Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-07-24
Epistolary COurtesies.


various countries Of Europe differ almost
as much as their languages. Button it was
who first said that the style is the man
He might have added that the style nro-
claimed the nation. Perhaps of all the
nations of Europe the English are the
stiffest and most formal in their cor.
respondence, more especially with those
to whom they are personally unknown,
and who are their interiors in rank or
social position. If a gentleman or lady,
when absent from home, has occasion to
write a letter of instructions to male or
female servant, the style is studiously dry
and laconic as a telegram; and contains
no word of compliment or courtesy.
When Jones writes to Brown, whom he
has never seen, he addresses him as "Sir,n
and subscribes himself your obeGient
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 Robinson,
with whom he is on more or less friendly
terms, the word "Sir" is too stiff for init
macy, and he addresses him as Dear sir,n
or "My dear SIR" or Dear Robinson" or
''NIy dear Robinson;' y and subscribes him
self yours very truly or "Yours very
sincerely" or yours faithfully" or
yours very faithfully" When lovelet-
ters are in question the style warns, and
the 'dears," and the "darlings," and
the "deyotedlies," and the ''affec-
tionatelies,' come into play. With
these l shall not presume to meddle.
They are of the tender fOlies 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 law court in
case OF breach of promise. 1t is with the
ordinary style Of address only that I pre-
sumo to treat, than which nothing more
formal and unmeaning can we'll be imag-
ined. Take for instance the title of
esquire, which means shield bearer
There are no shields in our days ex-
cept in the theaters, consequently, there
are no shield bearers. The title, even
when it was a reality, and signified a true
thing, meant no more than a neOphyte in
the profession of arms, and servant to
superior, who was called a chevalier,
knight, a rider, OF horseman. Every
body with a decent coat upon his back
among the AnglO-SaXOn races, 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 respectable John
Brown (esquire) be addressed as Mr.
- oiiii I'ioNI I itC COllltS " tIlt CDuCiuSlOu
before he opens the peccant epistle that
it was either dispatched by somebody
who meant to insult him, or bv a plaguv
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 Monsieur
par eXcellence-the Monsieur who took
precedence over all other Messieurs what
soever. They have, however, a far greater
variety of epistolary phraseology than
the English, and subscribe their letters
after a fashion which to an Englishman
seems remarkably roundabout, cumbrous
and affected. If they begin with the Dear
sir''-"Cher monsieur''-they end with
the numbering phrase, "Receive, sir, the
assurance of the high consideration with
which | have the honor to be, your very
obedient humble servant" The term Of
life ought to extend to at least a 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 Ger
mans are even more punctilious, and it re-
quires long study of their language and
long acquaintance with their people to be
able to decide whether man is simply to
be called "Mein Herr" (sir), or "Hoch-
geboren er Herr" (high- born sir, or "Hoch
und wohl geboren er Herr (high and
well-born sir), or "Edel- l-geboren er Herr
(nobly- born sir), or "Hoch wohl und Edel-
geboren er Herr" (high, well, and nobly-
born sir, or, worst or best Of all, ''Durch
lauchtigste" (most serenel. And as in
English parlance the strictly grammatical
and pOetlcal thou" the proper pronoun
to be employed when addressing a single
individual, has been superseded by the
plural ''you," which means several indi-
viduals, SO in German the "thou'' and the
you have both been superseded, and a
single person is designated they" as in
the phrase ''Wie befnden sic sich?' "HOw
do they find themselves" instead of
How do you do?" The courteous Italians
designate every equal and superior as
Your grace or "Your excellency," and
speak TO every one as "she" or "her." Il
will visit YOU" is rendered II will visit
her." the feminine pronoun doing duty
for the feminine nouns, Grace and Excel
lency, which are always understood
though not always expressed.
In business letters the Italians never
use the words Caro- signore, or Dear sir,
as the English do, but address their cor
respondent as "Pregiatissimo signore," or
"Stimatissimo signore," Most esteemed
sir, varying the style of address by such
epithets as Honorable" "Illustrious,"
'Most gentle,n "Most noble" If you ad-
dressed your tailor or bootmaker by letter,
neither would be surprised, or offended or
suspicious of joke, If you wrote on the
envelope "Illustrissimo signore," Most IL
lustrious sir, and signed yourself ''Vostro
devotissimo,n Your most devoted These
are the usual forms employed by the bulk
of the people, by tradeSmen, artisans,
clerks, milliners, servants, and Others and
a servant-girl would not think well of any
lover who did not address her as illus
trissima signora." The following letter,
translated verbatim, was addressed, after
a quarrel at drinking bout by one angry
disputant to another, whom he challenged
to duel:
MosT ESTEEMED SIR,-Permit me to inform YOU
that you pig. Yes, my beloved one Ii is
my intention in short time 10 spoil your beauty
either by sword pistol The choice shall be left
10 you as both weapons are TO me quite indifferent
Hoping soon TO have the pleasure of a cherished
answer, declare myself 10 be, honorable sir
Yours most devotedly, CARIAvERo
The stately Spaniards, in addressing
commercial firm, instead Of the sSir'' or
Gentlemen" Of the English, or the
Monsieur" or "Messieurs" of the French.
write "Muy senor nion or "Muy senores
nuestTos," or "My very sir" or Our very
sirs," and subscribe themselves Your
very attentive" or Your very obedient