1. Matters Of Form

Business letters should be correct in every matter of form. Read the following directions carefully:

Margin. Leave a free margin at the left. The width should be about half an inch for note paper (paper five by eight inches or less) and an inch for letter paper (paper about eight by ten inches).

The heading should be written in the upper right-hand corner. It should give (1) the state and post-office town of the writer, (2) the street and street number, or the number of the rural route if the writer's home has free delivery service, and (3) the date. Abbreviations are permitted in a date. The heading may be written in two or three lines according to the length, thus:

1. Little Valley, New York,

Sept. 20, 1912.

2. R. F. D. No. 4, Normal, III.,

Sept. 20, 1912.

3. 81 Arthur Ave. S. E.

Minneapolis, Minn., Sept. 20, 1912.

Notice the use of commas and periods. Copy the headings.

The address should be written at the left and below the heading. It should contain the full name and post-office address of the person or firm to whom the letter is written. The title Esq. is much less used than formerly. If it is used, any other title, as Mr., should be omitted.

The salutation should be formal. When the letter is written to one person, these are proper forms: Dear Sir, Dear Madam. When it is written to more than one, these forms are used: Gentlemen, Ladies, Dear Sirs.

In business letters to persons with whom you have a slight acquaintance or whom you have heard of through friends, less formal salutations are pleasantly courteous and entirely proper. These forms are commonly used: My dear Mrs. Brown, My dear Miss Jones, My dear Mr. Allen.

The salutation should be followed by a colon or a colon and dash.

Copy these addresses and salutations:

Mr. Albert C. White, 724 Pine Street, Portland, Ore. Dear Sir:

Miss Eleanor Hampton, 4542 N. Hermitage Ave., Chicago, 111. Dear Madam:

Allyn and Bacon, 172 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. Dear Sirs:

The De Laval Separator Company, 165-167 Broadway, New York City, N. Y. Gentlemen:

Mrs. J. A. Thompson,

R. R. No. 3, Lincoln, 111. Dear Madam:

The complimentary close may be Yours truly, Yours very truly, Very truly yours, Yours respectfully, Yours sincerely, or Yours very sincerely.

The signature should be very plainly written. Write the full name, unless you prefer to use the initial only of the middle name. Do not use any family nickname you may have, such as Mamie instead of Mary,Dick instead of Richard.

Do not use a title with your name unless it is necessary to do so in order that the one to whom you are writing may address his reply properly. In this case enclose the title in parentheses, thus:

(Miss) Ella F. Brown. (Mrs.) Anna B. White. (Mr.) Claire H. Hughes.

Which is it more often necessary to use, men's titles or women's? Why is the man's title necessary in this case?

Diagram For Business Letter

HEADING

---------------------------------.

---------------------------ADDRESS

SALUTATION

-----------------------------------------.

BODY

- - - .

COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE

--------------------------------------------------SIGNATURE

-------------------------------------------------.

2. The body of the letter should be clear and as brief as possible. Be sure to put in every item that must be known in order that the business may be properly done, but use no unnecessary words.

3. Exercise

Copy each one of the following examples of business letters. Be sure to have every detail of form correct. Notice just what directions and facts are given in the body of the letters.

The last letter is slightly less formal than the others, but should be no less carefully written.

R. F. D. No. 5, Medford, Minn.,

Nov. 7, 1912. The Alca Manufacturing Company, 366 West 50th Street, New York. Gentlemen:

I enclose a post-office order for fifty cents, for which please send me prepaid one of your Alca Garden Tools, as advertised in the May number of House and Garden.

Yours truly,

John H. Whitney.

Dundas, Minn., Dec. 6, 1912. McBride, Winston, and Co.,

449 Fourth Ave., New York. Gentlemen:

You will find enclosed a post-office order for three dollars ($3.00), for which please send a copy of House and Garden for the coming year to the following address: Mrs. Mary S. White, R. R. No. 4, Perham, Minn.

Yours truly,

(Miss) Floy H. Smith.

Faribault, Minn., Nov. 12, 1912. My dear Miss Brown:

It gives me pleasure to send you this recipe for brown bread, which Miss White tells me you would like.

One egg, well beaten

Four tablespoons of sugar

One level teaspoon salt

One cup of molasses

Two cups sour milk or buttermilk

Two level teaspoons soda, wet with hot water

One cup of corn meal

Two cups of graham flour Bake fifty minutes in a slow oven. Trusting that you may enjoy the bread as much as our family do, I am

Yours sincerely,

Mary S. Allen.

4. Exercises

1. You wish to work during your vacation or on Saturday in a grocery store, a library, a factory, a book store, or a toy store. Write an application for a position. Tell clearly and modestly why you think you can do the work, and refer the employer to some one who knows of your character and your fitness for the place.

2. You are secretary of some club. Write to the secretary of another club proposing a meeting of the two clubs for some special purpose at a definite time and place.

3. You have lost something. Write a notice of your loss for the lost article column of some newspaper. Describe the article briefly; tell when and where you lost it and where it may be returned.

4. Some friend of yours has told an acquaintance in a distant city of the good candy that you make, or of your success in raising chickens, or corn, or some flower or vegetable. This acquaintance, at your friend's suggestion, has written to ask you for some information about the matter. Write her letter. Write your reply, giving very clearly the desired information.