in every word, whether the e or the i comes first, but there is an old rule that will help.

I before e,
Except after c,

Or when sounded like a,
As in neighbor and weigh.

For example, in believe the i comes before the e; but when these letters follow c, the e comes first, as in receive. And when the e has the sound of a, the e comes first. Exceptions to the rule are seize, neither, either, weird, financier, and leisure.

Inspect the following words, and show that the rule applies:

Hereafter when you write words of the kind we have been considering, stop to recall this rule, and be sure to spell correctly. After a time you will do so from force of habit.

A BUSINESS LETTER

91. A business letter is usually very short, but it is sometimes not an easy thing to write. For a business man is a person who is very exact in his habits; he keeps on file all the important letters and orders he receives, so that he can refer to them at a moment's notice; and when he has anything to

do, he wants to do it quickly. Therefore when you write to such a person, you must be sure to tell him precisely what he wants to know.

Suppose, for example, that you have ordered a set of Hawthorne's works from a firm in Chicago, and that the books have failed to come as early as you have a right to expect. Wishing to make inquiries, you will write a letter somewhat like the following:

3208 Western Avenue
Mattoon, Ill.

October 10, 1913

Castleman, Rhodes and Co. 123 Wabash Avenue Chicago, Ill.

DEAR SIRS:

On September 20th I sent you an order for a set of Hawthorne's works, and inclosed a money order for eight dollars and thirty cents ($8.30), the listed price of the books. The package has not been delivered at my house; and I find on inquiry at the American Express Company office that it has not been received there. Will you kindly investigate the matter and send on my purchase at once? Very truly yours,

JAMES STRONG

When this letter arrived it would be opened with hundreds of others, perhaps, by a clerk whose duty it is to sort the mail and to give each pile to the person who has a particular part of the day's business to attend to. The letter printed above would probably go to the order department. The clerk there

would examine the files to see if the letter mentioned had been received. If it had, he would then examine the record stamped on the back of it. If the record indicated that the order had been filled, he would then look for the receipt from the driver of the express wagon that carried away the packages on that day. In case he found it, he would send a messenger or a letter, called a "tracer," to the express company's office, asking that the package be traced at once. But if, on the other hand, he • found that the mistake had been made by himself or any of his associates, he would correct it himself and ship the books.

Now, if you will read the letter again, you will discover that the clerk who investigated the matter would have precisely the information he needed. Just enough and no more: that is the rule in writing business letters. In this case the clerk would have your name and address, the nature of your purchase and the price, the day on which the letter was written, the name of the express company, and the fact that you had sent a money order. But if any

of these details had been omitted, further correspondence would be necessary.

Question: Was the word received correctly spelled in the letter?

FORM OF A BUSINESS LETTER

92. Business houses often receive letters so poorly arranged that it is difficult to read them. For this reason it is wise to follow a set form, such as that

given in the example letter. This form comprises the following particulars:

a. The heading, which consists of the number of the writer's house, the name of the street, and the name of the city and the state.

b. The address, which consists of the name of the person, firm, or company to whom the letter is sent, the number of the building, the name of the street, and the name of the city and the state. c. The salutation, which may be Dear Sirs, Gentlemen, Dear Sir, Dear Madam, or Dear Miss.

d. The body, which should contain just enough and no

more.

e. The complimentary close, which is usually Yours truly or Very truly yours.

f. The signature, which is your name as you sign it. And you should be careful to sign it always the same way. For example, if your name is John Henry Jones you may sign it in full, or John H. Jones, or J. H. Jones, or J. Henry Jones. But always sign it the same way.

PUNCTUATION OF THE LETTER

93. Custom varies a little in the punctuation of the heading, the address, and the salutation of a letter; but the style of punctuation in the example letter is good, and you are advised to follow it.

In the heading a comma comes after the name of the town to separate it from the name of the state. The period comes after the "Ill." because Ill. is an abbreviation. The comma after "10" is used to separate the day of the month from the year.

In the address of the company to which the letter

is sent, the first comma is used to separate the name of the first member of the company from the name of the second member. The period after "Co." is used because this group of letters is an abbreviation. The comma is used after "Chicago" to separate the name of the city from that of the state. The period is used after "Ill." to indicate the abbreviation.

The colon is used after the salutation because the voice falls as the salutation is read, and because the salutation is a kind of introduction to the letter. The comma after the complimentary close shows that something else, the signature, is to follow.

ANOTHER FORM FOR A BUSINESS LETTER

94. Another style of letter now very common is called the "block style." An example is given below:

136 Meridian Street Indianapolis, Ind. December 27, 1914

The Acme Company 26 N. Jefferson St. Detroit, Mich.

DEAR SIRS:

In response to your inquiry of the twenty-third of this month, we take pleasure in informing you that we carry the goods you are in need of, and that we are sending you printed information which should reach you in this mail. We shall be glad to receive an order from you and to consider you among our constant patrons.

Yours very truly,

A. J. REEVES COMPANY