The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-10
HINTS ABOUT LETTER. WRITING,


HINTS ABOUT LETTER WRITING.
Letter-writing is very much a matter
of habit, and for that reason it is i'm
pcrtant that young people should learn
early to consider it pleasant way of
communicating thoughts and feelings to
their friends, instead of burdensome
task to be got over as quickly as posi-
BILE.
We often hear people excuse them
selves by saying that they have no gift
for writing letters" as though it were
something Ike an ear for music, only &C
corded to favored few. But the truth
is, anyone can write interesting and
pleasant letters who will take little
trouble and really persevere in the eff
fort. The grand difficulty in the way is
that they are too selfish and too indolent
to try. Nothing that is worth anything
comes without effort, and if you do not
care enough about gratifying your
friends to take a little pains for it you
deserve never to receive any letters your
selves.
A few simple rules, carefully observed,
will help you over some of the things
which you call difficulties. In the first
place, alDays Drite distinctly. 1t de-
siroys much Of the pleasure in receiving
a letter II IL cannot be read without puz-
ding out every word. Many an epistle,
sritien on heavy cream-laid paper, with
ID ullBuEram at the top, is onl y an an
Hafanre to the one to whom it was ad-
Ifi ouaccount of pale ink and care
bad writing.
RI narIcular In the matter of dating,
Has every item distinctly, and sign the
...G eith your full name. If this habit
frmed, you will not run the risk of
.sIag Faicahle letters, which cannot be
llrs ariod from the Dead Letter Office
unless accompanied with the full ad-
dress.
You will find il more easier to reply to
letter soon after you get it than if you
neglect il for few weeks, because you
will have the impressions which the first
reading made upon you. Tell your
friend when you received the letter
which you are answering, and take up
the topics in the order in which they
naturally come, remembering to answer
all the questions which have been asked.
Try to think what your friend would like
best to hear about, and when you under
take to tell anything do not leave it half
told, but finish the story. People who
are not careful about this often give
false impression without meaning to do
so. For instance, one of these careless
writer's, in giving an account of fire,
simply stated that the house was burned,
without giving any qualifications, thus
giving the impression that it was en-
tirely consumed, thereby causing a whole
family much unnecessary trouble and
anxiety, as the actual burning in ques-
ton was very slight.
Do not consider anything too trivial to
write about which you would think
worth mentioning in conversation. Writ
ing letters is simply talking upon paper,
and your friends will be much more en-
tertained by the narration of little every
day affairs than by profound observa-
tons upon topics which you care moth
ing about.
In writing to very intimate friends,
who will be interested in the details of
your daily life, it is well sometimes to
make your letter sort of a diary-tell-
ing something of how you spent each
day since you wrote last; what books
you have been reading, what letters you
have received from mutual friends, and
what you have heard or seen which has
interested you.
Write all that you have to say on one
subject at once. That is, do not begin to
tell about your garden, and then about
your school, and then about your garden
again; but finish one subject before
you begin another. Do not be afraid
of using the pronoun l. Some people
avoid it, and thus give their sentences a
shabby and unfinished sound, as, event
to Boston-called on Mrs. Smith" Never
apologize for what you write by saying
that you do not like to write letters
You would not think it quite polite in Wis
iting friend to say: " l do not like tC
talk to you, so shall not say much.
Keep the idea before you that you are
writing for the sake of giving pleasure
to your friend.
When your letter is merely an inquiry
or on matter of business, the case is
different. You then should try to be as
brief, concise and clear as possible. AL
acknowledgement business letter is
as out of place as it is inconsiderate.
''Do not think what to write, but write
what you think, is an old rule, and q
good one to remember. If you are away
from home, it is very selfish not to share
your good times with the family by writ
ing frequent letters. You can tell what
you are enjoying so much better while il
is fresh in your mind than you can after
you return, when you may not have leis
ure to go over the whole ground; and
these home letters may be the means of
afterward refreshing your own memory
and reminding you of incidents which
you would otherwise have forgotten
There are many other things which nigh
be said here, but this will do for tht