WOMEN'S LETTERS.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 41, 17 February 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

WOMEN'S LETTERS.

There are some pecularities about woman's correspondence which I aye frequently noticed, and _ will numerate here as characteristic of 10 sex, which never has a better sason for doing a thing than " beluse." I allude, firßt, to a habit hich every woman indulges in of pecifying the difficulties under -hich her letter is written. Here re a lot of the excuses she makes :hich will be easily recognised: — " I must hurry this off as the mail i just closing." "I am sitting on the side of the >ed writing thia, and I am just dead nth sleep." "It is after 11 o'clock at night, nd everybody is in bed." "I'm in an awful hurry, for Tarry's going to take this to the ?. 0." " I'm sitting on the stairs writing hie, and the postman is just coming ound the corner." "It is midnight, and I'm awful ired." Now, wouldn't it be better to leave iuch details out of a letter, and tell lomething more interesting, and vhich does not convey an idea of irejithlees haste, or makes the red • rient of the letter feel that she was rat off to the last moment ? There ised to be a regular formula for teginning a letter in olden times, vhich was something like this — "I now take my pen in hand to nform you that I am well, and I lope you are enjoying the same blessing." I have received letters which made ne feeLconBcience.stricken for keeping the writer up till midnight, and my enjoyment of interesting news was spoiled in consequence. I havo one correspondent who begins her letter at 9 a.m. or 1 1 p.m., with date of day and year. I imagine that she has chosen her most restful and uninterrupted hour to write to me, but I am not distressed because, like Macbeth, I have murdered sleep A letter may be hurriedly written, but it were better not to apologise for it by calling attention to the writer's haste. It mars the good effect which the epiatle is intended to convey. The postscript is the next peculiarity; but I have only words ol commendation for that old style ol P.S., which ib now dropped — no one thinks of adding to a letter in that old precise way. But the afterthought, the forgotten message ie now run around the edge, or written across the narrow space at the head of the paper, or on any edge that iE not filled out. I reaily think the sweetest, brightest, and best part ol a woman's letter is the marginal forget-me-nots which come undei the reader like personal comment, and unite miles of distance with a bridge of loving words It is worth while to cultivate, nol the art, but tho spirit of lettei writing, so that much of the writer's personality may be conveyed to tht distant friend -waiting- for the cherished epistle. Do Quincey says that no literary writer can exceed tht grace of a bright woman's letter and refers us to that for the be«i idioms of our language. Another peculiarity of a woman's correspondence is the omission ol dates and names of towns. Thiß is a great trouble to the post-office officials, who cannot return misdirected letters to their writers on the simple authority of "Thursday" or " Sunday." It would seem as if the feminine head were not made to carry dates and addresses. There ie a good story of a young woman who objected to the clerk in the local post-office reading the addresses of the letters and newspapers she handed in to be mailed, and asking her questions concerning them. But when he handed back a batch of letters and asked her to add the town to the address, she took another view of his interference. Nor does a woman often sign her own full name to a letter. It is usually " Stella " or " Katie," or the pet name or diminutive by which her friends address her. Summed up, with all their imporfections on their heads, what winged wonders of speech those mibsives are as they fly to and fro, beaiiug the thoughts and sentiments of the heart to those who wait for them ; sometimes bringing keenest joy, often tearful disappointment; more irrevocable that speech of the lips, for they can live when the hand that wrote and tho eye that read have 'lain a century dead."