New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-19

| TIlE MEN SIANDAtND ipOClANISco <A~N~~
SOCIAL, LETTER WRITER Business,
family and social correspondence, re
fined love letters, marriage proposals
acceptances and refusals. etiQuette,
| synonymes, legal forms, etc. BY aired
| B. Chambers, Phi. D. illustrated, l2mo.
pp. xviii. 276. Chicago: Laird & Lee.
Letter writing is lost art None
knows this better. or regrets II more
poignantly, than Mr.. Alfred B. Cham
bers, Phi. D., the author Of this little
volume. In his introductions TO its diff
ferent sections he again and again lauds
the polite correspondence Of the past the
care bestowed upon II, the quality i'm
parted to It, the important place 1t holds
in the history Of English literature. It
is his purpose 70 restore the art to at
| least some measure Of its former grace
and polish. formality and felicitous re-
sourcefulness. The better TO do this he
has searched human life in all Its
spheres for possible circumstances in
which epistolary eloQuence may be Of
service. And thus even butler plan
ming to propose marriage TO his late en-
ployers cook and start boarding house
with her will not consult these pages IN
vain.
| Mr.. Chambers approves OF the split
infinitive. especially in business CORE
spondence, even in that Of publishers
with authors. 1--WE make 1t rule" thus
runs his model letter. ito never commit
ourselves regarding a manuscript until
we have first had the opportunity Of ex-
aiming It." A wise rule 1t is, which
prevails In all publishing houses. The
authors answer follows. Ali he has to
do is to copy It Cerbdtim. including that
sly hit at the split infnitive, the omission
of the pronoun Of the first person sin
gular IN the phrase, Am sending the
MS. by express to-day"
The ingenuity Of the author IN fore
seeing possible situations in which he
may be called upon TO give first aid Is
truly remarkable. There are letters
from ladies to dressmakers, and from
gentlemen to tailors. letters TO baggage
masters concerning lost baggage (most
timely, indeed, letters from children to
their parents. even from boys at college
apologlzing for their extravaganza, and,
very handy, indeed, q model Of a letter
requesting loan from a friend" Two
epistolatory answers to the touch" If
the slang word be permissible, are open
to the friend, who may find them both
here, couched in suitable language
It fss however, in family correspond
ence and IN love letters that the author
is at his best. For meddling mothers
in-law he paves the way to reconciliation
with honeyed words, and when It comes
70 courtship and marriage he apparently
would remove every obstacle in the road
that never yet ran smooth. Men may
propose with his aid with dignity and
happy turn Of phrase; maidens may de-
cline or accept in letters Of different tenn
peratures, all the way down to chilly"
A widower with grown-up daughters will
learn from him how to ask in marriage
a young girl, and an inpecunious youth
7 how TO WOO an heiress:
Dear Miss Simpson: Ever since I have
had the happiness Of visiting you, on a
friendly basis the one wish OF my heart
has been to become worthy Of you, and 10
ISQcCeCQ IN winning your dUeCtlO0S. i Know
that you have many admirers. but none.
believe me, more devoted than myself. OF
| course, / have the disadvantage. IN the
eyes Of your friends, Of being poor and
they may endeavor to make you be-
lleve that Il is the heiress / love: but do
not think so badly Of me, dear Miss
tSimpsOn, as TO entertain so cruel a suspi-
cion Of one who, If you were penniless,
would be proud to prove his devotion TO
YOU. II is idle to distress you and myself
with such doubts let me rather assure you
OF my unchanging love, and Of my conf
dence that with youth and hope I'm my
favor, have q bright career opening be-
fore me.
A digni1ed letter this, and a clever
one There is also n model for a father
who would ask a young man concerning
his intentions in regard TO his daughter,
and an answer thereto from the said
young man that, one would think, might
lead TO trouble. But enough has already
been said to demonstrate the quality OF
this letter writer" One happy turn OF
phrase we have kept for the last. 1t
occurs in a letter from a gentleman
introducing a college chum TO his sister"
and 1t runs as follows: you will find
Mr.. Perry as noble a fellow as ever ate
three meals a day." This is Mr.. Cham
bers's crowning effort