[Illustration: As to the use of the symbol "&" and the abbreviation of
the word "company," the safest plan in writing to a company is to spell
its name exactly as it appears on its letterhead]

Names of months and names of states may be abbreviated in the heading of
the letter but not in the body. But it is better form not to do so.
Names of states should never be abbreviated on the envelope. For
instance, "California" and "Colorado," if written "Cal." and "Col.," may
easily be mistaken for each other.

The participial closing of a letter, that is, ending a letter with a
participial phrase, weakens the entire effect of the letter. This is
particularly true of a business letter. Close with a clear-cut idea. The
following endings will illustrate the ineffective participle:

Hoping to hear from you on this matter by return mail.

Assuring you of our wish to be of service to you in the
future.

Thanking you for your order and hoping we shall be able to
please you.

Trusting that you will start an investigation as soon as
possible.

More effective endings would be:

Please send a remittance by return mail.

If we can be of use to you in the future, will you let us
know?

We thank you for your order and hope we shall fill it to
your satisfaction.

Please investigate the delay at once.

The participial ending is merely a sort of habit. A letter used to be
considered lacking in ease if it ended with an emphatic sentence or
ended with something that had really to do with the subject of the
letter.

It might be well in concluding a letter, as in a personal leavetaking,
to "Stand not on the order of your going." Good-byes should be short.

CHAPTER V

PERSONAL LETTERS--SOCIAL AND FRIENDLY

INVITATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

_General Directions_

The format of an invitation is not so important as its taste. Some of
the more formal sorts of invitations--as to weddings--have become rather
fixed, and the set wordings are carried through regardless of the means
at hand for proper presentation. For instance, one often sees a wedding
invitation in impeccable form but badly printed on cheap paper. It would
be far better, if it is impossible to get good engraving or if
first-class work proves to be too expensive, to buy good white notepaper
and write the invitations. A typewriter is, of course, out of the
question either for sending or answering any s