Part 2 (1/2)

To an Archbishop one should write ”Most Rev. Patrick J. Hayes, D.D., Archbishop of New York.” The salutation is usually ”Your Grace,”

although it is quite admissible to use ”Dear Archbishop.” The former is preferable and of more common usage.

The correct form of address for a Bishop is ”The Right Reverend John Jones, D.D., Bishop of ----.” The salutation in a formal letter should be ”Right Reverend and dear Sir,” but this would be used only in a strictly formal communication. In this salutation ”dear” is sometimes capitalized, so that it would read ”Right Reverend and Dear Sir”; although the form in the text seems preferable, some bishops use the capitalized ”Dear.” The usual form is ”My dear Bishop,” with ”The Right Reverend John Jones, D.D., Bishop of ----” written above it. In the Protestant Episcopal Church a Dean is addressed ”The Very Reverend John Jones, D.D., Dean of ----.” The informal salutation is ”My dear Dean Jones” and the formal is ”Very Reverend and dear Sir.”

In addressing a priest, the formal salutation is ”Reverend and dear Sir,” or ”Reverend dear Father.” The envelope reads simply: ”The Rev.

Joseph J. Smith,” followed by any t.i.tles the priest may enjoy.

The form used in addressing the other clergy is ”The Reverend John Jones,” and the letter, if strictly formal, would commence with ”Reverend and Dear Sir.” The more usual form, however, is ”My dear Mr.

Brown” (or ”Dr. Brown,” as the case may be). The use of the t.i.tle ”Reverend” with the surname only is wholly inadmissible.

In general usage the salutation in addressing formal correspondence to a foreign amba.s.sador is ”His Excellency,” to a Minister or Charge d'Affaires, ”Sir.” In informal correspondence the general form is ”My dear Mr. Amba.s.sador,” ”My dear Mr. Minister,” or ”My dear Mr. Charge d'Affaires.”

4. THE BODY OF THE LETTER

In the placing of a formal note it must be arranged so that the complete note appears on the first page only. The social letter is either formal or informal. The formal letter must be written according to certain established practice. It is the letter used for invitations to formal affairs, for announcements, and for the acknowledgment of these letters.

The third person must always be used. If one receives a letter written in the third person one must answer in kind. It would be obviously incongruous to write

Mr. and Mrs. John Evans regret that we are unable to accept Mrs. Elliott's kind invitation for the theatre on Thursday, May the fourth as we have a previous engagement

It should read

Mr. and Mrs. John Evans regret that they are unable to accept Mrs. Elliott's kind invitation for the theatre on Thursday, May the fourth as they have a previous engagement

In these notes, the hour and date are never written numerically but are spelled out.

If the family has a coat-of-arms or crest it may be used in the centre of the engraved invitation at the top, but monograms or stamped addresses are never so used.

For the informal letter there are no set rules except that of courtesy, which requires that we have our thought distinctly in mind before putting it on paper. It may be necessary to pause a few moments before writing, to think out just what we want to say. A rambling, incoherent letter is not in good taste any more than careless, dishevelled clothing. Spelling should be correct. If there is any difficulty in spelling, a small dictionary kept in the desk drawer is easily consulted. Begin each sentence with a capital. Start a new paragraph when you change to a new subject. Put periods (or interrogation points as required) at the ends of the sentences. It is neater to preserve a margin on both sides of the letter sheet.

In the body of a business letter the opening sentence is in an important position, and this is obviously the place for an important fact. It ought in some way to state or refer to the subject of or reason for the letter, so as to get the attention of the reader immediately to the subject.

It ought also to suggest a courteous personal interest in the recipient's business, to give the impression of having to do with his interests. For instance, a reader might be antagonized by

Yours of the 14th regarding the shortage in your last order received.

How much more tactful is

We regret to learn from your letter of March 14th that there was a shortage in your last order.

Paragraphs should show the division of the thought of the letter. If you can arrange and group your subjects and your thoughts on them logically in your mind, you will have no trouble in putting them on paper. It is easier for the reader to grasp your thought if in each paragraph are contained only one thought and the ideas pertaining to it.

The appearance of a business letter is a matter to which all too little concern has been given. A firm or business which would not tolerate an unkempt salesman sometimes will think nothing of sending out badly typed, badly placed, badly spelled letters.

The first step toward a good-looking letter is proper stationery, though a carefully typed and placed letter on poor stationery is far better than one on good stationery with a good letterhead but poor typing and placing.

The matter of correct spelling is merely a case of the will to consult a dictionary when in doubt.