The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-04-07
CAN you WRITE A
GOOD LETTER.
BY Eleanor Gilbert.

Nowadays what can be talked is not
written. The telephone has usurped
the place of the inkstand; and it is
not uncommon to hear brilliant con-
versationalist confess amiably. Il
write a miserable letter."
Letter-writing from being fine art
in the days when stage-carried mail
justified 60-page epistles, is degenerat-
ing into a mere science. We have all
the business and human interests of
life standardized and you can get a
form" letter for business, social or
romantic purposes-anything from fol-
lowing up a mail order catalogue to
answering a proposal.
And this is all the more reason why
it is absolutely necessary for the bust
ness woman to know how to write a
letter that will stand out as a bit of
personality in the sea of mechanical
communication. Part of the business
woman's training has been learning
the secret business forms of acknowl-
edging an order, soliciting business,
requesting payment of due accounts,
ETC., and the trouble has been that the
form" has been religiously followed
in every detail. Six "dunning" let
tiers from six different firms between
New York and San Francisco are like
as not to be Identical in wording. The
same stereotyped, mummified phrase
ology is used and it is difficult to con-
ceive that different persons have writ
ten them.
Letters That Express individuality.
Every individual thinks in different
terms and values. We speak in the
same language, but we each express
ourselves differently, and color our
conversations with our own particular
personalities. Our conversational
style differs as widely from our neigh
boris as our physical characteristics
because thought expression is part of
distinct personality. Why, then,
should we drop our distinctiveness the
moment we lay pen Cor typewriter)
to paper? Bearing the rules of cor
respondence in mind as a background,
why can't we make our letters distinc-
tive even concerning the most ordi-
nary affairs of daily life?
There are but half dozen rules
which are the skeleton guides or prin-
eiples of letter-writing The really
good letter must be % correct in
form of superscription, close punctua-
ton, etc. GU 1t must have an attrac-
tive opening which will catch and hold
the readers interest. 90 1t must
have concise and adequate descrip-
ton or information, and Cd it must
be convincing. In other words, cor
rectness, conciseness and conviction
are the three pegs on which may safe
" be hung the letter which will carry
out its purpose.
There are few or no departments in
advanced business today which do not
require adequate and convincing ex-
preston in writing. Consequently, the
business woman who is determined to
will find that self-education
in the art of letter-writing is an inval
liable asset. In addition, letter-writ- !
ing is one of the best methods for
developing the faculty of clear think
Ing. We do not always think in words !
AS a result, therefore, we often hear
II know exactly what / mean, but
can't express it" which is unpardon- |
able in a person of intelligence. Put
ting ones thoughts in written Ian
guage not only is excellent practice in |
the art of expressing ones self to
others, but clarifies our ideas and fixes
them definitely in our own minds.
Don't postpone that letter you've
owed Write it now, IL It's only for
the purpose Of giving yourself prac
tice In using your imagination and in |