How to Speak and Write Correctly

Letter-Writi

guage. 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

, for almost everybody at some time or other has necessity to address some friend or acquaintance at a dista

led in the peripatetic schoolmaster as his amanuensis, but this had one draw-back,-secrets had to be p

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 th

riting it and upon the person for whom it is intended. Whether it should be easy or formal in style, plain o

ous 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 an

ommunicate. 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

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 term

cond

York

y 1st,

v. P. A

hop of

. and de

ng the cross

th street on

nd the enclose

am sending to

e restored to

ne

ll acknowled

er be found I

that I may cla

y hon

t Rev. an

pectfull

as J

or he knows the course the Archbishop will adopt, of having the finding of the bill announced from the C

s simple without being familiar, is just a plain statement, and is as much to the point for its

, those written in an official capacity by public servants, those designed to teach, and those

ate 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,

rade 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 cle

clearness, brevity and dignity of tone to impress the receivers

s and are employed by some of the best writers to give their thoughts and ideas a greater emphasis. The most conspicuous example

ers. Some of the best authors of our time are newspaper men who write in an easy flowing style which is most

or closing expression and signature; (4) the address or direction on the envelope. For the body of a letter no forms or rules can

three features and which custom has sanctioned.

HE

the place, the date of writing and the design

ew S

rk,

ry 1st

Ginn

w

tle

tate 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

ear

ar Hu

ar Fr

ling M

arest

r A

r U

Georg

macy such formal designations a

r S

ear

Mr. S

Madam

gree of Doctor of Divinity, t

an Johns

ev. and dear Sir:

Dr. J

Anglican Communions are a

the Bishop of

rick Burgess, Bish

. and d

are addressed as Most Reverend

ev. Archbi

v. and

Cardinal Gibbons, Ar

ease your

f the President of the United States is Excellency. How

cy, William

of the Uni

i

cy, Charles

the State

i

e Frankl

r of Ne

i

and Navy is Sir. The rank and station should be

Joseph T

the Seven

i

ral Rober

the Atlanti

i

Civil Government is Honorable

elson

r from

i

rman Wi

y of the

i

upert

of New

i

leges and Universities are gener

r Fergus

f .........

or De

ations are treated as business men

oseph

of the N

Sir:

Sir: My dear Sir: Dear Sir: and more

Pitkin

i

r S

dea

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

r M

firm is Messrs, and the corresponding

sometimes used, but it is practically obsolete. Custom is against it and American sentim

CRIP

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

lovi

ffectio

edly

yours

ing, Your own Dovey and other pet and silly endings should be avoided, as they denote shall

sions of Subs

Sinc

s tr

tfully

ote the exact bearing or attitude the writer

ncerely

pectfull

p respec

ery tru

borate e

the highest respect, I

to be, Sir, Your

sion of esteem, I

dear Sir, Ever f

savoring too mu

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

edient

very

with r

s Wi

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

s: Y'rs Resp'fly and always make

s tr

n F

person to whom you send it m

st name in full. Married women sho

ncerely

eodore

me kindness done you may say, Yours gratefully, or Yours ver

re a lord, earl or duke and only known by the title, but as we have no such titles in

rely

ckson, M.A

, are fond of flaunting after their names degrees they have received honoris causa, that is, degrees as a mark of honor, without examin

e alive may sign the husband's

sinc

lliam S

and is dead the s

sinc

arah S

whether she has a husband living or is a widow. A woman separa

DR

consists of the name, th

ugh B

thgate

to

a

elope 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 Mis

tt, M. D.,

rt Stitt

ert Sti

ion by the letters M. D. so as to differentiate him from a D. D.

prefix Rev. is retained even

cy Tooke

mb, 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

"Hon." does away with Mr. and Esq. Thus we write Hon. Josiah Snifkins, not Hon. Mr. Josiah Snifkins or Hon. Josiah Snifk

xcell

s E. H

ba

.

ent the superscription o

e Pre

ive Ma

ngton

as those having legitimately earned College Degrees

n Janew

Houston

Marks, M

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 th

be

van C

Yo

Minn

Fran

ifo

ccupy a line that is about central between the top of the envelope and the bottom. The name should neither be

l known or to public or city officials it is someti

eigel, Co

York

lliam J

York

O

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

d addressed on the

note delivere

a note on a

a few com

INVIT

Henry Wagstaf

McAdoo's pres

15th, at 8 o'c

r of th

dbine

8th,

tion calling for evening dress. Here is

resents his

enry Wagstaff

their invitat

e Fort on the

tee

acon S

10th,

cAdoo might decli

grets that ow

ust forego the

Mr. and Mrs. W

e Fort on the

tee

eacon

10th,

ressed, say to Mr.

Oldham at hom

r ninth from s

land A

ber

olds mak

ccepts with hi

. and Mrs. Oldh

y evening Oc

sor

obe

egrets that hi

for him to acc

invitation for

ber

sor

ber

small specially designed note paper in which the

Pine

11th,

r. Sai

d I should be

with us and a

fifteenth, at

sinc

Bur

ntsbury

rlyle

13th,

rs. Bu

t very appre

dine with Mr.

y, the fifteent

ve

sinc

Sain

xander B

F INTRO

the writers are in reality vouching for those whom

xingto

York

15th,

s C. Wile

rk,

r Dr.

the lib

you my friend,

practitioner,

ewark. I have

vouch for hi

standing. Any

you may show

preciat

ncerely

lin J