<h2><SPAN name="CORRESPONDENCE" id="CORRESPONDENCE"></SPAN><i>CORRESPONDENCE.</i></h2>
<div class="sidenote">Replying to letters.</div>
<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">It</span> is impolite to leave letters unanswered for several days, especially
if the writers are ladies, or, if men, superior in age or station. Notes
of invitation should be replied to within twenty-four hours.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Writing materials.</div>
<p>Plain white cream-laid notepaper and envelopes should be used, the
latter either square or wallet-shaped, but never of the oblong, narrow
shape peculiar to business correspondence. The address on the notepaper
should be embossed or printed in simple characters, over-ornament being
in the worst taste. If the writer is entitled to use a crest, it should
be produced as simply as possible, with or without the family motto, and
free from the glow of varied colour in which some men and women delight.
There are letters whose devices in scarlet and gold are strangely in
contrast with the meagre and disappointing character of their contents.
They make one think of fried sprats served up on a gold entrée dish.</p>
<p>The writing should be clear, neat<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_149" id="page_149"></SPAN>{149}</span> and legible, the ink black.</p>
<div class="sidenote">The addressee’s name.</div>
<p>In beginning a letter with “Sir” or “Madam,” the omission of the name is
remedied by inscribing it in the left-hand corner at the bottom of the
note. In commercial correspondence it seems to be the rule to put the
name of the addressee just above “Dear Sir” or “Madam.”</p>
<div class="sidenote">Enclosing reply envelopes.</div>
<p>Should it be advisable to enclose in any letter an envelope for a reply,
ready addressed, it is not good form to put “Esq.” after one’s own name
in addressing it.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Addressing married women.</div>
<p>Married women and widows are not addressed by their own Christian names,
but by those of their husbands. For instance, no one versed in social
forms would write “Mrs. Mary Smith,” but “Mrs. John Smith.” Widows of
titled men have their Christian name put before their surname, thus,
“Laura Lady Ledding,” “Maria Marchioness of Adesbury,” “Georgina
Viscountess Medway,” “Mary Duchess of Blankton.” The unmarried daughters
of dukes, marquises, and earls have their Christian name invariably
inserted between their courtesy title and surname, as: “Lady Mary
Baker.” When married they retain this form, only substituting the
husband’s surname for their own, as “Lady Mary Garth.” But if their<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_150" id="page_150"></SPAN>{150}</span>
husband should be a peer, they merge their courtesy title in his.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Use of the third person.</div>
<p>The third person in correspondence is falling considerably into disuse,
and “presenting compliments” is almost obsolete. Invitations of a formal
kind, and their replies, are couched in the third person, but for
purposes of correspondence with strangers it is almost always better to
use the first person. The exception is in replying to a letter written
in the third person, when it is in better taste to reply in the same
way. The third person is also used in writing to tradespeople: “Mr.
Edlicott will feel obliged if Mr. Jones will kindly call on Thursday
morning with reference to some repairs.” In this case the reply would be
written in the first person.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Letters of introduction.</div>
<p>Letters of introduction, says La Fontaine, “are drafts that must be
cashed at sight.” They are sometimes difficult to write, especially if
they have been asked for, not volunteered. They are always left
unsealed, but should there be circumstances about the person introduced
which the other party should know, it is well to communicate them in a
private letter, which should be despatched so as to arrive before the
letter of introduction is presented. Any one receiving a letter of
introduction would immediately take steps to show some<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_151" id="page_151"></SPAN>{151}</span> attention to the
individual introduced. The usual thing is to ask him to dinner, if he is
a social equal; to offer his services, if he should be a superior; and
to ascertain in what way one can be useful to him, if he is an inferior.</p>
<div class="sidenote">A call must precede invitations.</div>
<p>A personal call must precede all invitations. This is a fixed and rigid
rule, the exception being in the case of persons presenting their own
letters of introduction, as is usually done. But should the person to
whom they are addressed be out, the formal call must follow.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Styles of address at the beginning of a letter.</div>
<p>All ladies, from the Queen downwards, are addressed in beginning a
letter as “Madam”; all gentlemen, from the highest to the lowest, as
“Sir.” Tradesmen, however, begin “Your Royal Highness,” “Your Grace,” or
“Your Ladyship,” in writing to their titled employers. They also address
their letters quite differently, as will be seen from the following
instructions:—</p>
<h3><span class="smcap">Addresses of Letters.</span></h3>
<p>Her Majesty the Queen.</p>
<p>To His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.</p>
<p>To Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.</p>
<p>This same form is used in addressing communications to all other members
of the Royal Family, adding the title<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_152" id="page_152"></SPAN>{152}</span> where the word “Prince” or
“Princess” would be incorrect, as:—</p>
<p>To His Royal Highness the Duke of York.</p>
<p>To Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York.</p>
<p>Below the rank of royalty there is the distinction between letters
addressed by persons on an equality with those to whom formal and they
write, and by inferiors.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Address for the envelope—formal and informal.</div>
<p class="nind">I shall call them formal and informal, and range them in separate lines.</p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="">
<tr><td class="c"><i>Informal.</i></td>
<td class="c"><i>Formal.</i></td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">The Duke of ——</td><td align="left">To His Grace the Duke of ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">The Duchess of ——</td><td align="left">To Her Grace the Duchess of ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">The Marquis of ——</td><td align="left">To the Most Honourable the Marquis of ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">The Marchioness of —— </td><td align="left">To the Most Honourable the Marchioness of ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">The Earl of ——</td><td align="left">To the Right Honourable the Earl of ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">The Countess of ——</td><td align="left">To the Right Honourable the Countess of ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">The Viscount ——</td><td align="left">The Right Honourable the Viscount ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">The Viscountess ——</td><td align="left">The Right Honourable the Viscountess ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Lord ——</td><td align="left">The Right Honourable Lord —— or Baron ——</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left">Lady ——</td><td align="left">The Right Honourable Lady —— or Baroness——</td></tr>
</table>
<div class="sidenote">Addressing Privy Councillors.</div>
<p>Members of the Privy Council are<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_153" id="page_153"></SPAN>{153}</span> also addressed as “Right Honourable,”
in the same way as Peers. In this case the names of commoners are not
followed by the abbreviation “Esq.,” as:—</p>
<p>The Right Honourable James Balfour, M.P.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Ambassadors.</div>
<p>Ambassadors and their wives are addressed as “His Excellency,” “Her
Excellency,” the personal and official titles following the word, as:—</p>
<p>To His Excellency the Earl of——, Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to France.</p>
<p>To Her Excellency the Countess of——.</p>
<p>Other official personages are addressed in the following way:—</p>
<p>To His Excellency Lord Blank, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.</p>
<p>To His Grace the Archbishop of——.</p>
<p>The Right Reverend the Bishop of——.</p>
<p>The Very Reverend the Dean of——.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Degrees.</div>
<p>Academical distinctions are indicated by the initials placed after the
name—LL.D. for Doctor of Laws and Learning, D.D. for Doctor of Divinity
and so on.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Beginning the letter.</div>
<p>So much for the envelopes. The proper way to begin letters is as
follows. As I have mentioned, the Queen is addressed as “Madam” in the
inside of a letter. A gentleman writing<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_154" id="page_154"></SPAN>{154}</span></p>
<div class="sidenote">To the Queen.</div>
<p class="nind">to the Queen would sign himself, “I have the honour to submit myself,
with profound respect, Your Majesty’s most devoted subject and servant.”
Above the word “Madam” should be written “Her Majesty the Queen.” Lord
Beaconsfield struck out a line of his own and in writing to the Queen
began, “Mr. Disraeli,” continuing in the third person and addressing Her
Majesty in the second.</p>
<div class="sidenote">To the Prince and Princess of Wales.</div>
<p>The Prince of Wales is addressed as “Sir,” above this word being written
“To His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.” Persons on intimate terms
sometimes begin “Sir” or “Dear Prince,” others “My dear Prince.” The
Princess of Wales is occasionally addressed by friends as “My dear
Princess.” The two orthodox endings to such letters are respectively
“Your Royal Highness’s dutiful and obedient servant,” or (a humbler
style) “Your Royal Highness’s dutiful and most obedient servant.” To all
other Royal Princes and Princesses the ending would be “Most Humble and
Obedient Servant.”</p>
<div class="sidenote">To a Duke and Duchess.</div>
<p>Dukes other than royal are addressed inside letters by intimates as
“Dear Duke,” by others “My Lord Duke, may it please your Grace.” In
writing to a Duchess her title is placed above the “Madam.” In formal
letters Marquises would be addressed as “My Lord Marquis.”<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_155" id="page_155"></SPAN>{155}</span></p>
<div class="sidenote">On omitting christian names from courtesy titles.</div>
<p>A very common form of mistake is that of omitting the Christian name
from the courtesy titles of the sons and daughters of dukes, marquises,
and earls. The sons have the title “Lord” prefixed to the Christian and
surname: for instance, “Lord Alfred Osborne,” “Lord Henry Somerset.” It
is extremely incorrect to call either of these “Lord Osborne” or “Lord
Somerset.” The daughters of dukes, marquises and earls have the title
“Lady” before their Christian and surname; “Lady Emily Heneage,” for
instance, must not be addressed as “Lady Heneage.” Should she marry a
commoner only the surname is altered, the “Lady Emily” remains. This may
all appear a little involved to those unaccustomed to titles, but
neglect of these forms indicates very clearly a lack of <i>savoir faire</i>.
It is a source of great annoyance to the owners of courtesy titles to
have the Christian name omitted. Anybody, even a knight’s wife, may be a
“Lady Smith” or “Jones”; the insertion of the Christian name before the
“Smith” or “Jones” means that the possessor is the daughter of a duke,
marquis, or earl.</p>
<div class="sidenote">Beginning a letter to the above.</div>
<p>In beginning a letter to any of the above a stranger would say “Dear
Lady Mary Smith,” but the usual form would be “Dear Lady Mary.”
Inferiors would begin by writing the lady’s title over the word “Madam,”
or<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_156" id="page_156"></SPAN>{156}</span> merely beginning “Madam” and writing the title at the end of the
letter.</p>
<div class="sidenote">To an ambassador with conclusion.</div>
<p>In writing to an ambassador or his wife the title is placed above the
word “Sir” or “Madam.” Inferiors would write “May it please your
Excellency,” and would conclude with “I have the honour to be Your
Excellency’s most humble, obedient servant.”</p>
<div class="sidenote">An archbishop.</div>
<p>In writing to an archbishop a correspondent would begin “Your Grace,”
ending, “I remain Your Grace’s most obedient servant.”</p>
<div class="sidenote">A bishop.</div>
<p>To a bishop the form would be, “My Lord,” or “Right Reverend Sir,” or
“May it please Your Lordship,” the last being, of course, the humblest
form of address. The conclusion would be, I remain, “My Lord” (or “Right
Reverend Sir”) “Your most obedient servant.”</p>
<div class="sidenote">A dean.</div>
<p>The beginning of a letter to a dean would be, “Reverend Sir” or “Mr.
Dean,” the title of all these dignitaries being, in formal letters,
indited above the beginning. Those having slight acquaintance would
begin, “Dear Mr. Dean.” Strangers would end the letter, “I have the
honour to be Your most obedient servant.”</p>
<div class="sidenote">Doctors of Divinity.</div>
<p>Doctors of divinity are addressed as “Reverend Sir,” as well as
archdeacons and all other clergy.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_157" id="page_157"></SPAN>{157}</span></p>
<p>Intimates would begin letters to the above with: “Dear Archbishop,”
“Dear Bishop,” “Dear Dean,” or “Dear Doctor.”</p>
<div class="sidenote">Officers in the army.</div>
<p>With the sole exception of lieutenants in the army, all officers have
their military rank prefixed to their name. Ensigns and lieutenants are
addressed as “Esq.”</p>
<div class="sidenote">And navy.</div>
<p>In the navy admirals of the flag—white, blue, or red—are addressed as
“The Honourable,” this being prefixed to the name. Otherwise a letter
would begin “Sir,” and end, “I remain, Sir, Your obedient servant.”
Commodores, captains, and lieutenants in the navy are all addressed in
the same way.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="page_158" id="page_158"></SPAN>{158}</span></p>
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