The President, however, would be addressed: To the President, Executive Mansion, Washington, D.C.
This is the simplest form, and as such, in the best taste, but it is sometimes written: To the President of the United States, Honorable Grover Cleveland.
"His Excellency" was formerly used in addressing the President and the Governors of States, but it is largely abandoned as inconsistent with the lack of titles in our country. The same rule is observed in writing to the Governor of a State: To the Governor, Gubernatorial Mansion, Springfield, Ill. Or, To the Governor, Robert P. Morton, Albany, N.Y.
A member of the Cabinet: To the Honorable, the Secretary of the Interior, Washington, D.C. A State official has the following address: Dr. John C. Wyatt, Secretary of the State Board of Charity, Springfield, Ill. In addressing one person in care of another the form would be: Mrs. John Draper, Grand de Tour, Ill. Care Dr. I.S. Prime.
A note to be delivered by a friend is always unsealed and usually addressed: Miss Florence Warden, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Kindness of Mr. G.A. Rhodes. A still better form is to simply use the address of the person without farther preamble.
Always fold a letter sheet so that the opening lines face the reader on unfolding.
Punctuation Marks.
Punctuation and capitalization are very necessary matters in the art of letter-writing, but in these days of common schools, and all but compulsory education, it is to be supposed that some knowledge of these important facts will have been gained. It will not be amiss, however, to mention a few of the most necessary rules.
The four chief punctuation points are the comma, semicolon, colon, period. In the days of our grandmothers children were taught to "mind their stops," with this rule for a guide: "Count one at a comma, two at a semicolon, three at a colon, and four at a period, or 'full stop.'"
In punctuating the date, address, closing and superscription of a letter, certain rules are necessary. One of these is that a period follows all abbreviations, such as those of title, state and county, and separates and follows all initials, whether abbreviations of names or titles; while the slight pause occurring between such abbreviations is marked by a comma, and the end of the date, like the end of a sentence, is closed by a period; for example: 540 West Main St., Galesburgh, Ill. Or, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Jan. 10, 189-.