The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-05-22
EXCURSIONS I'm
ONDENCE
BY THOMAS ARKLE CLARK
Dean Of Men, University of Illinois.
What to Write About

middle age, and yet, he assumes the
liyeliest interest in me and my affairs.
Am working hard, he asks. usually
10 work too hard he thinks. Am
writing anything, and what is 1t about?
When do I go on my vacation, and
what part of the globe do I intend to
visit during the summer? 1t is SYM
pathetic letter, which leaves me with
the feeling that he is really giving me
and my affairs more than ordinary con-
sideration, and am pleased.
Then he elicits my interest by telling
ne of his work, his love affairs, his
plans for next year, and flatters me
again by asking my advice relative to
he difficulties in which he finds him
self. His letter is natural, humorous,
, genuine. 1t is like talking to him to
.ead it.
When people Of approximately the
same age and position in life write
each other in friendly correspondence.
their interests are likely to be similar,
f not identical, but If the work in
which they are engaged is different.
procedure is more difficult. When /
write to Henley, whom l knew as a
BOY on farm, cannot dwell much on
educational matters. Henley has never
sven been to high school, though he
writes clever letter. He has been on
4 farm all his life, and he has not
travelled far. But he has an interest
ng family, and he hunts, and enjoys
sports Of various sorts, and politics,
and there is always the weather, and
The state of his health, and the condi-
lion of the crops, to fall back upon.
And I, too. If am to interest him.
must keep away from books and col
lege administration, and the things
about which he knows little. I must
and a ground of mutual interest, as it
IS not difficult to do, If I am to write
an interesting letter to him. His own
particular business interests appeal to
MIN most. and so try to confine my
remarks largely to these.
Children are interested most in. ad-
venture, In that which involves danger,
and tests Of courage If write to my
young nephews during the summer, /
know they will like to hear Of my ex-
oerience when I climbed Longs peak,
Or visited Hallett's glacier, or caught
fish in Lost lake, or slept on the
ground with only the sky and an army
blanket for covering. They will listen
with interest to my adventures In
DEVILS gulch, and thrill when l tell
how we were caught in storm, and
we're for time lost on Specimen noun
tain. Dogs, bears. bear-cats, and
wild animals of all sorts, and escapes
from danger, interest them immensely.
A child never tires of hearing what has
happened Events must be the stock
in trade Of letters to him.
Young people like romance, and the
accounts of social activity. Boat rides
oy moonlight, dances; automobile jour-
neys, the gossip of summer resorts.
make great appeal to them. Senti-
mental things are pleasing to young
girls. What he said to me, and how
answered back, can make up the
major part of the correspondence be-
tween young people. Youth is the
lime Of romance, and the friendly let
Ter of youth should be full of it. Love
affairs, engagements made or broken,
marriages, house parties-these are
the things which we should expect to
near about in the letters of the high
school, or college student.
Women are fondest of personal gos-
sip; they are concerned mostly with
things in the home-children, the
neighbors, housekeeping affairs. dress.
and books, sometimes. Intimate things
are of most interest to them.
People who are past their youth are
fondest of reminiscences-the people
with whom they associated, the roads
they used to travel, the adventures
they were part of. They live over
again old memories, and old expert
ences.
''Do you ever go out to Carmel Cen
teri" Ellsworth Dawson writes me. We
were boys together, and have not
seen him for many years. Il suppose
the old church is gone, and everyone
whomtwe used to know is dead, or has
moved away. Are any Of the old boys
still living there? What high old
time we used to have chasing around"
And so he goes on, filling the pages
with one Renaissance after another.
1t is best, before beginning to write
the friendly letter, to visualize the in
dividual to whom we are to write, and
his surroundings. We are starting a
conversation with him, as it were. and
we should give some consideration to
what his interests are. what he likes
and dislikes. We should not write what
is most pleasing to US, but what is
most likely to be interesting to him.
90 1925, by Western Newspaper Union)