PERSONAL LETTERS--SOCIAL AND FRIENDLY
INVITATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
_General Directions_
The format of an invitation is not so important as its taste. Some of
the more formal sorts of invitations--as to weddings--have become rather
fixed, and the set wordings are carried through regardless of the means
at hand for proper presentation. For instance, one often sees a wedding
invitation in impeccable form but badly printed on cheap paper. It would
be far better, if it is impossible to get good engraving or if
first-class work proves to be too expensive, to buy good white notepaper
and write the invitations. A typewriter is, of course, out of the
question either for sending or answering any sort of social invitation.
Probably some time in the future the typewriter will be used, but at
present it is associated with business correspondence and is supposed to
lack the implied leisure of hand writing.
The forms of many invitations, as I have said, are fairly fixed. But
they are not hallowed. One may vary them within the limits of good
taste, but on the whole it is considerably easier to accept the forms
in use and not try to be different. If the function itself is going to
be very different from usual then the invitation itself may be as
freakish as one likes--it may be written or printed on anything from a
postcard to a paper bag. The sole question is one of appropriateness.
But there is a distinct danger in trying to be ever so unconventional
and all that. One is more apt than not to make a fool of one's self.
And then, too, being always clever is dreadfully hard on the innocent
by-standers. Here are things to be avoided:
Do not have an invitation printed or badly engraved. Hand
writing is better than bad mechanical work.
Do not use colored or fancy papers.
Do not use single sheets.
Do not use a very large or a very small sheet--either is
inappropriate.
Do not have a formal phraseology for an informal affair.
Do not abbreviate anything--initials may be used in informal
invitations and acceptances, but, in the formal, "H. E. Jones"
invariably has to become "Horatio Etherington Jones."
Do not send an answer to a formal invitation in the first
person.
A formal invitation is written in the third person and must be
so answered.
Do not use visiting cards either for acceptances or regrets
even though they are sometimes used for invitations. The
practice of sending a card with "Accepts" or "Regrets" written
on it is discourteous.
Do not seek to be decorative in handwriting--the flourishing
Spencerian is impossible.
Do not overdo either the formality or the informality.
Do not use "R.S.V.P." (the initials of the French words
"Repondez, s'il vous plait," meaning "Answer, if you please")
unless the information is really necessary for the making of
arrangements. It ought to be presumed that those whom you take
the trouble to invite will have the sense and the courtesy to
answer.
In sending an evening invitation where there are husband and wife, both
must be included, unless, of course, the occasion is "stag." If the
invitation is to be extended to a daughter, then her name is included in
the invitation. In the case of more than one daughter, they will receive
a separate invitation addressed to "The Misses Smith." Each male member
of the family other than husband should receive a separately mailed
invitation.
An invitation, even the most informal, should always be acknowledged
within a week of its receipt. It is the height of discourtesy to leave
the hostess in doubt either through a tardy answer or through the
undecided character of your reply. The acknowledgment must state
definitely whether or not you accept.
The acknowledgment of an invitation sent to husband and wife must
include both names but is answered by the wife only. The name of a
daughter also must appear if it appears in the invitation. If Mr. and
Mrs. Smith receive an invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Jones, their
acknowledgment must include the names of both Mr. and Mrs. Jones, but
the envelope should be addressed to Mrs. Jones only.
FORMAL INVITATIONS
Wedding invitations should be sent about three weeks--certainly not
later than fifteen days--before the wedding. Two envelopes should be
used, the name and address appearing on the outside envelope, but only
the name on the inside one. The following are correct for formal
invitations:
_For a church wedding_
(A)
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Honour of_
---- (Name written in)
_Presence at the Marriage of Their Daughter
Dorothy
and
Mr. Philip Brewster
On the Evening of Monday, the Eighth of June
at Six o'Clock
At The Church of the Heavenly Rest
Fifth Avenue, New York City_
[Illustration: Specimen of formal wedding invitation]
(B)
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Honour of Your Presence at
The Marriage of Their Daughter
Dorothy
and
Mr. Philip Brewster
On Monday, June the Eighth
At Six o'Clock
At the Church of the Heavenly Rest
Fifth Avenue, New York_
_For a home wedding_
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Pleasure of_
---- (Name written in)
_Company at the Marriage of Their Daughter
Dorothy
and
Mr. Philip Brewster
On Wednesday, June the Tenth
At Twelve o'Clock
Five Hundred Park Avenue_
Or either of the forms A and B for a church wedding may be used. "Honour
of your presence" is more formal than "pleasure of your company" and
hence is more appropriate for a church wedding.
It is presumed that an invitation to a home wedding includes the wedding
breakfast or reception, but an invitation to a church wedding does not.
A card inviting to the wedding breakfast or reception is enclosed with
the wedding invitation. Good forms are:
_For a wedding breakfast_
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Pleasure of_
---- (Name written in)
_At Breakfast on Tuesday, June the Fourth
at Twelve o'Clock
500 Park Avenue_
_For a wedding reception_
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Pleasure of Your Company
At the Wedding Reception of Their Daughter
Dorothy
and
Mr. Philip Brewster
On Monday Afternoon, June the Third
At Four o'Clock
Five Hundred Park Avenue_
[Illustration: Specimens of formal invitations to a wedding reception]
_For a second marriage_
The forms followed in a second marriage--either of a widow or a
divorcee--are quite the same as above. The divorcee uses whatever name
she has taken after the divorce--the name of her ex-husband or her
maiden name if she has resumed it. The widow sometimes uses simply Mrs.
Philip Brewster or a combination, as Mrs. Dorothy Evans Brewster. The
invitations are issued in the name of the nearest relative--the parent
or parents, of course, if living. The forms are:
(A)
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Honour of Your Presence
At the Marriage of Their Daughter
Dorothy
(Mrs. Philip Brewster)
to
Mr. Leonard Duncan
On Thursday, April the Third
At Six o'Clock
Trinity Chapel_
(B)
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Honour of Your Presence
At the Marriage of Their Daughter
Mrs. Dorothy Evans Brewster
to
Mr. Leonard Duncan
On Thursday, April the Third
At Six o'Clock
Trinity Chapel_
If there are no near relatives, the form may be:
(C)
_The Honour of Your Presence is Requested
At the Marriage of
Mrs. Dorothy Evans Brewster
and
Mr. Leonard Duncan
On Thursday, April the Third
At Six o'Clock
Trinity Chapel_
In formal invitations "honour" is spelled with a "u."
_Recalling an Invitation_
The wedding may have to be postponed or solemnized privately, owing to
illness or death, or it may be put off altogether. In such an event the
invitations will have to be recalled. The card recalling may or may not
give a reason, according to circumstances. The cards should be engraved
if time permits, but they may have to be written.
Convenient forms are:
(A)
_Owing to the Death of Mr.
Philip Brewster's Mother,
Mr. and Mrs. Evans beg to
Recall the Invitations for
Their Daughter's Wedding on
Monday, June the Eighth._
[Illustration: Specimen of wedding announcement]
(B)
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans beg to Recall
The Invitations for the Marriage of
Their Daughter, Dorothy, and Mr. Philip
Brewster, on Monday, June the Eighth_
_Wedding announcements_
If a wedding is private, no formal invitations are sent out; they are
unnecessary, for only a few relatives or intimate friends will be
present and they will be asked by word of mouth or by a friendly note.
The wedding may be formally announced by cards mailed on the day of the
wedding. The announcement will be made by whoever would have sent out
wedding invitations--by parents, a near relative, or by the bride and
groom, according to circumstances. The custom with the bride's name in
the case of a widow or divorcee follows that of wedding invitations. An
engraved announcement is not acknowledged (although a letter of
congratulations--see page 101--may often be sent). A card is sent to the
bride's parents or whoever has sent the announcements. The announcement
may be in the following form:
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Announce the Marriage of Their Daughter
Dorothy
to
Mr. Philip Brewster
On Monday, June the Tenth
One Thousand Nineteen Hundred and Twenty-Two_
_Replying to the invitation_
The acceptance or the declination of a formal invitation is necessarily
formal but naturally has to be written by hand. It is better to use
double notepaper than a correspondence card and it is not necessary to
give a reason for being unable to be present--although one may be given.
It is impolite to accept or regret only a day or two before the
function--the letter should be written as soon as possible after the
receipt of the invitation. The letter may be indented as is the engraved
invitation, but this is not at all necessary. The forms are:
_Accepting_
Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham Smith
accept with pleasure
Mr. and Mrs. Evans's
kind invitation to be present
at the marriage of their daughter
Dorothy
and
Mr. Philip Brewster
on Monday, June the twelfth
at twelve o'clock
(and afterward at the wedding breakfast)
Or it may be written out:
Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham Smith accept with pleasure Mr. and
Mrs. Evans's kind invitation to be present at the marriage of
their daughter Dorothy and Mr. Philip Brewster on Monday, June
the twelfth at twelve o'clock (and afterward at the wedding
breakfast).
_Regretting_
Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham Smith
regret exceedingly that they
are unable to accept
Mr. and Mrs. Evans's
kind invitation to be present
at the marriage of their daughter
Dorothy
and
Mr. Philip Brewster
on Monday, June the twelfth
(and afterward at the wedding breakfast)
Or this also may be written out. The portion in parentheses will be
omitted if one has not been asked to the wedding breakfast or reception.
_For the formal dinner_
Formal dinner invitations are usually engraved, as in the following
example. In case they are written, they may follow the same form or the
letter form. If addressed paper is used the address is omitted from the
end. The acknowledgment should follow the wording of the invitation.
(A)
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Pleasure of_
Mr. and Mrs. Trent's
_Company at Dinner
On Thursday, October the First
at Seven o'Clock
and Afterward for the Play (or Opera, etc.)_
_500 Park Avenue_
(B)
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Pleasure of
Mr. and Mrs. Trent's
Company for Dinner and Opera
on Thursday, October the First
at Seven o'Clock_
_Accepting_
Mr. and Mrs. George Trent
accept with much pleasure
Mr. and Mrs. Evans's
kind invitation for dinner
on Thursday, October the first,
at seven o'clock
and afterward for the opera
788 East Forty-Sixth Street
_Regretting_
Mr. and Mrs. George Trent
regret that they are
unable to accept
the kind invitation of
Mr. and Mrs. Evans
for dinner and opera
on Thursday, October the first,
owing to a previous engagement.
788 East Forty-Sixth Street
_For a dinner not at home_
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Pleasure of
Mrs. and Miss Pearson's
Company at Dinner
At Sherry's
on Friday, March the Thirtieth
At Quarter Past Seven o'Clock_
_500 Park Avenue_
_Accepting_
Mrs. Richard Pearson and Miss Pearson
accept with much pleasure
Mr. and Mrs. Evans's
very kind invitation for dinner
at Sherry's
on Friday, March the thirtieth
at quarter past seven o'clock
640 West Seventy-Second Street
_Regretting_
Mrs. Richard Pearson and Miss Pearson
regret exceedingly that they
are unable to accept
Mr. and Mrs. Evans's
very kind invitation for dinner
at Sherry's
on Friday, March the thirtieth
owing to a previous engagement to
dine with Mr. and Mrs. Spencer
640 West Seventy-Second Street
[Illustration: Specimens of formal dinner invitations]
Or the reply may follow the letter form:
_Accepting_
640 West Seventy-Second Street,
March 16, 1920.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pearson accept with pleasure
Mrs. John Evans's kind invitation for Friday evening,
March the thirtieth.
_Regretting_
640 West Seventy-Second Street
March 16, 1920.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pearson regret sincerely their inability
to accept Mrs. John Evans's kind invitation for Friday
evening, March the thirtieth.
These acknowledgments, being formal, are written in the third person and
must be sent within twenty-four hours.
_Dinner "to meet"_
If the dinner or luncheon is given to meet a person of importance or a
friend from out of town, the purpose should appear in the body of the
invitation, thus:
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Pleasure of
Mr. and Mrs. Trent's
Company at Dinner
on Thursday, November the Ninth
at Eight o'Clock
to Meet Mr. William H. Allen_
_To a formal luncheon_
_Mrs. John Evans
Requests the Pleasure of
Miss Blake's
Company at Luncheon
To meet Miss Grace Flint
on Tuesday, March the Fourth
at One o'Clock
and Afterward to the Matinee_
_500 Park Avenue_
_Accepting_
Miss Blake
accepts with pleasure
Mrs. Evans's
very kind invitation for luncheon
on Tuesday, March the fourth
at one o'clock
to meet Miss Flint and to go
afterward to the matinee
232 West Thirty-First Street
_Regretting_
Miss Blake
regrets that a previous engagement
prevents her from accepting
Mrs. Evans's
very kind invitation for luncheon
on Tuesday, March the fourth
at one o'clock
to meet Miss Flint
and to go afterward to the matinee
832 West Thirty-First Street
[Illustration: Specimens of formal invitations "to meet"]
_For the reception_
Afternoon receptions and "At Homes" for which engraved invitations are
sent out are practically the same as formal "teas."
An invitation is engraved as follows:
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
At Home
Wednesday Afternoon, September Fourth
from Four until Half-Past Seven o'Clock
Five Hundred Park Avenue_
These cards are sent out by mail in a single envelope about two weeks or
ten days before the event.
The recipient of such a card is not required to send either a written
acceptance or regret. One accepts by attending the "At Home." If one
does not accept, the visiting card should be sent by mail so that it
will reach the hostess on the day of the reception.
Where an answer is explicitly required, then the reply may be as
follows:
_Accepting_
Mrs. John Evans
accepts with pleasure
Mrs. Emerson's
kind invitation for Wednesday afternoon
November the twenty-eighth
_Regretting_
Mrs. John Evans
regrets that she is unable to accept
Mrs. Emerson's
kind invitation for Wednesday afternoon
November the twenty-eighth
Mrs. John Evans
regrets that she is
unable to be present at
Mrs. Emerson's
At home on Wednesday afternoon
November the twenty-eighth
_Reception "to meet"_
(A)
_Mrs. Bruce Wellington
Requests the Pleasure of
Mrs. Evans's
Presence on Thursday Afternoon, April Fifth
to Meet the Board of Governors
of the
Door-of-Hope Society
from Four-Thirty to Seven o'Clock_
_Accepting_
Mrs. John Evans
accepts with pleasure
Mrs. Wellington's
kind invitation to meet
The Board of Governors
of the
Door-of-Hope Society
On Thursday afternoon, April fifth
_Regretting:_
Mrs. John Evans
regrets that a previous engagement
prevents her from accepting
Mrs. Wellington's
kind invitation to meet
The Board of Governors of the Door-of-Hope Society
On Thursday afternoon, April fifth
_Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
Request the Pleasure of Your Company
to Meet
General and Mrs. Robert E. Lee
on Thursday Afternoon, February Fourth
from Four until Seven o'Clock_
_Five Hundred Park Avenue_
If one accepts this invitation, one acknowledges simply by attending. If
one is unable to attend, then the visiting card is mailed. If unforeseen
circumstances should prevent attending, then a messenger is sent with a
card in an envelope to the hostess, to reach her during the reception.
_Invitations for afternoon affairs_
For afternoon affairs--at homes, teas, garden parties--the invitations
are sent out in the name of the hostess alone, or if there be a
daughter, or daughters, in society, their names will appear immediately
below the name of the hostess.
_Mrs. John Evans
The Misses Evans
At Home
Thursday Afternoon, January Eleventh
from Four until Seven o'Clock
Five Hundred Park Avenue_
If the purpose of the reception is to introduce a daughter, her name
would appear immediately below that of the hostess, as "Miss Evans,"
without Christian name or initial. If a second daughter is to be
introduced at the tea, her name in full is added beneath that of the
hostess:
_Mrs. John Evans
Miss Ruth Evans
Miss Evans
At Home
Friday Afternoon, January Twentieth
from Four until Seven o'Clock
Five Hundred Park Avenue_
_For balls and dances_
The word "ball" is used for an assembly or a charity dance, never
otherwise. An invitation to a private house bears "Dancing" or
"Cotillion" in one corner of the card. This ball or formal dance
invitation is engraved on a white card, sometimes with a blank space so
that the guest's name may be written in by the hostess. It would read
thus:
(A)
_Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elliott
Request the Pleasure of
Mr. and Mrs. Evans's
Company at a Cotillion
to Be Held at the Hotel Ritz-Carlton
on Saturday, December the Third
at Ten o'Clock_
_Please Address Reply to
347 Madison Avenue_
[Illustration: Specimens of formal invitations to a dance]
(B)
_Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elliott
Request the Pleasure of
_________________________
Company on Saturday Evening
January the Sixth, at Ten o'Clock_
_Dancing 347 Madison Avenue_
An older style of invitation--without the blank for the written name,
but instead the word "your" engraved upon the card--is in perfectly good
form. The invitation would be like this:
(C)
_Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elliott
Request the Pleasure of Your Company
on Saturday Evening, January the Sixth
at Ten o'Clock_
_Dancing 347 Madison Avenue_
_Accepting_
Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
accept with pleasure
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott's
very kind invitation to a cotillion
to be held at the Hotel Ritz-Carlton
On Saturday, December the third
at ten o'clock
_Regretting_
Mr. and Mrs. John Evans
regret exceedingly that they
are unable to accept
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott's
kind invitation to attend a dance
on Saturday, January the sixth
In sending a regret the hour is omitted, as, since the recipient will
not be present, the time is unimportant.
(D)
_The Honour of Your Presence
Is Requested at the Lincoln's Birthday Eve Ball
of the Dark Hollow Country Club
on Monday Evening, February Eleventh
at Half-Past Ten o'Clock
1922_
_Accepting_
Miss Evans accepts with pleasure
the kind invitation of the Dark Hollow Country Club
for Monday evening, February eleventh
at half-past ten o'clock
_For christenings_
Christenings are sometimes made formal. In such case engraved cards are
sent out two or three weeks ahead. A good form is:
_Mr. and Mrs. Philip Brewster
Request the Pleasure of Your Company
at the Christening of Their Son
on Sunday Afternoon, April Seventeenth
At Three o'clock
at the Church of the Redeemer_
_Accepting_
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elliot
accept with pleasure
Mr. and Mrs. Brewster's
kind invitation to attend
the christening of their son
on Sunday afternoon, April seventeenth
at three o'clock
A reason for not accepting may or may not be given--it is better to put
in a reason if you have one.
_Regretting_
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Elliott
regret that a previous engagement
prevents their accepting
Mr. and Mrs. Brewster's
kind invitation to the christening of their son
on Sunday afternoon, April seventeenth
INFORMAL INVITATIONS
_For a wedding_
An engraved invitation always implies a somewhat large or elaborate
formal function. An informal affair requires simply a written invitation
in the first person.
The informal wedding is one to which are invited only the immediate
family and intimate friends. The reason may be simply the desire for a
small, quiet affair or it may be a recent bereavement. The bride-to-be
generally writes these invitations. The form may be something like this:
(A)
June 2, 1922.
Dear Mrs. Smith,
On Wednesday, June the twelfth, at three o'clock Mr. Brewster
and I are to be married. The ceremony will be at home and we
are asking only a few close friends. I hope that you and Mr.
Smith will be able to come.
Yours very sincerely,
Dorothy Evans.
(B)
June 16, 1922.
Dear Mary,
Owing to the recent death of my sister, Mr. Brewster and I are
to be married quietly at home. The wedding will be on Wednesday,
June the twentieth, at eleven o'clock. We are asking only
a few intimate friends and I shall be so glad if you will come.
Sincerely yours,
Dorothy Evans.
_Accepting_
June 7, 1922.
Dear Dorothy,
We shall be delighted to attend your wedding on Wednesday,
June the twelfth, at three o'clock.
We wish you and Mr. Brewster every happiness.
Sincerely yours,
Helen Gray Smith.
_Regretting_
June 4, 1922.
Dear Dorothy,
I am so sorry that I shall be unable to attend your wedding.
The "Adriatic" is sailing on the tenth and Father and I have
engaged passage.
Let me wish you and Mr. Brewster every happiness.
Sincerely yours,
Mary Lyman.
_For dinners and luncheons_
An informal invitation to dinner is sent by the wife, for her husband
and herself, to the wife. This invitation must include the latter's
husband. It is simply a friendly note. The wife signs her Christian
name, her maiden name (or more usually the initial of her maiden name),
and her married name.
Five Hundred Park Avenue,
December 5th, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Trent,
Will you and Mr. Trent give us the pleasure of your company at
a small dinner on Tuesday, December the twelfth, at seven
o'clock?
I hope you will not be otherwise engaged on that evening as we
are looking forward to seeing you.
Very sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
_To cancel an informal dinner invitation_
My dear Mrs. Trent,
On account of the sudden death of my brother, I regret to be
obliged to recall the invitation for our dinner on Tuesday,
December the twelfth.
Sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
December 8, 1922.
_Accepting_
788 East Forty-Sixth Street,
December 7th, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
Mr. Trent and I will be very glad to dine with you on Tuesday,
December the twelfth, at seven o'clock.
With kind regards, I am
Very sincerely yours,
Charlotte B. Trent
_Regretting_
788 East Forty-Sixth Street,
December 7th, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
We regret deeply that we cannot accept your kind invitation to
dine with you on Tuesday, December the twelfth. Mr. Trent and
I, unfortunately, have a previous engagement for that evening.
With cordial regards, I am
Yours very sincerely,
Charlotte B. Trent.
_The daughter as hostess_
When a daughter must act as hostess in her father's home, she includes
his name in every dinner invitation she issues, as in the following:
340 Madison Avenue,
January 2, 1921.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
Father wishes me to ask whether you and Mr. Evans will give us
the pleasure of dining with us on Wednesday, January the
fifteenth, at quarter past seven o'clock. We do hope you can
come.
Very sincerely yours,
Edith Haines.
The answer to this invitation of a daughter-hostess must be sent to the
daughter, not to the father.
_Accepting_
My dear Miss Haines,
We shall be delighted to accept your father's kind invitation
to dine with you on Wednesday, January the fifteenth, at
quarter past seven o'clock.
With most cordial wishes, I am
Very sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
January 5, 1922
_Regretting_
My dear Miss Haines,
We regret exceedingly that we cannot accept your father's kind
invitation to dine with you on Wednesday, January the
fifteenth. A previous engagement of Mr. Evans prevents it.
Will you convey to him our thanks?
Very sincerely yours,
Katherine Gerard Evans.
January 5, 1922.
_Adding additional details_
The invitation to an informal dinner may necessarily include some
additional details. For example:
Five Hundred Park Avenue,
September 16, 1920.
My dear Mr. Allen,
Mr. Evans and I have just returned from Canada and we hear
that you are in New York for a short visit. We should like to
have you take dinner with us on Friday, the twentieth, at
half-past seven o'clock, if your time will permit. We hope you
can arrange to come as there are many things back home in old
Sharon that we are anxious to hear about.
Yours very sincerely,
Katherine Gerard Evans.
Mr. Roger Allen
Hotel Gotham
New York
_Accepting_
Hotel Gotham,
September 17, 1920.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
I shall be very glad to accept your kind invitation to dinner
on Friday, September the twentieth, at half-past seven
o'clock.
The prospect of seeing you and Mr. Evans again is very
delightful and I am sure I have several interesting things to
tell you.
Yours very sincerely,
Roger Allen.
Mrs. John Evans
500 Park Avenue
New York
_Regretting_
Hotel Gotham,
September 16, 1920.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
I am sorry to miss the pleasure of accepting your kind
invitation to dinner on Friday, September the twentieth.
A business engagement compels me to leave New York to-morrow.
There are indeed many interesting bits of news, but I shall
have to wait for a chat until my next visit.
With kindest regards to you both, I am
Very sincerely yours,
Roger Allen.
Mrs. John Evans
500 Park Avenue
New York
_A last-moment vacancy:_
A last-moment vacancy may occur in a dinner party. To send an invitation
to fill such a vacancy is a matter requiring tact, and the recipient
should be made to feel that you are asking him to fill in as a special
courtesy. Frankly explain the situation in a short note. It might be
something like this:
500 Park Avenue,
February 16, 1922.
My dear Mr. Jarrett,
Will you help me out? I am giving a little dinner party
to-morrow evening and one of my guests, Harry Talbot, has just
told me that on account of a sudden death he cannot be
present. It is an awkward situation. If you can possibly come,
I shall be very grateful.
Cordially yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
Mr. Harold Jarrett
628 Washington Square South
New York
_Accepting_
628 Washington Square South,
February 16, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
It is indeed a fortunate circumstance for me that Harry Talbot
will not be able to attend your dinner. Let me thank you for
thinking of me and I shall be delighted to accept.
Yours very sincerely,
Harold Jarrett.
If the recipient of such an invitation cannot accept, he should, in his
acknowledgment, give a good reason for declining. It is more considerate
to do so.
_For an informal luncheon_
An informal luncheon invitation is a short note sent about five to seven
days before the affair.
500 Park Avenue,
April 30,1922.
My dear Mrs. Emerson,
Will you come to luncheon on Friday, May the fifth, at half-past one
o'clock? The Misses Irving will be here and they want so much to meet
you.
Cordially yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
_Accepting_
911 Sutton Place,
May 2, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
I shall be very glad to take luncheon with you on Friday, May
the fifth, at half-past one o'clock. It will be a great
pleasure to meet the Misses Irving.
With best wishes, I am
Yours sincerely,
Grace Emerson.
_Regretting_
911 Sutton Place,
May 2, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
Thank you for your very kind invitation to luncheon on Friday,
May the fifth, but I am compelled, with great regret, to
decline it.
My mother and aunt are sailing for Europe on Friday and their
ship is scheduled to sail at one. I have arranged to see them
off. It was good of you to ask me.
Very sincerely yours,
Grace Emerson.
_For an informal tea_
My dear Miss Harcourt,
Will you come to tea with me on Tuesday afternoon, April the
fourth, at four o'clock? I have asked a few of our friends.
Cordially yours,
Katherine Gerard Evans.
April first
Telephone invitations are not good form and may be used only for the
most informal occasions.
Invitations to the theatre, concert, and garden party, are mostly
informal affairs and are sent as brief letters.
A garden party is a sort of out-of-doors at home.
_To a garden party which is not formal or elaborate_
Locust Lawn,
June 29, 1922.
My dear Miss Burton,
Will you come to tea with me informally on the lawn on
Thursday afternoon, July the fourth, at four o'clock? I know
you always enjoy tennis and I have asked a few enthusiasts. Do
try to come.
Cordially yours,
Ruth L. Anson.
Such an invitation is acknowledged in kind--by an informal note.
It may be of interest to read a letter or two from distinguished persons
along these lines. Here, for example, is the delightfully informal way
in which Thomas Bailey Aldrich invited his friend William H. Rideing to
dinner on one occasion:[1]
April 6, 1882.
Dear Rideing:
Will you come and take an informal bite with me to-morrow
(Friday) at 6 P. M. at my hamlet, No. 131 Charles Street?
Mrs. Aldrich and the twins are away from home, and the
thing is to be _sans ceremonie_. Costume prescribed: Sack
coat, paper collar, and celluloid sleeve buttons. We shall
be quite alone, unless Henry James should drop in, as he
promises to do if he gets out of an earlier engagement.
Suppose you drop in at my office to-morrow afternoon about
5 o'clock and I act as pilot to Charles Street.
Yours very truly,
T. B. Aldrich.
[1] From "Many Celebrities and a Few Others--A Bundle of Reminiscences,"
by William H. Rideing. Copyright, 1912, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
And one from James Russell Lowell to Henry W. Longfellow:[2]
Elmwood, May 3, 1876.
Dear Longfellow:
Will you dine with me on Saturday at six? I have a Baltimore
friend coming, and depend on you.
I had such a pleasure yesterday that I should like to share it
with you to whom I owed it. J. R. Osgood & Co. sent me a copy
of your Household Edition to show me what it was, as they
propose one of me. I had been reading over with dismay my own
poems to weed out the misprints, and was awfully disheartened
to find how bad they (the poems) were. Then I took your book
to see what the type was, and before I knew it I had been
reading two hours and more. I never wondered at your
popularity, nor thought it wicked in you; but if I _had_
wondered, I should no longer, for you sang me out of all my
worries. To be sure they came back when I opened my own book
again--but that was no fault of yours.
If not Saturday, will you say Sunday? My friend is a Mrs.
----, and a very nice person indeed.
Yours always,
J. R. L.
[2] From "Letters of James Russell Lowell," edited by C. E. Norton.
Copyright, 1893, by Harper & Bros.
George Meredith ("Robin") accepting an informal dinner invitation from
his friend, William Hardman ("Tuck"):[3]
Jan'y 28, 1863.
Dear "at any price" Tuck:
I come. Dinner you give me at half-past five, I presume. A
note to Foakesden, if earlier. Let us have 5 ms. for a pipe,
before we go. You know we are always better tempered when this
is the case. I come in full dress. And do the honour to the
Duke's motto. I saw my little man off on Monday, after
expedition over Bank and Tower. Thence to Pym's, Poultry:
oysters consumed by dozings. Thence to Purcell's: great
devastation of pastry. Thence to Shoreditch, where Sons calmly
said: "Never mind, Papa; it is no use minding it. I shall soon
be back to you," and so administered comfort to his forlorn
Dad.--My salute to the Conquered One, and I am your loving,
hard-druv, much be-bullied
Robin.
[3] From "The Letters of George Meredith." Copyright, 1912, by Charles
Scribner's Sons. By permission of the publishers.
_To a theatre_
347 Madison Avenue,
December 8, 1919.
My dear Miss Evans,
Mr. Smith and I are planning a small party of friends to see
"The Mikado" on Thursday evening, December the eighteenth, and
we hope that you will be among our guests.
We have arranged to meet in the lobby of the Garrick Theatre
at quarter after eight o'clock. I do hope you have no other
engagement.
Very cordially yours,
Gertrude Ellison Smith.
_Accepting_
My dear Mrs. Smith,
I shall be delighted to come to your theatre party on Thursday
evening, December the eighteenth. I shall be in the lobby of
the Garrick Theatre at a quarter past eight o'clock.
It is so kind of you to ask me.
Sincerely yours,
Ruth Evans.
December 12,1919.
_Regretting_
My dear Mrs. Smith,
With great regret I must write that I shall be unable to join
your theatre party on Thursday evening, December the
eighteenth. My two cousins are visiting me and we had planned
to go to the Hippodrome.
I much appreciate your thinking of me.
Very sincerely yours,
Ruth Evans.
For an informal affair, if at all in doubt as to what kind of invitation
to issue, it is safe to write a brief note in the first person.
Two or more sisters may receive one invitation addressed "The Misses
Evans." But two bachelor brothers must receive separate invitations. A
whole family should never be included in one invitation. It is decidedly
not proper to address one envelope to "Mr. and Mrs. Elliott and family."
_To an informal dance_
Invitations to smaller and more informal dances may be short notes. Or a
visiting card is sometimes sent with a notation written in ink below the
hostess's name and toward the left, as shown below:
(A)
Mrs. John Evans
At Home
Dancing at half after nine 500 Park Avenue
January the eighteenth
R.S.V.P.
If the visiting card is used "R.S.V.P." is necessary, because usually
invitations on visiting cards do not presuppose answers. The reply to
the above may be either formal, in the third person, or may be an
informal note.
(B)
500 Park Avenue,
January 4, 1920.
My dear Mrs. Elliott,
Will you and Mr. Elliott give us the pleasure of your company
on Thursday, January the eighteenth, at ten o'clock? We are
planning an informal dance and we should be so glad to have
you with us.
Cordially yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
An acknowledgment should be sent within a week. Never acknowledge a
visiting-card invitation by a visiting card. An informal note of
acceptance or regret is proper.
_Accepting_
347 Madison Avenue,
January 10, 1920.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
Both Mr. Elliott and I shall be delighted to go to your dance
on Thursday, January the eighteenth, at ten o'clock. Thank you
so much for asking us.
Very sincerely yours,
Jane S. Elliott.
_Regretting_
347 Madison Avenue,
January 10, 1920.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
Thank you for your kind invitation for Thursday, January the
eighteenth; I am so sorry that Mr. Elliott and I shall not be
able to accept. Mr. Elliott has been suddenly called out of
town and will not be back for two weeks.
With most cordial regards, I am
Very sincerely yours,
Jane S. Elliott.
A young girl sends invitations to men in the name of her mother or the
person under whose guardianship she is. The invitation would say that
her mother, or Mrs. Burton, or whoever it may be, wishes her to extend
the invitation.
_To a house-party_
An invitation to a house-party, which may imply a visit of several days'
duration (a week, ten days, or perhaps two weeks) must state exactly the
dates of the beginning and end of the visit. The hostess's letter should
mention the most convenient trains, indicating them on a timetable. The
guest at a week-end party knows he is to arrive on Friday afternoon or
Saturday morning and leave on the following Monday morning. It is
thoughtful for the hostess to give an idea of the activities or sports
planned. The letter might be somewhat in the following manner:
(A)
Glory View,
August 1, 1922.
Dear Miss Evans,
Will you be one of our guests at a house-party we are
planning? We shall be glad if you can arrange to come out to
Glory View on August eighth and stay until the seventeenth. I
have asked several of your friends, among them Mary Elliott
and her brother.
The swimming is wonderful and there is a new float at the
Yacht Club. Be sure to bring your tennis racquet and also
hiking togs.
I enclose a timetable with the best trains marked. If you take
the 4:29 on Thursday you can be here in time for dinner. Let
me know what train you expect to get and I will have Jones
meet you.
Most cordially yours,
Myra T. Maxwell.
_Accepting_
500 Park Avenue,
August 3, 1922.
Dear Mrs. Maxwell,
Let me thank you and Mr. Maxwell for the invitation to your
house-party. I shall be very glad to come.
The 4:29 train which you suggest is the most convenient. I am
looking forward to seeing you again.
Very sincerely yours,
Ruth Evans.
(B)
Hawthorne Hill,
January 10, 1920.
My dear Anne,
We are asking some of Dorothy's friends for this week-end and
we should be glad to have you join us. Some of them you
already know, and I am sure you will enjoy meeting the others
as they are all congenial.
Mr. Maxwell has just bought a new flexible flyer and we expect
some fine coasting. Be sure to bring your skates. Goldfish
Pond is like glass.
The best afternoon train on Friday is the 3:12, and the best
Saturday morning train is the 9:30.
I hope you can come.
Very sincerely yours,
Myra T. Maxwell.
A letter of thanks for hospitality received at a week-end party or a
house-party would seem to be obviously necessary. A cordial note should
be written to your hostess thanking her for the hospitality received and
telling her of your safe arrival home. This sort of letter has come into
the title of the "Bread-and-Butter-Letter."
500 Park Avenue,
August 18, 1922.
Dear Mrs. Maxwell,
Having arrived home safely I must tell you how much I
appreciate the thoroughly good time I had. I very much enjoyed
meeting your charming guests.
Let me thank you and Mr. Maxwell most heartily, and with
kindest regards I am
Sincerely yours,
Ruth Evans.
_To a christening_
Most christenings are informal affairs. The invitation may run like
this:
September 8, 1920.
My dear Mary,
On next Sunday at three o'clock, at St. Michael's Church, the
baby will be christened. Philip and I should be pleased to
have you there.
Sincerely yours,
Dorothy Evans Brewster.
_To bring a friend_
Often in the case of a dance or an at home we may wish to bring a friend
who we think would be enjoyed by the hostess. We might request her
permission thus:
600 Riverside Drive,
April 25, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Dean,
May I ask you the favor of bringing with me on Wednesday
evening, May the second, my old classmate, Mr. Arthur Price?
He is an old friend of mine and I am sure you will like him.
If this would not be entirely agreeable to you, please do not
hesitate to let me know.
Yours very sincerely,
Herbert Page.
_For a card party_
500 Park Avenue
My dear Mrs. King,
Will you and Mr. King join us on Thursday evening next at
bridge?[4] We expect to have several tables, and we do hope
you can be with us.
Cordially yours,
Katherine Gerard Evans.
March the eighteenth
[4] Or whatever the game may be.
Sometimes the visiting card is used with the date and the word "Cards"
written in the lower corner as in the visiting-card invitation to a
dance. This custom is more often used for the more elaborate affairs.
_Miscellaneous invitations_
The following are variations of informal party and other invitations:
83 Woodlawn Avenue,
November 4, 1921.
My dear Alice,
I am having a little party on Thursday evening next and I want
very much to have you come. If you wish me to arrange for an
escort, let me know if you have any preference.
Sincerely yours,
Helen Westley.
500 Park Avenue,
May 12, 1922.
My dear Alice,
On Saturday next I am giving a small party for my niece, Miss
Edith Rice of Albany, and I should like very much to have her
meet you. I hope you can come.
Very sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
THE LETTER OF CONDOLENCE
A letter of condolence may be written to relatives, close friends, and
to those whom we know well. When the recipient of the condolatory
message is simply an acquaintance, it is in better taste to send a
visiting card with "sincere sympathy." Flowers may or may not accompany
the card.
But in any case the letter should not be long, nor should it be crammed
with sad quotations and mushy sentiment. Of course, at best, writing a
condolence is a nice problem. Do not harrow feelings by too-familiar
allusions to the deceased. The letter should be sent immediately upon
receiving news of death.
When a card is received, the bereaved family acknowledge it a few weeks
later with an engraved acknowledgment on a black-bordered card. A
condolatory letter may be acknowledged by the recipient or by a relative
or friend who wishes to relieve the bereaved one of this task.
_Formal acknowledgment engraved on card_
_Mrs. Gordon Burroughs and Family
Gratefully acknowledge
Your kind expression of sympathy_
The cards, however, may be engraved with a space for the name to be
filled in:
_____________________________
_Gratefully acknowledge_
_____________________________
_Kind expression of sympathy_
When the letter of condolence is sent from a distance, it is
acknowledged by a note from a member of the bereaved family. When the
writer of the condolence makes the customary call afterward, the family
usually makes a verbal acknowledgment and no written reply is required.
_Letters of condolence_
(A)
My dear Mrs. Burroughs,
May every consolation be given you in your great loss. Kindly
accept my deepest sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
Jane Everett.
October 4, 1921
(B)
My dear Mrs. Burroughs,
It is with the deepest regret that we learn of your
bereavement. Please accept our united and heartfelt
sympathies.
Very sincerely yours,
Katherine Gerard Evans.
October 5, 1921
(C)
My dear Eleanor,
May I express my sympathy for you in the loss of your dear
mother, even though there can be no words to comfort you? She
was so wonderful to all of us that we can share in some small
part in your grief.
With love, I am
Affectionately yours,
Ruth Evans.
July 8, 1922
(D)
My dear Mrs. Burroughs,
I am sorely grieved to learn of the death of your husband, for
whom I had the greatest admiration and regard. Please accept
my heartfelt sympathy.
Yours sincerely,
Douglas Spencer.
October 6, 1921
A letter of condolence that is something of a classic is Abraham
Lincoln's famous letter to Mrs. Bixby, the bereaved mother of five sons
who died for their country:
Washington, November 21, 1864.
Dear Madam:
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a
statement of the Adjutant-General of Massachusetts that you
are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the
field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any
words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the
grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from
tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the
thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our
Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement,
and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost,
and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly
a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
Yours very sincerely and respectfully,
Abraham Lincoln.
This is the letter[5] that Robert E. Lee, when he was president of
Washington College, wrote to the father of a student who was drowned:
Washington College,
Lexington, Virginia,
March 19, 1868.
My dear Sir:
Before this you have learned of the affecting death of your
son. I can say nothing to mitigate your grief or to relieve
your sorrow: but if the sincere sympathy of his comrades and
friends and of the entire community can bring you any
consolation, I can assure you that you possess it in its
fullest extent. When one, in the pureness and freshness of
youth, before having been contaminated by sin or afflicted by
misery, is called to the presence of his Merciful Creator, it
must be solely for his good. As difficult as this may be for
you now to recognize, I hope you will keep it constantly in
your memory and take it to your comfort; pray that He who in
His wise Providence has permitted this crushing sorrow may
sanctify it to the happiness of all. Your son and his friend,
Mr. Birely, often passed their leisure hours in rowing on the
river, and, on last Saturday afternoon, the 4th inst.,
attempted what they had more than once been cautioned
against--to approach the foot of the dam, at the public
bridge. Unfortunately, their boat was caught by the
return-current, struck by the falling water, and was
immediately upset. Their perilous position was at once seen
from the shore, and aid was hurried to their relief, but
before it could reach them both had perished. Efforts to
restore your son's life, though long continued, were
unavailing. Mr. Birely's body was not found until next
morning. Their remains were, yesterday, Sunday, conveyed to
the Episcopal church in this city, where the sacred ceremonies
for the dead were performed by the Reverend Dr. Pendleton, who
nineteen years ago, at the far-off home of their infancy,
placed upon them their baptismal vows. After the service a
long procession of the professors and students of the college,
the officers and cadets of the Virginia Military Academy, and
the citizens of Lexington accompanied their bodies to the
packetboat for Lynchburg, where they were placed in charge of
Messrs. Wheeler & Baker to convey them to Frederick City.
With great regard and sincere sympathy, I am,
Most respectfully,
R. E. Lee.
[5] From "Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee," by Capt.
Robert E. Lee. Copyright, 1904, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
LETTERS OF SYMPATHY IN CASE OF ILLNESS
When President Alderman, of the University of Virginia, was forced to
take a long rest in the mountains in 1912 because of incipient
tuberculosis, the late Walter H. Page, at the time editor of the
_World's Work_, wrote the following tenderly beautiful letter of
sympathy to Mrs. Alderman:
Cathedral Avenue, Garden City, L. I.,
December 9, 1912.
My dear Mrs. Alderman:
In Raleigh the other day I heard a rumor of the sad news that
your letter brings, which I have just received on my return
from a week's absence. I had been hoping that it was merely a
rumor. The first impression I have is thankfulness that it had
been discovered so soon and that you have acted so promptly.
On this I build a great hope.
But underlying every thought and emotion is the sadness of
it--that it should have happened to _him_, now when he has
done that prodigious task and borne that hard strain and was
come within sight of a time when, after a period of more
normal activity, he would in a few years have got the period
of rest that he has won.--But these will all come yet; for I
have never read a braver thing than your letter. That bravery
on your part and his, together with the knowledge the doctors
now have, will surely make his recovery certain and, I hope,
not long delayed. If he keep on as well as he has begun, you
will, I hope, presently feel as if you were taking a vacation.
Forget that it is enforced.
There comes to my mind as I write man after man in my
acquaintance who have successfully gone through this
experience and without serious permanent hurt. Some of them
live here. More of them live in North Carolina or Colorado as
a precaution. I saw a few years ago a town most of whose
population of several thousand persons are recovered and
active, after such an experience. The disease has surely been
robbed of much of its former terror.
Your own courage and cheerfulness, with his own, are the best
physic in the world. Add to these the continuous and sincere
interest that his thousands of friends feel--these to keep
your courage up, if it should ever flag a moment--and we shall
all soon have the delight to see and to hear him again--his
old self, endeared, if that be possible, by this experience.
And I pray you, help me (for I am singularly helpless without
suggestions from you) to be of some little service--of any
service that I can. Would he like letters from me? I have
plenty of time and an eagerness to write them, if they would
really divert or please him. Books? What does he care most to
read? I can, of course, find anything in New York. A visit
some time? It would be a very real pleasure to me. You will
add to my happiness greatly if you will frankly enable me to
add even the least to his.
And now and always give him my love. That is precisely the
word I mean; for, you know, I have known Mr. Alderman since he
was graduated, and I have known few men better or cared for
them more.
And I cannot thank you earnestly enough for your letter; and I
shall hope to have word from you often--if (when you feel
indisposed to write more) only a few lines.
How can I serve? Command me without a moment's hesitation.
Most sincerely yours,
Walter H. Page.
To Mrs. Edwin A. Alderman.
Joaquin Miller wrote the following letter to Walt Whitman on receiving
news that the latter was ill:
Revere House, Boston, May 27, '75.
My dear Walt Whitman:[6]
Your kind letter is received and the sad news of your ill
health makes this pleasant weather even seem tiresome and out
of place. I had hoped to find you the same hale and whole man
I had met in New York a few years ago and now I shall perhaps
find you bearing a staff all full of pain and trouble. However
my dear friend as you have sung from _within_ and not from
_without_ I am sure you will be able to bear whatever comes
with that beautiful faith and philosophy you have ever given
us in your great and immortal chants. I am coming to see you
very soon as you request; but I cannot say to-day or set
to-morrow for I am in the midst of work and am not altogether
my own master. But I will come and we will talk it all over
together. In the meantime, remember that whatever befall you
you have the perfect love and sympathy of many if not all of
the noblest and loftiest natures of the two hemispheres. My
dear friend and fellow toiler good by.
Yours faithfully,
Joaquin Miller.
[6] From "With Walt Whitman in Camden," by Horace Traubel. Copyright,
1905, 1906, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
When Theodore Roosevelt was ill in hospital, Lawrence Abbott wrote him
this letter:[7]
Please accept this word of sympathy and best wishes. Some
years ago I had a severe attack of sciatica which kept me in
bed a good many days: in fact, it kept me in an armchair night
and day some of the time because I could not lie down, so I
know what the discomfort and pain are.
I want to take this opportunity also of sending you my
congratulations. For I think your leadership has had very much
to do with the unconditional surrender of Germany. Last Friday
night I was asked to speak at the Men's Club of the Church of
the Messiah in this city and they requested me to make you the
subject of my talk. I told them something about your
experience in Egypt and Europe in 1910 and said what I most
strongly believe, that your address at the Sorbonne--in
strengthening the supporters of law and order against red
Bolshevism--and your address in Guildhall--urging the British
to govern or go--contributed directly to the success of those
two governments in this war. If Great Britain had allowed
Egypt to get out of hand instead of, as an actual result of
your Guildhall speech, sending Kitchener to strengthen the
feebleness of Sir Eldon Gorst, the Turks and Germans might
have succeeded in their invasion and have cut off the Suez
Canal. So you laid the ground for preparedness not only in
this country but in France and England.
I know it was a disappointment to you not to have an actual
share in the fighting but I think you did a greater piece of
work in preparing the battleground and the battle spirit.
[7] From "Impressions of Theodore Roosevelt," by Lawrence F. Abbott
Copyright, 1919, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
In reply Mr. Roosevelt sent Mr. Abbott this note:
That's a dear letter of yours, Lawrence. I thank you for it
and I appreciate it to the full.
_Acknowledgments_
(A)
My dear Mr. Spencer,
I am grateful to you for your comforting letter. Thank you for
your sympathy.
Sincerely yours,
Mary Cole Burroughs.
October 26, 1921.
(B)
My dear Mrs. Evans,
Let me thank you in behalf of myself and my family for your
sympathy. Do not measure our appreciation by the length of
time it has taken me to reply. We appreciated your letter
deeply.
Sincerely yours,
Mary Cole Burroughs.
October 26, 1921.
(C)
My dear Arthur,
I want to thank you for your sympathetic letter received in
our bereavement.
Sincerely yours,
Mary Cole Burroughs.
October 26, 1921.
(D)
Dear Mr. Treadwell,
Thank you very much for your sympathy. Your offer to be of
service to me at this time I greatly appreciate, but I shall
not need to trouble you, although it is comforting to know
that I may call on you.
I shall never forget your kindness.
Sincerely yours,
Mary Cole Burroughs.
October 24, 1921.
This is the note[8] that Thomas Bailey Aldrich wrote to his friend
William H. Rideing upon receiving from the latter a note of condolence:
Dear Rideing:
I knew that you would be sorry for us. I did not need your
sympathetic note to tell me that. Our dear boy's death has
given to three hearts--his mother's, his brother's and mine--a
wound that will never heal. I cannot write about it. My wife
sends her warm remembrance with mine to you both.
Ever faithfully your friend,
T. B. Aldrich.
[8] From "Many Celebrities and a Few Others--A Bundle of Reminiscences,"
by William H. Rideing. Copyright, 1912, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
LETTERS OF CONGRATULATION
The letter of congratulation must be natural, not stilted, and must be
sincere. In congratulating a new acquaintance on a marriage it is not
necessary to send more than the visiting card with "heartiest
congratulations." To a bride and groom together a telegram of
congratulation may be sent on the day of the wedding, as soon as
possible after the ceremony.
To a bride one does not send congratulations, but "the best of good
wishes." The congratulations are for the groom.
The following letters will serve as examples for congratulatory letters
for different occasions:
_On a birthday_
500 Park Avenue,
February 6, 1923.
My dear Mrs. Elliott,
Congratulations on your birthday! I hope that all your years
to come will be as happy and as helpful to others as those
past.
I am sending you a little gift as a token of appreciation for
your kindness to me, which I hope you will enjoy.
Most sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
_From a gentlemen to a young lady on her birthday_
500 Park Avenue,
April 13, 1922.
My dear Miss Judson,
May I send you my congratulations on this your birthday?
I am sending a little token of my best wishes for you for many
years to come.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Evans.
_On a wedding day anniversary_
500 Park Avenue,
June 1, 1923.
My dear Charlotte and George,
Please accept my heartiest good wishes on this, the fifteenth
anniversary of your marriage. May the years to come bring
every blessing to you both.
Sincerely yours,
Katherine Gerard Evans.
(B)
500 Park Avenue,
December 4, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Smith,
Congratulations on this the twentieth anniversary of your
wedding. Our heartiest wishes to you both from Mr. Evans and
me.
Yours very sincerely,
Katherine Gerard Evans.
_On the birth of a child_
788 East 46th St.,
August 11, 1923.
My dear Dorothy,
Congratulations upon the birth of your daughter. May the good
fairies shower upon her the gifts of goodness, wisdom, and
beauty.
Very sincerely yours,
Charlotte B. Trent.
_On a graduation_
500 Park Avenue,
June 30, 1923.
My dear John,
It is with great pleasure that I hear of your graduation this
year. It is a fine thing to have so successfully finished your
college course.
May I send my heartiest congratulations?
Sincerely yours,
Ruth Evans.
_On an engagement_
In writing to a girl or a man on the occasion of an engagement to be
married there is no general rule if one knows the man or woman. One may
write as one wishes.
If a stranger is to be received into the family, one writes a kindly
letter.
28 Odell Avenue,
April 3, 1923.
My dear Haines,
Let me be among the first to congratulate you on your
engagement to Miss Bruce. I have not met her but I know that
to reach your high ideals she must indeed be a wonderful girl.
I hope I may soon have the pleasure of meeting her.
Sincerely yours,
Charles Lawson.
500 Park Avenue,
May 14, 1923.
My dear Miss Bruce,
My nephew has told me his great news. I am much pleased to
hear that you are soon to come into the family, because I know
that the girl of Edward's choice must be sweet and charming. I
hope that you will learn to love us for our own sake as well
as for Edward's.
Sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
500 Park Avenue,
September 18, 1923.
Dear Helen,
The announcement of your engagement to Robert Haines is a
delightful surprise. He is, as we all know, a splendid chap.
I am so happy that this great happiness has come to you. I
hope that I may hear all about it, and with best wishes to you
both, I am
Affectionately yours,
Ruth Evans.
On the subject of engagements, perhaps the following letter
from Charles Lamb to Fanny Kelly, and her reply, will be of
interest--though the unarduous and somewhat prosaic tone of
Elia's proposal of marriage--beautifully expressed as it
is--is hardly to be recommended as a model calculated to
bring about the desired result!
Dear Miss Kelly:
We had the pleasure, _pain_ I might better call it, of seeing
you last night in the new play. It was a most consummate piece
of acting, but what a task for you to undergo! At a time when
your heart is sore from real sorrow it has given rise to a
train of thinking, which I cannot suppress.
Would to God you were released from this way of life; that
you could bring your mind to consent to take your lot with us,
and throw off forever the whole burden of your profession. I
neither expect nor wish you to take notice of this which I am
writing, in your present over occupied and hurried state--but
to think of it at your leisure. I have quite income enough, if
that were all, to justify for me making such a proposal, with
what I may call even a handsome provision for my survivor.
What you possess of your own would naturally be appropriated
to those, for whose sakes chiefly you have made so many hard
sacrifices. I am not so foolish as not to know that I am a
most unworthy match for such a one as you, but you have for
years been a principal object in my mind. In many a sweet
assumed character I have learned to love you, but simply as F.
M. Kelly I love you better than them all. Can you quit these
shadows of existence, and come and be a reality to us? Can you
leave off harassing yourself to please a thankless multitude,
who know nothing of you, and begin at last to live to yourself
and your friends?
As plainly and frankly as I have seen you give or refuse
assent in some feigned scene, so frankly do me the justice to
answer me. It is impossible I should feel injured or aggrieved
by your telling me at once, that the proposal does not suit
you. It is impossible that I should ever think of molesting
you with idle importunity and prosecution after your mind [is]
once firmly spoken--but happier, far happier, could I have
leave to hope a time might come, when our friends might be
your friends; our interests yours; our book knowledge, if in
that inconsiderable particular we have any like advantage,
might impart something to you, which you would every day have
it in your power ten thousand fold to repay by the added
cheerfulness and joy which you could not fail to bring as a
dowry into whatever family should have the honor and happiness
of receiving _you_, the most welcome accession that could be
made to it.
In haste, but with entire respect and deepest affection, I
subscribe myself
C. Lamb.
To this letter Miss Kelly replied:
Henrietta Street, July 20, 1819.
An early and deeply rooted attachment has fixed my heart on
one from whom no worldly prospect can well induce me to
withdraw it, but while I thus _frankly_ and decidedly decline
your proposal, believe me, I am not insensible to the high
honour which the preference of such a mind as yours confers
upon me--let me, however, hope that all thought upon this
subject will end with this letter, and that you will
henceforth encourage no other sentiment towards me than esteem
in my private character and a continuance of that approbation
of my humble talents which you have already expressed so much
and so often to my advantage and gratification.
Believe me I feel proud to acknowledge myself
Your obliged friend,
F. M. Kelly.
To C. Lamb, Esq.
LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION
Letters of introduction should not be given indiscriminately. If the
giver of the letter feels that something of benefit may come to both of
the persons concerned, then there is no doubt about the advisability of
it. But a letter of introduction should not be given to get rid of the
person who asks for it.
It is not good form to ask for one. If it is really necessary to have
one and the friend to be requested knows that you need it, he will
probably give you the letter unsolicited.
A letter of introduction should not be sealed by the person giving it.
It is written in social form and placed in an unsealed envelope
addressed to the person to whom the introduction is made. If the letter
is a friendly letter, it is enclosed in an additional envelope by the
person who requested the letter, sealed, and with his card on which
appears his city address, sent to the person addressed. The person
addressed, upon the receipt of the letter, calls within three days upon
the person who is introduced.
It has been customary to deliver a business letter of introduction in
person, but on consideration, it would seem that this is not the wisest
course. The letters of introduction most in demand are those to very
busy men--men of affairs. If one calls personally at the office of such
a man, the chance of seeing him on the occasion of presenting the letter
is slight. And, as has often been proved in practice, a telephone call
to arrange an appointment seldom gets through. The best plan seems to be
to mail the letter with a short note explaining the circumstances under
which it was written.
Sometimes (more often in business) an introduction is made by a visiting
card with "Introducing Mr. Halliday" written at the top. This method may
be used with a person with whom we are not well acquainted. This
introductory card is usually presented in person, but what has been said
concerning the letter applies here also.
Matters of a personal or private nature should not appear in letters of
introduction.
(A)
New York, N. Y.,
June 8, 1922.
Dear Dick,
The bearer of this note, Mr. Donald Ritchie of Boston, expects
to be in your town for six months or so. He is an old friend
of mine--in fact, I knew him at College--and I think you would
like him.
He is going to Black Rock in the interest of the Sedgwick
Cement Company. He knows nobody in Black Rock, and anything
you can do to make his stay pleasant, I shall greatly
appreciate.
Cordially yours,
John Hope.
(B)
Canajoharie, New York,
June 8, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Evans,
This will introduce to you Miss Caroline Wagner who is the
daughter of one of my oldest friends. She will be in New York
this winter to continue her music studies.
She is a girl of charming personality and has many
accomplishments. I am sure you will enjoy her company. She is
a stranger in New York and any courtesy you may extend to her
I shall be deeply grateful for.
Very sincerely yours,
Edna Hamilton Miller.
Mrs. John Evans
500 Park Avenue
New York, N. Y.
(C)
8 Beacon Street,
Boston, Mass.,
March 17, 1922.
My dear Brent,
The bearer, William Jones, is a young acquaintance of mine who
is going to live in Cleveland. If there is anything you can do
without too much trouble to yourself in recommending a place
to board, or assisting him to a situation, I shall be
grateful. He has good habits, and if he gets a foothold I am
sure he will make good.
Yours sincerely,
Robert T. Hill.
Another letter, already immortal as a literary gem, is Benjamin
Franklin's "Model of a Letter of Recommendation of a Person You Are
Unacquainted With":
Sir,
The bearer of this, who is going to America, presses me to
give him a letter of recommendation, though I know nothing of
him, not even his name. This may seem extraordinary, but I
assure you it is not uncommon here. Sometimes, indeed, one
unknown person brings another equally unknown, to recommend
him; and sometimes they recommend one another! As to this
gentleman, I must refer you to himself for his character and
merits, with which he is certainly better acquainted than I
can possibly be. I recommend him, however, to those
civilities, which every stranger, of whom one knows no harm,
has a right to; and I request you will do him all the good
offices, and show him all the favor, that, on further
acquaintance, you shall find him to deserve. I have the honor
to be, etc.
LETTERS OF THANKS
_For a wedding gift_
The letter of thanks for a wedding gift must be sent as soon as possible
after the receipt of the gift. The bride herself must write it. When the
wedding is hurried or when gifts arrive at the last moment, the bride is
not required to acknowledge them until after the honeymoon. In all cases
the gift is acknowledged both for herself and her husband-elect or
husband.
(A)
898 East 53rd Street
May 5, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Elliott,
The bouillon spoons are exquisite. It was simply lovely of you
to send us such a beautiful gift. Leonard wishes to express
with me our deepest appreciation.
With all good wishes, I am
Sincerely yours,
Dorothy Evans Duncan.
(B)
898 East 53rd Street
May 8, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Callender,
This is the first opportunity I have had to thank you for your
wonderful gift. But, as you know, our arrangements were
changed at the last moment and many of our wedding gifts we
did not have time to open before going away. So we hope you
will forgive us for the delay.
We are now back in town established in our new home and I want
you to know how appropriate are those exquisite candlesticks.
Mr. Duncan and I are both deeply grateful for your thought
of us.
Yours most sincerely,
Dorothy Evans Duncan.
_For a Christmas gift_
134 Bolton Place
December 28, 1923.
My dear Alice,
Your handsome Christmas gift is something I have wanted for a
long time, but never could get for myself. The bag and its
beautiful fittings are much admired. I send my warmest thanks
for your thoughtfulness in selecting it.
Very sincerely yours,
Mary Scott.
_For a gift received by a girl from a man_
400 Ellsworth Place
April 14, 1922.
My dear Mr. Everett,
Thank you for your good wishes and for your lovely gift in
remembrance of my birthday. It is a charming book and one
which I am very anxious to read.
It was most kind of you to think of me.
Sincerely yours,
Katherine Judson.
_For a gift to a child_
798 East 38th Street,
December 31, 1923.
My dear Mr. Basset,
Your wonderful Christmas gift to Barbara came this morning.
She is wholly captivated with her beautiful doll and I am sure
would thank you for it if she could talk.
Let me thank you for your kindness in remembering her.
Cordially yours,
Dorothy Evans Brewster.
_For a gift to another_
49 Maxwell Avenue,
Bayview, Long Island,
July 15, 1923.
My dear Mr. Haines,
I appreciate very much the exquisite flowers which you so
kindly sent to Mrs. Evans. She is rapidly improving and will
soon be about again.
We send our warmest thanks.
Very sincerely yours,
John Evans.
_For favor shown to another_
500 Park Avenue,
November 25, 1922.
My dear Mrs. Howard,
You were very kind indeed in entertaining my cousin, Mrs.
Douglas, during her stay in your city. I am exceedingly
grateful and I hope to find some way of reciprocating.
Very sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
Following are actual letters of thanks written by distinguished persons.
Here is one[9] from George Meredith to Lady Granby, acknowledging the
receipt of a reproduction of a portrait by her of Lady Marjorie Manners:
Box Hill, Dorking,
Dec. 26, 1899.
Dear Lady Granby:
It is a noble gift, and bears the charms to make it a
constant pleasure with me. I could have wished for the full
face of your daughter, giving eyes and the wild sweep of hair,
as of a rivule issuing from under low eaves of the woods--so I
remember her. You have doubtless other sketches of a maid
predestined to be heroine. I could take her for one. All the
women and children are heaven's own, and human still, and
individual too. Behold me, your most grateful
George Meredith.
[9] From "Letters of George Meredith." Copyright, 1912, by Chas.
Scribner's Sons. By permission of the publishers.
From Lord Alfred Tennyson to Walt Whitman:[10]
Farringford, Freshwater, Isle of Wight,
Jan'y 15th, 1887.
Dear old man:
I the elder old man have received your Article in the
_Critic_, and send you in return my thanks and New Year's
greeting on the wings of this east-wind, which, I trust, is
blowing softlier and warmlier on your good gray head than
here, where it is rocking the elms and ilexes of my Isle of
Wight garden.
Yours always,
Tennyson.
[10] This and the following four letters are from "With Walt Whitman in
Camden," by Horace Traubel. Copyright, 1905, 1906, 1912, 1914, by
Doubleday, Page & Co.
From Ellen Terry to Walt Whitman:
Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago,
January 4th, '88.
Honored Sir--and Dear Poet:
I beg you to accept my appreciative thanks for your great
kindness in sending me by Mr. Stoker the little _big_ book of
poems--As a Strong Bird, etc., etc.
Since I am not personally known to you I conclude Mr. Stoker
"asked" for me--it was good of him--I know he loves you very
much.
God bless you, dear sir--believe me to be with much respect
Yours affectionately,
Ellen Terry.
From Moncure Conway to Walt Whitman:
Hardwicke Cottage, Wimbledon Common,
London, S. W., Sept. 10, '67.
My dear friend:
It gave me much pleasure to hear from you; now I am quite full
of gratitude for the photograph--a grand one--the present of
all others desirable to me. The copy suitable for an edition
here should we be able to reach to that I have and shall keep
carefully. When it is achieved it will probably be the result
and fruit of more reviewing and discussion. I shall keep my
eyes wide open; and the volume with O'C.'s introduction shall
come out just as it is: I am not sure but that it will in the
end have to be done at our own expense--which I believe would
be repaid. It is the kind of book that if it can once get out
here will sell. The English groan for something better than
the perpetual rechauffe of their literature. I have not been
in London for some little time and have not yet had time to
consult others about the matter. I shall be able to write you
more satisfactorily a little later. I hear that you have
written something in _The Galaxy_. Pray tell O'Connor I shall
look to him to send me such things. I can't take all American
magazines; but if you intend to write for _The Galaxy_
regularly I shall take that. With much friendship for you and
O'Connor and his wife, I am yours,
Moncure Conway.
From John Addington Symonds to Walt Whitman:
Clifton Hill House, Bristol,
July 12, 1877.
Dear Mr. Whitman:
I was away from England when your welcome volumes reached me,
and since my return (during the last six weeks) I have been
very ill with an attack of hemorrhage from the lung--brought
on while I was riding a pulling horse at a time when I was
weak from cold. This must account for my delay in writing to
thank you for them and to express the great pleasure which
your inscription in two of the volumes has given me.
I intend to put into my envelope a letter to you with some
verses from one of your great admirers in England. It is my
nephew--the second son of my sister. I gave him a copy of
_Leaves of Grass_ in 1874, and he knows a great portion of it
now by heart. Though still so young, he has developed a
considerable faculty for writing and is an enthusiastic
student of literature as well as a frank vigorous lively young
fellow. I thought you might like to see how some of the youth
of England is being drawn towards you.
Believe me always sincerely and affectionately yours.
J. A. Symonds.
From Edward Everett Hale to Dr. Lyman Abbott:[11]
Jan. 29, 1900, Roxbury,
Monday morning.
Dear Dr. Abbott:
I shall stay at home this morning--so I shall not see you.
All the same I want to thank you again for the four sermons:
and to say that I am sure they will work lasting good for the
congregation.
More than this. I think you ought to think that such an
opportunity to go from church to church and city to
city--gives you a certain opportunity and honour--which even
in Plymouth Pulpit a man does not have--and to congregations
such a turning over the new leaf means a great deal.
Did you ever deliver the Lectures on Preaching at New Haven?
With Love always,
Always yours,
E. E. Hale.
[11] From "Silhouettes of My Contemporaries," by Lyman Abbott.
Copyright, 1921, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
From Friedrich Nietzsche to Karl Fuchs:[12]
Sils-Maria, Oberengadine, Switzerland,
June 30, 1888.
My dear Friend:
How strange! How strange! As soon as I was able to transfer
myself to a cooler clime (for in Turin the thermometer stood
at 31 day after day) I intended to write you a nice letter of
thanks. A pious intention, wasn't it? But who could have
guessed that I was not only going back to a cooler clime, but
into the _most ghastly_ weather, weather that threatened to
shatter my health! Winter and summer in senseless alternation;
twenty-six avalanches in the thaw; and now we have just had
eight days of rain with the sky almost always grey--this is
enough to account for my profound nervous exhaustion, together
with the return of my old ailments. I don't think I can ever
remember having had worse weather, and this in my Sils-Maria,
whither I always fly in order to escape bad weather. Is it to
be wondered at that even the parson here is acquiring the
habit of swearing? From time to time in conversation his
speech halts, and then he always swallows a curse. A few days
ago, just as he was coming out of the snow-covered church, he
thrashed his dog and exclaimed: "The confounded cur spoiled
the whole of my sermon!"...
Yours in gratitude and devotion,
Nietzsche.
[12] From "Selected Letters of Friedrich Nietzsche," edited by Oscar
Levy. Copyright, 1921, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
In making a donation of L100,000 for branch libraries in the city of
Glasgow, this is the letter[13] that Andrew Carnegie sent to the Lord
Provost of the city council:
My dear Lord Provost:
It will give me pleasure to provide the needed L100,000 for
Branch Libraries, which are sure to prove of great advantage
to the masses of the people. It is just fifty years since my
parents with their little boys sailed from Broomielaw for New
York in the barque _Wiscassett_, 900 tons, and it is
delightful to be permitted to commemorate the event upon my
visit to you. Glasgow has done so much in municipal affairs to
educate other cities, and to help herself, that it is a
privilege to help her. Let Glasgow flourish! So say all of us
Scotsmen throughout the World.
Always yours,
Andrew Carnegie.
[13] From "Andrew Carnegie, the Man and His Work," by Bernard Alderson.
Copyright, 1902, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
LETTERS BETWEEN FRIENDS
Dear Grace,
Your 'phone call surely caught me napping; but after an hour
or so of effort I did recall just how Sato mixed the shrimps
and carrots in the dish which you so much enjoyed.
First, catch your shrimp! When they have been cleaned and
prepared as for a salad, place on ice and _in_ ice, if
possible. Grate the carrots on the coarse side of the grater,
placing immediately on the salad plates, which of course have
already been garnished with lettuce leaves. Then add just a
fine sprinkling of chopped apples (I find this the best
substitute for alligator pears) and then the shrimps. Pour
over this the mayonnaise and serve at once.
I do not know what he called it and could not spell it if I
did, but you are at liberty to call it anything you like. At
all events, I am sure the crowd will agree it is a little
different, and I am glad to have been able to give the idea.
Cordially yours,
Ruth Wilson.
July 14, 1921
My dear Mrs. Sampson,
I am so glad to know that you have completely recovered from
your recent illness.
I trust you will soon be able to resume your wonted
activities. We all have missed you--at bridge and tennis
particularly.
Sincerely yours,
Mary E. Wells.
July 18, 1923
My dear Mr. Baines,
I have just heard of your success in getting your book
published. I have always had a great admiration for you and
your work, and I am sending this little note to assure you of
my regard, and to wish you still further successes.
Yours very sincerely,
Madeleine Strickland.
March 10, 1923
My dear Miss Gwynne,
I am very sorry that I was out when you called. I hope you
will come again soon for I do so much want to see you.
Sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.
February 16, 1923
It may be of passing interest to read a letter or two from distinguished
persons to their boyhood friends. Here is one[14] from the late John
Burroughs:
Esopus, N. Y., June 1, 1883.
Dear Tom Brown:
I have been a-fishing or I should have answered your letter
before. I always go a-fishing about this time of year, after
speckled trout, and I always catch some, too. But dog-fighting
I have nothing to do with, unless it be to help some little
dog whip some saucy big cur. Game birds are all right in their
season, but I seldom hunt them. Yet this is about the best way
to study them.
You want to know how I felt as a boy. Very much as I do now,
only more so. I loved fishing, and tramping, and swimming more
than I do these late years. But I had not so tender a heart. I
was not so merciful to the birds and animals as I am now.
Much of what I have put in my books was gathered while a boy
on the farm. I am interested in what you tell me of your Band
of Mercy, and should like much to see you all, and all the
autographs in that pink covered book. Well, youth is the time
to cultivate habits of mercy, and all other good habits. The
bees will soon be storing their clover honey, and I trust you
boys and girls are laying away that which will by and by prove
choicest possessions.
Sincerely your friend,
John Burroughs.
[14] From "John Burroughs, Boy and Man," by Dr. Clara Barrus. Copyright,
1920, by Doubleday, Page & Co.
The following letter[15] was written when J. J. Hill--perhaps the
greatest railroading genius America has ever produced--was twenty years
of age. It is one of the few letters written by him at this time of his
life that have been preserved:
Saint Paul, February 11, 1858.
Dear William:
Your epistle bearing date of seventeenth ult. came to hand on
good time and your fertile imagination can scarcely conceive
what an amount of pleasure I derived from it, as it was the
first epistle of William to James at St. Paul for a "long
back." My surprise at receiving your letter was only surpassed
by my surprise at not receiving one from you after you left
St. Paul, or sometime during the ensuing season. Still, a good
thing is never too late or "done too often." It gave me much
pleasure to hear that you were all well and enjoying
yourselves in the good and pious (as I learn) little town of
Rockwood. I did intend to go to Canada this winter, but it is
such a long winter trip I thought I should defer it until
summer, when I hope to be able to get away, as I intend to go
on the river this summer if all goes as well as I expect.
Capt. W. F. Davidson wrote me from Cincinnati about going with
him as first clerk on the side-wheel packet _Frank Steele_, a
new boat about the size of the _War Eagle_. The Captain is
Letter A, No. 1, and I think I shall go with him. If not, I
have two or three good offers for coming season on the levee,
besides my present berth, which is nevertheless very
comfortable.
I think it mighty strange that some (of my letters) have not
reached home as I wrote several times to my brother Alex. and
I never was more surprised in my life than when old Bass
handed me a letter of inquiry as to my whereabouts. But after
the boats stop running our mails are carried so irregularly
that whole bags of mail matter are often mislaid at way
stations for weeks and some finally lost or otherwise
destroyed. On the tenth of November last I was returning from
the Winslow House with Charley Coffin, Clerk of the _War
Eagle_, about eleven o'clock, and when we were coming down
Fourth Street passing one of those rum holes, two Irishmen,
red mouths, came out and, following us, asked us if we would
not go back and take a drink. Charley said "no," and we were
passing on when two more met us who, along with the other two,
insisted that they meant no harm and that we should go in and
drink. I told them that I did not drink and that, generally
speaking, I knew what I was about. We attempted to go on, but
they tried to have us go back, so I hauled off and planted
one, two in Paddie's grub grinder, and knocked him off the
sidewalk about eight feet. The remainder pitched in and
Charley got his arm cut open and I got a button hole cut
through my left side right below the ribs. The city police
came to the noise and arrested three of them on the spot and
the other next day and they turned out to be Chicago Star
Cleaners, a name given to midnight ruffians. I was not
compelled to keep my bed, but it was some two months before I
was quite recovered from the effects of the cut.
One day on the levee I was going aboard one of the boats and
slipped on the gang plank and sprained my knee, which laid me
up for about two weeks. About a week ago my pugnacious friend
who gave me his mark escaped from the penitentiary at
Stillwater, along with all the rest of the prisoners confined
at the time. I am sincerely very grateful to you for your
generous offer in your letter and fully appreciate your
kindness. But notwithstanding my bad luck I have still "a shot
in the locker," about $200, which will put me out of any
trouble until spring.
Our winter here has been very mild and open. We have scarcely
had any snow, but what was altogether unprecedented, rain
storms lasting three or four days in succession. Times have
been mighty dull here this winter and money scarce. Write to
me as soon as you receive this and give me a bird's eye view
of Rockwood and its inhabitants. Believe me
Yours sincerely,
J. J. Hill.
Send me some papers.
[15] From "The Life of James J. Hill," by Joseph Gilpin Pyle.
Copyright, 1916, 1917, by Doubleday, Page & Co.