For Letters of Thanks
See Samples, pp. [306-312]
See Complimentary, pp. [29], [30]
See Concluding Assurances, pp. [161-168]
See Conventional, pp. [46], [50], [51]
See Thanks, p. [250]
IV
SOCIAL LETTERS
Life is not so short but there is always time enough for courtesy.——Emerson.
LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE
My dear ————,
I received to-day the sad word that ———— had passed away. I know that your heart is sorely grieved, and I hasten to send to you this little word of assurance of our love and sympathy. Trusting that you will write as soon as you have the heart, for I am anxious to hear from you, I am,
My dear ————,
We were exceedingly sorry to learn of your bereavement. There are many whom we have “loved and lost awhile.” But God will take us into their goodly company some glad day. We unite in sending our sincere sympathy.
With warm regards,
My dear ————,
We were so grieved to read in the paper of your great loss. Would that we were not so far away from you, or else we would surely try to comfort you with our presence.
Mrs. ———— and I send our best love and sympathy.
Faithfully yours,
My dear ————,
We were very sorry to read of your bereavement in the loss of your ————. Our prayer is that you may find great consolation in the thought that some day, in God’s own good time, you shall see ———— again.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
I was saddened to hear of your recent loss. I need not tell you how often I think of you. With a prayer for every blessing upon you and your family,
Sincerely your friend,
My dear ————,
I regret exceedingly to hear of your sorrow. Do not try to explain to yourself so trying an hour, but bring into requisition all the faith and courage you can muster, and with confidence face the seeming dismal days.
Lean hard upon your good friends,
One of whom is
My dear ————,
We have heard with deep feelings of regret of the death, of your ————, and we offer you our most sincere sympathy in your great loss.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
Please accept condolences and sincere sympathy for the loss of my friend ————.
Your Friend,
My dear ————,
Mrs. ———— shares with me the great sorrow which so many feel on account of the death of your ————.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
I am deeply grieved by the news of your bereavement, and beg you to accept the expression of my profound and heartfelt sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
I am greatly grieved to hear of the death of ———— for whom I had the utmost regard. Please accept my deepest sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
My heartfelt sympathy goes out to you in your bereavement.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
We send our love and our tenderest sympathy.
Sincerely,
My dear ————,
We are greatly afflicted by the melancholy intelligence which has reached us that ———— is no more with us. He carried the riches of God within himself, and was a royal-hearted man. He was greatly beloved by all of us. With a prayer for every blessing on yourself,
Affectionately your friend,
My dear ————,
Permit me to express on behalf of ———— and myself our deepest sympathy. May you find very great comfort in the thought that there is a time coming when there shall be no more death, neither sorrow.
Faithfully yours,
My dear ————,
I know not how to express my sorrow at the word which I have just received. Your ———— was such a sweet uncomplaining spirit. We shall miss ———— when next we come to ————.
I should be glad if I could suggest anything to lighten the burden, and make your path a little more smooth and easy.
Sincerely your friend,
My dear ————,
I know that your heart must be sorely grieved at the loss of your splendid ————. ———— knew the secret of beautiful living. We can console ourselves with the assurance that we shall some day see our loved ones in the brighter happier world above.
Sincerely your friend,
My dear Friend,
It is with great regret that we learn of the sad occurrence at your home. Please accept our united and sincere condolences.
With deepest sympathy,
My dear ————,
Words are inadequate to express my feelings at this hour. Exceeding great sympathy,
My dear ————,
We were exceedingly sorry to read of the death of your good ————. I wish I could suggest something to make your paths a little more smooth and easy. Perhaps the words “He knoweth” will be of comfort.
We unite in sending our affectionate regards to all.
Most sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
Let me send a little word of encouragement and sympathy in this dark hour of your life. And perhaps the best word is that which says: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Mrs. ———— and I offer you our most sincere sympathy. Let us have the comfort of hearing from you soon.
Faithfully yours,
My dear ————,
No words can quite express my sympathy in this time of deep sorrow. As long as I shall remember anything I shall remember ———— virtues and ———— kindnesses.
Your Friend,
My dear ————,
I can imagine your heart must be sorely grieved in your recent loss. We beg you to accept our love and sympathy.
Sincerely your friend,
My dear ————,
May every consolation and blessing be granted to you in your deep sorrow. Kindly accept my heartfelt sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
May I share with you the deep sorrow you are called upon to bear at the loss of your ————. So many beautiful traits made up ———— character. Be greatly comforted by the assurance which He gives to us that we shall see our Lord again, for He says: “Because I live, ye shall live also.”
Most sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
I hope I need not tell you how anxious I have been since I first heard of your great loss. You have my earnest prayers that the Almighty may support you.
Your Friend,
My dear ————,
I was grieved to hear of your recent sorrow. Please accept for yourself my assurance of deep sympathy.
Faithfully yours,
My dear ————,
How I regretted to hear of your late bereavement. Trusting that the dark cloud of sorrow will also have for you a bright side of hope, I am,
Your Friend,
My dear ————,
I took a nice little fancy to you in our dealings at ————, and hence, when I read this morning of the death of your ————, I was truly sorry. On the day that I talked last with him, I was much impressed with his vigor both of body and of mind. I would be glad to have had such a ————.
May you be greatly comforted by the affection and esteem in which ———— was held by ———— many friends.
With sincere regards,
My dear ————,
It was with the deepest regret that we learned of your loss. What a comfort it must be to you that you were able to be with him during his illness. Please accept my most sincere sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
I have just received the sad news of your ———— death. Please accept my heartfelt sympathy in your bereavement.
Most sincerely,
My dear ————,
I sympathize keenly with you in the loss of your ————. May the Father of mercies give you the rich consolation of his grace. Do not fear for he knows what is in your heart.
Your Friend,
My dear ————,
Such a sad circumstance has come to you. I would that I might express my sympathy to you in person. In your hour of trial may God comfort you greatly.
Yours sincerely,
My dear ————,
We extend our heartfelt sympathy in your hour of trial.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
Yours is indeed a deep sorrow. We were so shocked to learn of it to-day. We are sometimes called to sow in tears, but the promise is that we shall reap in joy. May every consolation and blessing be granted you is our prayer. Please accept our assurance of deep sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
There are times when one cannot express himself in words. Kindly accept my sincerest sympathy.
Your Friend,
My dear ————,
How can I express my sympathy for you in the loss of your dear mother. When one loses her mother she feels she has lost her best friend, and can only wait for time to heal the heartache. With assurance of love,
Very sincerely yours,
My dear ————,
Our hearts sorrow with you. Your ———— was such an excellent ————. ———— had so many admiring friends. All the gentle virtues came into full bloom in ————.
We send our united and sincere condolences,
Most faithfully yours,
My dear ————,
I am sincerely sorry to hear of your loss. You, who have so often comforted others, are now to be comforted. And what better word can I send to you than that which Paul writes in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians: “Blessed be God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.”
We offer our sincere sympathy in your great sorrow.
Most faithfully yours,
(For Member of an Organization)
Resolved, That ———— records its profound respect for ———— and its sense of great loss through his death.
He set an example of service and self-sacrifice which is inspiring.
The ———— extend to ———— and to the members of his family their deepest sympathy and join with them in mourning the loss not only as a splendid member of our ———— but as a most excellent citizen.
Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to his family.
(On Death of Soldier)
My dear ————,
May I express to you my sincere condolence in your hour of sorrow. I have just learned that your son gave his life, though not in battle, still in his and our Country’s cause. We are all proud of him, and I sincerely hope that you will find much comfort in the knowledge of the affection in which he is held.
With sincerest sympathy,
(When Interment is at Home)
My dear ————,
We have just been informed that your son’s body has been lovingly laid to rest at home. If ever we were proud of our soldier boys it is now. Every day their sacrifices are more precious to us as we dwell upon their likeness to the greatest of all sacrifices which God made for us through his Son.
May the God of all comfort, comfort you and yours is our prayer.
Sincerely yours,
(Interment of Soldier)
My dear ————,
I am thinking of you to-day in all your sorrow, yet knowing that you are comforted. Comforted by the assurance that your son died as a true soldier, giving his all at its best for you and for his country; comforted by the fact that you have him near you again, where you can go occasionally in sweet reverence and recall precious memories. Above all you must be comforted by the Redeemer’s resurrection promise that you shall see your dear son again.
Please accept my heartfelt sympathy.
Your Friend,