The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1906-10-12
KILLS LETTER WRITING.

Two letters lay ON the business mans
desk. It was just before the luncheon
hour, and he slipped them into his
pocket before going out with friend.
According to the American habit,
the business mans companion expect
ed that their talk would touch on mat
ters Of dollars and cents; but as it hap.
pened, says the New York "Sun," the
letters suggested the topic.
"Look here," the business man
said, taking the envelopes from his
pocket, after the orders had been given
Here's something I've been thinking
of this morning.
"This is letter from my college
room. mate, don't know as you ever
met him, but no matter. He and /
were mighty close to each other, but
he hasn't been on East for a long time
and our correspondence-my fault as
much as his has been very irregu,
lar.
Don't think I've heard from him
before for a year, and, without saying
anything against him, this letter was
probably sent off to salve his cons.
cience. Well, here it is less than a
sheet of typewriter matter, and a
short sheet at that, and put on busi-
ness letterhead. He dictated it and
may have put in five minutes in writ
ing it.
"Now for the point of it. This other
letter is from an English friend Of mine
There are nine pages in handwriting.
not 80 easy to read as the other, l
grant you, but they tell something,
and they're from q man whom I've
known five years for the twenty-five
I've known the writer of the first let
ter l showed you. -.
"That Englishman's letter took him
the better part Of an hour to write; be
gave thought'to it and he expects as
much thought to be given to the re-
ply. And, by Jove, he'll get it.
''lf you or l got a letter like that
from an American we'd think that
something was the matter, and 10 to
l, in answering him, we'd suggest that
be get typewriter.
ut seems to me-" he continued,
"tbat letter writing is becoming lost
art on this side of the ocean. We
think we haven't got time for it, to be-
gin with, and even if we had the time
for it, we might as well confess that
we'd find we bad lost the knack of ex-
preston.
"The rare personal letters that we
write become, by business training,
about as impersonal as anything we
could imagine. We're on the dead
business level Of the typewriter, and
it's only when we're shaken up bit
by message from another world, like
this Englishman's scrawl, that we
realize there are people who put some
thing Of themselves into what thaY
and do not deal in set phrases"
The lunch was served and the let.
ters went back in the pocket.
(which letter will you answer first?
the business mans friend inquired.
"Oh, I've answered one of them"
was the reply. "My college friend
wanted some information and I die.
tated a note to him this morning.
II am not any better than the
average American in writing, although
/ may be something more prompt; but
during the. next month l shall sit
down and write-myself-to my
English friend, and /. won't be hurried
when I'm doing it, either.
: "His letters are altogether too en-
jeyable for me 70 do anything to stop
them"
"Why don't you try that scheme on
your college friend?" suggested. the
other. --.... -.
"I.might," said the business man;
but it would be only an experiment,
and know pretty we'll how it would
result"
They sat out on the old grain pier
talking over their love affairs. -.
"And he is 80 poetical and romantic
when he speaks of me eyes," sighed
Shanty Sue.
"He ISL" replied her chum. ,"And
does he say, Let me gaze into dem
stars or 'Let me bask in de light of
dem jewels?''
Sbanty Sue elevated her nose.
"Of course not, she snapped in dis.
dain. He amt no amateur Romeo. He
de real the thing. He fixes up his
necktie, chucks his cigar butt over.
board, and says, Let me rubber in yer
lamps, pal. My, but he is romantic!