The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-02-27
~ tx X Y Il
EXCURSIONS IN
CORRESPONDENCE
BY THOMAS ARKLE CLARK
Dean Of Men, University of Illinois.


~
fortably. 1t should not be so large as
to look like a fifty-inch coat, on a
man with thirty-four-inch chest
measure. nor should it fit 50 snugly as
to induce bad words in the recipient
when he trys to pry the letter out Of
Its covering. 1t should be of the same
color and texture as the letter paper,
as IL one were made for the other, as
they should be.
The matter of addressing an en-
velope seems really trifiing, and one
which ought not to require much at
tention, but quite the contrary is true.
Upon the envelope depends often the
fate of the letter. The neatly, and
correctly addressed envelope may very
easily dispose the reader favOrably
toward the writer Of the letter, even
before 1t Is opened. and while he is
holding it in his hand. The so-called
trifing things of life are often the
most far-reaching in their influence,
and effect.
The address on an envelope should
always occupy little more than the
lower half of the available space, and
should be placed toward the right end
Of that space. 1t will usually consist
Of three or four lines, and these may
be arranged in one Of two ways. The
first Of these is called the block meth
cd Of arrangement. In this arrange
ment the lines are placed one under
the other without indentation, and
usually all punctuation, excepting
such as indicates abbreviatiOn, Is
omitted, although the regular method
Of punctuation may be used If it is
desired. The illustration below indi-
Gates the method suggested.
Mr.. John Hancock Jones
927 West Main Street
Blue Island Illinois.
The second method Is more COM
monty employed. In this, the first
line Of the address is placed on or
near the middle of the space indicated
for the address. and the succeeding
lines are indented evenly toward the
right. The lines should not be in
dented so far as to give an unstable,
top-heavy effect to the address, 'as If
one were falling over the other. This
address, also, may, or may not be
punctuated. as the writer prefers
The tendency now seems to be to omit
punctuation.
Mrs. George. Francis Brown,
237 Lake Lawn Avenue,
Chicago. Illinois.
Authorizations in an address may be
used, but the fewer the better. The
abbreviation is the sign Of haste, or
carelessness, or laziness, and none OF
these qualities is desirable one to
reveal. The address with few or no
authorizations looks better, and APP
pearance counts for good deal these
days. Even business men are en-
ploying authorizations less and less.
The envelope should also bear the
address Of the writer of the letter.
There is growing practice, among
women especially, in their social cor
respondence to have this return adj
dress printed, or written, or engraved
upon the flap Of the envelope, so that
it Is not seen until the envelope Is
turned over. This position of the re-
turn address is chosen, perhaps, be-
cause it gives the envelope less
businesslike appearance than it would
have if the address were placed upon
the front Of the envelope.
The ordinary position for the ad.
dress Of the writer of the letter is
the upper left-hand corner Of the en-
velope Such an address insures the
return Of the letter within a few days
should it not be possible to deliver
1t to the one to whom it is addressed.
and should be on all letters.
Many people. women more often
than men, I believe, in writing let.
ter do not give any accurate address
in the body Of the letter, but expect
the recipient Of the letter to get the
address from the envelope. Few men
who receive a large daily mail. open
their own letters, and so do not see
the envelopes In which they came.
This morning, for instance. when
came to dictate my letters, found
one from Walter Dawson Walter
lives in Chicago. and knows that I
know that he does. His letter, how
ever, did not indicate the exact loca-
ton Of his residence in that village,
nor, after the clerk in my Office had
overturned the waste basket, and
gone through its contents in search of
the envelope in which Walters letter
had come, did we find that he had
given his street number on the en-
velope. After looking up some pre-
vious correspondence his address was
discovered, however, and I could 60
on with the. business. 1t would have
been useless to have addressed let
ter to walter Dawson, Chicago,
Illinois," for though Walter is bright
boy, he is not well enough known in
his home town for letter to reach
him unless it bears a street address,
and good many other people are like
| him. 1t is not enough for q return