The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-06-26
Letter. Writing for Busy PEOPLE.

w FltlnH anu receiving letters are two
very pleasant things What srieybus
heurtuches and inconsistencies NAV be-
cured by interesting, pleasant letters
most Of us have an opportunity of finding
out. But many who agree with me in
this will say the trouble is to find the
necessary time for writing such letters:
that we think enough of theose to whom
we would like to write, but every day
brings it's duties, and when they are COM
pleted we are often too tired to do any
thing which requires thought Now let
me give my system of letter-writing
made easy for busy people," assuring
you that it is practical, for l have used
it for many years, during which l have
had business cares, added to the care of
home and children, and yet have found
time to write hundreds of letters.
The idea is a very simple one. It con
sists merely in always having at hand a
little tablet upon which to jot down topics
for prospective letters, and with it pen
Gil ready for instant use whenever a
thought occurs to you. And this is how
the idea is to be applied;
Your husband, perhaps, leaves home on
Monday for g weeks absence Even
after 'good-by" comes the request write
soon.' AS you go back to your work
you stop moment to put his name at
the top of Il page of your tablet, and
then, as ideas come to you, you jot down
here a few words to serve as cues
something concerning his business, per-
haps, or only a bright speech of the
baby. too good for papa to miss. Only
one line of topics must be avoided, the
UNPLEASANT things which cannot be
helped. The quiet hour in which you
expect to write your letters is consumed
by the visit of a friend, who imagines
you must be lonely, so your letter must
be written in the evening. with the chill
dren .noisily, playing in the room. Or
dinarily under such circumstances you
could do nothing, but the little page be-
fore you with its dozens of suggestions
makes it possible for you to write let
ter which would make any man ina CINE
that your whole mind was upon him.
One of the best of all times to hold
imaginary conversation with absent
monty called tedious, because it is almost
purely mechanical. When ones fingers
are occupied and the conscience is easy.
your thoughts should be Mt their bright
est. l have never seen any inconsistent
cy in reading a chapter from Herbert
Spencer in the evening and thinking it
over next day while pairing potatoes for
dinner.
Do not think letter written from
topics jotted down at long intervals will
necessarily be cold, unnatural one. for
on the contrary, it will be burning with
what you have really had time to think
far better than anything you could
write without such assistance
Letter-writing may be the only literary
work you ever do, so do not be afraid of
Obeying one or two fundamental rules
necessary to success. 1t is we'll known
that the best things you read have not
been written once, but many times over,
before they meet your eye on the print
ed page; but 1 have promised that you
have only time to write your letters once,
so try the plan of having good thoughts
friends, and you will gradually find that
you have no longer cause for thoughts
of regret that you are neglecting those
you love, nor they for rcproa ching you
with neutrality-suspicious. NJ. Hale in
Ladies' Home Journal.