ks up Fifth Avenue on the
coldest mornings in the year, bareheaded, coatless, sockless, clad in
white flannels and tennis slippers. He attracts attention, but he makes
us shiver.

Plain white paper of good quality is always in good taste. Certain
dull-tinted papers are not bad, but gaudy colors, flashy designs, and
ornate letter heads are taboo in all high types of business. Simple
headings giving explicit and useful information are best. The name and
address of the firm (and "New York" or "Chicago" is not sufficient in
spite of the fact that a good many places go into no more detail than
this), the cable address if it has one, the telephone number and the
trademark if it is an inconspicuous one (there is a difference between
_conspicuous_ and _distinctive_) are all that any business house needs.

Hotels are often pictured on their own stationery in a way that is
anything but modest, but there is a very good reason for it. The first
thing most people want to know about a hotel is what sort of looking
place it is. All right, here you are. Some factories, especially those
that are proud of their appearance, carry their own picture on their
stationery. There is nothing to say against it, but one of the most
beautiful factories in America has on its letter head only the name of
the firm, the address, and a small trademark engraved in black.
Sometimes a picture, in a sales letter, for instance, supplements the
written matter in a most effective way. And whenever any kind of device
is really helpful it should by all means be used, subject only to the
limits of good taste.

It is more practical in business to use standard size envelopes. If
window envelopes are used the window should be clear, the paper white or
nearly so, and the typewritten address a good honest black. The
enclosure should fit snugly and should be placed so that the address is
in plain view without having to be jiggled around in the envelope first.
A letter passes through the hands of several postal clerks before it
reaches the person to whom it is addressed, and if each one of them has
to stop to play with it awhile an appreciable amount of time is lost,
not to mention the strain it puts on their respective tempers. The paper
of which an envelope is made should always be opaque enough to conceal
the contents of the letter.

Practically all business letters are typewritten. Occasionally a "Help
Wanted" advertisement requests that the answer be in the app