223. Composition.--If you would write to any purpose, you must be perfectly free from without, in the first place, and yet more free from within. Give yourself to the natural rein; think on no pattern, no patron, no paper, no press, no public; think on nothing, but follow your own impulses. Give yourself as you are, what you are, and how you see it. Every man sees with his own eyes, or does not see at all. This is incontrovertibly true. Bring out what you have. If you have nothing, be an honest beggar rather than a respectable thief. Great care and attention should be devoted to epistolary correspondence, as nothing exhibits want of taste and judgment so much as a slovenly letter. Since the establishment of the penny postage it is recognised as a rule that letters should be prepaid; indeed, many persons make a point of never taking in an unpaid letter. The following hints may be worthy of attention:

224. Always put a Stamp on your envelope, at the top, in the right-hand corner.

225. Let the Direction be written very plain; this will save the postman trouble, and facilitate business by preventing mistakes.

226. If the Address be in London add the letters of the postal district in which it happens to be, for this also saves trouble in the General Post Office. Thus in writing to the publishers of "Enquire Within," whose house of business is in the East Central (E.C.) postal district, address your letter to Messrs. Houlston and Sons, Paternoster Square, London, E.C.

227. At the head of your Letter, in the right-hand corner, put your address in full, with the day of the month underneath; do not omit this, though you may be writing to your most intimate friend for the third or even the fourth time in the course of a day.

228. What you have to Say in your Letter, say as plainly as possible, as if you were speaking; this is the best rule. Do not revert three or four times to one circumstance, but finish as you go on.

229. Let your Signature be written as plainly as possible (many mistakes will be avoided, especially in writing to strangers), and without any flourishes, as these do not add in any way to the harmony of your letter. We have seen signatures that have been almost impossible to decipher, being a mere mass of strokes, without any form to indicate letters. This is done chiefly by the ignorant, and would lead one to suppose that they were ashamed of signing what they had written.

230. Do not Cross your Letters: surely paper is cheap enough now to admit of using an extra half-sheet, in case of necessity.

231. If you write to a Stranger for information, or on your own business, be sure to send a stamped envelope with your address clearly written; this will not fail to procure you with an answer.

232. If you are not a Good Writer it is advisable to use the best ink, paper, and pens. For although they may not alter the character of your handwriting, yet they will assist to make your writing look better.

233. The paper on which you write should be clean, and neatly folded.

234.There should not be Stains on the envelope; if otherwise, it is only an indication of your own slovenliness.

235. Care must be taken in giving titled persons, to whom you write, their proper designations.