Richland beacon., 1873-08-02
Epistolary Courtesies.


is the man. He might have added thai
the style proclaimed the nation. Per
haps of all the nations of Europe the
English are the stiffest and most for
NAL in their correspondence, more es
pecially with those to whom they art
personally unknown, and who are theil
interiors in rank or social position. Il
a gentleman or lady, when absent from
heme, has occasion to write letter Oi
instructions to male or female servant
the style is studiously dry and lacOniC
as telegram and contains no word OF
compliment or courtesy. When Jones
writes to Brown, whom he has never
seen, he addresses him as "Sir," and
subscribes himself as, "Your Obedient
humble servant ;" though he is neither
obedient nor humble. and would be Of
Tended if YOU really considered him to
be so. When Brown writes to Robin
son, with whom he is on more or less
friendly terms, the word "Sir is too
stiff for intimacy, and he addresses him
as "Dear SIR" or "Mv dear SIR" or
"Dear Robinson :" or "My dear Rob
inson :" and subscribes himself Yours
very truly" or "Yours very sincerely" "
or "Yours faithfully" or Yours very
faithfully" When love-letters are in
question the style warns, and the
"dears and the "darlings," and the
devotedlies," and the affectionate-
lies" come in play. With these shall
not presume to meddle. They are of
the tender follies of the best period
of human life, and not to be turned
into ridicule either by the hard head or
the hard heart, unless in a law court in
case of breach of promise. 1t is with
the ordinary style of address only that
presume to treat, than which nothing
more formal or unmeaning can well be
imagined. Take, for instance, the title
to esquire, which means a shield-bearer.
There are no shields in our days except
in the theaters, consequently there are
no shield-bearers. The title, even when
it was reality, and signified true
thing. meant no more than a neOphyte
in the profession Of arms, and servant
of a superior, who was called a cheva-
lier, knight, a rider, or a hOrseman.
Everybody with decent coat upon
his back among the AnglO-Saxon, or,
more properly, the Celto-Saxon races
in Great Britain and America considers
himself entitled to be called a shield
bearer, and should the highly respecta-
BILE John Brown (esquire) be addressed
as Mr.. John Brown, he comes to the
conclusion before he opens the peccant
epistle that it was either dispatched
by somebody who meant to insult him,
or by plaguey attorney dunning him
for debt.
In this respect the French are more
sensible. They have no esquires at all,
and monsieur is as high title as they
usually bestOw. The eldest son of the
old kings of the Bourbon line was mon
sieur par excellence, the monsieur who
took precedence over all other messieurs
whatsoever. They have, however, a
far greater variety of epistolary phra-
seOlogy than the English, and subscribe.
their letters after fashion which to an
Enalishman seems remarkably rounda-
bout, cumbrOus and effected. If they
begin with the "Dear sir" they end
with the numbering phrase, Receive,
sir, the assurance of the high considera-
ton with which have the honor to be,
your very obedient, humble servant"
The term of human life ought to ex-
tend to at least hundred and fifty |
years, if people who write many letters
are to append such perorations as this,
or others equally wire drawn, which
the French delight to employ. The |
Germans are even more punctilious, and
it requires long study of their language
and long acquaintance with the people |
to be able to decide whether a man is
simply to he called sir, or high-born sir,
or high and well-bOrn sir, or nObly-born
sir, or high, we'll and nobly- y-born sir, or,
worst or best of all, most senene. And
as in English parlance the strictly gram
matical and poetical "th1u, the proper
pronoun to be employ ed when address
ing single individual, has been super
seded by the plural lyon, which means
several Individuals, so in German the
thou " and the you" have both been
and a single person is des-
gnate1 "they," as in the phrase, VIE
befnden sic sich?" How do they find
?" instead of 4" How do You
1o?" The courteous Italians designate
every equal and superior as "Your
grace, or "Your excellency, and speak
20 every one as "she" or "her." 81
will visit you," is rendered 81 will visit
her." the feminine pronoun doing duty
'or the feminine nouns, grace and excel
ency, which are always understood,
;hough not always expressed.
In business letters the Italians never
lse the words caro- signOre, or dear sir,
Is the English do, but address their
as Most esteemed SIR"
'arying the style of address by such
,pithets as Honorable" "Iilustri-
,us." "Most gentle" "Most noble"
+ you addressed your tailor or boot-ma-
Ter by letter, neither would be sur
,rised, or offended, or suspicious of a
oke, if you wrote on the envelope,
Most illustrious sir, and signed your
elf, Your most devoted. These are
he usual forms employed by the bulk
# the people, by tradesmen, artisans,
Jerks, millers, servants and others, and
servant-girl would not think we'll of
nv lover who did no taddress her as ell
ustrissima signora." The following
etter, translated verbatim, was ad-
ressed after quarrel at a drinking
'out, by one angry dispntant to another,
vhOm he challenged to duel: i
Most esteemed sir Permit me to in
orm you that you are pig. Yes, my
'eloved one. 1t is my intention in
hort time to spoil your beauty either
y sword or pissOl. The choice shall
70 left to you, as both weapons are to
ne quite Indifferent. Hoping soon to
ave the pleasure of n cherished ansver