The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-04-07
TO- WRITE.A LETT TER.
GENTLE ART, NEEDS CULTIVATE
ING BY YOUNG WOMAN. u
Some of the Worlds Most Charming
Literature in Letter Form-.'Lav-
ish'' Handwriting Suggests Pau
city of Ideas - Don't Write Too
Much Nonsense Until You Know
Your Correspondent - ~
BY Kate UpSON CLARK.

killing correspondence. Even before
the telephone came in, correspondence
was in bad way, and we were told
that the young ladies' schools taught
only underwriting. Notes of invita-
ton and acceptance-o thanks and of
condolence-these, we are told, are all
that is left of the old art of letter
writing, the art which has given us
some of the most charming books in
the whole range of literature, and
which reveals the soul, as, perhaps,
nothing else does. Rousseau used TO
say that he often left home just tor
the pleasure OF getting letters from
the loved ones there. distinguished
society woman laughingly told her
husband before company OF intimate
friends that it was his letters that
won her heart.
More things have been wrought by
letters than the world dreams OF. We
all know how dangerous letters may
become. The spoken word passes. She
written word stands there. If it is
bad, it is a more nearly fatal witness
plies a delberatiOn which is most
prejudicial.
If it is good. its goodness is trebled
by it's constancy. There it liesthat
sweet thought THAT amusing, whim-
Steal turn-that agreeable suggestion
to be read over anu over. until its
charm masters the soul In these days,
when competition brjstles on every
side, the girl IS fool, particularly if
nature has rather been unkind" in
outward gifts, to neglect the art of
letter-writing.
How shall you write? Do not scrawl
all over the page. with few words.
There is an appearance Of panic about
this wide-spaced, lavish handwriting.
1t suggests also an alarming paucity
OF ideas If you are merely saying
that you cannot come to party, very
we'll. If you are pretending 10 write
a real letter, you cannot more deeply
insult your friend than by this Ia
bored thin. outspread IF one Thought,
or less. per page.
tits said that the habit of making ones
handwriting economical leads also to
the economiZing of words. Possibly
this is true. If so, we commend the
rapid and constant study Of the d.
intuition and compression of the me-
chanical part of the letter, to a large
section Of our population-especial
OF the girls, who are more likely to err
than their brothers III the matter Of
| diffuseness. II yun really wish to
| learn to write that very attractive
composition, a good letter, your words
must bear decent proportion to the
number of your ideas. There is no ar
bitary rule, but there is standard Of
taste in the matter, Nhich should be
carefully observed
| Beware Of abnreviating especially
when writing to those whom You DO
not know very we'll. Had company
last evening. Haven't seen John"
may do for a family letter. but put in
| all the words to make the sentence
complete when You are writing to less
intimate friends. Authorization and
condensation are two very different
things.
Emerson has many bits of good id-
vice to give upon this subject, and
none is better than this: In a letter,
any expression may be abbreviated
rather than those Of respect and kind
ness. Never write. Yours aff'ly'" 1t
is astonishing the difference in effect
between that phrase when written out
properly. and when cut short in that
heartless way
And what shall we write about?
There seems to be substantial
agreement among the thousands who
have written concerning this interest
ing theme. that the writer should make
herself the chief topic of her letter.
Not in an egotistical way, but by
opening her heart and revealing what
one might not show to every passer-
by.
In point of fact, it makes little Diff
ference, probably, what you write
about. Describe what You have beer
reading, the places where you have
been, new friends, almost anything.
provided it be done with spirit, and, if
possible, with humor. Spontaneity,
perfect naturalness. an absence of all
straining after effect, these are essen
tials OF the perfect letter
Scott said to Byron: There is no
surer mark OF regard than when yonr
correspondent ventures to write non
sense to YOU" But do not write loo
much nonsense until you know your
correspondent. Nothing is more like
~ to be taken amiss by dense mind.
In spite of al! that is said regard
ing the decline of correspondence. we
are inclined to think that there is still
la vast deal of really interesting letter
writing done. The world is so large
that one cannot generalize Over in
Europe, we are always hearing, amer
leans are thus or so.' You NAV tell
them that a few people in few states
are thus and so--but not more. Or
one little knot of people. remote from