LETTER ENDINGS

Northern Advocate, 28 June 1924, Page 9 (Supplement)

LETTER ENDINGS

FORMAL OR OTHERWISE,

(By Oliver Stewarh )

Ciiticism has recently boen levelled against the use of "Yours truly" and the modern "Cheerio" as e?. I .dings for letters. It used to be necessary for the last word of a letter to correspond with, the beginning. If "My dear Jones" was the form of address, then the ending h«d to be "I am, my clear Jones, ever yours. "; but this custom is now scarcely ever recognised. L.'wis Carroll (the Rev C. L. Dodgson) was expert in the art of writing light, amusing letters to his numerous youiig friends. "Your ■xvfeetionate friend" was a favourite ending, but he had many variations, often with lengthy postscripts aJded. He wrote: —: "Your loving friend, C. L. "Hodgson." I send you 4f kisses"; "Tour fiiteenminute friend, C. L. Dodgson." "I am, yours affectionately, C. L. Dodgson. P.S. —I never give wedding presents; so please regard the enclosed as an unweiding present" and: Give them my love, Whom do I mean by "them"? Never mind. Your affectionate friend —Lewis Carroll. I*i the ease of love-letters there can obviously be no .vet fornru'a. The stereotyped phrase would not ring true enough; it would be too impersonal; too °old and formal.

A direct simplicity seeme to be tho keynote of Madame du Barry's ending in a characteristic? letter to her lover: "Gocd-bye. I embrace you heartily." and when the devoted Louis XV. wrof.rt begging her to come to him he ended with the very simik-.r, though rather happier, phrase: "Good-bye. Belii've that I love you.—Louis."