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fail to be of considerable utility to him in his future epistolary productions.

In order to show the necessity of not merely using points, but punctuating properly, the following passage from a work on this subject, in which it is given as a study, but without any key, is submitted to the reader :—

"The persons inside the coach were Mr. Miller a clergy. man his son a lawyer Mr. Angelo a foreigner his lady and a little child."

As this passage stands, without points, it is unintelligible: by different modes of punctuating it, several alterations may be made in its sense; not only as to the number of persons in the coach, but, also, as to their country, professions, and relationship to each other. By a change of points, the lady may be described as the wife of either one of two persons: Mr. Miller's son may be made a clergyman, or a lawyer, at will; or his son may be taken from him and given to a clergyman, whose name is not mentioned. We shall give three or four different modes of punctuating this passage. The reader may, if he think fit, amuse, and, at the same time, convince himself of the propriety of attending to the proper use of stops, by a number of variations; each of them correct in itself, at the same time, endowing the words with a different signification:

"The persons inside the coach were Mr. Miller, a clergyman, his son, a lawyer, Mr. Angelo, a foreigner, his lady and a little child."

By this mode of pointing, it would appear that there were eight individuals in the coach; namely, a clergyman, a lawyer, a foreigner and his lady, a little child, Mr. Miller, Mr. Angelo, and the clergyman's son.

"The persons inside the coach were Mr. Miller, a clergyman; his son, a lawyer; Mr. Angelo, a foreigner; his lady; and a little child."

This change in the punctuation would reduce the parties in the coach, exclusive of the lady and child, to three persons, and make Mr. Miller himself a clergyman, Mr. Miller's son a lawyer, and Mr. Angelo a foreigner.

"The persons inside the coach were Mr. Miller; a clergyman, his son; a lawyer, Mr. Angelo; a foreigner, his lady, and a little child."

Here Mr. Miller's son becomes a clergyman, Mr. Ange.o a lawyer, and the lady and child those of a foreigner, who is nameless.

"The persons inside the coach were Mr. Miller, a clergy

man, his son; a lawyer; Mr. Angelo; a foreigner, his lady and a little child."

Mr. Angelo here ceases to be a lawyer; there is no longer a foreigner who is the husband of the lady and the father or the child; but the lady is described as being a foreigner, and Mr. Angelo's wife; and the child is not understood as being kin to any person in the coach.

These are only a few of the alterations that may be effect ed in the sense of this sentence, by means of punctuation. I would be needless to multiply them further; sufficient has, doubtless, been done, to show the necessity of pointing a passage so as to accord with the fact it is intended to re late.

DATE AND ADDRESS.

It is very improper to omit dating a letter. The address of the person who writes it should be put above, or, if it be short, on the same line with the day of the month and the year; and such addresses, as well as the signature, should be written in a plain, intelligible hand. Instances have occurred, of letters remaining unanswered through the culpable negli gence, or carelessness, in these particulars, of the party sending them. It is, in many cases, as bad to write the address in an illegible scrawl, or sign the name in a fantastic and af. fected style, as to omit them altogether. The consequences of an address being either omitted, or written incorrectly, or in characters which cannot be deciphered, in a letter from any person who is either travelling from place to place, or whose abode is not previously known by the person to whom the letter is addressed, may prove very unpleasant to the parties. The same observation is applicable to a fanciful signature. It is quite a task upon the patience and good temper of an individual, who is addressed by a stranger, or an acquaintance, for the first time, on a subject, perhaps, relating only to the interests of the writer, or, indeed, in any case, to conclude with an hieroglyphic; to place him in the dilemma of either remaining in ignorance of the name of the party who has nonored him with the epistle, or puzzling his brains, and straining his eyes, to discover the rebus.

The date of a letter is sometimes written beneath the signature; and, by some persons, on the left side of the bottom of the paper in the former situation, it has an inelegant appearance and in the latter, it usurps the place of the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed. The most usual and proper situation of the address of the party writing

with the dare beneath it, is on the upper part, and on the right side of the paper, midway between the first line of the letter and the upper edge. Notes, written in the third person, are, occasionally, dated in the same manner; but in these, the most approved manner is to place the address and date on the right side, a little below the last line of the note.

Both letters and notes in the third person, should be addressed to the party for whom they are intended, on the left side of the lower part of the paper; the place of abode it is unnecessary to add. The letter, or note, should never be finished so near the bottom as not to leave sufficient room for the usual conclusion, signature, &c. It is better to carry over a line or two to the next side, than to squeeze the signa ture of the writer, and the name of the party addressed, down to the paper's edge, even if a little more than the usual blank be left beneath the last line of the first side. The signature should always be written towards the right edge of the page. The language adopted at the conclusion of letters, varies, according to the rank, age and other circumstances of the writer and the person addressed. It is a point with many, so to construct the last sentence of the letter, that the "words of course," previous to the signature, may form its conclusion. It is disrespectful to be too concise in this part of a letter, especially when addressing a superior. The forms ascend, by various grades, from the plain "I am, Sir, Your humble servant," even beyond "I have the honor to be, With great respect, Your most obedient, And very humble servant," &c. It is usual to display the conclusion in two, three, or more lines, according to the terms used by the writer.

POSTSCRIPTS.

The ladies have been accused, probably with some reason, of reserving the most important part of a letter for the postscript; they should endeavor to avoid giving cause for being thus reproached. Postscripts are, for the most part, needless, and in bad taste. Allow me, therefore, to advise my young friends to pause a few moments before they conclude a letter, and reflect whether they have any thing more to say. Above all things, let them not defer their civilities, or kind inquiries, for any friend or acquaintance, to this justly-despised part of a letter. To do so, is a proof of thoughtlessness or disrespect:

pray you avoid it." "My kindest regards to my cousin Jane," with a P. S. before it, looks like what it really is,—an after-thought; and is, therefore, not only without value, but, to persons of fine feelings, offensive There is an affectation

also, in setting the jewel of the whole epistle in the postscript, which is, certainly, unworthy of being either approved or imitated this fault is more frequently committed by gentlemen than ladies. An instance occurs to me, in which it was grossly palpable. An officer, some years ago, wrote a very long letter to one of his female friends, detailing, not only the particulars of a battle in which his regiment had been engaged, but, also, information, of a diversified nature, both as to his own pursuits and petty privations, as well as concern ing the country through which he had recently marched. He concluded by kindly mentioning, and desiring intelligence of, all his friends; and did not forget to inquire "how the chestnut colt got on." After all this, in a postscript of a line and a half, he stated, that in the engagement his leg was shattered, and had afterwards been amputated; but that he was "pretty well, considering." By some persons, this letter has been admired; to me it appears to be a splendid specimen of ridiculous affectation.

SIGNATURES AND MANNER OF FOLDING.

To all fantastic signatures, I have already been bold enough to declare that I am an enemy. To all fantastic modes of folding letters, or notes, I will also presume to declare my aversion. I have some reason to flatter myself, that I am warranted in directing my feeble anathema against both; by good taste, and the opinions of those whom I at once respect for their experience, and admire for their discrimination. It seerns to be an object with some persons, especially young ladies, to fold their notes in such a manner, that it as difficult a task to open them, as Alexander found it to unravel the knot of king Gordius: like that famous knot, they are frequently cut open in a pet. I will venture to assure my readers, that it is no proof of ingenuity, ton, or talent, to be able to fold a piece of paper, three inches square, in thirty triangles, or to render it as difficult to be opened as a conjuror's box. The common, simple modes of folding letters and notes are, beyond all comparison, the best; and not only quite sufficiently secure, and perfectly neat, but even susceptible of elegance.

ENVELOPES.

An envelope to a letter addressed to a superior, is at once elegant and respectful; in fact, it is good taste to inclose every letter in an envelope, except such as are sent by the general post, unfranked, to persons not in Congress. Nothing should

be written on the inside of an envelope; neither ought any address to be placed on the inclosure. A single sheet of paper is sufficient for a note and its envelope. The sheet should be equally divided, and one half doubled in the common form, upon which the note is to be written, and the other half converted into an envelope. For letters, an entire sheet is generally devoted to the inclosure, and a separate half-sheet, of the same size, used for the envelope. In this case, the letter is written in the usual form; and if necessary, the whole of the fourth side of the sheet is at the service of the writer. It is not unusual for the inclosure to consist of only half a sheet of paper, unfolded, and with both sides written on; but this manner is, in the opinion of many persons rather objectionable. It is, therefore, by no means recom mended to the adoption of our readers. If they have occa sion to write enough to fill two sides of paper, let their inclosure be an entire sheet; if their communication be shorter, the inner half-sheet, doubled as a note, is, by far, the more graceful form.

SUPERSCRIPTION.

Begin

Some attention must be paid to the superscription the title or name of the person some distance below, and almost in the middle of the centre of the letter, according to the length of the person's name or title: and if to a tradesman, or merchant, annex his occupation, and write the place of his abode in a line by itself at the bottom :— :-thus:

Mr. William Trusty,

Merchant,

Philadelphia.

In directing your letter to persons who are well known, it is best not to be too particular; because it lessens the person to whom you write, to suppose him obscure, and not easily found. But where there are more towns or villages of the same name with that in which your correspondent resides, you must be careful to add the State or County in which the latter is situated.

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