St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-05-19
for ff1e Hnne.
THE ETHICS OF LETTER WRITING.

part of it is worth considering. Some
time and ease are gained by always
using one kind of stationery; you do
not have TO adjust yourself anew to
your material. After experimenting
a good deal, l adopted a good
quality of commercial note, fine,
smooth, we'll ruled on both Sides
and which | have cut into single
sheets, thus doing away with the
fold. This | buy by the ream at a
wholesale paper dealers, with en-
velopes to mateh-stamped or other
wise ! have a soft paper pad on
which to lay my single sheet of
paper as l write, and plain piece OF
good blotting paper Postal cards,
newspaper wraps, envelopes OF hive
or six different sizes for special needs,
complete my outfit.
If busy women will try this plan
they will find it such saving OF
time that they can afford to dispense
with varied elegance, and will soon
learn that it gives them definite,
individual distinction amongst their
friends that is style" in itself.
| must touch upon the value of
postal cards before speaking Of
letters proper. OF course you are
not to use them to write Letters" on,
but for ordinary messages to
butcher, baker and candlestick
maker" they are invaluable. never
''go myself on any errand that can
be avoided, or as well done by a
postal card. They will save no end
of steps by their systematic use, and
thus gain for you time for real
letter writing.
Business letters come next in order
of mention, for they must be attend
ed to before nearly all others. Let
them be answered as soon as received,
and as briefly as possible. 1t is sur
prising how very busy woman can
an Irish bull, but a bit of practical
philosophy worth testing-)
Next In Importance come letters
to the absent members of ones
family 1t is surprising how they
need them, welcome them. find them
a moral, affectionate support, and
Tin some cases. answer them If the
sending is regular and frequent.
Put into them all the little home bits
and neighborhood cheer, and let
these, rightly given, do their own
moralizing. Newspaper cuttings,
wisely chosen to suit the receivers
taste, are not too small pleasure
to be given. "a mold upon the home"
is secured mot easily, perhaps, to
the writer, but almost surely by the
right sort of home letters.
Letters of condOlence-how hard
most of us find the writing of them
Then spend no time in dreading the
task; but just as soon as you hear
of the sorrow, while your heart is
shocked or grieved and strongly
turned toward your friend, sit right
down and, without any prescribed
formula in your mind, say few
words Of sympathy out of your
heart that will mean sympathy to
your friend.
There are always amongst our
acquaintance those who, for one
reason or another, need our letters
aged friends who are always touched,
cheered and thankful for a CHEEKY, af-
fectionate nature land these sort of
returns are so large that we cannot
afford to deny ourselves the pleasure
of them J; friends who are temporarily
or permanently sick; others who are
burdened with some great care, or
poverty, or loneliness, and who need
a brave word said to them the little
child who needs encouraging in a
struggle against some failing, and
who often finds value in a word
from an outsider that she does not
in those of her home people, just as
we all sometimes do. All these
letters are occasional letters, written
as we can, and for which we must
win time by thoughtful planning of
other work for our postal card
system as one learns to call it.
''Shall we never write letters for
mere pleasure ?' you almost ASK
and no wonderl Yes; oh, yes-just
as many as you can. Such letters
and their replies are "a means of
grace" Tor graciousness and graceful
ness that have distinct value. We
need help from others letters, do we
not? Mrs. Chant, of England, in
her Interpretation of the text, ITO
him that hath shall be given said,
in substance, that whatever we had
in our hearts would be given to us
again; so if there is promptness,
kindness, graciousness, cheeTtulness,
affection and courage, and we express
them (as we will if they are there)
we shall receive these same graces
back again, if only in the reaction Of
their expression. 1t seems to me
this is true in letter writing.
A word about the burning of
letters, and l am done. If you are
the right sort of a letter writer, Civ
ing of your true, best self you will
receive many condolences in the
letters of others These should al
WAYS be secured from all harmful
results by burning. 1t is not lack
of trust, in your family even, if you
never leave these letters for moment
l. Il L.