REGRET. Mr. Charles W. Harris regrets that a previous engagement will prevent his acceptance of Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Meas= tin's kind invitation to be present at the celebration of their son's twenty-first birth= Saturday evening, September 6. day, on 1968 Pine St. REVOKING ACCEPTANCE. Br. and Mrs. William V. Gavis are account of are com= pained to announce that on the death of a a near relative they pelled to revoke their acceptance of Mer. and Mors. Charles W. Williams' kind invitation for Tuesday evening. 2516 Arch St. LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION. A letter of introduction is one used for the purpose of introducing a friend or acquaintance to an acquaintance who is absent. Inasmuch as the writer to a certain extent vouches for the good character of the person he introduces, care should be taken never to give a letter of introduction to any one with whom the writer is not thoroughly acquainted. Letters of introduction are usually delivered in person; they should therefore be short. They should also be left unsealed, and the name of the person introduced should be written on the lower left-hand corner if it is to be delivered personally. See the following form for the superscription: Judge B. Newlin Fell, Pa. Introducing Prof. Henry Simmons. The following are a few specimen forms for letters of introduction: (1.) Harrisburg, Pa., Aug. 4, 1886. Rev. Thomas Smith. Dear Friend, I take pleasure in introducing to your acquaintance my friend, Mr. Henry M. Osborne, whom I commend to your kind attention. Very truly yours, Samuel Allison. Dr. N. C. Harris. Dear Sir, Cincinnati, O., June 16, 1887. I have the honor of introducing to you my esteemed friend, Dr. William H. Sellers, of Trenton, N. J. Any attention you may show him will be gratefully appreciated by Your friend, (3.) Jas. H. Morris. Rev. Dr. Williams. Dear Sir, Syracuse, N. Y., May 3, 1887. This will introduce to your kind consideration Rev. John Willis, a very worthy gentleman, who desires to consult you on matters which he will explain to you personally. Very respectfully, Thomas D. Brooks. LETTERS OF CONGRATULATION. A Letter of Congratulation is one written for the purpose of expressing one's joy to a friend who has experienced some sudden good fortune. Such letters. should be written in a style befitting the occasion, and should, of course, be cheerful in tone and express the actual joy the writer feels in the success and good-fortune of his friend. The following are specimens of the style usually employed: (1.) From Sir Walter Scott to Robert Southey on his becoming poet-laureate: Edinburgh, Nov. 13, 1813. I do not delay, my dear Southey, to say my gratulator. Long may you live, as Paddy says, to rule over us, and to redeem the crown of Spenser and of Dryden to its pristine dignity. ... I was greatly delighted with the circumstances of your investiture. It reminded me of the porters at Calais with Dr.. Smollet's baggage, six of them seizing one small portmanteau and bearing it in triumph to his lodgings. . . . Adieu, my dear Southey; my best wishes attend all that you do, and my best congratulations every good that attends youyea, even this, the very least of Providence's mercies, as a poor clergyman said when pronouncing grace over a herring. . . My best compliments attend, Mrs. Southey and your family. Ever yours, Dr. James B. Harrison. My dear Friend, (2.) Walter Scott. Washington, D. C., Aug. 6, 1884. I most heartily congratulate you on the success you have met with in conducting the institution over which you preside. I had faith enough in you to believe when you were made its chief officer that you would succeed without a doubt, but let me say that your success has been even more marked than your best friends had anticipated. I sincerely trust that your prosperity may continue unabated, and that you may find your work entirely agreeable. Very truly your friend, LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE. A Letter of Condolence is one written for the purpose of sympathizing with a friend who has suffered some great loss or sad bereavement. Great care must be taken in writing a letter of condolence to express one's sympathy in such a way as not to cause fresh sorrow. What the bereaved recipient of the letter needs is sympathy, and this should be expressed in as loving words as possible. The following will serve as a specimen of letters of condolence: My dear Brother, Norfolk, Va., Jan. 3, 1887. I cannot express to you the sorrow I felt on hearing of your grievous loss in the death of dear little May. I earnestly wish I could be with you to help to sustain and comfort you and your loving wife. Darling May was a favorite with all of us, and we had hoped to enjoy her innocent prattle when all of you should visit us in the coming spring. But God in his omniscience has ordered otherwise, and we can but bow in humble submission to his decree, with the hope that your angel child is but another link in the chain of love that binds the home to heaven. Accept my most tender sympathy, and may you be comforted with the thought that your darling child has simply gone before to await your coming. Your loving sister, Mary. |