“Yours in haste” or “Hastily yours” is not bad form, but is rather carelessly rude.

“In a tearing hurry” is a termination dear to the boarding school girl; but its truth does not make it any more attractive than the vision of that same young girl rushing into a room with her hat and coat half on, to swoop upon her mother with a peck of a kiss, and with a “—­by, mamma!” whirl out again!  Turmoil and flurry may be characteristic of the manners of to-day; both are far from the ideal of beautiful manners which should be as assured, as smooth, as controlled as the running of a high-grade automobile.  Flea-like motions are no better suited to manners than to motors.

Other Endings

“Gratefully” is used only when a benefit has been received, as to a lawyer who has skilfully handled a case; to a surgeon who has saved a life dear to you; to a friend who has been put to unusual trouble to do you a favor.

In an ordinary letter of thanks, the signature is “Sincerely,” “Affectionately,” “Devotedly”—­as the case may be.

The phrases that a man might devise to dose a letter to his betrothed or his wife are bound only by the limit of his imagination and do not belong in this, or any, book.

=THE SIGNATURE=

Abroad, the higher the rank, the shorter the name.  A duke, for instance, signs himself “Marlborough,” nothing else, and a queen her first name “Victoria.”  The social world in Europe, therefore, laughs at us for using our whole names, or worse yet, inserting meaningless initials in our signatures.  Etiquette in accord with Europe also objects strenuously to initials and demands that names be always engraved, and, if possible, written in full, but only very correct people strictly observe this rule.

In Europe all persons have so many names given them in baptism that they are forced, naturally, to lay most of them aside, selecting one, or at most two, for use.  In America, the names bestowed at baptism become inseparably part of each individual, so that if the name is overlong, a string of initials is the inevitable result.

Since, in America, it is not customary for a man to discard any of his names, and John Hunter Titherington Smith is far too much of a pen-full for the one who signs thousands of letters and documents, it is small wonder that he chooses J.H.T.  Smith, instead, or perhaps, at the end of personal letters, John H.T.  Smith.  Why shouldn’t he?  It is, after all, his own name to sign as he chooses, and in addressing him deference to his choice should be shown.

A married woman should always sign a letter to a stranger, a bank, business firm, etc., with her baptismal name, and add, in parenthesis, her married name.  Thus: 

    Very truly yours,
    Sarah Robinson Smith. 
    (Mrs. J.H.  Titherington Smith.)

Never under any circumstances sign a letter “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, or “Miss” (except a note written in the third person).  If, in the example above, Sarah Robinson Smith were “Miss” she would put “Miss” in parenthesis to the left of her signature: