the list of useful
forms is to take all of the letters received and all of the letters
written during, say, one or two months and then classify them. A number
of letters will have to do with purely individual cases. These letters
should be discarded. They are letters which would have to be personally
dictated in any event and there is no use wasting time composing forms
for them. The remaining letters will fall into divisions, and through
these divisions it will become apparent what points in the
correspondence arise so frequently and in so nearly the same form as to
be capable of being expressed in form paragraphs.

There will probably be a number of subjects which can be covered fully
by two or three form letters, but a nicer adjustment will usually be
had by thinking of form paragraphs rather than of form letters, for
skillfully drawn and skillfully used form paragraphs will so closely
simulate the personal letter as to leave no doubt in the mind of the
reader that considerable trouble has been taken to put the matter before
him courteously and exactly.

CHAPTER IX

CHILDREN'S LETTERS

Children's letters may be written on ordinary stationery, but it adds a
good deal of interest to their letter writing if they may use some of
the several pretty, special styles to be had at any good stationer's.

The following examples of children's letters include:

Letter of invitation from a child to a child.
Letter of invitation from a parent to a child.
Letter from a parent to a parent inviting a child.
Letter of thanks to an aunt for a gift.
Letter to a sick playmate.
Letter to a teacher.
Letter to a grandmother on her birthday.

_Invitation to a birthday party_

April 14, 1921.

Dear Frank:

I am going to have a birthday party next Friday afternoon,
from three-thirty until six o'clock. I hope you will come
and help us to have a good time.

Sincerely yours,
Harriet Evans.
500 Park Avenue

_Accepting_

439 Manhattan Avenue,
April 16, 1921.

Dear Harriet:

It is so kind of you to ask me to your birthday party next
Friday afternoon. I shall be very glad to come.

Sincerely yours,
Frank Daw