Part 119

61 DELAWARE PLACE, February 19, 189-.

MRS. GENERAL CHANNING:

Seeing your advertisement for a governess in to-day's "Herald," I wish to inform you that I am a graduate of Wellesley, and have, for the two years since being graduated, taught French and German in the college.

Any references which you may desire as to my efficiency for completing the education of your daughter will be furnished you by the College Faculty.

Hoping to hear favorably from you,

I am, respectfully,

(MISS) ELIZABETH STUART.

A letter of inquiry might be something as follows:

DR. J.H. GRATIOT:

In making some inquiries relative to the present residence of a friend of mine, Miss Grace Gage, a mutual acquaintance of ours, Mrs. Emmons B. Corthell, of this place, gave me your address, suggesting that you could afford me the desired information.

This being the case, would you be so kind as to send the lady's present address, or, by handing her this note, permit her personally to furnish the desired information. Any communication addressed, from now on, to 1267 Madison Avenue, will find and greatly oblige,

(MISS) KATE G. COX.

A letter of resignation, being a rather formal document, should be worded very much as follows:

To the Directors of the Owatonna Public Library.

GENTLEMEN: I hereby tender my resignation of the Librarianship of the Owatonna Public Library, said resignation to take effect on the ---- day of ----, 189-.

Thanking you for the kindness and thoughtfulness with which you have acceded to my wishes and requests during my late term of office,

I am, respectfully,

GEORGE H. GRAHAM.

OWATONNA, Minn., August 1, 189-.

Some Don'ts and Do's for Letter-Writers.

Don't write an anonymous letter; it is a cowardly stab in the dark.

Don't pay any attention to an anonymous letter; it is not worth your regard.

Don't conduct private correspondence on a postal card. Many persons consider this an insult. A purely business message may be thus sent, but even then the slight saving in postage is small recompense for the delay so often attending the delivery of postal cards.

Don't use a postscript; it is unnecessary, old-fashioned, school-girlish, and in a particular, punctilious letter the omission of any important matter necessitates the rewriting of the entire letter rather than the use of a postscript. In very friendly letters one may be permitted to add the forgotten paragraph in the form of a postscript, omitting, however, the obsolete abbreviation, "P.S."

Don't write on a half-sheet of paper unless the nature of the correspondence permits the use of the ordinary business letter-head. If the note is short, write only on one side of the paper, but don't tear a sheet in half for economy's sake. The rough, torn edges, denote haste, ill-breeding, or carelessness on the part of the writer.

Don't use tablet paper for ceremonious letters.

Don't write on both sides of the paper to any but very intimate friends or relatives, they being disposed to tolerate slight departures from formality on our part.

Don't meddle with foreign nouns or verbs unless conversant with the language itself; incorrect and ungrammatical usage is too apt to be the unhappy result. Even foreign names and titles should not be used without the exactest care as to their orthography and application.