San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-08
LETTER WRITING,
For the Sunday LIGHr.l

For the Sunday LIGHT.
Iietter-writing Is an art which
but few persons acquire to perfec-
ton inasmuch as it demands an
idiomatic and unstudied style.
Defamation, rhetorical tlourishes,
augmentation and erudition are
sadly out of place in familiar let
ter to a friend. IL Is easier to write
an essay, slashing review and
criticism, a speech, or a chapter in
a historical work than it is to COM
pose first rate letter. The letters
of Madame De Sevigne are neither
learned nor profound, but 1T is
doubtful whether any man, dead,
or living, could have composed
them. The narrative style, smooth
and flowing, easy and clear, Is best
suited for letter writing, but one
can count on his fingers, the men
who have been masters OF the mar
rative style of writing. AS a rule,
women express their thoughts
automatically and fall maturely
into the narrative style, and for
that reason, they excel men in
writing letters. Women seldom
ransack their memory for high
sounding words and they write
pretty much as they converse, in
lively and natural manner. That
is just what is wanted in let
ter. The truth Is, we do not
look for, or desire profundity, cru
dition, argument and defamation
In a familiar letter from friend.
We can find an abundance Of those
things in the books in our libraries.
1t is a great mistake to use cant
words and phrases in a familiar
letter, yet it is quite a common
practice. 1t is in wretched taste
to lug can't words into converse
ton, but it is simply inexcusable
to write them, even in a letter to a
friend. Recently, 1 read an ac-
count of a reporter Of the debates
in the British parliament, who, in
the hurry Of writing out report
OF the speech OF an eminent speak
er, who had quoted the saying,
"the child is the father of the
man." wrote the "kid Is the father
OF the man." thinking the proof
reader would correct 1t, by sub.
stituting the word child for "kid."
Imagine his chagrin and horror,
when he read his report Of the
speech OF distinguished public
man 10 find his report represented
him to have said "the kid Is father
to the man." 1t is really vulgar
to interlard ones conversation
with cant phrases, yet both men
and women Of fair education and
considerable pretentions to gentil-
ity and good breeding, are scarcely
able to utter a sentence without
Juggling in cant phrase, bearing the
the mint stamp OF the slums which
it was coined. The use Of cant
words and phrases insensibly be-
comes a fixed habit, or the mother
tongue, of such as are addicted to
the using OF such phrases. 1t
shocks my nerves to hear girls and
women, who plume themselves on
their good breeding, pupctuate
their conversation with cant
phrases with the odor OF the
slums still exhaling from them.
1t Is quite easy to contract a bad
habit, but very difficult to over
come it, and, for this reason, par
ents should neither use cant words
and phrases themselves, nor allow
their children to use them in their
hearing.
Can't words and phrases origi-
nate among the uneducated, rude
and vulgar, and on that account
should be perpetually quarantined
by persons OF education, good taste
and refined manners. The afflu-
ence Of the English language Is so
great that it stands in no sort Of
need OF words imported from the
slums where vulgarlty reigns
supreme.
The idiomatic style is neither low
nor vulgar, as many suppose it to
be. The Bible furnishes an excel.
lbub eptCiultu VI tlO lulOu1dbiS
style. The words, therein used,
are plain, clear, on level with the
most ordinary understanding and
generally of only two syllables.
They are Anglo-Ssxon and full Of
pith and marrow. The words
drafted into the English language
from the Latin, by DIR. Samuel
Johnson and other scholars, who
regarded the Latin language as in
com psrably superior to any mod
ern language, ARE composed OF never
less than three syllables and some
times are the "seven-footed words"
ridiculed by a Latin poet. The
Bible deserves to be studied by
those who desire to acquire
the very best style possible,
for writing. The idiomatic
style is suited to all subjects.
While letter should by
all means be idiomatic in
style, yet it can be spiced