St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-05-05
MODERN lETTER-NRlTlN0.


Letter-writing isn't rs much Of an
art as it once was. hooks had to be
written about it years ago. and "The
Ready Letter-writer" was as infallible
and as essential as a cook book is to
many people nowadays 1t isn't worth
while to compare it to . book OF eti.
quette, because time is casting the
shadow of unpopularity over "The
Habits of Good Society,"" and it has
moved down from the bookshelf whore
we keep the household classics. If you
are cultured you are supposed TO know
how to behave and how to write let
ter as well as the eminent literateurs
who were popular years ago. and not
SO long ago, either, ON account OF their
printed opinions on these subjects
However. on the other hand, it is an
undenlable fact that society at present
could often profit by occasional refer
ence to a textbook on manners. and,
as to letter-writing. the art of it has
absolutely fallen into innocuous desue-
tude.
In colonial days letter was a men.
tai, moral and social effort Edward
Eggleston, in a lecture on colonial
times, read. q letter which illustrates
excellently the formality which was .
social feature of the period. The letter
was written from ono dear colonial
dame to another, and reads rs follows:
'.Oh. my Marcia! How hard is our
fate that we should be deprived Of your
dear company when it would complete
our felicity. but such is the fate OF
mortals. We are never permitted to be
happy. Isuppose it p right, else the
Supreme Dispenser Of all things would
never have permitted it We should
perhaps have been more neglectful Of
our duty than we are"
The stilted phraseology is calculated
to call forth smile Of derision and pity
in our day of hurried communications.
in which we emphasize the realism Of
life in our correspondence. 1t is gen.
erally-conceded fact, If not philo-
sophical law, that from letter more
evidence is to be gained Of the charac-
ter of the person to whom it is written
than of the writer himself. The rule
is fascinating one TO its practical ap-
plication. and you can apply it per.
sonally after reading your own letters
written to friend, relative, lover or
business acquaintance. Your own per-
sonality is naturally adjusted to the
correspondence at : distance. in the
same manner as your physical pres
ence would be.
The day Of crossing and recrossing
the paper with horizontal, 'perpendicu-
lar and diagonal lines, which was a
feature of two genarations back and
one in common usA. imong the gentler
sex. went out presumably with the re-
duction in postal expense. No regrets
followed the decadence of this fashion,
and there is no danger Of its revival.
The up-to.date writer, however, has
playful characteristics which demand
mention. Since the angular style ofpen
manship came into vogue letter-read-
ers have become experts in deciphcr.
ing chirography. Amelia b. Edwards,
the Egyptologist, plunged into the hier.
oglyphics of the orient with success,
and something Of the same persistence
in the present active generation has
rendered it possible for the modern
feminine pen to be deciphered.
The modern letter has also! an
enigmatical aspect. II begins on the
fourth page of the paper and continues
on the pages least naturally to follow.
The intelligence of its recipient re
ceives fiattering acknowledgment in q
quiet way and casts about for the
sequence of ideas by means of the con
text The modern letter of correct
form never has its pages numbered.
There must come a reaction, and let
ter-writing must again become an art.
At present the obligation is not re-
garded with due observance. Before
the reaction comes there will be a stage
when typewriter will come into the
family, spring and fall. to do up the
family letter-writing the same as the
seamstress who comes to do up the
white sewing. We have too little time
to waste on letter-writing at present
But it will be fine art by and by
Baltimore Sun.