CHAPTER VI LETTER WRITING

CHAPTER VI

LETTER WRITING

Principles of Letter-WritingFormsNotes

Many people seem to regard letter-writing as a very simple and easily

acquired branch, but on the contrary it is one of the most difficult

forms of composition and requires much patience and labor to master its

details. In fact there are very few perfect letter-writers in the

language. It constitutes the direct form of speech and may be called

conversation at a distance. Its forms are so varied by every conceivable

topic written at all times by all kinds of persons in all kinds of moods

and tempers and addressed to all kinds of persons of varying degrees in

society and of different pursuits in life, that no fixed rules can be

laid down to regulate its length, style or subject matter. Only general

suggestions can be made in regard to scope and purpose, and the forms of

indicting set forth which custom and precedent have sanctioned.

The principles of letter-writing should be understood by everybody who

has any knowledge of written language, for almost everybody at some time

or other has necessity to address some friend or acquaintance at a

distance, whereas comparatively few are called upon to direct their

efforts towards any other kind of composition.

Formerly the illiterate countryman, when he had occasion to communicate

with friends or relations, called in the peripatetic schoolmaster as his

amanuensis, but this had one draw-back,secrets had to be poured into an

ear other than that for which they were intended, and often the

confidence was betrayed.

Now, that education is abroad in the land, there is seldom any occasion

for any person to call upon the service of another to compose and write a

personal letter. Very few now-a-days are so grossly illiterate as not to

be able to read and write. No matter how crude his effort may be it is

better for any one to write his own letters than trust to another. Even

if he should commence,"deer fren, i lift up my pen to let ye no that i

hove been sik for the past 3 weeks, hopping this will findye the same,"

his spelling and construction can be excused in view of the fact that his

intention is good, and that he is doing his best to serve his own turn

without depending upon others.

The nature, substance and tone of any letter depend upon the occasion

that calls it forth, upon the person writing it and upon the person for

whom it is intended. Whether it should be easy or formal in style, plain

or ornate, light or serious, gay or grave, sentimental or matter-of-fact

depend upon these three circumstances.

In letter writing the first and most important requisites are to be

natural and simple; there should be no straining after effect, but simply

a spontaneous out-pouring of thoughts and ideas as they naturally occur

to the writer. We are repelled by a person who is stiff and labored in

his conversation and in the same way the stiff and labored letter bores

the reader. Whereas if it is light and in a conversational vein it

immediately engages his attention.

The letter which is written with the greatest facility is the best kind

of letter because it naturally expresses what is in the writer, he has

not to search for his words, they flow in a perfect unison with the ideas

he desires to communicate. When you write to your friend John Browne to

tell him how you spent Sunday you have not to look around for the words,

or study set phrases with a view to please or impress Browne, you just

tell him the same as if he were present before you, how you spent the

day, where you were, with whom you associated and the chief incidents

that occurred during the time. Thus, you write natural and it is such

writing that is adapted to epistolary correspondence.

There are different kinds of letters, each calling for a different style

of address and composition, nevertheless the natural key should be

maintained in all, that is to say, the writer should never attempt to

convey an impression that he is other than what he is. It would be silly

as well as vain for the common street laborer of a limited education to

try to put on literary airs and emulate a college professor; he may have

as good a brain, but it is not as well developed by education, and he

lacks the polish which society confers. When writing a letter the street

laborer should bear in mind that only the letter of a street-laborer is

expected from him, no matter to whom his communication may be addressed

and that neither the grammar nor the diction of a Chesterfield or

Gladstone is looked for in his language. Still the writer should keep in

mind the person to whom he is writing. If it is to an Archbishop or some

other great dignitary of Church or state it certainly should be couched

in terms different from those he uses to John Browne, his intimate

friend. Just as he cannot say "Dear John" to an Archbishop, no more can

he address him in the familiar words he uses to his friend of everyday

acquaintance and companionship. Yet there is no great learning required

to write to an Archbishop, no more than to an ordinary individual. All

the laborer needs to know is the form of address and how to properly

utilize his limited vocabulary to the best advantage. Here is the form

for such a letter:

                                 17 Second Avenue,

                                      New York City.

                                        January 1st, 1910.

               Most Rev. P. A. Jordan,

                   Archbishop of New York.

               Most Rev. and dear Sir:

                  While sweeping the crossing at Fifth

               Avenue and 50th street on last Wednesday

               morning, I found the enclosed Fifty Dollar

               Bill, which I am sending to you in the hope

               that it may be restored to the rightful

               owner.

                  I beg you will acknowledge receipt and

               should the owner be found I trust you will

               notify me, so that I may claim some reward

               for my honesty.

                  I am, Most Rev. and dear Sir,

                          Very respectfully yours,

                                          Thomas Jones.

Observe the brevity of the letter. Jones makes no suggestions to the

Archbishop how to find the owner, for he knows the course the Archbishop

will adopt, of having the finding of the bill announced from the Church

pulpits. Could Jones himself find the owner there would be no occasion to

apply to the Archbishop.

This letter, it is true, is different from that which he would send to

Browne. Nevertheless it is simple without being familiar, is just a plain

statement, and is as much to the point for its purpose as if it were

garnished with rhetoric and "words of learned length and thundering

sound."

Letters may be divided into those of friendship, acquaintanceship, those

of business relations, those written in an official capacity by public

servants, those designed to teach, and those which give accounts of the

daily happenings on the stage of life, in other words, news letters.

 Letters of friendship  are the most common and their style and form

depend upon the degree of relationship and intimacy existing between the

writers and those addressed. Between relatives and intimate friends the

beginning and end may be in the most familiar form of conversation,

either affectionate or playful. They should, however, never overstep the

boundaries of decency and propriety, for it is well to remember that,

unlike conversation, which only is heard by the ears for which it is

intended, written words may come under eyes other than those for whom

they were designed. Therefore, it is well never to write anything which

the world may not read without detriment to your character or your

instincts. You can be joyful, playful, jocose, give vent to your feelings,

but never stoop to low language and, above all, to language savoring in

the slightest degree of moral impropriety.

 Business letters  are of the utmost importance on account of the

interests involved. The business character of a man or of a firm is often

judged by the correspondence. On many occasions letters instead of

developing trade and business interests and gaining clientele, predispose

people unfavorably towards those whom they are designed to benefit.

Ambiguous, slip-shod language is a detriment to success. Business letters

should be clear, concise, to the point and, above all, honest, giving no

wrong impressions or holding out any inducements that cannot be fulfilled.

In business letters, just as in business conduct, honesty is always the

best policy.

 Official letters  are mostly always formal. They should possess clearness,

brevity and dignity of tone to impress the receivers with the proper

respect for the national laws and institutions.

Letters designed to teach or  didactic letters  are in a class all by

themselves. They are simply literature in the form of letters and are

employed by some of the best writers to give their thoughts and ideas a

greater emphasis. The most conspicuous example of this kind of composition

is the book on Etiquette by Lord Chesterfield, which took the form of a

series of letters to his son.

 News letters  are accounts of world happenings and descriptions of

ceremonies and events sent into the newspapers. Some of the best authors

of our time are newspaper men who write in an easy flowing style which is

most readable, full of humor and fancy and which carries one along with

breathless interest from beginning to end.

The principal parts of a letter are (1) the  heading  or introduction;

(2) the  body  or substance of the letter; (3) the  subscription  or

closing expression and signature; (4) the  address  or direction on the

envelope. For the  body  of a letter no forms or rules can be laid down

as it altogether depends on the nature of the letter and the relationship

between the writer and the person addressed.

There are certain rules which govern the other three features and which

custom has sanctioned. Every one should be acquainted with these rules.

THE HEADING

The  Heading  has three parts, viz., the name of the place, the date of

writing and the designation of the person or persons addressed; thus:

                                   73 New Street,

                                       Newark, N. J.,

                                      February 1st, 1910.

          Messr. Ginn and Co.,

              New York

          Gentlemen:

The name of the place should never be omitted; in cities, street and

number should always be given, and except when the city is large and very

conspicuous, so that there can be no question as to its identity with

another of the same or similar name, the abbreviation of the State should

be appended, as in the above, Newark, N. J. There is another Newark in

the State of Ohio. Owing to failure to comply with this rule many letters

go astray. The  date  should be on every letter, especially business

letters. The date should never be put at the bottom in a business letter,

but in friendly letters this may be done. The  designation  of the

person or persons addressed differs according to the relations of the

correspondents. Letters of friendship may begin in many ways according to

the degrees of friendship or intimacy. Thus:

  My dear Wife:

  My dear Husband:

  My dear Friend:

  My darling Mother:

  My dearest Love:

  Dear Aunt:

  Dear Uncle:

  Dear George: etc.

To mark a lesser degree of intimacy such formal designations as the

following may be employed:

  Dear Sir:

  My dear Sir:

  Dear Mr. Smith:

  Dear Madam: etc.

For clergymen who have the degree of Doctor of Divinity, the designation

is as follows:

  Rev. Alban Johnson, D. D.

  My dear Sir: or Rev. and dear Sir: or more familiarly

  Dear Dr. Johnson:

Bishops of the Roman and Anglican Communions are addressed as

 Right Reverend .

  The Rt. Rev., the Bishop of Long Island. or

  The Rt. Rev. Frederick Burgess, Bishop of Long Island.

  Rt. Rev. and dear Sir:

Archbishops of the Roman Church are addressed as  Most Reverend  and

Cardinals as  Eminence . Thus:

          The Most Rev. Archbishop Katzer.

            Most Rev. and dear Sir:

          His Eminence, James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore.

            May it please your Eminence:

The title of the Governor of a State or territory and of the President of

the United States is  Excellency . However,  Honorable  is more commonly

applied to Governors:

          His Excellency, William Howard Taft,

            President of the United States.

          Sir:

          His Excellency, Charles Evans Hughes,

            Governor of the State of New York.

          Sir:

          Honorable Franklin Fort,

            Governor of New Jersey.

          Sir:

The general salutation for Officers of the Army and Navy is  Sir . The

rank and station should be indicated in full at the head of the letter,

thus:

          General Joseph Thompson,

            Commanding the Seventh Infantry.

          Sir:

          Rear Admiral Robert Atkinson,

            Commanding the Atlantic Squadron.

          Sir:

The title of officers of the Civil Government is Honorable and they are

addressed as  Sir .

            Hon. Nelson Duncan,

              Senator from Ohio.

            Sir:

            Hon. Norman Wingfield,

              Secretary of the Treasury.

            Sir:

            Hon. Rupert Gresham,

              Mayor of New York.

            Sir:

Presidents and Professors of Colleges and Universities are generally

addressed as  Sir  or  Dear Sir .

      Professor Ferguson Jenks,

        President of .......... University.

      Sir: or Dear Sir:

Presidents of Societies and Associations are treated as business men and

addressed as  Sir  or  Dear Sir .

            Mr. Joseph Banks,

              President of the Night Owls.

            Dear Sir: or Sir:

Doctors of Medicine are addressed as  Sir: My dear Sir: Dear Sir: 

and more familiarly My dear Dr: or Dear Dr: as

            Ryerson Pitkin, M. D.

            Sir:

            Dear Sir:

            My dear Dr:

Ordinary people with no degrees or titles are addressed as Mr. and Mrs.

and are designed Dear Sir: Dear Madam: and an unmarried woman of any age

is addressed on the envelope as Miss So-and-so, but always designed in

the letter as

            Dear Madam:

The plural of Mr. as in addressing a firm is  Messrs , and the

corresponding salutation is  Dear Sirs: or Gentlemen: 

In England  Esq.  is used for  Mr.  as a mark of slight superiority and

in this country it is sometimes used, but it is practically obsolete.

Custom is against it and American sentiment as well. If it is used it

should be only applied to lawyers and justices of the peace.

SUBSCRIPTION

The  Subscription  or ending of a letter consists of the term of respect

or affection and the signature. The term depends upon the relation of the

person addressed. Letters of friendship can close with such expressions

as:

          Yours lovingly,

          Yours affectionately,

          Devotedly yours,

          Ever yours, etc.

as between husbands and wives or between lovers. Such gushing

terminations as Your Own Darling, Your own Dovey and other pet and silly

endings should be avoided, as they denote shallowness. Love can be

strongly expressed without dipping into the nonsensical and the farcical.

Formal expressions of Subscription are:

          Yours Sincerely,

          Yours truly,

          Respectfully yours,

and the like, and these may be varied to denote the exact bearing or

attitude the writer wishes to assume to the person addressed: as,

          Very sincerely yours,

          Very respectfully yours,

          With deep respect yours,

          Yours very truly, etc.

Such elaborate endings as

    "In the meantime with the highest respect, I am yours to command,"

    "I have the honor to be, Sir, Your humble Servant,"

    "With great expression of esteem, I am Sincerely yours,"

    "Believe me, my dear Sir, Ever faithfully yours,"

are condemned as savoring too much of affectation.

It is better to finish formal letters without any such qualifying

remarks. If you are writing to Mr. Ryan to tell him that you have a house

for sale, after describing the house and stating the terms simply sign

yourself

            Your obedient Servant

            Yours very truly,

            Yours with respect,

              James Wilson.

Don't say you have the honor to be anything or ask him to believe

anything, all you want to tell him is that you have a house for sale and

that you are sincere, or hold him in respect as a prospective customer.

Don't abbreviate the signature as:  Y'rs Resp'fly  and always make

your sex obvious. Write plainly

  Yours truly,

   John Field 

and not  J. Field , so that the person to whom you send it may not take

you for  Jane Field .

It is always best to write the first name in full. Married women should

prefix  Mrs.  to their names, as

  Very sincerely yours,

   Mrs.  Theodore Watson.

If you are sending a letter acknowledging a compliment or some kindness

done you may say,  Yours gratefully,  or  Yours very gratefully,  in

proportion to the act of kindness received.

It is not customary to sign letters of degrees or titles after your name,

except you are a lord, earl or duke and only known by the title, but as

we have no such titles in America it is unnecessary to bring this matter

into consideration. Don't sign yourself,

           Sincerely yours,

             Obadiah Jackson, M.A. or L.L. D.

If you're an M. A. or an L.L. D. people generally know it without your

sounding your own trumpet. Many people, and especially clergymen, are

fond of flaunting after their names degrees they have received  honoris

causa , that is, degrees as a mark of honor, without examination. Such

degrees should be kept in the background. Many a deadhead has these

degrees which he could never have earned by brain work.

Married women whose husbands are alive may sign the husband's name with

the prefix  Mrs:  thus,

  Yours sincerely,

   Mrs.  William Southey.

but when the husband is dead the signature should be

    Yours sincerely,

     Mrs.  Sarah Southey.

So when we receive a letter from a woman we are enabled to tell whether

she has a husband living or is a widow. A woman separated from her

husband but not a  divorcee  should  not  sign his name.

ADDRESS

The  address  of a letter consists of the name, the title and the

residence.

          Mr. Hugh Black,

            112 Southgate Street,

              Altoona,

                      Pa.

Intimate friends have often familiar names for each other, such as pet

names, nicknames, etc., which they use in the freedom of conversation,

but such names should never, under any circumstances, appear on the

envelope. The subscription on the envelope should be always written with

propriety and correctness and as if penned by an entire stranger. The

only difficulty in the envelope inscription is the title. Every man is

entitled to  Mr.  and every lady to  Mrs.  and every unmarried lady to

 Miss . Even a boy is entitled to  Master . When more than one is addressed

the title is  Messrs.   Mesdames  is sometimes written of women. If the

person addressed has a title it is courteous to use it, but titles never

must be duplicated. Thus, we can write

  Robert Stitt, M. D., but never

  Dr. Robert Stitt, M. D, or

  Mr. Robert Stitt, M. D.

In writing to a medical doctor it is well to indicate his profession by

the letters M. D. so as to differentiate him from a D. D. It is better to

write Robert Stitt, M. D., than Dr. Robert Stitt.

In the case of clergymen the prefix Rev. is retained even when they have

other titles; as

  Rev. Tracy Tooke, LL. D.

When a person has more titles than one it is customary to only give him

the leading one. Thus instead of writing Rev. Samuel MacComb, B. A.,

M. A., B. Sc., Ph. D., LL. D., D. D. the form employed is Rev. Samuel

MacComb, LL. D. LL. D. is appended in preference to D. D. because in most

cases the "Rev." implies a "D. D." while comparatively few with the prefix

"Rev." are entitled to "LL. D."

In the case of  Honorables  such as Governors, Judges, Members of Congress,

and others of the Civil Government the prefix "Hon." does away with  Mr. 

and  Esq.  Thus we write Hon. Josiah Snifkins, not Hon. Mr. Josiah Snifkins

or Hon. Josiah Snifkins, Esq. Though this prefix  Hon.  is also often

applied to Governors they should be addressed as Excellency. For instance:

          His Excellency,

            Charles E. Hughes,

                          Albany,

                               N. Y.

In writing to the President the superscription on the envelope should be

          To the President,

            Executive Mansion,

               Washington, D. C.

Professional men such as doctors and lawyers as well as those having

legitimately earned College Degrees may be addressed on the envelopes by

their titles, as

  Jonathan Janeway, M. D.

  Hubert Houston, B. L.

  Matthew Marks, M. A., etc.

The residence of the person addressed should be plainly written out in

full. The street and numbers should be given and the city or town written

very legibly. If the abbreviation of the State is liable to be confounded

or confused with that of another then the full name of the State should

be written. In writing the residence on the envelope, instead of putting

it all in one line as is done at the head of a letter, each item of the

residence forms a separate line. Thus,

          Liberty,

            Sullivan County,

                          New York.

          215 Minna St.,

            San Francisco,

                          California.

There should be left a space for the postage stamp in the upper right

hand corner. The name and title should occupy a line that is about

central between the top of the envelope and the bottom. The name should

neither be too much to right or left but located in the centre, the

beginning and end at equal distances from either end.

In writing to large business concerns which are well known or to public

or city officials it is sometimes customary to leave out number and street.

Thus,

          Messrs. Seigel, Cooper Co.,

                        New York City,

          Hon. William J. Gaynor,

                           New York City.

NOTES

 Notes  may be regarded as letters in miniature confined chiefly to

invitations, acceptances, regrets and introductions, and modern etiquette

tends towards informality in their composition. Card etiquette, in fact,

has taken the place of ceremonious correspondence and informal notes are

now the rule. Invitations to dinner and receptions are now mostly written

on cards. "Regrets" are sent back on visiting cards with just the one

word  "Regrets"  plainly written thereon. Often on cards and notes of

invitation we find the letters R. S. V. P. at the bottom. These letters

stand for the French  repondez s'il vous plait , which means "Reply, if

you please," but there is no necessity to put this on an invitation card

as every well-bred person knows that a reply is expected. In writing

notes to young ladies of the same family it should be noted that the

eldest daughter of the house is entitled to the designation  Miss  without

any Christian name, only the surname appended. Thus if there are three

daughters in the Thompson family Martha, the eldest, Susan and Jemina,

Martha is addressed as  Miss  Thompson and the other two as  Miss  Susan

Thompson and  Miss  Jemina Thompson respectively.

Don't write the word  addressed  on the envelope of a note.

Don't  seal  a note delivered by a friend.

Don't write a note on a postal card.

Here are a few common forms:

FORMAL INVITATIONS

            Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wagstaff request the

          honor of Mr. McAdoo's presence on Friday

          evening, June 15th, at 8 o'clock to meet the

          Governor of the Fort.

               19 Woodbine Terrace

                         June 8th, 1910.

This is an invitation to a formal reception calling for evening dress.

Here is Mr. McAdoo's reply in the third person:

            Mr. McAdoo presents his compliments to

          Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wagstaff and accepts with

          great pleasure their invitation to meet the

          Governor of the Fort on the evening of June

          fifteenth.

            215 Beacon Street,

                       June 10th, 1910.

Here is how Mr. McAdoo might decline the invitation:

            Mr. McAdoo regrets that owing to a prior

          engagement he must forego the honor of paying

          his respects to Mr. and Mrs. Wagstaff and the

          Governor of the Fort on the evening of June

          fifteenth.

            215 Beacon St.,

                June 10th, 1910.

Here is a note addressed, say to Mr. Jeremiah Reynolds.

            Mr. and Mrs. Oldham at home on Wednesday

          evening October ninth from seven to eleven.

            21 Ashland Avenue,

                      October 5th.

Mr. Reynolds makes reply:

            Mr. Reynolds accepts with high appreciation

          the honor of Mr. and Mrs. Oldham's invitation

          for Wednesday evening October ninth.

            Windsor Hotel

                October 7th

or

            Mr. Reynolds regrets that his duties render

          it impossible for him to accept Mr. and Mrs.

          Oldham's kind invitation for the evening of

          October ninth.

            Windsor Hotel,

                  October 7th,

Sometimes less informal invitations are sent on small specially designed

note paper in which the first person takes the place of the third. Thus

                                       360 Pine St.,

                                       Dec. 11th, 1910.

          Dear Mr. Saintsbury:

            Mr. Johnson and I should be much pleased to

          have you dine with us and a few friends next

          Thursday, the fifteenth, at half past seven.

                               Yours sincerely,

                                    Emma Burnside.

Mr. Saintsbury's reply:

                                       57 Carlyle Strand

                                       Dec. 13th, 1910.

          Dear Mrs. Burnside:

            Let me accept very appreciatively your

          invitation to dine with Mr. Burnside and you

          on next Thursday, the fifteenth, at half past

          seven.

                                  Yours sincerely,

                                     Henry Saintsbury.

          Mrs. Alexander Burnside.

NOTES OF INTRODUCTION

Notes of introduction should be very circumspect as the writers are in

reality vouching for those whom they introduce. Here is a specimen of

such a note.

                             603 Lexington Ave.,

                                     New York City,

                                      June 15th, 1910.

          Rev. Cyrus C. Wiley, D. D.,

                          Newark, N. J.

          My dear Dr. Wiley:

                             I take the liberty of

          presenting to you my friend, Stacy Redfern,

          M. D., a young practitioner, who is anxious

          to locate in Newark. I have known him many

          years and can vouch for his integrity and

          professional standing. Any courtesy and

          kindness which you may show him will be very

          much appreciated by me.

                              Very sincerely yours,

                                       Franklin Jewett.