Telegram-herald., 1891-07-10

We nave q lew D1liy, SS1 wien
told her Ia making coffee 10 put ia an
egg and the shells, she actually used an
ussbro5en egg AL at least half 3 pound
Of cocoa shells" Or tel or Miss Browns
appearance AZ toe po.ls. or Miss Smiths
astounding new gown, or In fact any
btsle incident that could MAKE one
sIaile CT give one q new view Of hu-
manity.
PERHAPS somebody remarks in town
full Of "Prunas. Prislns and Proprieey,.
That thing Is gossip, and never Cos
sip"
To such an one say, then you'd bet
ter learn. Lay dear, for eontend that
gossip. that is u say, good naIurei,
truthful, charitable gossip is very use
fnl element Of social success either in
conversation or letter writing. IL takes
ones thoughts or Of ones self, and off 1t
that perpetual question as 20 life being
worth the living and of = those darker
problems concerning the sin and misery
and needs Of those around rs In a great
city, which, like the Sphinx, are always
threatening 10 devour US If we do not
guess their riddle.
Yes. 1t is q great thing to some OF N
brain workers TO have bit Of amusing
gossip presented as an attraction to our
overburdsaed hives, and l for one am
always thankful 10 q correspondent who
presents 10 10 me.
Another very frequent fault ia friend
ly letters is the want Of proportion be-
tween value and space: that is to say,
three-fourths Of the sheet will be COW
cred with either those excuses for not
having written sooner. or some laineuta-
ton over mistake already corrected. as,
for instance, II was SO sorry thought
you said three instead of two, but M /
told you when we did finally meet was
thinking of the last time you called for
me, and you remember that was three"
etc, q couple of pages utterly use
less and uninteresting, since the friends
hsd already come to an explanation by
word of mouth. And then on the fourth
page comes, "Oh, l must tell you have
at last made an arrangement to sell my
house and go abroad. bat have no time
to tell you about it now, - the bell has
rung for dinner"
How many such letters we all receive:
Yea, and unhappily so many of rs write!
Letters flied with what might just rs
well be left out. and emitting or mini
mixing the most important subject at cur
command 1t is always better before
one puts pen To paper to cast IA little com
prebensive glance over what one has to
say and select the one thing that rrust
be said to begin upon; give the best time
and attention to that in the very first
place, and then il there is still room and
the dinner bell don't ring. fill up your
letter with as many "frills' rs you like.
Another very provoking kind Of
friendly q letter is ono l too often re-
ceive. 1t is q very brief and scrawly
kind Of ncte. written merely to say that
the writer has no time for a letter.
although she has thousand things to
say and loves me very dearly. To such
an one have sometimes replied, IF you
have no time for letter, wait for few
hours until you have, and if you love
me show your affection by making a
little time"
Yet another irritating sort of letter Is
. half confidential one: 81 had such q
strange interview with You know who.
II ] should tell you about it You would
well. don't know how you'd feel nor
whst you'd say, but ! ought not to tell
you nor anybody else, 90 l won't. 1t
wouldn't be night 10 let you see how far
well, there, we won't say any moro
about it. Have you heard Patti this
season.
Now If ones intimate friend under
takes to talk in that fashion face to face,
one can soon shake the whole story out
of her. or il she is too exaspernting can
say. Pray don't tell me If you don't
want TO; really don't take any interest
in the subject" Bat when the friend Is
miles or even oceans away, it is not
worth while to slap at her in this fash
ion, and of course one wouldn't choose
to urge for a confidence. even if quite
sure it would come in the end.
So much for friendly letters. As for
business letters, their merit, like that of
wit. lies mostly in their brevity. A per-
son who has business proposition to
present or business question: or bust
ness reply 10 make should have a math-
eInatical capacity for extracting the
''s7nare root" Of the matter and giving
that ~ his correspondent, pure and sim
pie. / always distrust business cor
respondent who INDUCES in fine language
or graceful verbiage; the truth. the whole
truth and nothing but the truth should
be the criterion Of business letters. as
well a. Of legal testimony. You have
spmsthing definite to say-a proposal. .
petition. question. n reply, or whatever
it may bowel. turn it over in your
own mind for few moments. get ct the
pith of it, the ''true inwardnees." and
then clothe il in simple, straightforward
language and sign your name to 1t. OF
course there are some little forms OF
courtesy 10 be observed. bat don't gar
nish your plain roast beef with paper
friIls or carrot flowers; it will go down
better without them.
There Is ono kind OF business. or semi
business. letter which every editor re-
ceives only too often. sn1 is more or less
grisvei thereat. although IL seldom ef
fects it's object. IL is written BY some
poor soul who has been left widow
with little children. OF has a sick mother
10 support. or is struggling to get the
means fer collegiate education. or from
some other highly respectable cause IL in
need Of money and has persuaded him
or herself that IL may be wrung from the
hand 81 = sympathetic editor in cxchsnse
for manuscript, accompanying The let
ter. OF course IL the manuscript proves