The Project Gutenberg EBook of Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing, by Lewis Carroll This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing Author: Lewis Carroll Release Date: November 20, 2011 [EBook #38065] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WISE WORDS ABOUT LETTER-WRITING *** Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) EIGHT OR NINE WISE WORDS ABOUT Letter-Writing BY _LEWIS CARROLL_ EMBERLIN AND SON 4, MAGDALEN STREET OXFORD FIRST PUBLISHED 1890. Contents. PAGE. _On Stamp-Cases_ 5 _How to begin a Letter_ 9 _How to go on with a Letter_ 12 _How to end a Letter_ 21 _On registering Correspondence_ 23 Sec. 1. _On Stamp-Cases._ Some American writer has said "the snakes in this district may be divided into one species--the venomous." The same principle applies here. Postage-Stamp-Cases may be divided into one species, the "Wonderland." Imitations of it will soon appear, no doubt: but they cannot include the two Pictorial Surprises, which are copyright. You don't see why I call them 'Surprises'? Well, take the Case in your left-hand, and regard it attentively. You see Alice nursing the Duchess's Baby? (An entirely new combination, by the way: it doesn't occur in the book.) Now, with your right thumb and forefinger, lay hold of the little book, and suddenly pull it out. _The Baby has turned into a Pig!_ If _that_ doesn't surprise you, why, I suppose you wouldn't be surprised if your own Mother-in-law suddenly turned into a Gyroscope! This Case is _not_ intended to carry about in your pocket. Far from it. People seldom want any other Stamps, on an emergency, than Penny-Stamps for Letters, Sixpenny-Stamps for Telegrams, and a bit of Stamp-edging for cut fingers (it makes capital sticking-plaster, and will stand three or four washings, cautiously conducted): and all these are easily carried in a purse or pocketbook. No, _this_ is meant to haunt your envelope-case, or wherever you keep your writing-materials. What made me invent it was the constantly wanting Stamps of other values, for foreign Letters, Parcel Post, &c., and finding it very bothersome to get at the kind I wanted in a hurry. Since I have possessed a "Wonderland Stamp Case", Life has been bright and peaceful, and I have used no other. I believe the Queen's laundress uses no other. Each of the pockets will hold 6 stamps, comfortably. I would recommend you to arrange the 6, before putting them in, something like a _bouquet_, making them lean to the right and to the left alternately: thus there will always be a free _corner_ to get hold of, so as to take them out, quickly and easily, one by one: otherwise you will find them apt to come out two or three at a time. According to _my_ experience, the 5_d._, 9_d._, and 1_s._ Stamps are hardly ever wanted, though I have constantly to replenish all the other pockets. If your experience agrees with mine, you may find it convenient to keep only a couple (say) of each of these 3 kinds, in the 1_s._ pocket, and to fill the other 2 pockets with extra 1_d._ stamps. Sec. 2. _How to begin a Letter._ If the Letter is to be in answer to another, begin by getting out that other letter and reading it through, in order to refresh your memory, as to what it is you have to answer, and as to your correspondent's _present address_ (otherwise you will be sending your letter to his regular address in _London_, though he has been careful in writing to give you his _Torquay_ address in full). Next, Address and Stamp the Envelope. "What! Before writing the _Letter_?" Most certainly. And I'll tell you what will happen if you don't. You will go on writing till the last moment, and just in the middle of the last sentence, you will become aware that 'time's up!' Then comes the hurried wind-up--the wildly-scrawled signature--the hastily-fastened envelope, which comes open in the post--the address, a mere hieroglyphic--the horrible discovery that you've forgotten to replenish your Stamp-Case--the frantic appeal, to every one in the house, to lend you a Stamp--the headlong rush to the Post Office, arriving, hot and gasping, just after the box has closed--and finally, a week afterwards, the return of the Letter, from the Dead-Letter Office, marked "address illegible"! Next, put your own address, _in full_, at the top of the note-sheet. It is an aggravating thing----I speak from bitter experience----when a friend, staying at some new address, heads his letter "Dover," simply, assuming that you can get the rest of the address from his previous letter, which perhaps you have destroyed. Next, put the date _in full_. It is another aggravating thing, when you wish, years afterwards, to arrange a series of letters, to find them dated "Feb. 17", "Aug. 2", without any year to guide you as to which comes first. And never, never, dear Madam (N.B. this remark is addressed to ladies _only_: no _man_ would ever do such a thing), put "Wednesday", simply, as the date! "_That way madness lies._" Sec. 3. _How to go on with a Letter._ Here is a golden Rule to begin with. _Write legibly._ The average temper of the human race would be perceptibly sweetened, if everybody obeyed this Rule! A great deal of the bad writing in the world comes simply from writing _too quickly_. Of course you reply, "I do it to save _time_". A very good object, no doubt: but what right have you to do it at your friend's expense? Isn't _his_ time as valuable as yours? Years ago, I used to receive letters from a friend----and very interesting letters too----written in one of the most atrocious hands ever invented. It generally took me about a _week_ to read one of his letters! I used to carry it about in my pocket, and take it out at leisure times, to puzzle over the riddles which composed it----holding it in different positions, and at different distances, till at last the meaning of some hopeless scrawl would flash upon me, when I at once wrote down the English under it; and, when several had been thus guessed, the context would help one with the others, till at last the whole series of hieroglyphics was deciphered. If _all_ one's friends wrote like that, Life would be entirely spent in reading their letters! This Rule applies, specially, to names of people or places----and _most_ specially to _foreign names_. I got a letter once, containing some Russian names, written in the same hasty scramble in which people often write "yours sincerely". The _context_, of course, didn't help in the least: and one spelling was just as likely as another, so far as _I_ knew: it was necessary to write and tell my friend that I couldn't read any of them! My second Rule is, don't fill _more_ than a page and a half with apologies for not having written sooner! The best subject, to _begin_ with, is your friend's last letter. Write with the letter open before you. Answer his questions, and make any remarks his letter suggests. _Then_ go on to what you want to say yourself. This arrangement is more courteous, and pleasanter for the reader, than to fill the letter with your own invaluable remarks, and then hastily answer your friend's questions in a postscript. Your friend is much more likely to enjoy your wit, _after_ his own anxiety for information has been satisfied. In referring to anything your friend has said in his letter, it is best to _quote the exact words_, and not to give a summary of them in _your_ words. _A's_ impression, of what _B_ has said, expressed in _A's_ words, will never convey to _B_ the meaning of his own words. This is specially necessary when some point has arisen as to which the two correspondents do not quite agree. There ought to be no opening for such writing as "You are quite mistaken in thinking I said so-and-so. It was not in the least my meaning, &c., &c.", which tends to make a correspondence last for a lifetime. A few more Rules may fitly be given here, for correspondence that has unfortunately become _controversial_. One is, _don't repeat yourself_. When once you have said your say, fully and clearly, on a certain point, and have failed to convince your friend, _drop that subject_: to repeat your arguments, all over again, will simply lead to his doing the same; and so you will go on, like a Circulating Decimal. _Did you ever know a Circulating Decimal come to an end?_ Another Rule is, when you have written a letter that you feel may possibly irritate your friend, however necessary you may have felt it to so express yourself, _put it aside till the next day_. Then read it over again, and fancy it addressed to yourself. This will often lead to your writing it all over again, taking out a lot of the vinegar and pepper, and putting in honey instead, and thus making a _much_ more palatable dish of it! If, when you have done your best to write inoffensively, you still feel that it will probably lead to further controversy, _keep a copy of it_. There is very little use, months afterwards, in pleading "I am almost sure I never expressed myself as you say: to the best of my recollection I said so-and-so". _Far_ better to be able to write "I did _not_ express myself so: these are the words I used." My fifth Rule is, if your friend makes a severe remark, either leave it unnoticed, or make your reply distinctly _less_ severe: and if he makes a friendly remark, tending towards 'making up' the little difference that has arisen between you, let your reply be distinctly _more_ friendly. If, in picking a quarrel, each party declined to go more than _three-eighths_ of the way, and if, in making friends, each was ready to go _five-eighths_ of the way--why, there would be more reconciliations than quarrels! Which is like the Irishman's remonstrance to his gad-about daughter--"Shure, you're _always_ goin' out! You go out _three_ times, for _wanst_ that you come in!" My sixth Rule (and my last remark about controversial correspondence) is, _don't try to have the last word_! How many a controversy would be nipped in the bud, if each was anxious to let the _other_ have the last word! Never mind how telling a rejoinder you leave unuttered: never mind your friend's supposing that you are silent from lack of anything to say: let the thing drop, as soon as it is possible without discourtesy: remember 'speech is silvern, but silence is golden'! (N.B.--If you are a gentleman, and your friend a lady, this Rule is superfluous: _you won't get the last word_!) My seventh Rule is, if it should ever occur to you to write, jestingly, in _dispraise_ of your friend, be sure you exaggerate enough to make the jesting _obvious_: a word spoken in _jest_, but taken as _earnest_, may lead to very serious consequences. I have known it to lead to the breaking-off of a friendship. Suppose, for instance, you wish to remind your friend of a sovereign you have lent him, which he has forgotten to repay--you might quite _mean_ the words "I mention it, as you seem to have a conveniently bad memory for debts", in jest: yet there would be nothing to wonder at if he took offence at that way of putting it. But, suppose you wrote "Long observation of your career, as a pickpocket and a burglar, has convinced me that my one lingering hope, for recovering that sovereign I lent you, is to say 'Pay up, or I'll summons yer!'" he would indeed be a matter-of-fact friend if he took _that_ as seriously meant! My eighth Rule. When you say, in your letter, "I enclose cheque for L5", or "I enclose John's letter for you to see", leave off writing for a moment--go and get the document referred to--and _put it into the envelope_. Otherwise, you are pretty certain to find it lying about, _after the Post has gone_! My ninth Rule. When you get to the end of a note-sheet, and find you have more to say, take another piece of paper--a whole sheet, or a scrap, as the case may demand: but, whatever you do, _don't cross_! Remember the old proverb '_Cross-writing makes cross reading_'. "The _old_ proverb?" you say, enquiringly. "_How_ old?" Well, not so _very_ ancient, I must confess. In fact, I'm afraid I invented it while writing this paragraph! Still, you know, 'old' is a _comparative_ term. I think you would be _quite_ justified in addressing a chicken, just out of the shell, as "Old boy!", _when compared_ with another chicken, that was only half-out! Sec. 4. _How to end a Letter._ If doubtful whether to end with 'yours faithfully', or 'yours truly', or 'yours most truly', &c. (there are at least a dozen varieties, before you reach 'yours affectionately'), refer to your correspondent's last letter, and make your winding-up _at least as friendly as his_; in fact, even if a shade _more_ friendly, it will do no harm! A Postscript is a very useful invention: but it is _not_ meant (as so many ladies suppose) to contain the real _gist_ of the letter: it serves rather to throw into the shade any little matter we do _not_ wish to make a fuss about. For example, your friend had promised to execute a commission for you in town, but forgot it, thereby putting you to great inconvenience: and he now writes to apologize for his negligence. It would be cruel, and needlessly crushing, to make it the main subject of your reply. How much more gracefully it comes in thus! "P.S. Don't distress yourself any more about having omitted that little matter in town. I won't deny that it _did_ put my plans out a little, at the time: but it's all right now. I often forget things, myself: and 'those who live in glass-houses, mustn't throw stones', you know!" When you take your letters to the Post, _carry them in your hand_. If you put them in your pocket you will take a long country-walk (I speak from experience), passing the Post-Office _twice_, going and returning, and, when you get home, will find them _still_ in your pocket. Sec. 5. _On registering Correspondence._ Let me recommend you to keep a record of Letters Received and Sent. I have kept one for many years, and have found it of the greatest possible service, in many ways: it secures my _answering_ Letters, however long they have to wait; it enables me to refer, for my own guidance, to the details of previous correspondence, though the actual Letters may have been destroyed long ago; and, most valuable feature of all, if any difficulty arises, years afterwards, in connection with a half-forgotten correspondence, it enables me to say, with confidence, "I did _not_ tell you that he was 'an _invaluable_ servant in _every_ way', and that you _couldn't_ 'trust him too much'. I have a _precis_ of my letter. What I said was 'he is a _valuable_ servant in _many_ ways, but _don't_ trust him too much'. So, if he's cheated you, you really must not hold _me_ responsible for it!" I will now give you a few simple Rules for making, and keeping, a Letter-Register. Get a blank book, containing (say) 200 leaves, about 4 inches wide and 7 high. It should be _well_ fastened into its cover, as it will have to be opened and shut hundreds of times. Have a line ruled, in red ink, down each margin of every page, an inch off the edge (the margin should be wide enough to contain a number of 5 digits, easily: _I_ manage with a 3/4 inch margin: but, unless you write very small you will find an inch more comfortable). Write a _precis_ of each Letter, received or sent, in chronological order. Let the entry of a 'received' Letter reach from the left-hand edge to the right-hand marginal line; and the entry of a 'sent' Letter from the left-hand marginal line to the right-hand edge. Thus the two kinds will be quite distinct, and you can easily hunt through the 'received' Letters by themselves, without being bothered with the 'sent' Letters; and _vice versa_. Use the _right-hand_ pages only: and, when you come to the end of the book, turn it upside-down, and begin at the other end, still using right-hand pages. You will find this much more comfortable than using left-hand pages. You will find it convenient to write, at the top of every sheet of a 'received' Letter, its Register-Number in full. I will now give a few (ideal) specimen pages of my Letter-Register, and make a few remarks on them: after which I think you will find it easy enough to manage one for yourself. 29217| /90. || -------+ || (217) |Ap. 1 (Tu.) _Jones, Mrs._ am ||27518 sendg, |as present from self and Mr. || J., a |white elephant. ||225 -------+----------------------------------|| (218) |do. _Wilkins & Co._ bill, for||28743 grand |piano, L175 10_s._ 6_d._ [pd||221, 2 -------+----------------------------------|| (219) |do. _Scareham, H._ [writes from|| 'Grand | Hotel, Monte Carlo'] asking || to borr|ow L50 for a few weeks (!) ||[symbol] -------+----------------------------------+-------- [symbol]||(220) do. _Scareham, H._ would| like to ||know _object_, for wh loan is | asked, ||and _security_ offered. | ||----------------------------------+-------- 218||(221) Ap. 3. _Wilkins & Co._ ||in pre- ||vious letter, now before me, || you ||undertook to supply one for ||L120: 246||decling to pay more. || ||----------------------------------+-------- 23514||(222) do. _Cheetham & Sharp._ | have 218 ||written 221--enclosing previo|us let- 228||ter--is law on my side? | [ ------++----------------------------------++------- (223) ||Ap. 4. _Manager, Goods Statn_,|| _G. N.||R._ White Elephant arrived, ad- || dresse||d to you--send for it at once-- || 'very ||savage'. ||226 -------+----------------------------------+-------- | | | | 29225 | /90. | ------++ | 217||(225) Ap. 4. (F) _Jones, Mrs._ th||anks, ||but no room for it at present, am||send- 230||ing it to Zoological Gardens. || ||----------------------------------++------- 223||(226) do. _Manager, Goods Sta||tn, G._ ||_N. R._ please deliver, to bearer||of this ||note, case containg White Ele-||phant ||addressed to me. || ||----------------------------------+-------- ||(227) do. _Director Zool. Garde |ns._ (en- 223 ||closing above note to R. W. Ma|nager) ||call for valuable animal, prese|nted to 229||Gardens. | -------+----------------------------------+-------- (228) |Ap. 8. _Cheetham & Sharp._ you||222 misquo|te enclosed letter, limit named || is L18|0. ||237 -------+----------------------------------||------- (229) |Ap. 9. _Director, Zoo. Gardens._||227 case de|livered to us contained 1 doz.|| 230 Port--|consumed at Directors' Ban-|| quet--|many thanks. || -------+----------------------------------+-------- 225||(230) do. T _Jones, Mrs._ why | call a [symbol]||doz. of Port a 'White Elephant'? | -------+----------------------------------+-------- (231) |do. T _Jones, Mrs._ 'it was a ||[symbol] joke'. | || -------+----------------------------------+-------- | | | | 29233 | /90. | -------+ | ||(233) Ap. 10. (Th) _Page & Co._|orderg ||Macaulay's Essays and "Jane |Eyre" 242||(cheap edtn). | -------+----------------------------------+-------- (234) |do. _Aunt Jemima_--invitg for || 2 or 3 |days after the 15th. [ || 236 -------+----------------------------------|| (235) |do. _Lon. and West. Bk._ have || recevd |L250, pd to yr Acct fm Parkins || & Co. |Calcutta [en || -------+----------------------------------+-------- 234||(236) do. _Aunt Jemima_--can|not ||possibly come this month, will|write 239||when able. | [ ||----------------------------------+-------- 228||(237) Ap. 11. _Cheetham and |Co._ re- 240||turn letter enclosed to you. | [x ||----------------------------------+-------- ||(238) do. _Morton, Philip._ Co|uld you ||lend me Browning's 'Dramati|s Per- 245||sonae' for a day or 2? | -------+----------------------------------+-------- (239) |Ap. 14. _Aunt Jemima_, leav- ||236 ing ho|use at end of month : address || '136, |Royal Avenue, Bath.' [ || -------+----------------------------------|| (240) |Ap. 15. _Cheetham and Co._, ||237 returng|letter as reqd, bill 6/6/8. [ ||244 -------+----------------------------------+-------- | | | | 29242 | /90. | -------+ | (242) |Ap. 15. (Tu) _Page & Co._ bill ||} 233 for boo|ks, as ordered, 15/6 [ ||} -------+----------------------------------||} (243) |do. [pilcrow _do._ books ||} 247 -------+----------------------------------+-------- 240||(244) do. _Cheetham and Co._ c|an un- 248||derstand the 6/8--what is L6|for? -------+----------------------------------+-------- (245) |Ap. 17. [pilcrow] _Morton, P._ 'Dra- ||238 matis |Personae', as asked for. [retd ||249 -------+----------------------------------+-------- 221||(246) do. _Wilkins and Co._ w|ith 250||bill, 175/10/6, and ch. for do.| [en ||----------------------------------+-------- 243||(247) do. _Page and Co._ bill,| 15/6, ||postal [symbol]107258 for 15/- and|6 stps. -------+----------------------------------+-------- (248) |Ap. 18. _Cheetham and Co._ it ||244 was a |'clerical error' (!) || -------+----------------------------------+-------- 245||(249) Ap. 19. _Morton, P._ retu|rng ||Browning with many thanks. | -------+----------------------------------+-------- (250) |do. _Wilkins and Co._ receptd ||246 bill. | || -------+----------------------------------+-------- | | | | I begin each page by putting, at the top left-hand corner, the next entry-number I am going to use, _in full_ (the last 3 digits of each entry-number are enough afterwards); and I put the date of the year, at the top, in the centre. I begin each entry with the last 3 digits of the entry-number, enclosed in an oval (this is difficult to reproduce in print, so I have put round-parentheses here). Then, for the _first_ entry in each page, I put the day of the month and the day of the week: afterwards, 'do.' is enough for the month-day, till it changes: I do not repeat the week-day. Next, if the entry is _not_ a letter, I put a symbol for 'parcel' (see Nos. 243, 245) or 'telegram' (see Nos. 230, 231) as the case may be. Next, the name of the person, underlined (indicated here by italics). If an entry needs special further attention, I put [____ at the end: and, when it has been attended to, I fill in the appropriate symbol, e.g. in No. 218, it showed that the bill had to be _paid_; in No. 222, that an answer was really _needed_ (the 'x' means 'attended to'); in No. 234, that I owed the old lady a visit; in No. 235, that the item had to be entered in my account book; in No. 236, that I must not forget to write; in No. 239, that the address had to be entered in my address-book; in No. 245, that the book had to be returned. I give each entry the space of 2 lines, whether it fills them or not, in order to have room for references. And, at the foot of each page I leave 2 or 3 lines _blank_ (often useful afterwards for entering omitted Letters) and miss one or 2 numbers before I begin the next page. At any odd moments of leisure, I 'make up' the entry-book, in various ways, as follows:-- (1) I draw a _second_ line, at the right-hand end of the 'received' entries, and at the left-hand end of the 'sent' entries. This I usually do pretty well 'up to date'. In my Register the first line is _red_, the second _blue_: here I distinguish them by making the first thin, and the second _thick_. (2) Beginning with the last entry, and going backwards, I read over the names till I recognise one as having occurred already: I then link the two entries together, by giving the one, that comes first in chronological order, a 'foot-reference' (see Nos. 217, 225). I do not keep this 'up-to-date', but leave it till there are 4 or 5 pages to be done. I work back till I come among entries that are all supplied with 'foot-references', when I once more glance through the last few pages, to see if there are any entries not yet supplied with head-references: _their_ predecessors may need a special search. If an entry is connected, in subject, with another under a different name, I link them by cross-references, distinguished from the head- and foot-references by being written _further from the marginal line_ (see No. 229). When 2 consecutive entries have the same name, and are both of the same kind (i.e. both 'received' or both 'sent') I bracket them (see Nos. 242, 243); if of different kinds, I link them with the symbol used for Nos. 219, 220. (3) Beginning at the earliest entry not yet done with, and going forwards, I cross out every entry that has got a head- and foot-reference, and is done with, by continuing the extra line _through_ it (see Nos. 221, 223, 225). Thus, wherever a _break_ occurs in this extra line, it shows there is some matter still needing attention. I do not keep this anything like 'up to date', but leave it till there are 30 or 40 pages to look through at a time. When the first page in the volume is thus completely crossed out, I put a mark at the foot of the page to indicate this; and so with pages 2, 3, &c. Hence, whenever I do this part of the 'making up', I need not begin at the beginning of the volume, but only at the _earliest page that has not got this mark_. All this looks very complicated, when stated at full length: but you will find it perfectly simple, when you have had a little practice, and will come to regard the 'making-up' as a pleasant occupation for a rainy day, or at any time that you feel disinclined for more severe mental work. In the Game of Whist, Hoyle gives us one golden Rule, "When in doubt, win the trick"--I find that Rule admirable for real life: when in doubt what to do, I 'make-up' my Letter-Register! THE END. Works by Lewis Carroll. PUBLISHED BY MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd., LONDON. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. With Forty-two Illustrations by TENNIEL. (First published in 1865.) Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, price 6_s._ net. Ninetieth Thousand. The same; People's Edition. (First published in 1887.) Crown 8vo, cloth, price 2_s._ 6_d._ net. One hundred and forty-third Thousand. The same; Illustrated Pocket Classics for the Young. Fcap. 8vo, cloth, with full gilt back and gilt top, 2_s._ net. Limp leather, with full gilt back and gilt edges, 3_s._ net. The same. 8vo, sewed, 6_d._; cloth, 1_s._ The same; Miniature Edition. Pott 8vo, 1_s._ net. The same; Little Folks' Edition. Square 16mo. With Coloured Illustrations. 1_s._ net. Aventures d'Alice au pays des Merveilles. Traduit de l'Anglais par HENRY BUE. Ouvrage illustre de 42 Vignettes par JOHN TENNIEL. (First published in 1869.) Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, price 6_s._ net. Second Thousand. Le Avventure d'Alice nel paese delle Meraviglie. Tradotte dall' Inglese da T. PIETROCOLA-ROSSETTI. Con 42 Vignette di GIOVANNI TENNIEL. (First published in 1872.) Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, price 6_s._ net. Alice's Adventures Under Ground. Being a Facsimile of the original MS. Book, which was afterwards developed into "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." With Thirty-seven Illustrations by the Author. (Begun, July, 1862; finished, Feb., 1863; first published, in facsimile, in 1886.) Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, price 4_s._ net. Fourth Thousand. Through the Looking-Glass; and what Alice found there. With Fifty Illustrations by TENNIEL. (First published in 1871.) Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, price 6_s._ net. Sixty-third Thousand. The same; People's Edition. (First published in 1887.) Crown 8vo, cloth, price 2_s._ 6_d._ net. Eighty-fourth Thousand. The same; Illustrated Pocket Classics for the Young. Fcap. 8vo, cloth, with full gilt back and gilt top, 2_s._ net. Limp leather, with full gilt back and gilt edges, 3_s._ net. The same. 8vo, sewed, 6_d._; cloth 1_s._ The same; Little Folks' Edition. Square 16mo. With Coloured Illustrations. 1_s._ 6_d._ net. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; and Through the Looking-Glass; People's Editions. Both Books together in One Volume. (First published in 1887.) Crown 8vo, cloth, price 4_s._ 6_d._ net. The Hunting of the Snark. An Agony in Eight Fits. With Nine Illustrations, and two large gilt designs on cover, by HENRY HOLIDAY. (First published in 1876.) Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, price 4_s._ 6_d._ net. Twenty-third Thousand. Rhyme? and Reason? With Sixty-five Illustrations by ARTHUR B. FROST, and Nine by HENRY HOLIDAY. (First published in 1883, being a reprint, with a few additions, of the comic portions of "Phantasmagoria, and other Poems," published in 1869, and of "The Hunting of the Snark," published in 1876.) Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, price 6_s._ net. Eighth Thousand. Sylvie and Bruno concluded. With Forty-six Illustrations by HARRY FURNISS. (First published in 1893.) Fifth Thousand. Crown 8vo, cloth, gilt edges, price 7_s._ 6_d._ net. People's Edition, 2_s._ 6_d._ net. N.B.--This book contains 411 pages. The Story of Sylvie and Bruno, In One Volume. With Illustrations by HARRY FURNISS. Crown 8vo, 3_s._ 6_d._ net. Three Sunsets, and other Poems. With Twelve Illustrations by E. GERTRUDE THOMSON. Fcap. 4to, cloth, gilt edges, price 4_s._ net. N.B.--This is a reprint, with a few additions, of the serious portion of "Phantasmagoria, and other Poems," published in 1869. Works by Lewis Carroll. PUBLISHED BY CHATTO & WINDUS, 111 ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. Price 1_s._ net, boards; 2_s._ net, bound in leather. FEEDING THE MIND. A lecture delivered in 1884. With Preface by WILLIAM H. DRAPER. ALWAYS IN STOCK AT EMBERLIN & SON, OXFORD. POSTAGE ONE PENNY. ADVICE TO WRITERS. Buy "THE WONDERLAND CASE FOR POSTAGE-STAMPS," invented by LEWIS CARROLL, October 29, 1888, size 4 inches by 3, containing 12 separate pockets for stamps of different values, 2 Coloured Pictorial Surprises taken from _Alice in Wonderland_, and 8 or 9 Wise Words about Letter-Writing. It is published by Messrs. EMBERLIN & SON, 4 Magdalen Street, Oxford. Price 1_s._ N.B.--If ordered by Post, an additional payment will be required, to cover cost of postage, as follows:-- One, two, three, or four copies, 1_d._ Five to fourteen do., 3_d._ Each subsequent fourteen or fraction thereof, 1_d._ The Wonderland [Illustration] Postage-Stamp Case PUBLISHED BY EMBERLIN AND SON, 4, MAGDALEN STREET, OXFORD. [Illustration] (POST FREE, 13d.) PRICE ONE SHILLING [Illustration] [Illustration] [Illustration] Invented by [Illustration] Lewis Carroll MDCCCLXXXIX Transcriber's Notes: Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. The original text includes an intention blank space that is represented in this text version as ____. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing, by Lewis Carroll *** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WISE WORDS ABOUT LETTER-WRITING *** ***** This file should be named 38065.txt or 38065.zip ***** This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/0/6/38065/ Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. *** START: FULL LICENSE *** THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at https://gutenberg.org/license). Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works 1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. 1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. 1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. 1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United States. 1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org 1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. 1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. 1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg-tm License. 1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. 1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided that - You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work. - You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. 1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. 1.F. 1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. 1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. 1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem. 1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. 1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. 1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life. Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official page at https://pglaf.org For additional contact information: Dr. Gregory B. Newby Chief Executive and Director gbnewby@pglaf.org Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS. The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit https://pglaf.org While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate. International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: https://www.gutenberg.org This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.