CORRESPONDENCE 329 



the letter carrier to note. Like the address, the super- 

 scription consists of three parts: the name, the title, and 

 the business address or residence. 



The accompanying illustration shows a specimen su- 

 perscription. 



SUGGESTIONS 



The first and most important rule to be observed by a 

 writer of a letter is to be courteous. 



Neatness. Always be careful, in the writing of a 

 letter, to avoid blots, corrections, or erasures. Make the 

 letter perfect as to neatness, even if it has to be re- 

 written. An essential as important as neatness is 

 correct spelling. 



Brevity. One of the essential qualities of business 

 correspondence that cannot be too strongly dwelt upon 

 is brevity, for business men have no time to waste, and 

 appreciate conciseness of expression. Brevity of ex- 

 pression, if combined with neatness, clearness, and 

 courtesy always makes a good impression upon the 

 true business man. One of the greatest helps to success 

 in any walk of life is the ability to express ideas ac- 

 curately and concisely. 



Deliberation. No one should write a letter when 

 angry, nor, as a rule, when inclined to say severe 

 things. If one receives a letter provoking him to anger, 

 it is better to wait a little before answering; then 

 probably the style of his reply will be entirely changed. 

 Words hastily spoken, and letters written in haste 

 or anger, one usually would like to recall. Hasty or 

 vindictive words make enemies and endanger business, 

 while kind words make and hold friends. Make it a 

 rule never to write a letter when strongly excited. 



Many writers experience difficulty in the opening and 

 closing sentences of a letter. The opening should be 

 perfectly natural and should introduce the subject upper- 

 most in the mind. Avoid in the opening such set 

 phrases as "I now take my pen in hand to tell you that 

 I am well, etc.," "I thought I would drop you a line 

 to let you know, etc." A familiar letter usually ends 



