Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information Part 4

The envelope should correspond in size to that of the letter sheet, and should be a trifle longer than one-half the length of the sheet.

Thus in a sheet eight by ten inches, one-half the length of the sheet is five inches, and this requires the length of the envelope to be about five and a quarter inches. Its width is usually about three inches. Avoid the use of fancy colored and fancy shaped paper and envelopes. These may not be objectionable in social correspondence among ladies, but the gravity of business affairs does not admit of such display.

THE HEADING.

With most firms engaged in business it has become a custom to have the business advertis.e.m.e.nt placed at the head of the letter page, together with street, number and city. Thus leaving only the date to be inserted to complete the heading.

In case the heading of the letter is to be entirely written, it should be placed so as to occupy the right hand half of the first two lines at the top of the page. If, however, the letter is to be a very brief one, occupying only three or four lines, the heading may then be placed lower down on the sheet, so as to bring the body of the letter about the center of the sheet.

Writing from a large city the heading should contain the street and number. Your correspondent, in directing his answer will rely on the address given in the heading of your letter. Never be guilty of the blunder committed by ignorant persons of placing a part of the heading under the signature.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

765 Market Street, Philadelphia, June 10, 1882.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM OF THE STRUCTURE OF A LETTER.]

The second line of the heading should begin a little farther to the right than the first line, as seen above.

If the writer has a box at the Post Office and wishes his mail delivered there, he may head his letter, as on the following page:

[Ill.u.s.tration:

P.O. Box 3657, New York, May 16, 1882.]

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Chas. A Roberts Wm. J. Dennis Office of ROBERT & DENNIS DEALERS IN FANCY AND STAPLE GROCERIES, 320 Jefferson Street, Burlington, Va.,______________ 18____]

Writing from the princ.i.p.al cities of the United States it is not necessary to make the name of the state a part of the heading, as that is supposed to be known and understood, but with smaller cities the name of the state also, should be given. Thus, there is a Quincy in Illinois, and also in Ma.s.sachusetts, and unless the state were mentioned a person answering a letter from Quincy, would not know which state to direct his reply to. In writing from an obscure town or village, not only the state should be given, but the county as well.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Ottawa, La Salle County, Ill., December 20, 1882.]

The punctuation of the heading and other parts of the letter, is of great importance in the estimation of cultivated persons, and something which can be learned by a little attention on the part of anyone, in examining the forms here given.

MARGIN.

A margin three-quarters of an inch in width should be left, on the side of the letter, as shown in the diagram. This is convenient for any mark or memorandum which your correspondent may desire to make concerning anything contained in the letter, but its greater value lies in the open, airy, and cheerful dress which it imparts to the letter. A margin too narrow conveys the idea of stinginess, as if to economize paper, while an irregular or zigzag margin conveys the idea of carelessness or want of precision. On a sheet of note paper the margin may be only one-half inch in width, thus making its width proportionate to the size of the sheet.

ADDRESS.

On the next line below the heading, that is the third line from the top of the sheet, and beginning at the left margin, should be placed the _Address_, which consists of the name of the person to whom the letter is written, together with his t.i.tles, if any, and his place of residence or business. The letter is not complete without all this, in the estimation of the business man. It does not fully explain itself, if the place of residence is not down as well as the name, and in preserving a letter press copy, this is quite essential for future reference.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Messrs. Samuel Bliss Co.

Reading, Pa.

Gentlemen:]

Or if the letter is written to a person living or doing business in a large city, thus:

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Mr. James M. c.u.mmings 645 Broadway, new York.

Sir:]

The names and residence should not be allowed to extend further to the right than about the center of the sheet, thus leaving an open s.p.a.ce between this and the heading of your letter. In case the names or place of residence should be so long as to require it, they may be placed thus:

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Messrs. Richards, Shaw, Fitch & Winslow, Chicago.

Gentlemen:]

The words _Dear Sir_ or _Gentlemen_ are sometimes placed farther to the left, as in the above example, but most business men in their correspondence place this complimentary address with reference to the words above them, about three-quarters of an inch farther to the right, as shown below.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

William D. Nelsen, Esq., 177 Erie St., Boston, Dear Sir:]

The custom of placing the address beneath the body instead of at the beginning of the letter, is not much in vogue in business circles in this country, most business men preferring to place the name and address at the head of the sheet, and then write at it as if they were talking to the person himself. When, however, the address is placed below the letter it should occupy the same position as to the margin, etc., as if placed at the beginning. The custom is borrowed from the English, and its use is confined mostly to government officials and professional men.

BODY OF THE LETTER.

This const.i.tutes the written message. It should begin on the same line with the words _Dear Sir_, or _Gentlemen_ leaving after these words a small s.p.a.ce. In case the place of residence or business is not written in the address, then the complimentary address of _Dear Sir_ or _Gentlemen_ will be placed on the next line under the name, or fourth line from the top of the sheet, and the letter will begin on the fifth line from the top, thus:

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Mr. Henry L. Dunham, Dear Sir: In answer to your esteemed favor]

Sometimes for the sake of convenience, and the saving of time and labor, the letter head has printed in the left corner, above the address, a blank form of memorandum as follows:

[Ill.u.s.tration:

Referring to yours of...

OR,

In reply to your favor of...,]

and after this introduction the writer is able speedily to get at the marrow of his letter, without acknowledging the receipt of a former communication.

The body of the letter should be divided into as many paragraphs as there are distinct subjects in the letter, or a new paragraph should be commenced at every change of the subject. The habit which some persons have of tacking one subject to the end of another, and thus making a letter one continuous paragraph of mixed up information, instructions and requests, is extremely objectionable. It destroys the force of what is said, instead of fixing each thought clearly on the mind of the reader; it leaves him confused, and he reads a second time and tries to get his ideas fixed and systematized, or he throws aside the letter until he has more time in which to study it and get the meaning clear.