The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-06-06
Girls Letters.

Who nowadays writes letters? We
all dash off hasty notes, or hurrielly
scribble apostal card, under pressure OF
immediate necessity, but their repistolary
art" so dear to our grandmoth ers, is
becoming extinct.
It is not long ago that postage was so
high that letters were luxury rather
than the necessity that they are now.
The arrival of one was looked upon as
great event, and to destroy was little
short of sacrilege. It was worth while
to spend some time and pains on . let
ter which would be read and re-read,
and perhaps handed down for the bene-
fit Of posterity.
The disjointed productions that pass
for letters in these degenerate modern
days would have shocked an educated
girl Of the last century. There is no
reason why girls who can speak French
and German should not be able to write
English. Many young ladies who have
had a smattering Of recondite science,
and who have dipped into the gram
mars of one or more of the ancient and
half q dozen of the modern languages
are still unable to write letter in their
own tongue, that in arrangement and
choice of words might not disgrace q
properly taught child of twelve. Es-
pecially the distinction between the
third and first person is often SO hazy
that formal note begun in one is fin
ished in the other!
A good correspondent begins her let
ter by writing her address and the full
,sate plainly at the top of the page.
Lei. s.tsrs are so often referred to as evi-
dence n triaing or important matters
that this is worth remembering. II
they shoulu happen to be kept for any
lenetl, of time. tho date would add ma
terially to their interest.
MANY persons se, >,n to think it an In
suit to the intelligence'o OF their friends
to write straightforward from page to
page in the natural mann. e: and that
the more their letters resemENe pug
zle the more piquantly interesting they
will be. It is hard to tell why sN sen'
tence commenced at the bottom of s2ne
page should not he continued at the toy
of the next, instead of rushing wildly
off at Q tangent, and be found at last
written crosswise, in the very last place.
o person would look for it.
The girl who really answers q letter
is no common correspondent. We have
all groand with mild evaporation over
o letter supposed to be reply to one of
our own, but which took not the small
est notice of our modest communication,
even in the cursory mention ofits arri-
val, left all our questions unanswered
and, with curious ingenuity, omitted
every scrap of information on the SUBJ
jeet that most interested MS.
The best time to answer aletter, when
it is possible, is Immediately after first
reading it. So many things rush into
ones mind that cannot be recalled after;
ward. Very few people have the requi-
site leisure to do this, as in ordinary
CAGES it involves rather brisk CORES
pondence; but it should not be put off
loager than necessary. sl
People who are travelling abroad are
very apt to make their home letters too
much like gnide-books. Descriptions
of scenery and famous places are gem
orally tedious. It is the. little things
that are entertaining /; q droll adventure,
Q popularity in dress or speech, any
thing which especially strikes the writer,
will be certain to be given vividly, and
will add color and interest to her letter.
The full name should be a;gned, 30
that should the letter miscarry, it may
Re returned through the Dead Letter
Office, which would be impossible II the
only clue were "Lum" or 1sKatie. ~.
The School Supplement-.