EVERYBODY'S

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CONTAINING

OF
LETTER WRITING, TOGETHER WITH NUM·
BROUS MODELS OF ALL KINDS

OF LETTERS.

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CHICAGO:

T. S. DENISON;· PUBLISHER.
163

RANDOLPI! STREET.

PREFACE.

!IV TIIE SAME AUTHOR

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GOOD MANNERS,
A GUIDE TO ETIQUETTE.
Cloth, 50 Cents.

COPYRIGHT, 1888,

Paper, 30 Cents.

BY

T. S. DEN1SON.

Letter writing has oft en been declared to be "a lost
art," but it is one of the most gracefu l of accomplishments to be able to convey one's ideas in a terse, yet
vivacious manner to another-to at once express one's self
in pleasing and elegant la ng uage, without b ecoming
stilted and formal. This power of ex pression is not as
diffi cult to acquire as many suppose it to be.
One of the first requisites is to have something to
say, and the nex t one is, to say it as gracefully as possible.
·we have seen letters written by friends, one to another,
which were full of "airy nothings," and were yet so
charming and delightful that one involuntarily wish ed
.such letters might neve r end. T o . such as can write
thus, it is a gift; while to the majority of people it is a
slow, labored and difficult undertaking.
For the latter class we have prepared our manua I. In
its pages there is a variety of forms of letters suited to
every occasion that \vould d emand correspondence. And
in performing this task we have ·take n great pleasure,
hoping onr efforts will be productive of equal pleasure to
our read ers.
In presenting these models we do not offer them in
the expectation that they will serve verbatim, but as
forms susceptible of variation or addition und er varying
conditions and occasions. They are d esigned as aids
to correspondence, and as such we launch our modest
little volume upon the sea of literature, trusting that it
will be accorded a hearty welcome from an appreciative
public.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS.
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Letter Writing an Art .. · .. . .. · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · • 5- 7
Rul es for P un ctuation, Capitals, etc . .. . . . . · · • · · .... ··•· ·· · 8-13
Mode ls for E n velopes . . . ..• . . . . .. .. · · ..• . ... • · · • •· · • · · .1~-15
Uus r,.rnss L ETT ER S .. .... .. . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . .. ... . . . . . . I

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Business Men Asking Credit , and Replies ..... . •. · · ·• · · · · .16- 7
19
An s wering Advertise ment for C lerk ... . . . • •. .. . ·•··. · ·•••···
19
A pp li cat ion fo r Pos ition as T each er .. .• . . .•..•• • • • . · • · .. · ·

~~

Recomm end in g a Cook-Dec hnmg to R ecommend . ·· · · ·· ·· ·
~~
In qu iring.a bout a H ouse to R ent. ..•. . .• ··· . ··········· · ·
Excus in g Pupil's Absence .. . ·: · · · · · · · · · · • · · · • ... • " " · · ·
22
Inquiry about Progress o f Pupil . .. · · .. · · · · • · · · · · · · · · · · ·
~2
Req ues tin g I"ri e nd to ma!<e Purchases . ..• • •• . • · · · . · · · • • · •
23
Requ est fo r Loa n of Money . . . . . . .... · · · · · · · • · • • • · · · · · ·
A I"avorable Re ply - Unfa vorable Reply.··. · ······ .. · · " ... 23-24
24
Recomm end ing a Gove rness . . .. . · · · · · · · · · • • · • · • · · · · · • · •
F rom Lad y to C lergym an As king Re ference · • · · · · · · · · · · · ·
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Recomm e ndi ng C lerk or Salesman . .• . . . .. · · · ·. • • · • • • • • • · · · ·

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L ETTER S O F I NTROD U CTION . • • .• • · • • • " · • • • • • .. • • .. • · • • • • Z9-30
lle srNrcs s F OR M S. .. . • ••.• • • . . • . · • · •· •• · •••• •• •• • ··•·•• ·

N eg otiabl e Note-Note not N egotiabl e . . .. ·• . .. ·· · · ···
31
31
N ote o n De mand . . . . . · . . · . · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · .. ·
Time D ra ft-Ce rt ifi ca te of Deposit-Principal a nd S urety··•·
Note .· . . .. .. . . · · . · · · · · · · ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · ·
32
D ue Bill- R equ est for P~i ce ~ .i st. · · · · · · · · · · ·
·· · · · · · "· · ·
33
R epl y Accompa nying Pri ce I.1 st . . . . · · · · · · · · · · • .. • • • · · ·
33
34
O rd e r for a l'a pe r- I"o rm for Contract .. · · · ·· · · · · · • · · • · .• · · •
F or m o f a W ill. . .. .. ..
· · · · · ·: · · .. : .... · "..
35
36
R ece ipt in Full-O rd er on G rocer. D emanclmg Btll · · · · · •· · ·
Ad ve rti se ments- R epl y to Ad verti sement ·
· ·· · •· · •• • · ·
~~
Letter o f Recomm enda tion . . ·· ····· ··· · ··· ··· . .. ··· · "· · ·
O rder on a Pu bli sher . • . . . · . · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · • · · • · · · · · · · · -~ 8
Soc rAL CoRREs l'ON JJEN CE . . • •• • • •• • • · • • • • • • · • • • • • • • • · • • • .39 3
Court ship a nd .Marriage .. · .. · · .... • .. • • .... • • · · · · · · · · • · 39:::~;
I h"
..... ... ........ . .. . . .. 53
F n.cms
tp · · ·· · · · · · " · · · • · •· · ·
.. . . . . 6o-62
Concl nlcncc : · · · · ··• · •·· · •· • · · ·•••· · ." .".' .'.' ." .'.' . .'.'." ." ." ... . . 62-63
Co11 g ra t nl::tt1 ons . · · · · · • • · · • · · • • · · · · · · •
63-66
Rerpt estin g Fa vors . .. · · · · · · · ·· · · · • · · ·" · · · • · · ·' · · · · ·• · · \ 66-6
9
R egrets a nd Apology · · · · · .. • • • · · • .. • ·" • • · · · · • ·" • · • ·
A cc.ept~ n ce a nd D ecl inations . ·· ··:::::: : : ::::::::::::::::: ;~;l
lnv1 tat 1ons · · · · · · • · · · · · · · ' · • • • ·
76-79
Famil y L etters . · ·· ···· · ·•' ·· · ······ · ·"·····''· .. •••··•· 79-81
Situation s . . · · · · · • · • • • · • • • · • • • · • • · • • • • · · · • • • • • • • • · · • • • : : : 82-83
Acknowledgments. •·•··•····•··•····· · · · · • • • · '· · · · · • ·
83
Introduction •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • " • • ·" • • .. · • • • · • · · · • •

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EVERYBODY'S LEITER WRITER.
LETTER WRITING A N ART.

Its Importance.-All ackno wl edge the importance
of being able to write we ll, e ith er for busin ess pu rposes
or in the behest of fri end ship o r courtesy. N evertheless,
the scarcity of good letter. writers makes it evid ent that
the art must be exceeding ly d ifficult to master, o r else its
cultivation is sadly neglected. It behooves all to atta in
to perfection if possible in this direc tion, as it is not only
a great accomplishment, but a lso a n im pe rative necess ity,
to be abl e to write rapi d ly a nd well. We fee l th e impor- tanc:e of it in eve ry depa rtment of active life.
We must write; the only qu esti on is, how we shall
write?

Permanent Record.-It is well wo rth an e ffort to
prepare ourselves th oro ug hly if we do not wi sh to photo·
graph ourselves in an unpl easant o r g rotesq ue mann er
upon the memory of a ll who read our attempts at letterwriting. We may in conversati on utter th oug hts unadvisedly ,and hope our mista ke may be forgotten o r overlooked, but what we write becomes a perma nent record
• of what we are.
An Index of Character.-A letter is a sure index
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of character to every one who can read between the lines,
and all are more or less proficient in this. Therefore, it
is absolutely necessary to all who desire to obtain a place
in society, o r in public or private esteem, to ac1uire the
secret of writing a good letter.
A Recommendation.-It is one of the best recommendations that can be given, for an incompetent person
can never achieve it. Th e chirography may be regu larly
form ed by mere mec ha ni cal skill, natural or acquired, but
all the requirem ents of an ex~ellent letter can only be
fulfilled by attainments belong ing to a person of fair education and intelligence.
As History.-Many biographies have been compiled
chiefly from th e letters co ll ated from the correspondence
of a lifetime. A tru er history co uld not be given to the
world, no r one which would render the inner life more
vivid in its portrayal.
It is claimed by many who have given the subject
earnest attention, that a man commits himself in no other
way more unreserved ly than by his pen.
Individuality of Letters.-It is a fact also worthy
of attention, that there is as distin ct an individuality in
handwritin g as in the features of the huma n face. We
glan ce at the envelope of a letter, as at a face which confronts us on th e street, and almost instinctively know at
once wh ether we are greeted by a friend, a foe, or a
stranger.
Not Infallible.-As character is so subtle an essence
as to be able to elude us to some extent, no matter what
means we may 'take to grasp it, we may of course be de- ·
ceived if we rely implicitly upon any single method of
gauging it.

EVERYBODY'S LETTER WRITER.

7

As Interpreters.-Neverthe less, letters are among
the best interpreters. Knowing this, we should wield the
, pen understandingly, and should remember that we are
placing ourselves before those whom we address through
• this medium, even more actually than by a personal inter"· view.
Individuality.-The innate individuality which impresses us in the immediate presence of a person and
makes us aware of what he is, in spite of his words or
. even his actions, seems to assert itself in like mysterious
manner in a letter
Pen Pictures.-We have ever in mind a mental photograph of each friend or acquaintance as the result of
personal intercourse with them, and into that picture enter
. all the details of form, feature, dress and manner, which
.: make up the sum total of outward appearance.
The inner man we al so possess an idea of, but hold it
more tangibly and consciously, if that inner self has been
outlined for us by frequent letters. Thus we can grasp
quite securely many manifestations of morality courtesy
' business tact, sociability, amiability, etc., or tl;e lack of
these and other elements of character, because he unconsciously betrays himself through these silent visitors,
whose testimony, being involuntary, furnishes most con~lusive and valuable proof.
Letters Should be Legible, Neat and to the
· Point.-There shou Id be a penalty attached to the
crime of inflicting any one with a letter written so carelessly and wretchedly that it can only be deciphered by
the utmost skill and patience, thus seriously "encroaching
upon the time of the recipient.

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EVERYBODY 'S LETTER WRITER.

Write Correctly.-A person may well afford to write
l ess for th e sake of writing more elegantly. Never mail
a letter until it has be en rev ised carefully. See that it
conveys exactly what we intend ed; if we leave too much
to b e tak en for granted, a wrong meaning will be as liable
to assert itself as th e right. What see ms ve ry evident to
th e write r may be ve ry cl iffi cult 0°f comp re hension by the
recipient, who may not have all the facts in his possession. State everyth ing c learly, in as few words as possibl e. Look at the letter, wh en co mpleted, from the reader's
standpo int, ancl be certain there is no chance for you to
be misunderstood.
Punctuate Carefully acco rdin g to th e se nse. Importa nt questions have bee n d ec id ed by tbe use of a

7. A period mu st close the a ddress of a letter, and
its signature.
8. Use the dash to chan ge or to suspend the constructi on, or to conclud e in an unexpected mann er.
9. An explanati on, reference, or any ex tra words
may be incl osed by parenth eses.
10.
Use th e hyp hen betwee n parts o f a compoun d
word which usage has not yet d ec lared a singl e word, and
to divid e a word at th e e ncl of a iin e.
• Use of Capitals.- Begin eve ry ind epend ent sentence, every line of poetry, and eve ry direct quotation
with a capi tal letter.
Th e pronoun I, interjection 0 , and a ll names a nd
titles of the Deity mu st be cap itals.
Every word used to denote a spec ial thin g beg ins
with a capital.
Proper names and adjectives derivecl frorn these,
should begin with a capital.
Official and honorary titl es, titles of books, a nd the
heads of their chapters and divisions, should begin with
a capital.
The days of the wee k, and th e month s o f the year
beg in with capitals.
Names of relig ious d e11 01T.inat1ons begin with cap itals.
In preparin g accounts beg in each item with a
capital.
Spelling.-Master th e g eneral rul es for spelling.
1.
Rem.embe-r that the fin al conso nant is d o ubl ed
when you acid a syllabl e to verbs of one syllabl e, e nding
with a single co nsonant and preceded by a single vow el,
also to verbs of two or more syllables ending in like

C O l11llla.
1.
U sc the co mma to separate clauses, to mark parenth eses, a nd to separate words wh en several are use d in
th e sa me construction .
2.
U se the comma in the address and the conclusion
of a letter, and in tb e date, to separate the different items.
Inverted commas are used before a quotation, giving the
e':act wo rd s of another, and the double apostrophe marks
its close.
3. If c la uses a re subdivid ed by commas, the semicolon may be used to separate the clauses from each
oth e r.
4. A co lo n is necessary to separate sentences in ::i. discourse introduced by, As follows, etc., and consisting of
a se ries of propositions or statements.
5. Every complete se ntence not a question or
exc;larnation, must close with a period.
6. Every heading or sub-heading requires a period.

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mann er, and having the accent on the last syllable; as,
hit, hitting; forget, forgetting.
2.
In using th e word full as an affix drop one l
from the plural of suc h compound s by adding s to the
singular, as, spoonfu l! , spoonfu ls.
3. Retai n both consonants when prefixing one or
more sy ll ab les to words end ing in a do uble consonant,
except in annul, distil, fulfil, instil, un ti l and wi th a l.
Give Full Address.--Be certai n that your address
is fully g ive n, town, county and state.
•
Arrange the differen t topics in separate paragraphs.
L eave a blank margin on the left hand s id e of the
page.
Fold Neatly.-A letter which has been "crammed"
into th e e nvelope presents a very unsightly appearance.
Word Carefully.-Business letters d emand great
care as to the exact wording used, since a iittle careless, ness might result in serious loss t o th e writer.
Social lette rs require espec ial attention to all the nice
detail s of materia l, e legance of expression, beauty of
penmanship, etc.
Look out for Counterfeit Letters.- Along th e
path of th e g reatest good ever lurk the most powerful allurements to evi l. Good money is always cou nterfei ted , and thou g h we must have it in current use, and
d epend upon it as a medium of exchange, constant vigilance is imperative if we would not be d eceived.
Dr. Samuel Johnson has warned us that." there is no
transact ion which offers stronger t emptati ons to fallacy
and sophi sticatio n tha n episto lary intercourse."
Letters may be false g uid es, as may personal inter-

EVERYBODY'S LETTER WRITER,

II

vjews and every other means we are wont to employ, in
our search after the tru e character of those with whom
we have to do.
But by leavi ng ample margin on this account, fo r all
needed correctio ns, and by being a lert a nd attentive we
may beco me quite expert in discovering- the g enuin e beneath the false, or in distinguishing that whi ch is real
from th at which is assumed.
Materials.-Among the indi spensab les for the mechanical execution of a n elegant lette r, arc, thick white
or cream note pape r, wit h enve lope to match, good
black ink, blotting pape r, a chamois pen wiper, and a
good stee l pen. An easy and correct position of the
hand is most important. T o write on o ld scraps or in a
sprawlin g, care less way, is inexcusable, and is rea lly an
ins ult to yo ur corresponde nt, for it looks as though yo u
did not have respect enoug h for your correspondent to
do yo ur work properly.
Legibility.-Write leg ibly and simply without flourishes, quotations or abbreviations. Never resort to underlinin g except to emp hasize a word of marked importance.
Oi1 ly urgen t and exce ptional cases justify writin g a
lette r with a lead pencil.
Do not fail to use a capital to beg in every se ntence,
an<l all names of persons o r places. Dot your i's and
cross yo ur t's. Decide beforehand as to the su bstance of
what you wish to write, and th en slrivc to express it as
you would converse, with case, clearness and direct ness,
avoiding repetition a nd re fe rences to se lf. Postscripts
are not in good t aste. Make your lette r as chee rful an<l
en~ertaining as possible.

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Introductory Address.-Address strangers as
"Sir," or "Madam,·· ending when formal with : "Your
obedient servant," or "Very obediently yours," "Most
respectfully yours," etc. Acquaintances should be addressed as" D ear Sir" or" Dear Madam," signing yourself "Co rdially yours," "Respectfully yours," "Truly
yours,'" etc.
A cl ergyman is addressed as "Reverend a nd Dear
Sir," th e President or Governor as "Your Excellency,"
the Vice-Pres id ent and members of the Cabin et as "The
Honorable--" (Honorable may be abbreviated on the
· envelope, hut not in the letter.) Always sign your name
and acid re ss.
Be Prompt.-Answer promptly every letter received,
rto matter from whom, or what its purport.
The Address on the envelope cannot be too carefully written . Avoid all flourishing. Write as plainly as
possible. Postal clerks are always overworked and have
"no time while flying along twenty to forty miles an hour,
to decipher bad writing. Nor have they time to look up
counties for obscure villages. Always put the county on.
Be careful to give street and number, to letters intended
for residents in towns.
Never use uncommon abbreviations such as "Col.
Co." for Columbia county. It may mean Colorado, Columbus or Co llins. It is perfectly plain to you that you
live in Columbia county, but other people do not know
that.
Files of important letters should be kept with elate
of answer, and you should always keep copi es of all important letters.

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EVERYBODY S LETTER \VRITER.

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Be Discreet in all your correspondence. A letter
is a lasting record, and an indiscreet one may cause you
much mortification, or possibly trouble. Never write a
letter when anvJ'· "Let not the sun go clown upon your
wrath," lest you may afterward repent bitterly. Do not
decide important matters by letter upon the spur of the
moment.
When in Doubt about the advisability of sending
a letter, take the Napoleonic advice -"Do nothing."
In delicate matters a personal interview is as a rule, infinitely more satisfactory. This is particularly true where
important favors are to be asked.
Preserve Letters.-Th ey are valuable as history,
and may prove of great importance for reference. Consequently never write a letter you would dislike to have
others keep.
Legally a letter belongs to the writer, tn so far as he
retains such an interest as will prevent unauthorized
publication.
Stamps sufficient should always be placed on a letter.
Thousands of letters are never sent from the home
office because no stamps are affixed. If your letter is
unusually heavy, ask your postmaster to weigh it. It may
require double rates. The postoffice authorities often forward a letter which is not sufficiently stamped and collect
•• the unpaid postage of the party receiving it; a proceeding
which no delicate-minded person would wish to subject
another to.
In writing the address on an envelope begin a little
• to the left of the center. Write the name in first
line, the town in the next line below, and a little to the

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EVERYBODY'S LETTER WRITER.

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EVERYBODY'S LETTER WRITER.

right; the name of the State still further to the right.
The name of the county is often written at the left of the
envelope, by itself.
We give some models for addressing envelopes:

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Janiej ~·

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We have sou g ht to give a large variety of letters intended to cover the ground .

fill
An impertinent letter, which may, for aught you know,

be well meant, can be answered as follows:
,

CHICAGO,

ILL., Dec.

10,

'86.

·~r. George Noble, Grant Park, Ill.

Dr. Will}, ~mith.
Care Tlzos. Browne, Esq.,

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S1R :- I write to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of May 10.
Obediently yours,
DA YID MONROE.
Such a reply will convey 111 a courteous manner the
needed rebuke.

Louis, )vfo.

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EVERYnonv 's LETTER WRITER.

EVERYBODY'S LETT ER WRITER.

given, if re nted; ho w many rooms th e house contains;
and in what state of repair?
Pl ease inform me also wh en I ca n exam ine the premises,
llncl oblige,
A. L. HARRIS.

I wish to matc h some c loth, a samp le of which I inclose. I need five yards more of it.
Also ten yards of ordinary sheeting, and a pair of black
si lk gloves, will comp lete my list. I wear 6 /4 g loves, and
wish th em to hc-,ve lo ng wrists.
Will be ever so grateful if you a ll ow m ~ thus to troubl e
Very s in cerely you rs,
you.
E ~ 111. v W oo n.

Form of Excuse for a Pupil 's Absence.
TU ESDA Y, Dec. 12, 1888.
you pl ease exc use Eddie for not
attending schoo l yes terd ay, as l was co mpe ll ed to keep
him at home to attend to some bu s in ess for me, and
obl ige,
l\1Rs. J OHN JOHNSON.
M ic

JAMF.S:-\Vill

Inquiry about Progress of Pupil.
MORR ISON, ILL., Dec.

2,

1888.

Pres. Blackwdl.
DEAR SIR:-My son George, wh o is attending J erome
College, and is under your ca re, does not write me as
fully co nce rning his school work and progress as I desire
he shou ld . lf yo u will kindly inform me of these matte rs, suggesting any change in his work or conduct you
may deem proper, you will g reatl y o bli ge me.
Very truly yours,
L ERO Y H. KNOWLES.

A Request for a Friend to Make Some
Purchases.
r8 PARK AvE., JERSEY C rrv, N. J., April 20, 1&87.
Mv D EA R l\1Rs. Emt0 ND:-It is impossible for me to
go to the city for several weeks. May I ask as a very
great favor that you will do a little shopping for me?

23

Request for a Loan of Money.
l'!-111.ADELPHIA, Jun e 5, r 886.
DEAR HA N!MOND : -I must rai se a ce rtain sum of
money next week, and am not able to procure the whole
amount.
Can you, without in convenience, lend m e $15.00 for a
month? I will give you my note for that amount and
pay it promptly at ma turity.
.
Let me hear from yo u as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
TOlll ELLIS.

A Favorable Reply.
PHI LADE LPHIA, Jun e 6, 1886.
DEAR To~c-Yours of to-cl ay at h a nd. I incl ose my
cheque for $7 5.00, and am g la d to be able to accommodate you .
.
You can send me your note at your convemence.
Yours sincerely,
GEORGE HAMMOND.

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EVERYBODY'S LETTE R WRITEF

rejoiced t o hear it, for of co urse you will not pass b y an
old fri end 's.
During our visit at unc le's I've en joyed rare sport with
my short time fri end, Holden Prescott, and hence I ho ld
him t o an o ld promise to visit me if ever he had a chance.
Inclosed see in vitatio n to a grand party for th e 29th,
in honor of "ye host," Jr. Mamma will be most happy
if Mrs. Prescott will also visit us.
Yours in memo ry's thrall ,
BERT REED.

pleasure; I was very sorry ind eed to hear of th e deat h of
Mrs. J ackso n and the illn ess of Tommy Moore. My own
health is so much imp roved that I hope to return to
Knoxville very soon.
G ive my love to a ll the friends a nd keep a large share
for Honora.
Affectionately yours,
ALM.A T OWNE.

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From a Pupil to Her Teacher.
KNOXVILLE, ILL., Dec. 12, 18-.
DEAR Miss TowNE:- 1 promised to write and tell you
about o ur sc hoo l and our t eacher. vVe have abo ut the
same pupils as when yo u were here.
Little Tommy Moore is very ill, a nd cannot come.
Mrs: Jackson is dead and we are so sorry for poor J enny.
Miss W hite, th e new t eacher, is very good to us but
we all miss you ve ry mu ch. I am studying arithmetic,
grammar, geography and reading.
Bessie C lark e is my seatmate. I love her dearly.
Please write to
Your affectionate pu pi!,
HONORA FARRELL.

From a Teacher to a Pupil.
77 CENTRE ST ., L OWER FALLS, MASS., Jan . 17, 1888.
MY DEAR PUPIL:-Your kind letter gave me much

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An Offer to Take Charge of a Lady in Traveling.
138 ELM AvE., BosToN, MASS., Oct. 1, 18-.
Mrs. Geo. Dream,
25 Beacon S treet.
DEAR FRIE ND:-By chance I learn ed that E lsie was
go ing to her uncle's in Indiana and wished company.
We are abo ut to visit friends still farthe r West, and it
wi ll afford us pl easure to have Elsie travel with us, if you
will intrust her to our care.
We can go a littl e later just as weil, and will write
our friends to that effect, if yo u give us an affirmative
a nswer.
Very sincerely yours,
LYDI A A. PRESCOTT.

Acknowledging the Favor.
BosToN, MAss., Oct. 2, 18- .
M rs. Lydia A. Prescott,
138 Elm Ave.
DEAR MRS. PRESCOTT:-We are very grateful indeed for your kindness. . We could not ask a better and

EVERYBODY'S LETTER WRITER.

Your b ro ther a nd wi fe arc a mong my clea rest fr ie nd s.
They wri te me occas iona lly, a nd I take g reat pleasure in
their ha ppiness.
Sincerely your fri end ,
l\1Rs. E. F. BEAUMONT.

An Unfavorable Reply.

Answer.

Letter Inquiring about a School.

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WRITER .

Pl ease ad vise me at once if you can de so. Hoping
for a favo rahle reply,
I a m yours respectfully,
L AWRENCE T OWN,
Committee.

Mr. L. T own.
D EA R S1 R:-I received yo ur polite invitation to sing
at the e ntertainment g ive n at yo ur church, a nd regret
havi ng to d eclin e, as I am e ngaged on the eve ning in
question.
I trust your e fforts in behalf of the Sabbath school
may p rove successful- as th ey ce rta inly d ese rve t o.
Believe me yo u rs respectfully,
GRACE FORD

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N o. i 38 E VE RETT AvE., BosTON, MAss. , Aug. 6, 18-.
Miss M ay II. P reston, Mt, H olyroorl, M ass.
D EA R F RIEND:- Perhaps yo u remember me as Miss
Th orn e, a teacher here wh en yo u was a very small child.
It is my wi sh to se nd my little g irl to a g ood school in
some qui et, healthy locality wh ere she will be looked
after as to health, mora ls a nd intell ectual attainments.
I a m ass ured that Mt. H olyrood Seminary is a superio r 01ie, a nd I have about d ecided to send Ethel to you,
if te rms a re reaso nabl e.
\Viii yo u pl ease se nd me a catalogue a nd let me hear
if I may, of yourself, whether yo u are well, etc.

. MT. HO LYROO D Snr., MA ss., Aug. 9 , 18 - .
M v DEAR MR s. J:r.. 1 t1:1 1< >NT :- - Y o u r lctLcr afford ed
me g rea t pleasure. I ndeed, I do remembe r my broth er's
form er teacher, so well beloved by all her pupi ls.
·
Shall fet'. l most honored if yot1 in trus t yo u r d a ug hter
t o my care, a nd I will st rive to do fo r her what vo u
woulc.l wis.h, that she may be as a d vanced as possib l ~ in
th e d1rect1on yo u have indicated.
My b ro ther an d hi s wife have p ro mi sed to visit me in
a few cl ays. I spe nd most of my vacat ions wit h t hem.
Th e.ir little Alma, your namesake, has bee n ill , but is
now quite stro ng again .
Very respectfully yours,
MA y P RESTON.

A Request .for a Singer.
Mi ss M AE E1.us:-Th e Lodge o f which I a m a
member (Hanniba l N o. 3), propose to give a mu sical
e nterta inm ent, a nd have placed me u po n the Co mmittee
of Enterta inment.
'
I sh ould . be pleased to have yon favor us with two
songs, and write to know what your terms are for the
same.

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EVERYBODY'S LETTER WRITER.

EVERYBODY'S LETTER WRITER.

MRS. MORTON AMES requests the pleasure of Mr. and
JVfrs. Whitman's company to luncheon on Thursday
(Nov. 20), at 2 o'clock.
Nov. 7, 1887, 8 Franklin Place,
R oclzester, N. Y.

dear Nellie's rosy cheeks and gleeful smile as of yore.
Write often, and believe me,
Ever your devoted
CHARLIE.

Letter to an Absent Papa.
ELMHURST, !LL., June 5, 1887 . .
MRS. FREDERICK requests the pleasure of Mr Ernest
Kenn edy's company on Wednesday (June 9), at S
o"clock, to a strawberry and c ream party in her garden.

FAMII.,. Y I.,.ETTERS.
Letters from one member of a family to another,
should be written exactly as one would speak.
The
myriad little bits of harmless gossip, the pleasant incidents' that daily transpire in the home circle, should be
told in the chattiest, most natural manner possible.
A letter from a husband to an absent wife is as
follows:
DEAR W1FE:-The old adage, "Out of sight, out of
mind," is n ot true in my case. The days seem most
unconscionably long when you are away. Even Dick
pin es in his cage.
How is b a by? I hope you wont stay away so long
he'll forget. papa.
Have n't any news-no one of course comes near
me.
How is your health?
I hope you are growing
strong and well, and that I shall once more see my

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CHICAGO, ILL., Jan. 19, 18-.
DEAR PAPA:-We are all very lonely without you.
Mamma says I may write and tell you to come home.
'Vont you, papa? vVe n eed you all th e time. I can't
fix my skates, th e straps are broken.
Old John is la me again, and we have to dri ve C harl ey
when we go down tow n.
Jimmy got on the table to-d ay and l\fary Jane whipped
her. I don't like to have my kitty whipped _
Good-bye.
Your. loving daughter,
CLARA .

Letter from a Mother.
Nov. 18, 18-.
MY DEAR MARV.-My heart is with you to-night,
my darlin g child. It is the first time you have bee n so
far away from m e, and I long to know that all is as I
s hould wish.
Dear Mary, the world has been a small one for you
thus far, and you have known little of its perplexities.
Try t o be unselfish and kind toward all about you, and
thou g htful for th e ir comfort, but do not form any intimate acquaintance during your visit. Always consult

EVERYBODY'g LETTER WRITER.
your mother before adding to the list of those whom you
trust. Be carefu l and do not confide to any one aught
of your own private affairs. No young lady of sixteen
is capable of judging accurately of a new friend . Treat
each one you meet as if he or she were worthy of your
highest regard, but b e so wise in all your actions tha t
should your friend ever become an enemy, or prove an
unworthy acquaintance, you would have nothing to
regret as regards misplaced confid ence.
You will, I know, bea r yourself modestly in the company of gentlemen, yet without foolish timidity or prudery.
Be carefu l of your hea lth. Write often to your
lonely and anxious
MOTHER.

EVERYBODY 'S LETTER WRITER.
like b est to have Bess ie with them, and th e one
not take he r has to be conte nt with m e.
I do not mean that th ey negl ect me at a ll,
Every one is as good to me as possibl e.
Uncle and aun t s end love to you, and your
sends a whole heart full. Please don ' t forget
very o ften to
Your loving daughte r,

however.
li ttle g irl
to write

Letter fro:n a Child to Her Mamma.

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25 BEAC ON ST., BosToN, M ASS., Au g. 29, 1887.
D EA R MAMMA:-We wish to see you very much.
Why do you stay away so lo ng?
Aunt Mary boxed my ea rs yesterday when I wasn't
naughty, either. I wish you would come home. Johnnie
has a bad finger, and he is so cross.
It is school time no w. Please come home.
With much love from
Your own little girl,
MAMIE.

BUFFALO, N . Y., Nov. 31, 18-.

Already I had become very confidential with a young
girl who seemed very sweet indeed, but of whom even
Aunt and Harry knew very little, as she only chanced to
be th eir guest at this time. I will try to be very careful,
dear mother, with regard to everything you have mentioned.
Harvey is th e only young gentlema n with whom I
talk muc h, except, of course, cousin H a rry.
·
'Vh en we ride or walk in couples I am sometimes
with Harry and sometimes with Harvey. They s.e em to

who can-

MARV.

Reply from the Daughter.
Mv OwN DEAR MoTHER:--Your loving letter was
just what I need ed , and did me a great deal of good.

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SITUATIONS .

Letter Asking for Situation.
144 ' VORTH ST., N Ew YORK, D ec. l, 18-.
Messrs. :Tames & L eonard,
65 Ogden A'/Je.
GENTLEMEN :-lt is my wish to find employment as
bookkeeper in some good establishment, and I would be

