How few people there are in the world that write readable letters! Of course we have no reference here to the methodical correspondence of mercantile life—although even in that, there is a certain judicious brevity not to be gained save by much and deliberate practice—or to the tender effusions of lovers; for in these last the greatest of all merits is their unintelligible diffuseness. But to concoct an agreeable letter of friendship, with its various and amusing details of incident and description; odd turns of expression, brilliant or whimsical thoughts, and happy touches of character—this is the trial of genius and talent. How glorious are the letters of Byron, and lady Montague, and Sevigné, and Madam Dunoyer, and Swift, and brilliant Tom More! Every paragraph is an epigram, sparkling with wit and good humour. Even the ponderous dissertations of Johnson are fine, though much more like essays than letters. How different from the dry details of fact, or the common-place sentiments and opinions that make up ninety-nine in the hundred of these “occasional pieces!” Nevertheless, let no one despair; Rome was not build in a day, neither can it be hoped that the art of inditing a good letter is to be learned without much study and practice; and in good time for such as desiderate this attainment, Bartlett and Raynor have published “The Youth’s Letter-Writer, or the Epistolary Art made plain and easy to beginners,” a small, handsome volume, full of excellent matter, prepared for the especial comfort of all who would correspond, by an accomplished lady of Cambridge. The outward appearance is exceedingly neat and tasteful; and the frontispiece, from a drawing by Weir, expresses, “What shall I do for a beginning?” with as much perspicuity as the words themselves.

“The Youth’s Letter Writer, or the Epistolary Art made plain and easy to beginners,” is one of the best of the kind we have ever taken up. It has amused a family circle of even older people than it was designed for, and we strenuously recommend it. Mrs. John Farran [sic] is the author; Bartlett & Raynor, New York, publishers, and sold, together with every thing else that can amuse or instruct the young, by Mr. T. T. Ash, Chesnut street, opposite the Arcade.

The Youth’s Letter-Writer, or the Epistolary Art made plain and Easy to Beginners through the Example of Henry Moreton. By Mrs. John Farrar, author of ‘Congo in Search of his Master.’ ‘The Children’s Robinson Crusoe,’ &c. New-York: R. Bartlett & P. Raymer. 1834.

We were not a little surprised, to find so respectable a name attached to a title so generally descriptive of a ridiculous collection of absurd forms of letters, as ‘The Letter Writer.’ The mystery was solved, however, on examining the book. It is a pleasing story, in the true style of a child’s book, exhibiting the difficulties and progress of a young letter-writer, and fitted to impart to young minds the spirit of letter-writing, in

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connection with the forms which convenience or custom requires. It might be read profitably by many adults; and we are sure Mrs Farrar will have the cordial thanks of every child who reads it for removing the mountains of difficulties which press upon his little brain, in this dreaded task of correspondence.

the Youth’s Letter Writer or the Epistolary Art made plain and easy to beginners through the example of Henry Moreton By Mrs John Farrar—New York: Bartlett & Rayner, pp. 155.

This little Volume is written by a lady who has already shown herself thoroughly acquainted with what will best amuse and instruct young people. Though small, it is complete in itself, and entirely answers the purpose for which it was designed, that of aiding the untried letter-writer in arranging and expressing his own thoughts—which is far better than supplying him with a model in those of others. It presents to the view, a highly interesting and habit of epistolary composition,—constantly stimulated and aided by a high-minded, judicious, and affectionate father, whose aim seems to be, nearly in the words of the poet,—‘to point to better’ things, ‘and lead the way.’ We recommend it to every parent who has children willing to be instructed. The information it contains is ample—clothed in an interesting and simple style, which would charm most young readers.

If we could feel willing to find a fault, we should add that there are one or two trifling things which the author probably overlooked, but which she would be the first to wish corrected. She beautifully and justly recommends throughout, an exact adherence to truth, as far as it is compatible with a proper degree of politeness;—but in one instance when Henry asks in what manner notes of invitation may be refused, Mr Price, after stating various forms for pleading previous engagements, business, &c.—adds—‘If you have no hindrance but want of inclination, you can say “you are much obliged for Mr — [sic] polite invitation, and regret that you cannot have the pleasure of accepting it.” [’] Surely the words obliged, regret, and pleasure, need not all be used, if we really refuse from want of inclination alone. We think this only an accidental error—if it may be called one,—which does not detract in the least from the value and beauty of the volume. We wish it entire success, and should have been right glad of so efficient an aid in our own days of childish composition.

The work is ornamented with a beautiful frontispiece, drawn by Weir, Professor of Drawing at West Point Military Academy, and engraved on steel, by Illman.

The Youth’s Letter Writer, or the Epistolary Art made plain and easy to Beginners. By Mrs. John Farrar. Bartlett & Raynor, New York. It is long since we have met with any book, intended for the use of the young, on which we can bestow such unqualified applause as we can upon this little volume. Of its extreme utility not a moment’s doubt can be entertained, when we recall to memory, how very few there are of our acquaintance, male or female, who write a good letter. What a dismal and dreaded task it is, to many persons, really capable, from their understanding and mental cultivation, of performing much higher tasks, to write a simple letter to an absent friend. And when the long deterred labor is at length accomplished, how meagre, how barren, how destitute of information, is for most part the result! The real cause of this absurd apprehension, resulting in still more absurd incapacity, is undoubtedly ignorance of the true nature of epistolary writing; for we can boldly, and without fear of contradiction, assert, that we know many men, who, though well able to produce a clever and entertaining book, could not for their lives write a letter superior in character to that of some raw schoolboy. It will therefore be perceived at once, that the one thing wanting to enable a person, we will say of average mind, and possessing a right knowledge of his own language, to write fluently, sensibly, and entertainingly, is a knowledge of the nature of what he is about to do. The object of Mrs. Farrar in this little volume, is in the first place to instruct the youthful mind in the simple fact, that there is nothing peculiar, or requiring much care or study, in the art of letter-writing; and secondly to furnish it with the means of correcting the two opposite extremes of tautological redundancy and barren dul[l]ness, which are the most usual defects in this style of writing. She has done this in a series of conversational scenes between a little boy and persons of more matured understandings. After an explanation, on the uncle’s part, of his views on the subject of what a letter ought to be, the tyro commences operations; a letter is produced, and good humoredly criticised; another and another in succession meet with the same treatment, till all the several and various errors of style and matter have been treated, that can easily be imagined; not, by the way, omitting those which so frequently occur in the folding, sealing, and directing of that, which, according to the niecty or slovenliness of these operations, may be pronounced the handiwork or a gentleman or the reverse, at a single glance! Away with all physiognomical, all craniological tests!—suffer us to feel the bumps—or angles, it is all one which—of a man’s letter, and we will therefrom prophesy more truly of the enclosed matter—aye, and of the character of its composer—than the gravest disciple of Lavater, Gall, or Spurzheim. All the valuable information,—valuable we can assure our readers, not to children only, but to many who, from their ripe years and long protracted education, ought to be, but are not, without the pale of those to whom this work is addressed,—is rendered so lively and amusing, by the manner in which it is conveyed, that many a child might read it without apprehending, for a moment, that it was intended as a work of instruction; an apprehension which, in nine out of ten cases, would deter him at once from making any use of what he considers odious, crabbed, and above all things useless. After this statement of our opinions, it will of course be unnecessary to add that we most warmly recommend “The Youth’s Letter Writer” to both young and old; it is a book which no mother of a family should suffer to be out of the hands of her children. The execution is neat, and the typography clear and accurate.

The Youth’s Letter-Writer; or the Epistolary Art made plain and easy to Beginners, through the Example of Henry Moreton. By Mrs. John Farrar, Author of “Congo in Search of his Master,” “The Children’s Robinson Crusoe,” &c. New York: R. Bartlett & S. Raynor. 1834. 16mo. pp. 155.—If Mrs. Farrar had contented herself with laying down dry rules for the aid of young people who desire to be made acquainted with the mysteries of the “Epistolary Art,” she might and doubtless would have produced a much more “complete” Letter-Writer than any of those treatises so called, which modestly assume to be complete; but still, as a collection of dry rules, it would necessarily have been a dry book. The work which she has actually presented to the youthful public of epistolary aspirants, is quite an entertaining book. By supposing a clever lad, Henry Moreton by name, on a visit to his uncle, and carrying him through the process of corresponding with his distant friends, under the guidance of that uncle and his family, she has given the subject a narrative and dramatic spirit, which causes it to take hold of the imagination and memory, and throws an agreeable interest round the folding of a sheet of paper and the nibbing of a pen. We therefore recommend the work, not only as the completest, but most readable Letter-Writer which is to be had at the bookstores.

3. The Youth’s Letter Writer: or the Epistolary art made Plain and Easy to Beginners, through the Example of Henry Moreton. By Mrs. John Farran [sic], Author “Congo in Search of his Master,” “The Children’s Robinson Crusoe,” &c. New York: R. Bartlett &. S. Raynor. 1834.

This book has an unfortunate title. The stiff and barbarous formulas for epistolary composition, with which the public has been flooded in the shape of “Complete Letter Writers,” has naturally produced a prejudice in the minds of sensible people against this whole class of works. Nevertheless, if our readers can so far conquer this prejudice as to take up the book and read it through, we think they will say with us that they have had an hour or two of very agreeable relaxation from the toils of study or of labor. We can recommend it with confidence as a most desirable help to young persons, and others who have not had much experience in the art of letter-writing. It does not, like most works of a similar title, consist of a dry set of forms, which can have no other effect than to pervert the taste of youth, and dest[ro]y, every trace of nature in their letters, but it pourtrays [sic], in a striking light, the difficulties with which a young letter writer has to contend, in a story related in an easy, chaste, and captivating style; and also the mode in which those difficulties were overcome in the case of Henry Moreton, under the instructions of his judicious uncle, Mr. Price. this, however, is not all that it accomplishes;—It gives likewise numerous and excellent directions respecting the subjects to be introduced into a letter, and the proper mode of treating them; together with all the necessary rules on these minutia of the art, which are so apt to be neglected, and yet which it is far from being unimportant to know and practice, such as the placing of the date, the place on the page where the letter (whether of business or friendship) ought to commence, the width of the margin, the division of the subject into paragraphs,t he punctuation, the proper mode of folding, sealing, and directing letters, &c. &c. &c. Copious and very plain directions are also introduced in reference to the sharpening of penknives and the mending of pens, and some very sensible remarks made on writing and answering notes of invitation, and other ceremonious communications. In short, we cannot say more in its favor than to express the opinion that it ought to be in every school library in the United States, and that every youth in the land would derive essential benefit from an attentive perusal of its contents, and a diligent practice of its recommendations.

We cannot deny ourselves the pleasure, nor the author the justice, of letting her speak for herself on our pages, in the following brief extract from the work:—

“Letters, like conversation must vary according to the different characters of the writers, and a written form, for a boy of fourteen years of age to use, when writing to an absent parent, would be as unnatural as a set form of speech, with which to address him on his return.

“Besides all the different circumstances which attend each young person, when writing a letter, there are differences of character which should appear in each performance, and what would be very proper and natural in one, would be affected, or out of place, in another. We can, therefore, only assist our young friends, by

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pointing out faults to be avoided, and by directing them a little in the choice of subjects, and the manner of treating them; all the particular expressions to be used, must be left to their own discretion. The rule of most universal application is this; Write as you would speak, if you were limited for time, and must say at once, and in a given period, all you wish most to convey to an absent friend. If you are habitually considerate of the feelings and wishes of others, you will, when writing a letter, be guided more by what your friends would like to know, than by your own propensity to tell this or that thing; but if you are selfish or conceited, those traits of character will necessarily influence your choice of subjects, and it is in vain to think of preventing it by any written rules of composition.

“The characters of William Price and Henry Moreton were so different, that, had they written on the same subjects, and to the same person, their letters would have been very unlike. William was a lad of fine abilities, he had an acute and independent mind; but the good opinion which he entertained of himself, made him too positive in his opinions, and his independent spirit produced a bluntness of manner and speech which was often offensive. Henry had bright parts, and a more lively imagination than his cousin, but he had less independence, diffident of himself, he cared more for the approbation of others, and his manners were, in consequence, more obliging and conciliating. Both these boys had very warm affections, but it was much easier for Henry than for William, to use expressions of love and confidence. All these differences of character, affected their mode of writing letters, and both would have been injured by attempting to follow any prescribed forms, such as found in “The Complete Letter Writer,” of ancient date, and octavo size, now out of print, or in a little duodecimo volume with the same title, which is still in use, though its pages are filled with absurdities, vulgarisms, and the flattest nonsense that was ever offered to the public, as a guide to letter-writing.

“Believing, that all such guides are mischievous, and have a tendency to mislead the rising generation on the important subject of letter-writing, we confine ourselves, in the present undertaking, to a few examples and illustrations, which are meant to show our young friends, that the most natural and simple effusions are the best, and to encourage them to express their thoughts on paper, as freely as they would in conversation.”

Youth’s Letter Writer. By Mrs. Farrar, Cambridge, Mass. We hope that young people will be benefitted by Mrs. Farrar’s sensible book, and we are sure that maturer minds, whose means have been circumscribed, will find it a valuable reference.