So much depends upon the circumstances attendant upon the writing of letters of friendship, that it is impossible to make any definite statement as to what they should contain.  We may say in general that they should contain matter interesting to the recipient, and that they should be characterized by vividness and naturalness.  Interesting material is a requisite, but that of itself is not sufficient to make an entertaining letter.  Interesting material may be presented in so unattractive and lifeless a manner that much of its power to please is lost.  Let your letters be full of life and spirit.  In your descriptions, narrations, and explanations, express yourself so clearly and so vividly that those who read your letters will be able to understand exactly what you mean.

EXERCISES

1.  Write a letter to a classmate who has moved to another town, telling
    him of the school of which he was once a member.

2.  Write to a friend, describing your visit to the World’s Fair at St.
    Louis.

3.  Suppose yourself away from home.  Write a letter to your little brother
    or sister at home.

4.  If you have ever been abroad, describe in a letter some place of
    interest that you have visited.

5.  Write to a friend who is fond of camping, about your camping
    experience.

6.  Suppose your mother is away from home on a visit.  Write her about the
    home life.

7.  Write to a friend, describing a party that you recently attended.

8.  Suppose you have moved from one town to another.  In a letter compare
    the two towns.

+103.  Adaptation to the Reader.+—­The golden rule of letter writing is, Adapt the letter to the reader.  Although the letter is an expression of yourself, yet it should be that kind of expression which shall most interest and please your correspondent.  In business letters the necessity of brevity and clearness forces attention to the selection and arrangement of details.  In letters to members of the family or to intimate friends we must include many very minor things, because we know that our correspondent will be interested in them, but a rambling, disjointed jumble of poorly selected and ill-arranged details becomes tedious.  What we should mention is determined by the interests of the readers, and the successful letter writer will endeavor to know what they wish to have mentioned.  In writing letters to our friends we ought to show that sympathetic interest in them and their affairs which we should have if we were visiting with them.  On occasion, our congratulations should be prompt and sincere.

In reading letters we must not be hasty to take offense.  Many good friendships have been broken because some statement in a letter was misconstrued.  The written words convey a meaning very different from that which would have been given by the spoken word, the tone of voice, the smile, and the personal presence.  So in our writing we must avoid all that which even borders on complaint, or which may seem critical or fault-finding to the most sensitive.