7we are7 not at home to-day to join in the festivities is a great sorrow to me 7us74 ,love to all the dear family4 ,i never forget the joy of this day at home4 ,love from one far away4 ,although ,i 7we7 cannot be with you to-day ,i 7we7 have the memory of past ,thanksgiving ,days at home4 ,god bless you all4 ,think of me 7us7 as being with you in spirit4 ,my 7,our7 love to you all4 ,let us never fail to be thankful that the years only increase the strength of our long friendship4 ,it is with great thanksgiving that ,i 7we7 think of my 7our7 dear ones at home4 ,my 7,our7 one wish this ,thanksgiving ,day is that ,i 7we7 might be with you4 ,affectionate wishes for your happiness4 ,though ,i 7we7 cannot be with you at the ,thanksgiving ,day board1 my 7our7 thoughts are with you to-day4 ,around the family table think of me 7us7 as ,i 7we7 absent1 shall think of you4 ,my 7,our7 love to all4 ,i 7,we7 can picture you all at home4 ,how ,i 7we7 long to be with you4 ,my 7,our7 love to all the family4 ,christmas greetings ,every good wish for a ,merry ,christmas and a happy and prosperous ,new ,year4 ,i need not tell you with what affection we are thinking of you and yours at this ,christmas season4 ,god bless you all4 ,every good wish for a ,merry ,christmas and a happy and prosperous ,new ,year4 ,my 7,our7 very best wishes for a ,merry ,christmas4 ,merry ,christmas to you and yours4 ,may your ,christmas be a very happy one4 ,merry ,christmas to you and all the family4 ,we all join in wishing you a ,merry ,christmas4 ,all affection and good wishes for a ,merry ,christmas to you and yours4 ,that your ,christmas be a very happy one is the wish of your sincere friend4 ,may ,christmas bring you joy and happiness4 ,you are constantly in my 7our7 thoughts which carry to you to-day all affectionate wishes for a ,happy ,christmas4 ,a ,merry ,christmas and a ,happy ,new ,year4 ,best wishes for a ,merry ,christmas and ,happy ,new ,year4 ,love and a ,merry ,christmas to you all4 ,may your ,christmas be a merry one and the ,new ,year full of happiness4 ,affectionate greetings for a ,merry ,christmas and a ,happy ,new ,year4 ,may this ,christmas find you well and happy4 ,love and best wishes to you and yours4 ,may ,christmas bring you naught but joy and banish all care and sorrow4 ---- joins me in very best wishes for a ,merry ,christmas4 ,a ,merry ,christmas to all the dear ones at home4 ,it is my 7our7 dearest wish that ,i 7we7 might be with you at this season of happiness and good-will--,merry ,christmas and ,happy ,new ,year4 ,birthday greetings ,many happy returns of the day4 ,my 7,our7 affectionate thoughts and every good wish go to you on this your birthday4 ,may each succeeding year bring to you the best satisfaction which life holds4 ,many happy returns of the day4 ,best wishes for a happy birthday4 ,best wishes for your birthday4 ,may all your ways be pleasant ways and all your days be happy days4 ,birthday greetings4 ,i 7,we7 wish you a long life and everything that makes a long life worth living4 ,best wishes for your birthday4 ,may you live long and prosper4 ,my 7,our7 thoughts are with you on your birthday4 ,may all your days be happy days4 ,i 7,we7 wish you many happy years blessed with health1 success1 and friendship and filled with all the best that life can hold4 ,we all join in best wishes for a very happy birthday and many years of health and prosperity4 ,we all join in best wishes for a very happy birthday4 ,may your birthday mark the dawn of a year of health1 happiness1 and good fortune4 ,wedding messages ,sincerest congratulations to the bride and groom from an old friend who wishes you both years of health1 happiness1 and prosperity4 ,may the future hold only the best for you that this world can give4 ,heartiest congratulations4 ,i 7,we7 wish you many years of happiness4 ,mrs4 ---- and ,i join in heartiest congratulations4 ,hearty congratulations4 ,may your years be many and happy ones4 ,my 7,our7 sincerest and best wishes for your happiness4 ,we all join in hearty congratulations and best wishes4 ,may happiness1 health1 and prosperity be with you through the years to come4 ,may all good fortune attend you1 may your sky ever be bright1 may no clouds of sorrow or trouble shadow it1 and may your path be long and filled with joy4 ,every happiness be yours dear ---- on this your ,wedding ,day4 ,let an old family friend send his 7her7 love and congratulations to the bride and groom4 ,may all good fairies watch over you4 ,may they keep far from you all care and sorrow and brighten your path with sunshine and happiness4 ,to the bride and groom1 love and congratulations from an old friend4 ,may this day be the beginning of a long1 happy1 and prosperous life for you both4 ,on the birth of a child ,love to the dear mother and her little son 7daughter74 ,heartiest congratulations and love to mother and son 7daughter74 ,we rejoice with you in the happiness that has come into your lives4 ,love to mother and son 7daughter74 ,my best wishes to the newly arrived son 7daughter7 and to his 7her7 mother4 ,we are all 7,i am7 delighted to hear the news4 ,hearty congratulations4 ,a warm welcome to the new arrival and best wishes for his 7her7 health and happiness4 ,to the dear mother and her little son 7daughter7 love and every good wish4 ,hearty congratulations on the arrival of the new son 7daughter74 ,messages of condolence ,you have my heartfelt sympathy in this hour of your bereavement4 ,i wish ,i might find words in which to express my sorrow at your loss which is also mine4 ,may you have the strength to bear this great affliction4 ,you have my 7our7 heartfelt sympathy4 ,my 7,our7 heartfelt sympathy in your great sorrow4 ,i 7,we7 want you to know with what tender sympathy ,i am 7,we are7 thinking of you in these days of your bereavement4 ,my 7,our7 sincere and heartfelt sympathy4 ,i 7,we7 have just heard of your great affliction4 ,let me 7us7 send to you my 7our7 heartfelt sympathy4 ,my 7,our7 sincere sympathy4 ,in the death of your dear father 7mother--wife--sister--brother7 ,i 7we7 have lost one whom it was my 7our7 privilege to call my 7our7 friend4 ,my 7our7 heartfelt sympathy goes out to you in your sorrow4 ---- joins me in the expression of our deepest sympathy4 ,my 7,our7 love and sympathy go out to you in your great sorrow4 ,i 7,we7 share your sorrow for ,i 7we7 have lost a dear friend4 ,all love and sympathy to you and yours4 ,i 7,we7 send you my 7our7 heartfelt sympathy4 ,to have enjoyed the friendship of your father 7husband--brother7 ,i 7we7 hold one of the greatest privileges of my life 7our lives74 ,my 7,our7 sincere sympathy goes out to you in your heavy affliction4 ,my 7,our7 love and sympathy in your sudden affliction4 ,i am 7,we are7 greatly shocked at the sad news4 ,you have my 7our7 deepest sympathy4 ,my 7,our7 deepest sympathy in your great loss4 ,if there is anything ,i 7we7 can do1 do not hesitate to let me 7us7 know4 ,congratulation to a school or college graduate ,may your future be as successful as have been your school 7college7 days4 ,heartiest congratulations upon your graduation4 ,i am 7,we are7 proud of your success4 ,may the future grant you opportunity and the fulfillment of your hopes4 ,i 7,we7 hear that you have taken class honors4 ,sincerest congratulations and best wishes4 ,may your ,class ,day be favored with sunny skies and your life be full of happiness and success4 ,sincerest congratulations upon your graduation4 ,congratulations upon your school 7college7 success1 so happily terminated to-day4 ,i 7,we7 regret that ,i 7we7 cannot be with you to-day to see you take your new honors4 ,sincerest congratulations4 ,congratulation to a public man ,heartiest congratulations on your splendid success4 ,we have just heard of your success4 ,sincere congratulations and best wishes for the future4 ,heartiest congratulations on your nomination 7election74 ,your nomination 7election7 testifies to the esteem in which you are held by your fellow citizens4 ,heartiest congratulations4 ,congratulations on your victory1 a hard fight1 well won by the best man4 ,your splendid majority must be a great satisfaction to you4 ,sincerest congratulations on your election4 ,congratulations upon your nomination4 ,you will have the support of the best element in the community and your election should be a foregone conclusion4 ,i wish you every success4 ,you fought a good fight in a good cause4 ,heartiest congratulations on your splendid success4 ,nothing in your career should fill you with greater satisfaction than your successful election4 ,i congratulate you with all my heart4 ,no man deserves success more than you4 ,you have worked hard for your constituents and they appreciate it4 ,heartiest congratulations4 ,your nomination 7election7 is received with the greatest enthusiasm by your friends here and by none more than myself4 ,heartiest congratulations4 ,i congratulate you upon your new honors won by distinguished services to your fellow citizens4 ,your campaign was vigorous and fine4 ,your victory testifies to the people's confidence in you and your cause4 ,warmest congratulations4 ,congratulations upon your well-won victory and best wishes for your future success4 ,you deserve your splendid success4 ,sincerest congratulations4 ,i cannot refrain from expressing my personal appreciation of your eloquent address4 ,warmest congratulations4 ,your address last night was splendid4 ,what a gift you have4 ,sincerest congratulations4 ,heartiest congratulations on your splendid speech of last night4 ,everybody is praising it4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,letters--,,contract ,,letters ,there are forty-eight states in this ,union1 and each of them has its own laws and courts4 ,in addition we have the ,federal ,government with its own laws and courts4 ,in one class of cases1 the ,federal courts follow the state laws which govern the particular occasion2 in another class of cases1 notably in those involving the interpretation or application of the ,united ,states statutes1 the ,federal courts follow ,federal law4 ,there is not even a degree of uniformity governing the state laws1 and especially is this true in criminal actions1 for crimes are purely statutory creations4 ,therefore it is extremely misleading to give any but the vaguest and most elementary suggestions on the law which governs letters4 ,to be clear and specific means inevitably to be misleading4 ,i was talking with a lawyer friend not long since about general text-books on law which might be useful to the layman4 ,he was rather a commercially minded person and he spoke fervently3 ,if ,i wanted to build up a practice and ,i did not care how ,i did it1 ,i should select one hundred well-to-do people and see that each of them got a copy of a compendium of business law4 ,then ,i should sit back and wait for them to come in--and come in they would1 for every mother's son of them would decide that he had a knowledge of the law and cheerfully go ahead getting himself into trouble4 ,sharpen up a man's knowledge of the law and he is sure to cut himself4 ,for the law is rarely absolute4 ,most questions are of mixed fact and law4 ,were it otherwise1 there would be no occasion for juries1 for1 roughly1 juries decide facts4 ,the court decides the application of the law4 ,the layman tends to think that laws are rules1 when more often they are only guides4 ,the cheapest and best way to decide points of law is to refer them to counsel for decision4 ,unless a layman will take the time and the trouble most exhaustively to read works of law and gain something in the nature of a working legal knowledge1 he had best take for granted that he knows nothing whatsoever of law and refer all legal matters to counsel4 ,there are1 however1 a few principles of general application that may serve1 not in the stead of legal knowledge1 but to acquaint one with the fact that a legal question may be involved1 for legal questions by no means always formally present themselves in barristers' gowns4 ,they spring up casually and unexpectedly4 ,take the whole question of contract4 ,a contract is not of necessity a formal instrument4 ,a contract is a meeting of minds4 ,if ,i say to a man3 ,will you cut my lawn for ten dollars8 and he answers1 ,yes1 as valid a contract is established as though we had gone to a scrivener and had covered a folio of parchment with ,whereases and ,know all men by these presents and ,be it therefore and had wound up with red seals and ribbons4 ,but of course many legal questions could spring out of this oral agreement4 ,we might dispute as to what was meant by cutting the lawn4 ,and then1 again1 the time element would enter4 ,was the agreement that the lawn should be cut the next day1 or the next month1 or the next year8 ,contracts do not have to be in writing4 ,all that the writing does is to make the proof of the exact contract easier4 ,if we have the entirety of a contract within the four corners of a sheet of paper1 then we need no further evidence as to the existence of the contract1 although we may be in just as hopeless a mess trying to define what the words of the contract mean4 ,if we have not a written contract1 we have the bother of introducing oral evidence to show that there was a contract4 ,most contracts nowadays are formed by the interchange of letters1 and the general point to remember is that the acceptance must be in terms of the offer4 ,if ,x writes saying3 ,i will sell you twenty tons of coal at fifteen dollars a ton1 and ,y replies3 ,i will take thirty tons of coal at thirteen dollars a ton1 there is no contract1 but merely a series of offers4 ,if1 however1 ,x ships the thirty tons of coal1 he can hold ,y only at thirteen dollars a ton for he has abandoned his original offer and accepted ,y's offer4 ,it can be taken as a general principle that if an offer be not accepted in its terms and a new condition be introduced1 then the acceptance really becomes an offer1 and if the one who made the original offer goes ahead1 it can be assumed that he has agreed to the modifications of the unresponsive acceptance4 ,if ,x writes to ,y making an offer1 one of the conditions of which is that it must be accepted within ten days1 and ,y accepts in fifteen days1 then ,x can1 if he likes1 disregard the acceptance1 but he can waive his ten-day time limit and take ,y's acceptance as a really binding agreement4 ,another point1 sometimes of considerable importance1 concerns the time when a letter takes effect1 and this is governed by the question of fact as to whom the ,post ,office ,department is acting for4 ,if1 in making an offer1 ,i ask for a reply by mail or simply for a reply1 ,i constitute the mail as my agent1 and the acceptor of that offer will be presumed to have communicated with me at the moment when he consigns his letter to the mails4 ,he must give the letter into proper custody--that is1 it must go into the regular and authorized channels for the reception of mail4 ,that done1 it makes no difference whether or not the letter ever reaches the offerer4 ,it has been delivered to his agent1 and delivery to an agent is delivery to the principal4 ,therefore1 it is wise to specify in an offer that the acceptance has to be actually received4 ,the law with respect to the agency of the mails varies and turns principally upon questions of fact4 ,letters may1 of course1 be libelous4 ,the law of libel varies widely among the several states1 and there are also ,federal laws as well as ,postal ,regulations covering matters which are akin to libel4 ,the answer to libel is truth1 but not always1 for sometimes the truth may be spread with so malicious an intent as to support an action4 ,it is not well to put into a letter any derogatory or subversive statement that cannot be fully proved4 ,this becomes of particular importance in answering inquiries concerning character or credit1 but in practically every case libel is a question of fact4 ,another point that arises concerns the property in a letter4 ,does he who receives a letter acquire full property in it8 ,may he publish it without permission8 ,in general he does not acquire full property4 ,mr4 ,justice ,story1 in a leading case1 says3 ,the author of any letter or letters1 and his representatives1 whether they are literary letters or letters of business1 possess the sole and exclusive copyright therein2 and no person1 neither those to whom they are addressed1 nor other persons1 have any right or authority to publish the same upon their own account or for their benefit4 ,but then1 again1 there are exceptions4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,cost ,,of ,a ,,letter ,discovering the exact cost of a letter is by no means an easy affair4 ,however1 approximate figures may always be had and they are extremely useful4 ,the cost of writing an ordinary letter is quite surprising4 ,very few letters can be dictated1 transcribed1 and mailed at a cost of much less than twelve cents each4 ,the factors which govern costs are variable and it is to be borne in mind that the methods for ascertaining costs as here given represent the least cost and not the real cost--they simply tell you ,your letter costs at least this sum4 ,they do not say ,your letter costs exactly this sum4 ,the cost of a form letter1 mailed in quantities1 can be gotten at with considerable accuracy4 ,the cost of letters dictated by correspondents or by credit departments or other routine departments is also capable of approximation with fair accuracy1 but the cost of a letter written by an executive can really hardly be more than guessed at4 ,but in any case a not-less-than cost can be had4 ,in recent years industrial engineers have done a great deal of work in ascertaining office costs and have devised many useful plans for lowering them4 ,these plans mostly go to the saving of stenographers' time through suitable equipment1 better arrangement of supplies1 and specialization of duties4 ,for instance1 light1 the kind or height of chair or desk1 the tension of the typewriter1 the location of the paper and carbon paper1 all tend to make or break the efficiency of the typist and are cost factors4 ,in offices where a great deal of routine mail is handled1 the writing of the envelopes and the mailing is in the hands of a separate department of specialists with sealing and stamp affixing machines4 ,the proper planning of a correspondence department is a science in itself1 and several good books exist on the subject4 ,but all of this has to do with the routine letter4 ,when an executive drawing a high salary must write a letter1 it is his time and not the time of the stenographer that counts4 ,he cannot be kept waiting for a stenographer1 and hence it is economy for him to have a personal secretary even if he does not write enough letters to keep a single machine busy through more than a fraction of a day4 ,many busy men do not dictate letters at all2 they have secretaries skilled in letter writing4 ,in fact1 a man whose salary exceeds thirty thousand dollars a year cannot afford to write a letter excepting on a very important subject4 ,he will commonly have a secretary who can write the letter after only a word or two indicating the subject matter4 ,part of the qualification of a good secretary is an ability to compose letters which are characteristic of the principal4 ,take first the cost of a circular letter--one that is sent out in quantities without any effort to secure a personal effect4 ,the items of cost are3 7#a7 ,the postage4 7#b7 ,the paper and printing4 7#c7 ,the cost of addressing1 sealing1 stamping1 and mailing4 ,the third item is the only one that offers any difficulty4 ,included in it are first the direct labor--the wages of the human beings employed2 and1 second1 the overhead expense4 ,the second item includes the value of the space occupied by the letter force1 the depreciation on the equipment1 and finally the supervision and the executive expense properly chargeable to the department4 ,unless an accurate cost system is in force the third item cannot be accurately calculated4 ,the best that can be done is to take the salaries of the people actually employed on the work and guess at the proper charge for the space4 ,the sum of the three items divided by the number of letters is the cost per letter4 ,it is not an accurate cost4 ,it will be low rather than high1 for probably the full share of overhead expense will not be charged4 ,it will be obvious1 however1 that the place to send out circular letters is not a room in a high-priced office building1 unless the sending is an occasional rather than a steady practice4 ,costs in this work are cut by better planning of the work and facilities1 setting work standards1 paying a bonus in excess of the standards1 and by the introduction of automatic machinery4 ,the ,post ,office now permits1 under certain conditions1 the use of a machine which prints a stamp that is really a frank4 ,this is now being used very generally by concerns which have a heavy outgoing mail4 ,then there are sealing machines1 work conveyors1 and numerous other mechanical and physical arrangements which operate to reduce the costs4 ,they are useful1 however1 only if the output be very large indeed4 ,the personally dictated letter has these costs3 7#a7 ,the postage4 7#b7 ,the stationery4 7#c7 ,the dictator's time--both in dictating and signing4 7#d7 ,the stenographer's time4 7#e7 ,the direct overhead expense1 which includes the space occupied1 the supervision1 the executive overhead1 and like items4 ,the troublesome items here are numbers three and five4 ,if the dictator is a correspondent then the calculation of how much it costs him to dictate a letter is his salary plus the overhead on the space that he occupies1 divided by the number of letters that he writes in an average month4 ,it takes him longer to write a long than a short letter1 but routine letters will average fairly over a period of a month4 ,but an executive who writes only letters that cannot be written by correspondents or lower salaried men commonly does so many other things in the course of a day that although his average time of dictation per letter may be ascertained and a cost gotten at1 the figure will not be a true cost1 for the dictation of an important letter comes only after a consideration of the subject matter which commonly takes much longer than the actual dictation4 ,and then1 again1 the higher executive is usually an erratic letter writer--he may take two minutes or twenty minutes over an ordinary ten-line letter4 ,some men read their letters very carefully after transcription4 ,the cost of this must also be reckoned in4 ,the cost of any letter is therefore a matter of the particular office4 ,it will vary from six or seven cents for a letter made up of form paragraphs to three or four dollars for a letter written by a high-salaried president of a large corporation4 ,a fair average cost for a personally dictated letter written on good paper is computed by one of the leading paper manufacturers1 after a considerable survey to be3 ,postage 4#jbjj ,printing letterheads and envelopes 4#jjfb ,stenographic wages 7#ej letters per day1 #bj4jj per week7 4#jgbg ,office overhead 4#jgbg ,paper and envelopes 4#jjed ------ 4#aggj ,the above does not include the expense of dictation4 ,it will pay any man who writes a considerable number of letters to discover what his costs are--and then make his letters so effective that there will be fewer of them4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,stationery1 ,,crests ,,and ,,monograms ,,social ,,correspondence ,for all social correspondence use plain sheets of paper1 without lines1 of white or cream1 or perhaps light gray or a very dull blue4 ,but white or cream is the safest4 ,select a good quality4 ,either a smooth vellum finish or a rough linen finish is correct4 ,for long letters there is the large sheet1 about five by six and one half inches1 or it may be even larger4 ,there is a somewhat smaller size1 about four and one half by five and one half or six inches for formal notes1 and a still smaller size for a few words of congratulation or condolence4 ,the social note must be arranged so as to be contained on the first page only4 ,a man should not1 for his social correspondence1 use office or hotel stationery4 ,his social stationery should be of a large size4 ,envelopes may be either square or oblong4 ,in the matter of perfumed stationery1 if perfume is used at all1 it must be very delicate4 ,strong perfumes or perfumes of a pronounced type have a distinctly unpleasant effect on many people4 ,it is better form to use none4 ,illustration3 ,specimens of addressed social stationery ,illustration3 ,specimens of addressed social stationery4 7,the first specimen is business stationery in social form7 ,an inviolable rule is to use black ink4 ,the most approved forms of letter and notepaper 7although the use of addressed paper is not at all obligatory and it is perfectly proper to use plain paper7 have the address stamped in ,roman or ,gothic lettering at the top of the sheet in the centre or at the right-hand side about three quarters of an inch from the top4 ,the color used may be black1 white1 dark blue1 dark green1 silver1 or gold4 ,country houses1 where there are frequent visitors1 have adopted the custom of placing the address at the upper right and the telephone1 railroad station1 and post office at the left4 ,the address may also appear on the reverse flap of the envelope4 ,crests and monograms are not used when the address is engraved at the top of a letter sheet4 ,obviously the crowding of address and crest or monogram would not be conducive to good appearance in the letter4 ,a monogram1 originally a cipher consisting of a single letter1 is a design of two or more letters intertwined4 ,it is defined as a character of several letters in one1 or made to appear as one4 ,the letters may be all the letters of a name1 or the initial letters of the ,christian and surnames4 ,illustration3 ,the monograms in the best taste are the small round ones1 but many pleasing designs may be had in the diamond1 square1 and oblong shape ,illustration3 ,specimens of crested letter and notepaper ,many of the early ,greek and ,roman coins bear the monograms of rulers or of the town in which they were struck4 ,the ,middle ,ages saw the invention of all sorts of ciphers or monograms1 artistic1 commercial1 and ecclesiastical4 ,every great personage had his monogram4 ,the merchants used them1 the merchant's mark being the merchant's initials mingled with a private device and almost invariably a cross1 as a protection against disaster or to distinguish their wares from those of ,mohammedan eastern traders4 ,early printers used monograms1 and they serve to identify early printed books4 ,a famous monogram is the interlaced ,h4,d4 of ,henry ,,ii and ,diane de ,poitiers4 ,it appeared lavishly upon every building which ,henry ,,ii erected4 ,it was also stamped on the bindings in the royal library1 with the bow1 the quiver1 and the crescent of ,diana4 ,monograms and crests on stationery1 after a period of disuse1 seem to be coming into favor again4 ,the monograms in the best taste are the small round ones1 though very pleasing designs may be had in the diamond1 square1 and oblong shapes4 ,they should not be elaborate1 and no brilliant colors should be used4 ,the stamping is best done in black1 white1 dark green1 dark blue1 gold1 or silver4 ,the crest or monogram may be placed in the centre of the sheet or on the left-hand side about three quarters of an inch from the top4 ,the address may be in the centre or at the right-hand side4 ,but1 as noted above1 to use both addressed and monogrammed or crested paper is not good taste4 ,the best stationery seems to run simply to addressed paper4 ,crests and monograms should not be used on the envelope4 ,in the matter of crests and heraldic emblems on stationery and announcements1 many families with authentic crests discontinued their use during the war in an effort to reduce everything to the last word in simplicity4 ,however1 there are many who still use them4 ,the best engravers will not design crests for families without the right to use them4 ,but the extreme in crests is the crest which does not mean family at all1 but is a device supposed to give an idea of the art or taste of the individual4 ,for example1 a quill or a scroll may be the basis for such a crest4 ,really no good reason exists why1 in default of a family with a crest1 one should not decide to be a crest founder4 ,the only point is that the crest should not pretend to be something it is not--a hereditary affair4 ,illustration3 ,specimens of monogrammed stationery ,illustration3 ,specimens of business letterheads ,on the use of crests in stationery one authority says3 ,as to the important question of crests and heraldic emblems in our present-day stationery1 these are being widely used1 but no crests are made to order where the family itself has none4 ,only such crests as definitely belong to the family are ever engraved on notepaper1 cards1 or any new style of place cards4 ,several stationers maintain special departments where crests are looked up and authenticated and such families as are found in ,fairbairn's ,crests1 ,burke's ,peerage1 ,almanche de ,gotha1 the ,armoire ,general1 are utilized to help in the establishment of the armorial bearing of ,american families4 ,of course1 the ,college of ,heraldry is always available where the ,american family can trace its ancestors to ,great ,britain4 ,many individuals use the coat-of-arms of their mothers1 but according to heraldry they really have no right to do so4 ,the woman to-day could use her father's and husband's crests together if the crests are properly in pale1 that is1 if a horizontal line be drawn to cut the shield in two--the husband's on the left1 the father's on the right4 ,if the son wants to use the father's and mother's crest1 this must be quartered to conform to rule1 the arms of the father to be in the first and fourth quarter2 that of the mother in the second and third quarter4 ,the daughter is not supposed to use a coat-of-arms except in lozenge form4 ,the dinner card that reflects the most refined and modern type of usage is a card of visiting card size1 with a coat-of-arms in gold and gilt border1 on real parchment4 ,these cards are hand-lettered and used as place cards for dinner parties4 ,the use of sealing wax is optional1 though a good rule to follow is not to use it unless it is necessary4 ,the wax may be any dark color on white1 cream1 or light gray paper4 ,black wax is used with mourning stationery4 ,the best place to stamp a seal is the centre of the flap4 ,it should not be done at all if it cannot be accomplished neatly4 ,the crest or monogram should be quickly and firmly impressed into the hot wax4 ,in selecting stationery it is a good plan to adhere to a single style1 provided of course that a good choice of paper and stamping has been made4 ,the style will become as characteristic of you as your handwriting4 ,distinction can be had in quiet refinement of line and color4 ,the use of the typewriter for social correspondence has some authority--though most of us will want to keep to the old custom of pen and ink4 ,in case this should be employed for some good reason1 the letter must be placed in the centre of the page with all four margins left wide4 ,of course the signature to any typewritten letter must be in ink4 ,,business ,,stationery ,for the usual type of business letter1 a single large sheet of white paper1 unruled1 of the standard business size1 #h-a_/b x #aa inches1 is generally used4 ,the standard envelopes are #f-a_/b x #c-a_/b inches and #aj x #d-a_/b1 the former requiring three folds of the letter 7one across and two lengthwise7 and the latter requiring two folds 7across74 ,the former size1 #f-a_/b x #c-a_/b1 is much preferred4 ,the latter is useful in the case of bulky enclosures4 ,bond of a good quality is probably the best choice4 ,colored papers1 while attracting attention in a pile of miscellaneous correspondence1 are not in the best taste4 ,rather have the letter striking for its excellent typing and arrangement4 ,department stores and firms that write a great many letters to women often employ a notepaper size sheet for these letters4 ,on this much smaller sheet the elite type makes a better appearance with letters of this kind4 ,illustration3 ,department stores and firms that write many letters to women often employ a notepaper size ,illustration3 ,specimens of stationery used by men for personal business letters ,the letterhead may be printed1 engraved1 or lithographed1 and it is safest done in black4 ,it should cover considerably less than a quarter of the page4 ,it contains the name of the firm1 the address1 and the business4 ,the addresses of branch houses1 telephone numbers1 cable addresses1 names of officials1 and other data may be included4 ,but all flamboyant1 colored advertisements1 trade slogans1 or advertising matter extending down the sides of the letter detract from the actual content of the letter1 which it is presumed is the essential part of the letter4 ,for personal business letters1 that is1 for letters not social but concerning personal affairs not directly connected with his business1 a man often uses a letter sheet partaking more of the nature of social stationery than of business4 ,this sheet is usually rather smaller than the standard business size and of heavier quality4 ,the size and shape of these letter sheets are matters of personal preference--#g x #aj inches or #h x #aj inches--sometimes even as large as the standard #h-a_/b x #aa or as small as #e-a_/b x #h-a_/b or #f x #h4 ,the smaller size1 however1 requires the double sheet1 and the engraving may be done on the fourth page instead of the first4 ,the inside address in these letters is generally placed at the end of the letters instead of above the salutation4 ,instead of a business letterhead the sheet may have an engraved name and home or business address without any further business connotations1 or it may be simply an address line4 ,,the ,,end