, 1891-07-16

pVcAN eAAAeNAn AAN 'RAAS =
news about other people; not the affairs
OF nations, which are generally stupid,
or of public characters, which every one
may read in the newspapers, but of the
people around you. AS for instance,
I'VE have a new Biddyr and when l
told her in making coffee to put in an
egg and the shells, she actually used an
unGroken egg and at least half a pound
of cocoa shells" Or tell of Miss Browns
appearance at the polls, or Miss Smiths
astounding new gown, or in fact any
little incident that could make one
smile or give one a new view of hu-
mainly.
Perhaps somebody remarks in a town
full of "Prunes, Prisms and Propriety,
THAT thing is gossip, and | never gos-
sip!"
To such an one / say, then you'd bet
ter learn, my dear, for ! contend that
gossip, that is to say, good natured,
truthful, charitable gossip is a very use
full element of social success either in
conversation or letter writing. 1t takes
one's thoughts off of ones self, and off of
that perpetual question as to life being
worth the living and off of those darker
problems concerning the sin and misery
and needs of those around US in a great
city, which, like the Sphinx, are always
threatening to devour us if we do not
guess their riddle.
Yes, it is a great thing to some of us
brain workers to have a bit of amusing
gossip presented as an attraction to our
overburdened lives, and l for one am
always thankful to a correspondent who
presents it to me.
Another very frequent fault in 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 lamenta-
ton overa mistake already corrected, as,
for instance, 81 wa so sorry | thought
you said three instead of two. but as /
told you when we did finally meet | was
thinking of the last time you called for
me, and you remember hat was three"
etc, a couple of pages utterly use
less and uninteresting, since the friends
had already come to AT explanation by
word of mouth. And then on the fourth
page comes, ''Oh, 1 must tell you | have
at last made an arrangement to sell my
house and go abroad, but | nave no time
to tell you about 1t now, as the bell has
rung for dinner"
How many such letters we all receive;
yes, and u%nhappily so many of Is writel
Letters filed with what might just as
well be left out, and emitting or mini
MIXING the most important subject at our
command. 1t is always better before
one puts pen to paper to cast II little COM
p%rehensive glance over what one has to
say and select the one thing that must
be said to begin upon; give the best time
and attention to that in the very first
place, and then if there is still room and
the dinner bell don't ring, fill up your
letter with as many "frills" as you like.
Another very provoking kind of
friendly q letter is one | too often re-
ceive, 1t is n very brief and scrawly
kind of note. written merely to say that
the writer has no time for a letter.
although she has n thousand things to
say and loves me very dearly. To such
an one | have sometimes replied, IF you
have no time for n letter. wait for n few
hours until you have, and if. you love
me show your affection by making a
little time"
Yet another irritating sort of letter
a half confidential one: 81 had such q.
strange interview with you know Who'll
If | should tell you about it you would
well, | don't know how you'd feel nor
what you'd say, but ! ought not to tell
you nor anybody else, so | won't. 1t
wouldn't be right to let you see how far
well, there, we won't say any more
about it. HsN- 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 if she is too e~xaspcrating can
say, pray don't tell me if you don't
want to; | really don't take any interest
in the subject" But when the friend is
miles or even oceans away, it is moi
worth while to slap at her in this fash.
ion, and of curse one wouldn't choose
to urge for a confidence, ever if quite
sure it would come in the end.
So much for friendly letters. AS fol-
business letters, their merit, like that oil
wit, lies mostly in their brevity. A per,
son who has a business proposition tc
present or a business question or a bust
ness reply TO make should nave a math.
ematical capacity for extracting the
square root of the matter and giving
that to his correspondent, pure and sim
pie. | always distrust n 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, a
well as of legal testimony. You have
something definite to say-a proposal,
petition, a question, n reply, or whateve;
it may be-well, turn it over in you
own mind for a few moments, get at tn,
pith of it, the ''true inwardness, ant
then clothe it in simple, straightforward
language and sign your name to it. o
ours there are some little forms o
courtesy to be observed, but don't gan
: nish your plain roast beef with pape
| frills or carrot flowers; it will go dow,
l better without them.
There is one kind of business, or sem
3 business, letter which every editor re
ceives only too often, and is more or les
! grieved thereat, although it seldom et
fects its object, 1t is written by som
I poor soul who has been left a wido,
e with little children, or has n sick mothe
to support, or is struggling to get tn
means for n collegiate education, or froI
J some other highly respectable cause is i
2 need of money and has persuaded hii
u or herself that it may be wrung from I'll
{ hand of sympathetic editor in exchanp
10 for a manuscript, accompanying the lie
ter. Of course if the manuscript prov,
II available the hope is fulfilled and a
&c goes upon velvet; but, unfortunately,
a generally isn't available, for few persoi
II who have the Gift of autbnpzbip 6nd