The morning times., 1895-10-08
THE MAIDEN UP TO DATE

letter and wondered what this now very ac-
compIished and mut admired lady
would give to repossess it. 1t reads as fol
lows:
1.-THE efourtnighty club w i'll meet for ads
cussion on Decorative Art as applied to in
teriors ON thursday the 21st at 3 p NJ. at
the house of Mrs. Hunter. 1 hope you Will
be here and will attend.
with kind CARDS believe
Cordially yours,
MRS. LEO HUNTER"
have not amended the spelling of the
"fourtnightly club"
III you W ish to write in the third person,
you Ehould under the same circumstances
gay:
'.Mrs. Leo Hunter begs to inform Nine.
de Morny that the Fortnghtly Club Will
meet al Mrs. Hunters home No. 3S West
End avenue, on Thnreday, the 21st of jan
uary at 3 O'Clock, for q discussion on
Decorative Art asApplied to Interiors; and
Mrs.. Hunter sincerely hopes Nine. de Morny
will be in town and Will attend"
Monday, the 14th."
If. however, you choose, it is correct to
be much more simple and TO write:
"Dear Nine. de Morny: The Fortnightly
Club Is to meet. etc.,
Every truly yours.
HELEN HUNTER"
In palmer language a note or letter writ
ten in third person must never be signed.
A note written in the third person must
continue 60. For example. you cannot say,
''Mrs. Edward Blake Gardner accepts your
polite Invitation" You must say, "Ac-
cepts Mrs. Alfred James Moore's polite
invitation"
ADDRESSES AND SIGNATURES.
In addressing letters to Young ladies
recoIlect that the eldest daughter is ''Mss
Brown" II she has right to that distinc-
ton and never take the liberty of ad-
dressing an envelope to a girl. old or young,
by pet or nickname. Should the family
and entire ueiGhborhOod unite on the
diminutive Mamie" you must address
your notes to Miss Mary Brown"
The signature to n letter should, of
course. accord with the tone of the CON-
muncation itself-if IL be Il formal busi-
ness letter, Yours truly or VERY truly
yours" is good form. "Your obedient ser.
want" is also correct in formal and very
ceremonious letters, and is distinctly dig
nified and courteous Personally / dis
like the signature Yours cordially" 1
do not know Just why it always seems to
be insincere. Notwithstanding this grave
fact, 1t is considered good form and is
popular. 1t is well to consider the closing
words of n letter as really invested with
meaning. and never to sign oneself Yours
faithfully or sincerely yours without
the intention of being really faithful or
sincere, rs the case may be.
UNDERMINING words 10 give them greater
emphasis has long been criticised, and,
with the womaDly1 postscript, ridicGied.
Both are eXcusaide at times.
People in mourning use black-bordered
paper-it is not good form to eNaggerate
the border. Those in afflictiOn should he
permitted a certain license in this respect.
ntr- sE gE ~
repugnant to people of delicate breeding
DESTROY SUCH LETTERS.
Never write a letter to man, woman
or child when you are very angry with
the person in question, or perhaps l
would better qualify my advice hy beg
ging you. one and all, never to send an
angry letter fer forty-eight hours after
you have written IL, and then l would
suggest reading IL carefully. and. as the
Irishnian sn1d. burning it before send
ing it," We have many of us exhausted
all our rage in the fire of the letter
writing, and have felt all the delights OF
a battle won Ivy the prowcss of our pens
without the hackneyed foraiality of post
ing the epistle. Who is there who has
not written his anger out in this very
wholesome way? Do not. / pray, ever
send cruel letter TO anyone you have
ever loved. You will but live 10 regret
the act. and possibly with the pallid 81
Ience of death between you and the
wounded one.
II nortais were. in these prosaic days,
gifted with invisible powers. l would wish
TO he tina: spirit cudo wed with a force
which would arrest every angry word at
the tip of each sharp pointed, heart break
ing pen.
THE HUMAN SNAKE.
WHAT'S there to be said for the anonymous
letter writer. Not one word of excuse
comes to me, for of all the contemplate,
cold, sneaking, cruel and cowardly acts the
human snake is capable of. the anonymous
letter is the most loathsome. Yet suppose
there is scarcely q man or woman who dues
not receive one at least In a lifetime. The
anonymous letter-writer Is a thousand times
more contemptible than an assassin or
thier-tbey at least face a certain danger.
l would never believe the sworn statement
of a creature whom knew had written an
communication.
1t is well to recollect that written in
vitations must never be answered verbally.
1t makes no difference from whom one
receives the invitation, even members of
your own family come within this law.
Should you receive written invitation
your own sister (Which would, of course,
OHiy De Ill case sue WeIc II iiidrEitu WOilidUb
you positively must send her written
acceptance or regret.
A letter is reg egarded as sacred and its seal
inviolabIe except TO the person addressed.
Children should be from babyhoud taught
the seriousness of this obligation. Married
men and women regard each others letters
quite as sacredly as the communications
belonging to strangers. and gentleman
would quite as cheerfully contemplate
opening a letter addressed to his wife or
daughter as the theft of ring or necklace
from u lady's iewel-case.
1t is customary when letter is handed
one while other persons are present To ask
permission to open and read II.
In addressing letters it is correct to write
For" or TO- Thus
.'For
MRS. EDWARD BLAKE GARDNER"
ITO
EDWARD SHIPPEN, ESQ"
Ma I licenses