Amiable Uncle (doing some conjuring to amuse the children). "SEE, HERE I HAVE A BILLIARD BALL—I AM GOING TO TURN IT INTO SOMETHING ELSE."
First Bored Youngster (to second ditto). "WHY SHOULD HE? IT'S A VERY NICE BALL."
WHAT TO TELL AN EDITOR.
In view of The Daily Mail's praiseworthy efforts to instruct applicants for situations in the correct phrasing of letters to prospective employers, we propose to supply a similar long-felt want, and give a little advice as to the kind of letter it is desirable to enclose with contributions to periodicals.
Begin your letter in a friendly vein, hoping the Editor and his people are pretty well. Remember also that Editors like to know something of the characters and histories of their contributors. So let your communication include a résumé of your personal and literary career. Don't fall into the error of making your letter too concise.
The following suggestions may serve to indicate some of the lines of thought that you might follow:—
(1) State where you sent your first manuscript.
(2) What you thought of it, and of the Editor who returned it.
(3) Your height and chest measurement (an Editor likes to be on the safe side).