THE FRENCHMAN'S CORRESPONDENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9321, 22 August 1908, Page 2

THE FRENCHMAN'S CORRESPONDENCE.

I ■ Lottor-Writlng an Art. (" Saturday Review.") There was a time when Englishmen cultivated the art of letter-writing, for 1 our forefathers spent many an hour ' over the concoction of a single letter where they gave not only all the neces--1 sary news, but also their feelings and i impressions. Form was a very material factor iv those days, and many an . anxious thought was given to searching ' for the appropriate word and to the ■ correct finish of a sentence. Letters were often cojjied and re-copied as if ! they were destined for publication. The i penny post has destroyed all this, and '• our anxiety now is to write as many letters as we can, crowding into tho ! time at our disposal the largest quantity of essential facts. Many of us ' leave our, feelings and impressions out , of consideration, and in the majority of cases form is a negligible quantity. • We can therefore boast that we write ! more letters than any other nationality [ per head of our population. It is pos- . sible that in this way wo are able to ' transact more business by correspondence than any other people ; but in this rush form has suffered, and very few of our letters will descend to posterity as models of the art of correct ; letter-writing The French are the exact antithesis to us in this respect. The average , Frenchman writes far fewer letters than the average person of any other , country of the same educational stan- ; dard ; but when he seta himself to work ifc is a serious business, though the tendency of the times is to make the > Frenchman of to-day less careful than '< his father was some twenty years ago. Still, if the foreigner wishes to be appreciated in France, he will lose nothing by aiming at good form. A letter is therefore even now a matter that requires some thought and consideration. l ' Nothing astonishes the Frenchman 1 more than the way in which we start. Ho regards us as a very affectionate race, for do we not say " Dear Sir " and " Dear Madam " to people wo have never met in our lives? " M.on--1 sieur" and "Madame" may be applied even to an acquaintance with whom one is on a more or less friendly footing, •especially if he or she is older or on a higher social 6cale. Such forma of address as " Cher Monsieur," " Mon cher Monsieur," and especially as ."Mon cher Monsieur Dubois," were at one timo exclusively confined to one's man of business, who in answering would , never think of writing otherwise than "Monsieur" or "Madame"; whilst people of the old school would write to their butler or their gardener, "Mon cher Dubois." These rules are not now by any means so rigidly observed as they were before the French Revolution, and people may now without appearing strange write to their friends as " Cher Monsieur " and " Chere Madame," though even at present there are people left who run from one extreme to the other, and when # they have dropped the formal " Monsieur " have recourse to " Mon cher Ami " or " Mon cher Jean." Titles are hardly ever given in a letter. In fact in ordinary conversation it is very rare to address any Frenchman by his title, though a courteous Frenchman who knows something of the manners and customs of those countries in which titles are giveh will use them when he is speaking to foreigners. Few people in England now give themselves any special trouble in the framing tf the body of their letter. They have something to say, and they say it without any ceremony or detail. "Life is too short '*• and correspondence is too heavy to hesitate for a word or a thought. A Frenchman will however act differently. Everything must come in its proper order. He necessarily starts by saying a few words that specially concern the person to whom he is writing. He may inquire after his health, either moral or physical, or, if all other special subjects are wanting, begin with an allusion to something which occurs in the letter to which he is replying. In any case ho must drop all thought of himself and deal with something which concerns his correspondent in some degree more or less intimate. Then follows the news, cither particular or general, which he wishes to impart or the question he wants to ask. This is a very serious matter, and must not be done as badly as we are accustomed to express ourselves in England. Tt is rarely said directly, but is enveloped in a good deal of flowery rhetoric, great attention being given to form. "Ideas and general impressions are far more important than the facts themselves or the information which tho writer wishes to obtain ; for the object that comes first is to arouse the interest of the correspondent. Nothing ought to be laboured. Everything must appear to come quite naturally in as light and as airy a manner as possible. Here is the jccasion for the witty Frenchman, who never neglects to " fairo de Tesprit." to say something "spiritnel " that will remain behind ahd be remembered when -the bald facts have passed into oblivion. Should the correspondent happen to bo staying with a relative or a friend of the writer's family, no matter how remote, it may be advisable to send some sort of message, for Frenchmen aro rather touchy upon this subject. Some years ago I was staying with a friend and happened to mention to him quite casually that I had heard f'-cni a man whom I scarcely knew. " Dot's ho send me any message?" I had to admit that this formality had been neglected and asked him whether he knew my correspondent. He said " No,' lut that they were seoond cousins onco removed and that some thirty years previously tho two families had been on very intimate terms. "Hois a young man and it will render him a great service if you will convey to him that no has been guilty of a serious breach oi manners." Fortunately my friend was so sensitive that I was able to soothe his susceptibilities by reading something very vague which nine men out of ten would not have understood. All those small details are of the very greatest importance, for they are regarded as a sign by which a man of what Frenchmen call " good education/" i may bo known. Furthermore, French- ! men aro very much touched by any small delicate attentions. They regard them as evidence that the writer has given himself some trouble to please, and accept this as a personal complinient to themselves. ' _ The beginning and middle of a lette v may bo troublesome to the foreigner, but the end is far mort> compliested. An Englishman is generally inclined to look at the onding of his correspondent's letter and use the same words himself. Tliis will be a great mistake in France ; for a younger man must not reply to one who is older than himself or to a lady in the same way. Thus a lady generally finishes her letter to a casual acquaintance by assuring him of her distinguished sentiments. A man must never reply in the same way; for in writing to a lady he mu6t wind up by giving some evidence of homage and respect. Should he be writing to one whom he knows but slightly he can ask 7.r... ■_ ._ .i.in_.i\<-. bin rr>t:rw>el-.fi_l linm.. fOK.

When he knows her better he may, place the expression of his devoted homaares at her feet. When the acquaintance ripens into positive affection and regard, he may kiss her hand or express his feelings in such a way that respect is always combined with warmer sentiment. This is a great art, and many a Frenchman prides himself in giving to each different letter a distinct ending, never repeating himself. When writing to a domestic servant w.io has been long in the family, he lean ask him to believe in his attached sentiments. To a tradesman the proper ending is to ask him to believe in his highest consideration ; but there are many . forms. Thus a punctilious nobleman thought the ordinary terminology rather tame. He looked up the family archives and found that in the seventeenth century, when his forebears were writing to a tradesman they finished up with; "I am well" (" Je me porte bien "), and their signature. He did not think this was quite up to the mark, and he now winds up with, "My family and I are well " (" Je me porte • bien et ma famille se ports bien aussi ") and then his signature. In writing to a casual acquaintance it is as well to assure him «of your distinguished sentiments, As intimacy inoreases you can ask him to accept the expression of ; your best and most devoted sen- , timents or of your most 'fcympa- , thetic feelings. When things get further and the intimacy is thoroughi Iy_ established, there is no limit to the friendship and devotion which is put at the end of a letter. "Mille , am'ties," " Bien cordialemeht votre," " Bien a vous," " Affectueu6ement a , vous," "Tout a vous," are but a few ' of the many terms that can be used. A married lady never ought to sign as in England with her Christian name and surname, but give her maiden and married surnames. Thus if Mademoiselle Anne de Millefleurs has married the Comte de Vieladage, she ought not to sign her name Anne de Vieladage, but Millefleurs Vieladago. The head of a family will sign himself by his surname and nothing else, but a younger brother may either give his title or Christian name. Thus the Comte de Vieladage will sign himself Vieladage, whilst his younger brother may sign himself either the Vicomte de Vieladage or Jean de Vieladage. The latter signature is, however, on the whole better form. . Much more might be added, but these general lines can safely be followed. To appreciate thoroughly how a letter can be written an apprenticeship must be served; for it is only by experience that a foreigner can master tho art of correct expression.