day of the month, the year, and the number of the postoffice box.

When the heading is short, it usually occupies but one line, as follows:

Lancaster, Pa., Aug. 6, 1887.

When the heading occupies more than one line, the lines following the first should each begin a little farther to the right than the one preceding, as in the foregoing examples.

The first line of the heading should begin about an inch and a half from the top of the page, and a little to the left of the middle of the page.

Every important part of the heading should begin with a capital letter.

A period should follow every abbreviation, and the parts should be separated by commas. A period should be placed also at the end of the heading.

The Date consists of the month, the day of the month, and the year. The day of the month is separated from the year by a comma. (See the foregoing examples.)

It is not necessary to write the forms 1st, 7th, 23d, etc.; the figures 1, 7, 23, etc., may be used instead. Thus:

Newark, Del., Feb. 2, 1887.

Should the forms 1st, 2d, 15th, etc., be used, no period must be placed after them, as they are not abbreviations.

Note that the proper forms of the ordinals ending in 2 and 3 are 2d, 3d, 22d, 23d.

By some writers the date is placed at the close of the

letter. In such cases it begins near the left edge of the page, on the line next below that on which the signature is placed. In such cases also the name of the person to whom the letter is written must appear in the introduction.

Business-men and clerks sometimes use figures to indicate the number of the month, but it is permissible only in business letters.

EXERCISE.

Write the following headings correctly, punctuating them as they should be in a letter:

1. Pa West Chester June 9 1878

2. 66 Broadway New York Apr 16 1847

3. Princeton College of New Jersey N J Apr 14 1886

4. Oct 16 Baltimore Md 170 Calvert St

5. 23 Milk st Boston Nov 6 1864

6. 264 La Salle St Chicago Nov 15 1886

7. State Normal School Castine Me Oct 6 1887

8. Custom House Philadelphia Sept 6 1885

9. 742 Broadway New York Dec 4 1887

10. Camden N J Oct 6 1885

11. 159 Wabash Ave Chicago Feb 16 1887

12. Write the heading of a letter dated from your own home.

THE INTRODUCTION.

The Introduction consists of the formal address and the sa'utation.

The formal address varies with the style of the letter written. It consists of the name, the title, and the place of business or the residence of the person addressed.

In some cases the name and the title alone are used as the address. While this is not objectionable in social letters, it is not the best form for business letters, as there would be no way of ascertaining the ownership

Titles should not be omitted, but they should be used sparingly. It is generally sufficient to use the most prominent title of the person addressed.

The Address may take up one, two, or three lines, each line followed by a comma, until the address is complete, when it should be followed by a period.

Name and Title.-The name of the person or firm to whom a letter is written should be written plainly and in full. Titles should be omitted only in writing to a member of the Society of Friends. The titles generally used are Miss, Mrs., Mr., and Esq. A lad is addressed as Master.

Titles are prefixed as follows:

Mr. to a gentleman's name;

Messrs. (for Messieurs) to the names of several gentlemen;

Master to the name of a boy;

Miss to the name of an unmarried lady;

Misses to the names of several unmarried ladies; Mrs. to the name of a married lady or a widow; Mesdames (pronounced ma däm') to the names of several married ladies or widows;

Dr. (plural Drs.) to the name of a physician;

Rev. (plural Revs.) to the name of a clergyman, or Rev. Mr., if his Christian name is unknown to you;

Rev. Dr. or Rev.

is a doctor of divinity.

,

D. D., if the clergyman

Only one title of courtesy should be affixed to a name. Thus, it would be wholly incorrect to write Mr. William Jones, Esq., and similar forms. In the case of married ladies, however, it is correct to affix the title of courtesy, Mrs., and at the same time the honorary or professional

Grant.

Two or more literary or professional titles may be used together, provided none of them include any of the others. In this latter case the titles should be written in the order they are supposed to have been conferred; thus, Prof. John Storm, A. M., LL.D.; S. S. Haldeman, Ph.D., LL.D., F. R. S.

We should, however, guard against the excessive use of titles. A man may have as his titles A. M., M. D., Ph.D., and LL.D., but even in such case it is best to write his name with his highest title alone; as, Rev. Dr. JAMES MCCоSH, or

JAMES MCCOSH, LL.D.

The place of business or residence, sometimes called the inside address, should give the name of the person's post-office and the State in which it is situated; as,—

Psev. William Johnson,
Burlington, M. J.

If the post-office be in a city of considerable size, the door-number and the street must also be given; thus,

Prof. Thomas Williams,
No. 11 North Queen St.,

Lancaster, Pa.

The Salutation.-The complimentary salutation varies with the formality of the letter or the position occupied by the person addressed.

Strangers may be addressed as Sir, Madam, Rev. Sir,

formal.

Acquaintances may be addressed as Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Miss Clark, etc.

Friends are usually addressed as Dear Friend, Dear Mary, Friend Brown, My dear Madam, etc.

Near relatives and other close friends are usually addressed as My dear Daughter, My darling Child, My dear Mary, etc.

When addressing a firm consisting of several persons, the term Sirs or Dear Sirs, or the word Gentlemen, may be used as the salutation.

Note. Never use Dr. as an abbreviation of Dear, or Gents for Gentlemen; neither is correct.

A military or a naval officer is saluted by his official title; as, Captain, Major, Commodore, General, or by the common title Sir.

A Governor is addressed as His Excellency, Governor, or Sir.

The President is addressed as His Excellency or President.

A married lady or an elderly unmarried lady is addressed in a business letter as Madam, Dear Madam, or My dear Madam.

In addressing a young unmarried lady the salutation is by some omitted; as,

Mõiss Lucy Afton,

Batavia, N. Y.,

We beg to acknowledge the receipt

of your letter, etc.