letter. For example: "I wait your advice as to the despatch of the
parcel." A funny misunderstanding of the word occurred recently, when a
provincial postmaster, new to his duties, in the United States, sent the
following communication to the Postmaster-General:--

"Seeing by the regulations that I am required to send you a letter of
advice, I must plead in excuse that I have been postmaster but a short
time; but I will say, if your office pays no better than mine, I advise
you to give it up."

Every subject mentioned in a letter should have a separate paragraph.
Very formal, you may say. Perhaps; but it is also very clear.

Always acknowledge receipt of business letters at the earliest possible
opportunity. If they come with money, an acknowledgment ought to be sent
by return of post, that is to say, by the first post after they arrive.
The same rule may safely be applied to letters coming with any enclosure
whatever. Sometimes delay may be of no consequence, but to answer at
once will at any rate get you the credit of courtesy.

Of all business letters a copy should be kept. If you write few they may
be copied by hand into a book kept for the purpose, but if many the use
of a copying-press saves a great deal of monotonous labour, and secures
absolute accuracy besides.

The way to use a copying-press is this. Write the letter with
copying-ink. Then put a sheet of oiled paper under the leaf of the
letter-book on which you wish to take the copy. Letter-books of thin
paper are sold for the purpose. Wet the leaf with a brush or soft
sponge. On the top of the wet leaf put a sheet of blotting paper, and on