CORRESPONDENCE.
BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE.
Closely written postal cards and long letters meet with little favor among business men; therefore it is important to make business correspondence as plain and brief as possible.
Names of places and persons should be written very plainly.
When a letter is written in reply to another, the date of the letter to which the reply is made should be given, and it is an excellent plan, and one that saves much time, to give in a letter the substance of the one to which it is a reply. This is especially desirable when accepting a special offer made in such letter, thus:
Mr. A. Flanagan,
Chicago, Illinois.
Dear Sir:
Your favor of Feb. 15, in which you offer us a discount of 33-1/3 per cent. on your books, when purchased in lots of 100 or more, came duly. We herewith enclose our check for three hundred dollars ($300.), for which please ship us, by freight the following:
| 100 | copies of | “Words; Their Use and Abuse.” |
| 100 | “ | “Getting on in the World.” |
| 100 | “ | “Hours with Men and Books.” |
Respectfully,
Geo. W. Jones & Co.
Griggsville, Ill.
Enclosed is a post-office order for $3, for which please send me Harper’s New Monthly Magazine for one year, beginning with the May number.
Respectfully,
(Miss) Sara Brown.
When writing a business letter, a married woman should sign her name as she would sign it when writing any other letter; that is, by placing her first name and surname in the usual position of the signature, and adding, a little to the left-hand, her name in full, with the address, thus:
St. Paul, Minn., Nov. 9th, 1899.
Please send me one copy of “How Women Should Ride,” for which you will find enclosed one dollar and twenty-five cents ($1.25).
Respectfully,
Emma C. Bowen.
When writing to a person or firm for information solely for one’s own benefit, a postal card or a stamped envelope should be enclosed for a reply.
It is a too common custom among people unacquainted with the rules of business, when sending an order to one firm, to enclose money to be paid another, or with which to make small purchases in some other line, to be sent in the package ordered from the firm with which the correspondence is held. The proper way to do when one wishes to order goods from different houses in the same city, and yet have all the goods shipped in the same package, is to write an order to each firm requesting the goods to be delivered to the firm with which one does the most business, having, of course, notified such firm of his action.
It has become so common among people to request everything “by return mail” that business men look upon such requests as a mere form, rather than as an evidence of urgency. If such urgency exists, it is well to state the cause of it in a few words, and request immediate attention to the order, thus:
Harvard, Ill., Nov. 2, 1899.
I enclose herewith $2, for which please send me a copy of Longfellow’s poetical works. You will oblige me by sending the book by return mail, as I wish to use it on the evening of the 4th inst.
Respectfully,
James Wells.
Whoever writes a caustic letter makes a mistake; for it will do no good, even if there seems to be a cause for it, and if the assumed cause proves to be simply a mistake the writer will be humiliated.
LETTERS OF APPLICATION.
It is sometimes difficult to write a letter of application, because one must speak of himself and of his ability to fill the position sought, and to do so without seeming egotistic. If the applicant has had experience in work similar to that for which he applies, a simple statement of the fact, the length of time engaged in such work, the reason for quitting his last position, and the name and address of his former employer, should form the substance of his letter. If he has had no experience, he should state what advantages he has had to qualify himself for the work, and not boast that he could soon and easily learn to do it.
The following will exemplify the points:
124 La Salle St.,
Chicago, Sept. 24, 1899.
I am informed by a friend, Mr. C. A. Brooks, of your village, that you are in want of a book-keeper, and I desire to make application for the position. I am a young man, but have had several years experience in keeping books. I am now in charge of the books of Messrs. Jones & Williams, of this city, to whom I can refer you for information as to my ability and character. I desire to go to the country, and should be glad to work for you, if you can pay me $70 per month, which is my present salary.
Very respectfully,
T. R. Miller.
Salem, Wis., May 15, 1899.
I am informed that your shipping clerk is soon to leave, and that the position now held by him will be vacant. I desire to apply for the same, but I am sorry to state that I have not had any experience in this particular line of work; however, I have been a general clerk in a village store, and am familiar with simple book-keeping, which would probably enable me to learn the work of a shipping clerk in a reasonable length of time.
In case you should wish to engage me on trial, I would gladly assist, without compensation, your present clerk until the end of his engagement, which, I understand, is about three weeks from date.
My present employer is Mr. G. W. Webster, of this place, and he will doubtless answer any inquiries concerning my work that you may address him.
Respectfully,
Geo. E. Johnson.
Such letters should always contain a stamp for a reply. The stamp is attached by its corner or by a pin to the head of the letter.
Great precaution should always be taken not to send a letter with insufficient postage on it; for the additional postage is collected from the person to whom the letter is sent, and many business men look upon such neglect as inexcusable, if they do not consider it dishonest, inasmuch as it compels others to pay what the writer should have known it was his duty to pay.
An application for a position as teacher in a public school is often very difficult to write, because it is necessary to say much, and to say it, in some cases, to men who are not thoroughly familiar with business principles.
Before giving any forms, some suggestions which experience has taught may be of great importance. The handwriting should be natural. If one has a degree, he should not sign his name with it, but state in his letter that he is a graduate, naming the institution from which he was graduated. All boasting should be avoided. One should not ask a reply by return mail, but he might enclose a postal card or a stamp with a request to be informed when the board meets to consider applications. One ought not to name as references persons who know nothing about his work; for although they may, if consulted, endeavor to praise him, they will show their ignorance of what he has done, and the board will naturally assume that he has no better references.
As a rule it is not advisable to give testimonials from ministers or from county superintendents, unless the writers can say that they are familiar with the teacher’s work, and have visited his school. Very old testimonials should not be placed before a board. Indeed, it is doubtful whether any testimonial, unless it comes from a competent judge, is of value.
If boards would consult one’s references, or seek information from outside sources, it would be only just to all concerned; but as they will not often do this, it is wise to send copies of two or three, generally not more, good testimonials, and to have one or two of the applicant’s friends write the board in his behalf.
A letter of application, especially if for the position of superintendent or that of principal, should be full and explicit, specifying the opportunities the writer has had to prepare himself for the position, rather than stating that he has done so-and-so, for in the latter case it might seem like boasting.
Sometimes a short letter, unless circumstances demand a long one, will be most favorably received by a board. The writer once knew a very important position to be obtained by a correspondence about as follows (names of places, dates, etc., are omitted):
To the Honorable Board of Education.
Gentlemen:
I learn through a friend in your county, that the position of superintendent of your school is vacant. If the position has not been filled, I desire to make application for the same. I am a graduate of ——————, and have taught three years. I am now principal of the —————— schools, but desire to teach in your State, as my home is there.
Respectfully,
——————
A stamp was enclosed for a reply. The secretary of the board at once wrote asking for references and stating the salary paid. The applicant replied that he did not wish the position at the salary named, and thanked the secretary for the trouble he had been given.
Had the applicant written a long letter, setting forth the value of his services, and urging the board to raise the salary, it is not probable that a reply would have been received by him. The simple statement that he did not want the position at the salary named, was evidence to the board that he considered his services worth more, and, moreover, that he had confidence that he would command more. The secretary replied to the last short note, asking for references and at what salary he would accept the position. The information was given, and in a few days the applicant was requested to meet the board with the assurance that the position would be given him if the interview proved satisfactory, which it did. Afterwards the applicant was informed by the president of the board that his short business-like letters, written in an almost illegible but natural hand, obtained for him the place over nearly one hundred applicants, many of whom were college graduates of long experience in teaching, and who had basketfuls of testimonials, but not one of whom had written even a fairly good letter of application.
Many cities and towns have stated public examinations, which applicants must attend before they can be employed.
The impression of character and of qualification produced by a personal interview is deemed so important that even minor appointments are scarcely given to any one not personally known to one of the school board, or to some one in whose professional judgment they have great confidence.
Preliminary inquiries about positions are most profitably made through acquaintances, who can advise one whether to take any further steps. One might write as follows:
Chicago, Ill., Nov. 3, 1899.
May I trouble you to ascertain whether there is any vacancy in the schools at Elgin, to which I would have any prospect of an appointment? You will confer a great favor upon me if you will ask the superintendent, and let me know soon what he says. You can say to him that after I finished the high school course at Racine, I taught a term in a district school in Racine County, Wis., and was one year in charge of a primary department at Woodstock, and that I had charge of the grammar department at the latter place last year.
You know something of the work I have done, and I can furnish testimonials from the school officers where I have taught.
Yours very truly,
Emma C. Bowen.
If a favorable answer is received, something like the following form may be used, which is also a form suitable to make application where one is already acquainted, and where formal applications are expected.
Chicago, Ill., Jan. 10, 1899.
I desire to obtain a position in the schools of your city. I enclose a letter from Mr. Henry Jones, a director of Woodstock, where I last taught; and I refer you to Mrs. Mary Smith, of Elgin. I prefer the intermediate work, but would not object to any position that I may be able to fill.
I completed the course in the Racine High School, and have taught a little more than two years, first in a country school, then in a primary school a year at Woodstock, where I afterward had charge of the grammar room for a year.
Please inform me when and by whom candidates are examined, as well as what vacancies there are, and be kind enough to make any suggestions that you think will be helpful to me.
Very respectfully,
(Miss) Emma C. Bowen.
CHAPTER XI.
GENERAL HINTS.
We remain shackled by timidity till we have learned to speak and act with propriety.—Samuel Johnson.
A man raises his hat when walking with another, not only to his own acquaintances, but to those persons who bow to his companion, whether he is acquainted with them or not.
If a man meets a woman in a hotel corridor or hall he should step aside, allowing her to pass, and raising his hat.
If in a public place a man hands a woman anything she has dropped, he should raise his hat when offering it to her. A well-bred man raises his hat after passing the fare of a woman in a car or coach. This does not mean that he has any desire to become acquainted with her, but it is his tribute to her sex.
Slight inaccuracies in statements should not be corrected in the presence of others.
One should give her children, unless married, their Christian names only, or say “my daughter” or “my son,” in speaking of them to anyone excepting servants.
Men remove their hats when in elevators in the presence of women.
Men having occasion to pass before women seated in lecture and concert rooms, and all other places, should “beg pardon,” and pass with their faces, and not their backs, toward them.
In going up or down stairs, a man precedes a woman or walks by her side.
To indulge in ridicule of another, whether the subject be present or absent, is to descend below the level of gentlemanly propriety.
A reverence for religious observances and religious opinions is a distinguishing trait of a refined mind.
Religious topics should be avoided in conversation, except where all are prepared to concur in a respectful treatment of the subject. In mixed societies the subject should never be introduced.
Frequent consultation of the watch or time-piece is impolite, either when at home or abroad. If at home, it appears as if one were tired of the company and wished them to be gone; if abroad, as if the hours dragged heavily, and one were calculating how soon he would be released.
It is very unbecoming to exhibit petulance or angry feeling, though it is indulged in largely in almost every circle. The true gentleman does not suffer his countenance to be easily ruffled.
The right of privacy is sacred, and should always be respected. It is exceedingly improper to enter a private room without knocking. No relation, however intimate, will justify an abrupt intrusion upon a private apartment. Likewise the trunk, boxes, packets, papers, or letters of any individual, locked or unlocked, sealed or unsealed, are sacred. It is ill-mannered even to open a book-case, or to read a written paper lying open, without permission, expressed or implied.
Members of the same family should never differ with each other in public.
One should never appear to be thinking of his own personal rights to the resenting of a little slight, whether real or imaginary.
In small communities where near neighbors, for convenience’s sake, borrow back and forth, great care should be taken that the practice does not become a nuisance, as it surely does when it is indulged in too frequently, and when borrowed articles are not speedily returned and in good condition. There should be no stinted measures in returning.
Ostentation is snobbish, as is all too great profusion.
To affect not to remember a person is despicable, and reflects only on the pretender.
Some conceited or ill-bred people imagine they make themselves important and powerful by being rude and insulting.
One is judged, to a great extent, by the character of his associates.
One should be very careful how he asks for the loan of a book. If interest is shown in one, its owner will offer it for perusal if willing to lend it. When reading a borrowed book, one should take the best of care of it, and return it as soon as possible. No real lady or gentlemen will leave finger prints upon its pages, or turn down its leaves in place of a book-mark, or scribble in it with a pencil, or loan it to a third person without the knowledge and consent of the owner.
A lack of reverence in one in the house of God, implies low parentage, or a coarse nature that is not subject to refinement.
To whisper and laugh during any public entertainment proclaims one’s ill-breeding, and invades the rights of others.
One ought never to leave the house after the evening’s entertainment without bidding the hostess good-night, and acknowledging the pleasure the evening has afforded him.
The business man has no stock-in-trade that pays him better than a good address.
It is only those persons and families whose position is not a secure one, that are afraid to be seen outside their own social circle.
One should never reprove servants or children before strangers.
A true lady will not betray her astonishment at any violation of conventional rules, least of all will she make it her province to punish those who may make any such violation.
If one, on meeting another, fails to recall the name, he should frankly say so.
One should never recall himself to the recollection of a casual acquaintance without at the same time mentioning his name.
In a flat-house a man should take his hat and coat into the apartment where he is going to call, and not leave them in the hall on the first floor.
It is very bad taste, even in quite a large party, for young girls to visit a man at his office.
It is perfectly good form for a mother to invite to a little child’s party children whose parents she does not know, or who have not yet called upon her. The invitations go out in the child’s name and to the child’s friends.
It is extremely rude and ill-bred, when at a boarding-house or hotel table, to criticise the food that is served. The fact that it is paid for makes it none the less an evidence of bad manners. People who are not satisfied where they are boarding should always leave; they have no right to make others uncomfortable by their lack of good-breeding.
Women of good-breeding do not permit themselves to “overlook” those to whom courtesies are due.
A man should learn to put his coat on in a public place of entertainment so that he will not require assistance from the woman who is with him.
The young woman to whom a seat is offered should take it, unless her companion is an older woman, when it would be quite proper to extend the courtesy to her.
It is very bad taste, even for a frolic, for a young girl to assume boy’s clothes, or get herself up in any way that will tend to make herself look masculine.
There is no impropriety in giving to those men friends with whom one is well acquainted, some trifling souvenir at Christmas or Easter, or on birthdays.
It is customary for a young man to send a young woman only such gifts as flowers, candy, and books; and as these presents are sent merely as a slight return for her hospitality and invitations to her house, etc., it is not necessary for her to send him any gift in return. If, however, a young woman and man are on intimate enough terms to exchange presents, she may send him any small article for the desk or toilet; such as a silver-handled whisk broom, court-plaster case, pen-wiper, paper-cutter, or books, which are a good present and always acceptable to any one.
Nothing looks more ill-bred than to see a young man, under his parents’ roof, devoting himself during a whole evening entirely to one young woman to the ignoring of the others.
A man who is escorting two women in the street should not walk between them, but on the outside of both near the curb; at the theater or at any place of amusement or at church, he should sit nearest to the aisle, at the side of one of them.
Unless there is some good reason why she needs his support, a man seldom offers his arm to a woman he escorts, even in the evening. A husband may offer his arm to his wife, of course, and a man may proffer this help to an invalid or aged person.
A little delicate perfume may be used with propriety, but a heavy perfume, and one that scents the entire room in which the person who uses it happens to be, is in very bad form.
In opening a door from the hall to the drawing-room, a man should hold it while a woman precedes him in entering.
When one’s pardon is asked for some slight inattention, an inclination of the head and a smile is the best answer.
The words “gentleman friend” and “lady friend” have been so vulgarized that most well-bred women now say “man friend” or “woman friend,” it being taken for granted that they number among their friends only ladies and gentlemen.
Custom never condones liberties, no matter how slight, between young men and women.
When a woman is visiting, any acquaintance who should call upon her should also ask for her hostess, and if she is absent leave a card for her.
It is considered very bad taste for a young girl to address a man with whom her acquaintance is but slight by his Christian name.
No young man has any right to spend the entire afternoon and evening every Sunday at one particular house, to the annoyance of an entire family, who do not like to make him conscious of the fact that they consider him a bore.
When a young man is paying a visit, and the older members of the family are in the room, he should, in leaving, bid them good-night first, and afterward say his farewell to the young girl on whom he has called. It is in bad taste for her to go any further than the parlor door with him.
Even if a correspondence is of a “purely friendly character,” it should not exist between a married woman and a young man, or between a married man and a young woman.
It is not good taste to ask one’s men friends to buy tickets for charity affairs. They do not like to refuse, and very often, though the sum required may be small, they cannot afford it.
There is very great harm in young girls meeting young men in secret; the men will have no respect for the girls, and nothing but mortification for the girls will be the result.
It is quite proper to thank any public servant, such as a railroad conductor, for any information he may give, but it is not necessary to be effusive about it.
It is not in good taste, nor even proper, for young women to go alone to a hotel to dine with a man.
When a girl is young and pretty, a Platonic friendship is very difficult to keep up.
When a man friend has driven a woman in town to go to church he should take her direct to the church and leave her there while he drives where his carriage and horses are to wait until after the service. Of course he would walk to church and join her there.
It is not in good taste for different members of a party to go off in pairs, and spend the evening alone on the seashore.
It is not wise for a young woman and young man living in the same city to correspond. If meeting each other often they ought to be able to say all that is necessary.
One has no right whatever to read a postal card addressed to another without permission.
The very minute the married man begins to tell of his wife’s faults, the time has come to cut his acquaintance.
It is more than wrong for a young girl to receive visits from a married man.
In entering any public place a woman should precede a man, but going down the aisle, the usher, of course, would precede her.
A hostess stands to receive her visitors, but she does not advance to meet them unless the visitor should be some one quite old or of such importance that the visit is of great honor. The hostess extends her hand to the men who call, as well as to the women.
A woman is not supposed to recognize a man who is one of a group standing in a public place, since a modest girl will not look close enough at a group of men to recognize an acquaintance.
No matter how well a woman may know a man, it would be in very bad form to send him an invitation which does not include his wife, unless it should be at some affair at which only men are to be present.
A man should show as much courtesy to a woman in his employ as he does to the women he meets in social life.
It is not in good taste to visit at the home of one’s betrothed, unless a personal invitation is received from his mother.
Two women may attend, with perfect propriety, a place of amusement without an escort. They should be, however, under such circumstances, exceptionally quiet in their manners and their dress.
In escorting a young woman home, a man should go up the steps with her, wait until the door is opened, and, as she enters the house, raise his hat and say good-night.
If a young girl were very ill, there would be no impropriety in her mother bringing her betrothed to see her, although, of course, she would remain in the room during his visit.
It is always proper and courteous for a person in church to share either prayer-book or hymnal with anyone who may be without either.
There is no impropriety in a woman’s permitting a man friend to assist her in putting on her over-shoes.
If one approves of the acting or the sentiment of the play, there is no impropriety in expressing gentle applause, but a loud clapping of the hands is decidedly vulgar.
One should never prevent people from leaving his house when they desire. That is not hospitality. It is tyranny; it is taking a mean advantage of their unwillingness to offend.
If a women lives in a boarding house and has only one room, it would be very bad taste to receive any man visitor there. Even if it is not quite so agreeable, they should be received in the public parlor.
When a man and woman approach a hostess together, the hostess should shake hands with the woman first.
When a man calls on a woman, he shakes hands with her on his arrival; but, unless he is very intimate in the house, a simple bow is sufficient when he leaves.
An unmarried woman writing her name in a hotel register should prefix it with “Miss” in parentheses.
When a man friend has taken a lady to a concert, she should thank him for his kindness in having given her a pleasant evening.
It is not advisable for a girl to deliberately “cut” any man. If she wishes to discontinue her acquaintance with a man whom she cannot respect, it may be done gradually, at first by the coolest of greetings; then, by a look in the other direction; and in time all recognition will cease.
If a stranger takes occasion to be polite to one during a street-car accident, all that is necessary is a polite “thank you.”
When a man who is to escort a girl to an entertainment calls for her at her own home, it is proper for her to appear with her wraps on, and be ready to start at once.
If a man is courteous enough to open the door of a store or any public building for a woman, she should thank him.
If a girl of sixteen goes to an evening affair, her mother should arrange to have either a servant or a member of the family go after her to bring her home.
If the hostess opens the door for a man caller, she should precede him in entering the parlor.
After having taken a meal or having received any other kind of entertainment at a private house, before leaving a guest should express his thanks, or, rather his enjoyment, of the same to the hostess. This courtesy from a young man or girl is very acceptable to elderly ladies.
Queen Victoria has forgiven certain breaches of etiquette made in ignorance, and left her guest to discover the mistake at another time. It is a reprehensible host indeed who does otherwise, and so makes a guest uncomfortable. Etiquette is all wrong and false when it makes one forget the higher laws of courtesy or hospitality.
Transcriber’s Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 5, repeated word “to” removed from text (cares not to be seen)
Page 7, “introducd” changed to “introduced” (are introduced to each)
Page 15, “BNOWN” changed to “BROWN” (MISS ANNA BROWN)
Page 19, “furture” changed to “future” (one’s future home is)
Page 20, “seen” changed to “seem” (in her power to seem)
Page 32, “amd” changed to “and” (Mr. and Mrs. Charles)
Page 43, “distrub” changed to “disturb” (to disturb a hostess)
Page 48, repeated word “the” removed from text (tables after the playing)
Page 53, repeated word “be” removed from text (should be issued on)
Page 54, “maché” changed to “mâché” (papier mâché)
Page 74, “Britian” changed to “Britain” (Great Britain it is perfectly)
Page 83, “wating” changed to “waiting” (in waiting for the cups)
Page 85, “consumme” changed to “consommé” (bouillon or consommé)
Page 85, “befor” changed to “before” (upon the table before)
Page 96, “intellegent” changed to “intelligent” (an intelligent, ladylike woman)
Page 98, “noticable” changed to “noticeable” (formality, more noticeable)
Page 100, “couse” changed to “course” (Of course one would)
Page 104, “other” changed to “others” (to others as ye would)
Page 113, “humam” changed to “human” (of human life, let)
Page 116, “humilated” changed to “humiliated” (writer will be humiliated)
Page 121, “ean” changed to “can” (who can advise one)
Page 124, “XII” changed to “XI” (CHAPTER XI)
Page 126, “justisy” changed to “justify” (will justify an abrupt)
Page 131, “christian” changed to “Christian” (by his Christian name)
Page 134, “enteres” changed to “enters” (and, as she enters the)
Page 136, “diliberately” changed to “deliberately” (a girl to deliberately)