That's where I stand--first, last and all the time.

"I don't go into the torrid deserts in the heat of the summer and
stay there for weeks just for fun. There is no fun or pleasure to
it, let me tell you. It's hard work when one investigates properly,
and I surely did it right. I guess you know that."

* * * * *

The letter is not lacking in style; the writer knows how to put
things forcibly, but he takes up half a page of valuable space
before he says anything vital to his subject. See how much stronger
his letter would have been had he started with the fifth paragraph,
following it with the fourth paragraph.

The great weakness in many letters is padding out the introduction
with non-essential material. It takes the writer too long to get
down to his proposition. Here is a letter from a concern seeking to
interest agents:


"We are in receipt of your valued inquiry and we enclose herewith
full information in regard to the E. Z. Washing Compound and our
terms to agents.

"We shall be pleased to mail you a washing sample post-paid on
receipt of four cents in two-cent stamps or a full size can for ten
cents, which amount you may subtract from your first order, thus
getting the sample free. We would like to send you a sample without
requiring any deposit but we have been so widely imposed upon by