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Composition Rhetoric by Stratton D. Brooks

S >> Stratton D. Brooks >> Composition Rhetoric





(3)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Paxton, Ill. |
| July 3, 1905. |
| |
| American Typewriter Co., |
| 263 Broadway, New York. |
| |
| |
| Gentlemen: |
| |
| |
| (Body of letter.) |
| |
| |
| |
| Very truly yours, |
| (Miss) Jennie R. McAllister. |
| |


(4)
______________________________________________________
| |
| May 5, 1905. |
| |
| Daniel Low & Co., |
| 232 Essex St., Salem, Mass. |
| |
| |
| Dear Sirs; |
| |
| |
| (Body of letter.) |
| |
| |
| |
| Mary E. Ball |
| |
| Mrs. George W. Ball, |
| 415 Fourth St., |
| La Salle, Ill. |
| |


(5)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Marshalltown, Iowa. |
| Oct. 3, 1905. |
| |
| My dear Miss Meyer, |
| |
| |
| (Body of letter.) |
| |
| |
| Sincerely yours, |
| Dorothy Doddridge. |
| |


EXERCISE

Write suitable headings, salutations, complimentary endings, and
signatures for the following letters:--

1. To Spaulding & Co., Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill., ordering their rules
for basket ball.

2. To your older brother.

3. To the school board, asking for a gymnasium.

4. To some business house, making application for a position.

5. To the governor of your state.

6. From one stranger to another.

7. From an older brother to his little sister.

8. From a boy living in New Orleans to the father of his most intimate
friend.


+99. The Envelope.+--The direction on the envelope, commonly called the
superscription, consists of the name and address of the person or persons
to whom the letter is sent. This direction should be written in a careful
and _courteous manner_, and should include all that is necessary to insure
the prompt delivery of the letter to the proper destination.

The superscription may be arranged in three or four lines, each line
beginning a little to the right of the preceding line. The name should be
written about midway between the upper and lower edges of the envelope,
and there should be nearly an equal amount of space left at each side. If
there is any difference, there should be less space at the right than at
the left. The street and number may be written below the name, and the
city or town and state below. The street and number may be properly
written in the lower left-hand corner. This is also the place for any
special direction that may be necessary for the speedy transmission of the
letter; for example, "In care of Mr. Charles R. Brown."

Women should be addressed as _Miss_ or _Mrs._ In case the woman is
married, her husband's first name and middle initial are commonly used,
unless it is known that she prefers to have her own first name used. Men
should be addressed as _Mr._, and a firm may in many cases be addressed as
_Messrs._ It is considered proper to use the titles _Dr._, _Rev._, etc.,
in directing an envelope to a man bearing such a title, but it would be
entirely out of place to address the wife of a physician or clergyman as
_Mrs. Dr._ or _Mrs. Rev._

The names of states may be abbreviated, but care should be taken that
these abbreviations be plainly written, especially when there are other
similar abbreviations. In compound names, as North Dakota and West
Virginia, do not abbreviate one part of the compound and write out the
other. Either abbreviate both or write out both. If any punctuation
besides the period after abbreviations is used, it consists of a comma
after each line. It is the custom now to omit such punctuation. Either
form is in good taste, but whichever form is adopted, it should be
employed throughout the entire superscription. The comma should not be
used in one line and omitted in another.

Notice the following forms of correct superscriptions:--

(1)
______________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
| Mr. Milo R. Maltbie
| 85 West 118th St.
| New York.
|______________________________________________________


(2)
______________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
| Mr. John D. Clark
| New York
| N.Y.
|
| Teachers College
| Columbia University.
|______________________________________________________


(3)
______________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
| Mrs. Edgar N. Foster
| South Haven
| Mich.
|
| Avery Beach Hotel.
| ______________________________________________________


(4)
______________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
| Miss Louise M. Baker
| Nottingham
| Ohio.
|
| Box 129.
|______________________________________________________


(5)
______________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
| Dr. James M. Postle
| De Kalb
| Ill.
|
|______________________________________________________


(6)
______________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
| Miss Ida Morrison
| Chicago
| Ill.
|
|
| 1048 Warren Ave.
|______________________________________________________


EXERCISE

Write proper superscriptions to letters written to the following:--

1. Thaddeus Bolton, living at 524 Q Street, Lincoln, Nebraska.

2. The wife of a physician of your acquaintance.

3. James B. Angell, President of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
Michigan.

4. Your mother, visiting some relative or friend.

5. The publishers Allyn and Bacon, 878 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Ill.

6. Edward Harrington, living at 1962 Seventh Avenue, New York.

7. To a friend at a seaside resort.

8. To a friend visiting your uncle in Oakland, California.


+100. The Great Rule of Letter Writing.+--The great rule of letter writing
is, Never write a letter which you would not be willing to see in print
over your own signature. That which you _say_ in anger may be discourteous
and of little credit to you, but it may in time be forgotten; that which
you _write_, however, may be in existence an untold number of years.
Thousands of letters are now on exhibition whose authors never had such a
use of them in mind. If you ever feel like writing at the end of a letter,
"Burn this as soon as you read it," do not send it, but burn the letter
yourself. Before you sign your name to any letter read it over and ask
yourself, "Is this letter in form and contents one which would do me
credit if it should be published?"


+101. Business Letters.+--Since the purpose of business letters is to
inform, they should, first of all, be characterized by clearness. In
asking for information, be sure that you state your questions so that
there shall be no doubt in the mind of the recipient concerning the
information that you desire. In giving information, be equally sure to
state facts so clearly that there can be no possibility of a mistake.

Brevity is the soul of business letters as well as of wit. Business men
are busy men. They have no time to waste in reading long letters, but wish
to gain their information quickly. Hence we should aim to state the
desired facts in as concise a manner as possible, and we should give only
pertinent facts. Short explanations may sometimes be necessary, but
nothing foreign to the subject-matter should ever be introduced. While we
should aim to make our letters short, they should not be so brief as to
appear abrupt and discourteous. It shows lack of courtesy to omit
important words or to make too frequent use of abbreviations.

We should answer a business letter as soon as possible. This answer,
besides giving the desired information, should include a reference to the
letter received and an acknowledgment of inclosures, if there were any.
All questions should receive courteous replies. The facts should be
arranged in a form that will be convenient for the recipient. As a rule it
is best to follow the order which the writer has used in his letter, but
in some cases we may be able to state our facts more definitely and
concisely if we follow some other order.

What has been said in general about attention to forms in letter writing
might well be emphasized here, for business men are keen critics
concerning letters received. Be careful to use the correct forms already
suggested. Also pay attention to punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Write
only on one side of the paper and fold the letter correctly. In fact, be
businesslike in everything connected with the writing of business letters.

A few examples are here given for your notice:--


(1)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Ypsilanti, Mich. |
| April 4, 1905. |
| |
| Mr. William Wylie, |
| 807 Linn St., Peoria, Ill. |
| |
| Dear Mr. Wylie; |
| Inclosed is a letter from Superintendent Rogers |
| of Rockford, Ill. The position of teacher of |
| mathematics is vacant. The salary may not be so |
| much as you now receive, but in many respects the |
| position is a desirable one. I advise you to apply |
| for it. |
| Sincerely yours, |
| Charles M. Gates. |
| |


(2)
______________________________________________________
| |
| 586 State St., |
| Chicago, Ill. |
| July 20,1905. |
| |
| Mrs. Charles H. McNett, |
| 2345 Franklin St., |
| Denver, Colorado. |
| |
| Dear Madam:--Your card of July 9th is at hand. We |
| beg to say that we sent you the books by express, |
| prepaid, July 9th, and they have probably reached |
| you by this time. If you have not received them, |
| please notify us, and we will send a tracer after |
| them. |
| Very truly yours, |
| Brown and Sherman. |
| |
| |


(3)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Elgin High School, |
| Elgin, Ill. |
| Sept. 4, 1905. |
| |
| |
| Miss Ella B. Walker, |
| Herkimer, New York. |
| |
| My dear Miss Walker: |
| I am very sorry to have to trouble you, |
| but I am desirous of obtaining some information |
| concerning the High School Library. Will you kindly |
| let me know whether the card catalogue was kept up |
| to date prior to your departure and also whether the |
| accession book was in use up to that time? |
| I shall be greatly indebted to you if you will |
| give me this information. |
| Very sincerely yours, |
| Edward J. Taylor. |
| |


EXERCISE


Write at least three of the following suggested letters, paying attention
to the rules for writing business letters:--

1. Write to a dry goods firm, asking them to send you one of their
catalogues.

2. Write to the manager of a football team of some town near yours,
proposing a game.

3. Write the reply.

4. In reply to an advertisement, write an application for the position of
clerk or bookkeeper.

5. Write to the publishers of some magazine, asking them to change your
address from 27 K Street, Toledo, Ohio, to 2011 Prospect Avenue,
Beatrice, Nebraska.

6. Suppose yourself doing postgraduate work in your high school. Write to
the president of some college, asking him concerning advanced credit.


+102. Letters of Friendship.+--While a great deal of information may be
obtained from some letters of friendship, the real purpose of such letters
is, usually, not to give information, but to entertain. You will notice
that the information derived from letters of friendship differs from that
found in business letters. Its nature is such that of itself it gives
pleasure. Our letters to our relatives, friends, and acquaintances are but
visits on paper, and it should be our purpose to make these visits as
enjoyable as possible.

So much depends upon the circumstances attendant upon the writing of
letters of friendship, that it is impossible to make any definite
statement as to what they should contain. We may say in general that they
should contain matter interesting to the recipient, and that they should
be characterized by vividness and naturalness. Interesting material is a
requisite, but that of itself is not sufficient to make an entertaining
letter. Interesting material may be presented in so unattractive and
lifeless a manner that much of its power to please is lost. Let your
letters be full of life and spirit. In your descriptions, narrations, and
explanations, express yourself so clearly and so vividly that those who
read your letters will be able to understand exactly what you mean.


EXERCISES


1. Write a letter to a classmate who has moved to another town, telling
him of the school of which he was once a member.

2. Write to a friend, describing your visit to the World's Fair at St.
Louis.

3. Suppose yourself away from home. Write a letter to your little brother
or sister at home.

4. If you have ever been abroad, describe in a letter some place of
interest that you have visited.

5. Write to a friend who is fond of camping, about your camping
experience.

6. Suppose your mother is away from home on a visit. Write her about the
home life.

7. Write to a friend, describing a party that you recently attended.

8. Suppose you have moved from one town to another. In a letter compare
the two towns.


+103. Adaptation to the Reader.+--The golden rule of letter writing is,
Adapt the letter to the reader. Although the letter is an expression of
yourself, yet it should be that kind of expression which shall most
interest and please your correspondent. In business letters the necessity
of brevity and clearness forces attention to the selection and arrangement
of details. In letters to members of the family or to intimate friends
we must include many very minor things, because we know that our
correspondent will be interested in them, but a rambling, disjointed
jumble of poorly selected and ill-arranged details becomes tedious. What
we should mention is determined by the interests of the readers, and the
successful letter writer will endeavor to know what they wish to have
mentioned. In writing letters to our friends we ought to show that
sympathetic interest in them and their affairs which we should have if we
were visiting with them. On occasion, our congratulations should be prompt
and sincere.

In reading letters we must not be hasty to take offense. Many good
friendships have been broken because some statement in a letter was
misconstrued. The written words convey a meaning very different from that
which would have been given by the spoken word, the tone of voice, the
smile, and the personal presence. So in our writing we must avoid
all that which even borders on complaint, or which may seem critical or
fault-finding to the most sensitive.


+104. Notes.+--Notes may be divided in a general way into two classes,
formal and informal. Formal notes include formal invitations, replies,
requests, and announcements. Informal notes include informal invitations
and replies, and also other short communications of a personal nature on
almost every possible subject.


+105. Formal Notes.+--A formal invitation is always written in the third
person. The lines may be of the same length, or they may be so arranged
that the lines shall be of different lengths, thus giving the page a
somewhat more pleasing appearance. The heading, salutation, complimentary
close, and signature are all omitted. The address of the sender may be
written below the body of the letter. Many prefer it a little to the left,
and the date is sometimes written below it. Others, however, prefer it
directly below or a little to the right.

Replies to formal invitations should always be written in the third
person, and should in general follow the style of the invitation. The date
and the hour of the invitation should be repeated in the reply, and this
reply should be sent immediately after receiving the invitation.

A few examples are here given to show the correct forms of both
invitations and replies:--


(1)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Mr. and Mrs. Frederick William Thompson |
| request the pleasure of your company |
| on Monday evening, December thirtieth, |
| at half-past eight o'clock. |
| |


(2)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Miss Barrows accepts with pleasure Mr. and |
| Mrs. Thompson's invitation for Monday evening, |
| December thirtieth, at half-past eight o'clock. |
| |


(3)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Mr. Morris regrets that a previous engagement |
| prevents his accepting Mr. and Mrs. Thompson's |
| kind invitation for Monday evening, December |
| the thirtieth. |
| |


(4)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Mr. and Mrs. Albert W. Elliott request the |
| pleasure of Mr. John Barker's company at dinner |
| on Wednesday, December sixth, at seven o'clock. |
| |
| 1068 Euclid Ave. |
| |


(5)
______________________________________________________
| |
| Mr. Barker regrets his inability to accept |
| Mr. and Mrs. Albert W. Elliott's invitation to |
| dinner at seven o'clock, Wednesday, December |
| sixth. |
| |


EXERCISE


1. Write an invitation to a golden wedding.

2. Mrs. Homer A. Payne invites Miss Eva Milton to dine with her next week
Thursday at eight o'clock. Write out a formal invitation.

3. Write regrets to Mrs. Payne's invitation.

4. Write an acceptance of the same invitation.

5. Write a formal invitation to a party to be given in honor of your
guest, Miss Grace Mason.


+106. Informal Notes.+--Informal invitations and replies may contain the
same subject-matter as formal invitations and replies. The only difference
is in the form in which they are written. The informal invitation is in
form similar to a letter except that the same exactness about the heading
is not required. Sometimes the heading is written and sometimes it is
omitted entirely. The address of the one sending the invitation and the
date may be written below the body of the note to the left of the
signature. The reply to an informal invitation should always be informal,
but the date and hour should be repeated as in replies to formal
invitations.

A great many informal notes not included in invitations and replies are
constantly written. These are simply brief letters of friendship, and the
purposes for which they are written are exceedingly varied. When we write
congratulations or words of condolence, when we introduce one friend to
another, when we thank some one for a gift, and when we give words of
advice, and in many other instances, we make use of informal notes. They
should be simple, personal, and as a rule confined to but one subject.

Notice the following examples of informal notes:--


(1)
_________________________________________________________________
| |
| My dear Mrs. Lathrop, |
| |
| Will you not give us the pleasure of your company |
| at dinner, on next Friday evening at seven o'clock? Miss Todd |
| of Philadelphia is visiting us, and we wish our friends to meet |
| her. |
| |
| Very sincerely yours, |
| Ethel M. Trainor. |
| 840 Forest Avenue, |
| Dec. 5, 1905. |
| |


(2)
_________________________________________________________________
| |
| Dec. 6, 1905. |
| |
| My dear Mrs. Trainor, |
| |
| I sincerely regret that I cannot accept your invitation |
| to dinner next Friday evening, for I have made a previous |
| engagement which it will be impossible for me to break. |
| |
| Yours most sincerely, |
| Emma Lathrop. |
| |