The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-07-05
Letter Writing.

Not every one who is regarded as well
educated and capable of reducing his
thoughts to writing in a style that would
be considered good composition, is able to
write an excellent letter. Numerous in
stances exist in which the school-boy, the
apprentice and the young business man are
extremely deficient in this respect, although
abundantly competent to perform other
matters incidental to their respective posi-
tions. Youth, upon making application
for employment in mercantile establish
ments, is frequently required to write
business letter in order to test his probable
competency or qualifcations-his future
success, perhaps, in great measure de-
pending upon the skill and correctness ex-
hibited therein. Indeed in every pursuit
of life the ability to write an accurate,
properly punctuated and well expressed
letter will be found eminently advantageous.
In addition to the advantages in business
point of view, how refreshing it is to re-
ceive from absent friends and relatives an
occasional epistle, written with due re-
gard to legibility and photography, contain
ing description of incidents of travel,
events in ones everyday life, however
trivial, which would be likely to interest
the folks at home. Next to the gratifca-
ton derived from social intercourse, epis-
tolary communication affords the highest
enjoyment, especially if such pains as have
been indicated be employed by the cores
pondent. So highly valued is letter-writ-
ing by literary persons that in the biogra-
phies of those who have distinguished
themselves in the walks of literature copi-
GUS extracts are introduced from their
epistolary productions, and some of the
finest poetical efusions and most charming
compositions in prose contained in the
English language may be found in the form
of social letters. 1t is therefore highly
desirable that increased attention to letter.
writing in its various forms should be given
by our educational institutions, and to that
end it should constitute an important part
of the regular exercise in composition.
Those who write for the press, often in
necessarily hurried manner, sometimes
find difficulty in driving their pens fast
enough to keep pace with the rapid flow of
thought. Thus they become careless in
legibility and spelling. The manuscript of
Horace Greeley and Col. Forney was al
most as perplexing as though it was in
cipher or hieroglyphics; and to one unac-
customed to their hands half the interest
was destroyed in the contents of their let
tiers, owing to the effort expended in de-
ciphering the apparently Chinese charac-
tiers: Lawyers are proverbially careless
penmen in their ordinary communications,
while the utmost care is required of their
clerks in the preparation Of legal docu-
ment. Legibility, however, can readily be
acquired by practice, and care in this re-
spect should be insisted upon among school
children to the exclusion of fourishing
style, which, instead of adorning, often
disfgures the page. The habitual exercise
of care will insure this great desideratum
in penmanship, and in time twill be found
quito as easy to thus express ones ideas in
writing with equal rapidity as if the words
were scrawled or unduly abbreviated.