Part 5
REMARK.
If three lines are necessary, the title and name should be on the first line, the number and street on the second, the city and state on the third.
_Small Towns and Villages._—When the letter is addressed to a small town or village, the county in which the town or village is situated, should be given; as,—
Mr. George Harvey, Palmyra, Lenawee Co., Mich.
REMARK.
The title and name should be on one line; the town or village, county, and state should be on the second.
_Letters to Intimate Friends or Relatives._—In writing letters to intimate friends or relatives, the address should be written at the close of the letter, at the left, commencing on the line immediately following the signature. It would be too formal to write the address at the head of the letter, and it would not be in keeping with the introductory words which immediately follow; as,—
Milburn Wagon Works, Toledo, Ohio, Nov. 2, 1877.
Dear Mother,—
Your letter * * *
* * * * * * * * *
Very affectionately, Edgar W. Curtis.
Mrs. James E. Curtis, Adrian, Mich.
REMARK.
When the heading occupies only one line, it is better to leave a blank line between the heading and the address.
_Position._—The address should commence on the left, and should be written on, at least, two lines. The title and name should be on one line; the city and state, on the second, and farther to the right. The address, if possible, should be written on two lines. If the heading consists of two or three lines, the address should commence on the line immediately following the heading. If the heading consists of one line only, a blank line should be left between the heading and the address.
III. INTRODUCTORY WORDS.
_Definition._—The introductory words consist of the greeting or salutation; as,—
Dear Sir,—
REMARKS.
1. Sometimes only one word is used in the greeting; as, Sir, Gentlemen.
2. When Sir, Gentlemen, Friend, Father, &c., are used as introductory words, they should always commence with a capital, as a mark of respect. In greeting friends or relatives, do not belittle them with small letters.
3. When dear, respected, honored, and words of a like character, are not the first words of the salutation, they should commence with a small letter; as, My dear Sir, My respected Friend. If they commence the salutation, capitals should be used; as, Dear Father, Respected Friend.
_Punctuation._—A comma should be placed after the salutation, and a dash may also be used. The use of the dash, however, is simply a matter of taste.
REMARKS.
1. A colon should not be placed after the greeting, except in official or very formal salutations. See p. 100.
2. A semicolon should never be used.
_Position._—The introductory words may be written in three different positions:—
1. When the address occupies two lines, the salutation should be written on the line immediately following, commencing a little to the right of the second line of the address; as,
Mr. Harry B. Hutchins, Mt. Clemens, Mich. Dear Sir,—
2. If the address consists of three lines, the first word of the salutation commences on a line with the number of the street; as,—
A. S. Barnes & Co., 34 and 36 Madison St., Chicago.
Gentlemen,—
3. If the address is written at the close of the letter, the introductory words should commence on a line with the body of the letter, that is, with the marginal line; as,—
Dear Manning,—
Rest you merry in your own opinion. Opinion is a species of property; and though I am always desirous to share with my friend to a certain extent, I shall ever like to keep some tenets, and some property, properly my own. * * * * *
Your well-wisher and friend, C. Lamb.
_Forms of Salutation._—Custom authorizes the use of several forms of salutation. These may be arranged under four heads:—
1. _To Strangers._
Sir, Madame, Miss ⸺.
2. _To Acquaintances._
Dear Sir, Dear Madame, Dear Miss ⸺.
My dear Sir, My dear Madame, My dear Miss ⸺, imply a better acquaintance than Dear Sir, &c.
3. _To Friends or Relatives._
Dear Friend, My dear Father, Dear Henry, &c.
4. _To Business Firms or Corporate Bodies._
Sirs, Gentlemen, Ladies.
_Salutations to Young Ladies._—Owing to the fact that we have no word corresponding to Sir that can be used in addressing young ladies, there is sometimes an uncertainty as to the proper salutation to be used. Although Madame may refer to a married or an unmarried lady, it is not an appropriate word with which to address a young lady. There are three forms that may be used:—
1. _To a Stranger._
Decatur, Ill., May 6, 1877.
Miss Delia L. Corbus,—
* * * * *
Respectfully, William C. Johns.
Miss Delia L. Corbus, Adrian, Mich.
The name is given as the salutation, and the full address is given at the close of the letter.
2. _To an Acquaintance._
Adrian, Mich., Sept. 3, 1877.
Dear Miss Dewey,—
* * * * * *
Very truly, Thomas M. Hunter.
Miss Ella Dewey, Hotel Madison, Toledo, Ohio.
3. _To an Intimate Friend._—In writing to intimate friends, the character of the letter, and the intimacy of the writers, will suggest the proper forms.
_Salutations to Married Ladies._
1. _To a Stranger._
Mrs. J. C. Hill, Adrian, Mich.
Madame,—
2. _To an Acquaintance._
Mrs. W. S. Sears, Adrian, Mich.
Dear Madame,—
3. _To a Friend._
66 Summit St., Toledo, Ohio, Dec. 1, 1877.
Dear Mrs. Millard,—
* * * * * *
Very truly, Franklin Hubbard.
Mrs. A. L. Millard, Adrian, Mich.
IV. BODY OF THE LETTER.
_The First Word._—The first word should commence on the line immediately following the introductory words, and directly under the comma or the dash of the salutation; as,—
Dear Sir,—
Your letter * * * *
REMARK.
Some writers commence the body of the letter on the same line with the greeting.
_Margin._—It is the usual custom to leave a margin on the left of a written page. This varies according to the taste of the writer and the size of the page.
_Paragraphs._—A new paragraph should commence whenever a new subject is introduced, and, with the exception of the first paragraph, which begins directly under the comma or the dash of the salutation, each paragraph should commence a little to the right of the marginal line.
V. THE CONCLUSION.
_Definition._—The conclusion is made up of two parts,—words of respect or affection, and the signature of the writer; as,—
Very truly, Joseph M. Blain.
REMARKS.
1. Various forms of respect or affection are used in concluding letters; as, Respectfully, Most respectfully, Very affectionately, &c.
2. In using words of respect or affection, the first word only should be capitalized. In the salutation, Sir, Friend, &c., should commence with a capital, as a mark of respect; but in the conclusion of a letter, it would, to say the least, be in bad taste to give the same prominence to one’s own worth.
3. The conclusion should always be in keeping with the introductory words. If Sir were used in the salutation, it would not be proper to use Very affectionately at the close.
4. Although custom sanctions the use of Your obedient servant, Your most obedient servant, and similar forms, the practice is not to be commended. These expressions are associated with a past age, when men depended on the uncertain patronage of the great.
_Punctuation._—A comma should be placed after the words of respect and affection, and a period should be placed at the end of the signature.
REMARK.
There is great carelessness exhibited by all writers in punctuating their names. A period should always be placed at the end of the signature, to indicate that the signature is complete. If the different parts of the name are written out in full, no punctuation marks should be placed between them; if, however, any part of the name is abbreviated, a period should always be used to indicate the abbreviation; as, Ettie Shier, Laura B. Palmer, Geo. L. Bennett.
_Position._—The conclusion should be written on, at least, two lines. The words of respect and affection should be written on the line immediately following the close of the letter, on the right, commencing near the middle of the line; the signature should be on the line immediately following the words of respect and affection, a little farther to the right.
_The Signature._—In signing one’s name, there are several important facts to be remembered:—
1. The writer’s full name should always be given, especially in business letters and in letters containing money, so that the letter can be returned, if, for any reason, it is sent to the Dead Letter Office. This, of course, can not be done unless the writer’s name is given in full. Thousands of dollars are lost every year by writers thoughtlessly signing themselves Nellie, Fred., &c. 25,000 letters, containing $1,301,780, were sent to the Dead Letter Office in the year 1877.
2. A lady, in writing to a stranger, should always sign her name so that the person receiving the letter will know, in answering, whether to address a single or a married lady; as, Miss Maria S. Colvin, Mrs. David Finley.
3. It is frequently the custom for married ladies to use their husband’s name; as, Mrs. E. B. Pond. Widow ladies use their Christian name.
4. If the person writing a letter to a stranger, occupies a responsible or official position, he should give this in connection with his signature, so that the person to whom the letter is written, may have some means of knowing how much attention to give to the letter.
SUMMARY.
I. _To a Relative._
Ann Arbor, Mich., Nov. 15, 1877.
Dear Father,—
Your letter * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Affectionately, James A. Stacy.
C. A. Stacy, Esq., Adrian, Mich.
II. _To an Intimate Friend._
The form of a letter to an intimate friend should be the same as the preceding one.
Salutation to a married lady, p. 94.
III. _To an Acquaintance._
Bay City, Mich., Dec. 4, 1877.
Mr. Wm. B. Mumford, Adrian, Mich.
Dear Sir,—
Your letter * * * * * * * * * * *
Very truly, William T. Smalley.
1. Salutation to a married lady, p. 94.
2. Letter-form to a young lady, p. 93.
IV. _To a Stranger._
The same form should be used as to an acquaintance, with the exception of the salutation, which should be Sir, Madame, or Miss ⸺.
Letter-form to a young lady, p. 93.
V. _Letter with Number and Street._
34 and 36 Madison St., Chicago, Sept. 12, 1877.
Mr. Charles Scribner, 124 Grand St., N. Y.
Dear Sir,—
Your favor * * * * * * * * * * * *
Respectfully, A. S. Barnes & Co.
1. For another form, see p. 91.
2. County and state, pp. 86, 89.
3. Hotels, pp. 86, 93.
4. Seminaries and colleges, p. 86.
VI. _Official Letters._
150 Summit St., Toledo, Ohio, Dec. 10, 1877.
Hon. Samuel J. Randall, Speaker of the House, Washington, D. C.
Sir:—
* * * * * * * *
Very respectfully, Fred. L. Geddes.
To the Common Council of the City of Adrian.
Gentlemen:—
* * * * * *
Respectfully, W. S. Wilcox.
For the use of the colon, see p. 91, Rem. 1.
INTRODUCTION.
Most business men, and all professional men, have occasion, more or less, to have something printed for their own use, or to write something for the public press, so that a correct knowledge of some of the simpler marks used by proof-readers, in making corrections and additions, seems imperative. The advice sometimes given to allow the printer to make all corrections, since he is more likely to know what corrections are necessary, is destructive to a clear presentation of what another has written. The printer may understand better than the writer the mechanical part of his work, but “mind reading” has not yet reached such perfection that the compositor can tell, in all instances, what meaning the writer really wishes to convey, and a misconception on the part of the printer may be the means of changing the sense of a whole paragraph.
In preparing anything for the press, a few facts should be remembered:—
1. It is never allowable to write on both sides of a sheet of paper. Only one side should be used, and each page should be properly numbered.
2. The manuscript should be prepared with great care. It should be properly punctuated, capitalized, and broken into paragraphs. In fact, the copy placed in the hands of the printer should be in a condition to be exactly reproduced. Some expect the printer to dress up in proper form their half expressed, poorly written, and badly punctuated sentences, and if their hieroglyphics and abbreviations are not deciphered to suit their unreasonable expectations, they rail against incompetent printers and blundering proof-readers.
3. Some writers thoughtlessly leave many points unsettled in the manuscript, so as to see “how they look in print,” then fill the proof with numberless corrections and additions, and expect the printer to make such changes as the impulse of the moment has suggested. This is certainly a great injustice to the compositor, who usually receives no remuneration for this additional tax on his time and patience. No half finished manuscript ought to be allowed to go into the printer’s hand.
4. Whenever it is really necessary to strike out several words, enough words should be substituted in their places to fill the vacant spaces.
DEFINITIONS.
_Copy._—This word really means something to be imitated, and it is used by printers when referring to the manuscript of a writer.
_Proof-Sheet._—When the copy is set up in type, an impression in ink is taken for corrections. This is called a proof-sheet. In correcting proof, the first thing to be done is to place the copy in the hands of some one to read aloud, while the proof-reader pays attention principally to omissions, the spelling and capitalization of words, and punctuation. After this, the proof should be carefully examined to detect what are called typographical errors, that is, mistakes in type.
_Revise._—After the corrections indicated in the proof are made, another impression is taken. This is called the revise. The revise should be carefully compared with the proof, to see that all corrections are made.
INTRODUCTORY REMARK.
Mistakes in the proof should be called attention to by certain marks which will hereafter be described, and the corrections should be indicated in the margin, on the right or left of the line in which they occur. If mistakes are found near the beginning of the line, the corrections should be placed in the margin on the left, otherwise they should be placed on the right. The numbers in the following statements refer to lines of the specimen proof-sheet on pages 111, 112.
I. _Wrong Letters and Punctuation Marks._—The most common mistakes in a proof-sheet are wrong letters and punctuation marks. When these are noticed, a line should be drawn slopingly, from right to left, through each, and the correct letter or punctuation mark written in the margin. It is better to repeat the line with the correction in the margin, so as to attract attention to the desired change; as, 2, 4, 8. A sloping line should always be placed between corrections opposite the same line, and the corrections should be placed in the order in which they occur.
REMARKS.
1. The correction in the margin should always be placed to the left of the sloping line; as, 2, 3, 4, 8.
2. The period, dash, hyphen, quotation marks, apostrophe, and reference marks should be distinguished in the margin, thus:—
For illustrations, see 6, 10.
3. If it is necessary to change a capital letter to a small letter, draw a line through the capital, and either write a small letter in the margin, or the abbreviation _l.c._, lower case, which indicates that a common letter is to be used; as, 3.
4. The abbreviation _w.f._, wrong font, indicates that a letter is of improper size.
II. _Wrong Words._—When an entire word is incorrect, a straight line should be drawn through it, and the proper word written in the margin; as, 5.
REMARK.
When it is necessary to change a word, printed in capitals, to small letters, draw a line through the word, and write _l.c._ in the margin; as, 16. See I., Rem. 3.
III. _Omissions._—If a letter, punctuation mark, or word is omitted, the omission should be indicated by a caret, and the omitted letter, punctuation mark, or word placed in the margin; as, 3, 6.
REMARKS.
1. When the period, dash, hyphen, quotation marks, or reference marks are omitted, they should be distinguished in the margin as in I., Rem. 2.
2. A sloping line should always be made in the margin, to the right of an omitted letter or punctuation mark; as, 3.
3. If several words or lines are omitted, it is sometimes necessary to write the words at the top or bottom of the proof. When this is the case, a line should be drawn from the caret to the words to be inserted; as, 25.
4. Sometimes so much has been omitted that it is necessary to refer to the copy. When this is so, indicate the omission by a caret, write _See Copy_ in the margin, and inclose within parenthetical marks or brackets the portion of the copy to be inserted in the proof.
IV. _Inverted Letter._—When a letter is inverted, a sloping line should be drawn through it, and the change indicated in the margin by 9, a character resembling an inverted 6; as, 13.
REMARK.
Some proof-readers draw a line under the inverted letter, but this is not so easily recognized as a sloping line drawn through the letter.
V. _Strike Out._—It is sometimes necessary to strike out a letter, punctuation mark, or word. A line should be drawn through each, as in I. and II., and the sign ₰, which means strike out, placed in the margin; as, 9, 19.
VI. _Capitals and Italics._—Three lines drawn under a word indicate that the word should be printed in large capitals; two lines, small capitals; one line, italics. The abbreviations, _Caps._, _S. Caps._, _Ital._, should also be written in the margin; as, 1, 2.
REMARKS.
1. If a word is italicized, and it is desirable to change it to the ordinary type, draw a line under it, and write _Rom._, the abbreviation for Roman, in the margin; as, 15.
2. To change a word printed in capitals to small letters, see II., Rem.
VII. _Spacing._—When there is too great a space between two letters, the letters should be connected by the marks ⁐, and the same sign should be repeated in the margin; as, 21. The single mark ‿ connecting two words and repeated in the margin, indicates too great a space between words; as, 23.
When there is not sufficient space between two words, a caret is used to indicate the want of space, and the sign # written in the margin; as, 25.
REMARKS.
1. When there is not space enough between two lines, or there is too much, the fact can be indicated as in 7 and 8, 13 and 14.
2. When a space is not left at the commencement of a paragraph, a caret indicates the want of space, and the sign ▭ is placed in the margin; as, 17.
VIII. _Paragraphs._—When a new paragraph is desired, the sign [ should be inserted in the proof, before the first word of the new paragraph, and the sign ¶ should be placed in the margin; as, 10.
When two paragraphs are to be run together, they should be connected by a line, and _No_ ¶ written in the margin; as, 24.
REMARKS.
1. The line connecting the two paragraphs is usually so readily recognized that an additional sign in the margin is not always required.
2. For space at the commencement of a paragraph, see VII., Rem. 2.
IX. _Correction to be Disregarded._—Dots placed under a word, and _Stet._, which means let it stand, written in the margin, indicate that a correction is to be disregarded; as, 25.
X. _Broken Letters._—When it is necessary to call the attention of the printer to a broken letter, a line should be drawn under it, and the sign × placed in the margin; as, 21.
REMARK.
It is the custom with some proof-readers to draw a sloping line through the broken letter, and repeat the letter in the margin. This is sometimes a great convenience to the printer, especially when the letter is so badly injured that it can not be recognized; for, unless the printer is familiar with the spelling of the word, it may be necessary, with considerable inconvenience, to refer to the copy.
XI. _Transpose._—When two words should change places, the custom is to draw a line over the first, continue it under the second, and write _tr._, the abbreviation for transpose, in the margin; as, 26.
REMARKS.
1. When several letters in a word are not in their proper order, either draw a line through the word and rewrite it in the margin, or draw a line under or through the letters, and write them in their proper order.
2. When the order of several words is to be changed, indicate the proper order by placing 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., over the words, draw a straight line under each, and write _tr._ in the margin.
XII. _Crooked Words._—When the letters of a word are displaced, draw a line above and below the word, and repeat the lines in the margin; as, 28. The same marks are used to call attention to a crooked line.
XIII. _Projecting Leads._—When a lead projects so as to leave an impression on the proof, a sloping line should be drawn through it, and the sign [symbol] or [symbol] placed in the margin; as, 22.
XIV. _Diphthongs._—When _æ_ and _œ_ should be printed as diphthongs, a line should be drawn through them, and the letters forming the diphthong written in the margin thus, æ̑, œ̑.
XV. _Mark of Attention._—The sign + is sometimes used to call the attention of the printer to some defect in a word or line.
GENERAL REMARK.
It is the custom with many proof-readers to draw a line from the mistake in the proof to the correction in the margin. This should always be done when the mistakes are numerous, or the lines crowded together.
DESCRIPTION OF A PALACE IN A VALLEY.
Ye who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope; who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow, attend to the history of Rasselas, prince of Abyssinia.
Rasselas was the fourth son of the mighty emperor, in whose dominions the father of waters begins his course; whose bounty pours down the streams of plenty, and scatters over half the world the harvests of Egypt.
The place which the wisdom or policy of antiquity had destined for the residence of the Abyssinian princes, was a spacious valley in the kingdom of Amhara, surrounded on every side by mountains, of which the summits overhung the middle part. The only passage by which it could be entered, was a cavern that passed under a rock, of which it has long been disputed whether it was the work of nature or of human industry.
DR. JOHNSON.
INDEX.
The first number of each reference refers to the page.
A
Abbreviations, how indicated, 29, II.; list of, 29, 30; additional marks, 30, 1; proper names, 30, 2; numerals, 30, 3; numbering pages, 30, 4; letter doubled to indicate the plural, 30, 5; how to abbreviate words, 30, 6; Mr., Mrs., etc., 74, 1, 2.