as he grew up to be-was my own particular pet. It may amuse you, perhaps, as much as "The Inn" amused me, if I tell you what made this dog particularly mine. My father was the natural god of all the dogs in our house, and poor Jura took to him, of course. Jura was stolen, and kept in prison somewhere for more than a week, as I remember. When he came back, Smeoroch had come and taken my father's heart from him. He took his stand like a man, and positively never spoke to my father again from that day until the day of his death. It was the only sign of character he ever showed. I took him up to my room to be my dog in consequence, partly because I was sorry for him, and partly because I admired his dignity in misfortune.

With best regards and thanks for having reminded me of so many pleasant days, old acquaintances, dead friends, and-what is perhaps as pathetic as any of them-dead dogs, I remain, Yours truly,

Robert Louis Stevenson.

Note that this letter is fresh and interesting. It contains no hackneyed expressions, such as "I take my pen in hand," or "I hope you are well." In short, the letter impresses you as being what the writer would actually say to his friend. You could find no better models for your letters than Stevenson's.

But a letter demands more than a good body. Every letter should state when and where it is written-that is, should have a heading. It should tell to whom it is written -that is, it should have an address. It should begin with a salutation such as "Dear Mary," or "My dear Mary" (the latter being a shade more formal), "Dearest Mother," or "My own dear Mother." It might end with the leavetaking, "Lovingly yours," "Yours affectionately," "Yours cordially," "Your sincere friend.”

The relations of Miss Middleton and Stevenson justified the beginning and the ending of the letter above. "Dear Madam," would be, of course, quite too formal. "Yours

respectfully" would not properly represent the relations of the two.

These points concerning the beginning and the ending might take any of the following forms:

In friendly letters, then, more or less informality and variation are permissible in showing to whom, when, where, and by whom a letter is written.

The heading telling when and where a letter is written is usually placed an inch or two from the top of the page, and toward the right-hand edge. When two or more items are in the same line, they are separated by a comma. The examples illustrate when a comma or a period should come at the end of a line. The salutation is followed by a comma or, more formally, by a colon. The last word of leavetaking is followed by a comma. Observe carefully which words are capitalized in the salutation and the leave-taking.

The signature always comes a space below the leave-taking, and close to the right-hand side of the page. Except in informal letters, the writer should sign the name he wishes his correspondent to use in reply. Confusion often occurs when married women use two signatures interchangeably. If Mrs. Price signs a letter as "Mary Price" and yet wishes to be addressed as "Mrs. James Price," she must put below her signature, and to the left, "Please address Mrs. James Price."

Exercises

I. Write a letter to your teacher accounting for your absence from school.

2. Write a letter to your friend at boarding school, telling of a party you attended last night.

3. You have a friend in the east at a certain boarding school which you may possibly attend. Ask about the matters which may help you decide.

4. Write a letter to a friend in the country telling why small parks and playgrounds are necessary in a large city.

5. You have just been visiting your best friend in New York. Write him an account of what happened to you on the train.

6. You have just been told by your father that your brother at school is not to come home for the holidays. Write a letter breaking the news to him.

7. Your cousin has been too ill to attend the football game. Write him an account of it.

8. Your friend, Ada, in London, England, is homesick. Write her an amusing and cheering letter.

9. Write a letter to your little cousin who has just entered the second grade.

IO. Write a letter to your favorite aunt, recounting the latest household comedy.

II. Write a letter to your closest friend, giving an account of some trip you have taken recently.

12. Write to a person who has always lived in the city, describing a typical country store.

SECTION II. FORMAL INVITATIONS

You write an informal invitation or note as you would write a friendly letter; but a formal note requires different treatment.. Formal written invitations are in the third person throughout, as in the following examples:

I.

Mr. and Mrs. Adrien Smith request the pleasure of Miss Anesley's company at dinner on Thursday, August the twenty-fifth, at eight o'clock.

77 Somers Street

Monday, August fifteenth.

2.

Miss Anesley accepts with pleasure Mr. and Mrs. Adrien Smith's kind invitation to dinner on Thursday, August twenty-fifth, at eight o'clock.

18 Prescott Street

August sixteenth.

3.

Miss Anesley regrets that a previous engagement prevents her from accepting Mr. and Mrs. Adrien Smith's kind invitation for Thursday, August twenty-fifth.

18 Prescott Street

August the sixteenth.

An engraved or printed invitation uses the second person, since the name of each person invited cannot be inserted in print or engraving.

THE MONDAY CLUB

REQUESTS THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY

AT ITS ANNUAL BANQUET

ON MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST THE FIFTEENTHI
AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.

THE LYCEUM HALL

Observe how little punctuation there is, and also the arrangement of the lines.

A further type of the formal note is as follows:

Will Mr. Sargent kindly excuse Edwin Beecher from school at half past two this afternoon, and thus greatly oblige his mother, Eleanor Beecher. III Locust Street

Tuesday morning.