41. More Letter Writing

When Valentine Day comes, you will wish to write very good letters to your classmates. You already know how to write a letter, but it is another matter to write a bright letter.

Do you remember that boy, Tom, who once dreamed about an owl and an elf? One day Tom told his mother that his school was planning a special good time for Valentine Day. "We shall have a post office in our room," he said. "Everybody is to send everybody else letters."

"What kind of letters are they to be?" asked his mother.

"Well," answered Tom, "each pupil is to write at least one bright letter about himself. Those who receive the letters have to guess who wrote them. You see, we do not sign our names."

Tom had already written his letter, and he showed it to his mother. It was to his best friend, Fred. Here it is:

Dear Fred:

I am four feet three inches tall. I weigh seventy-five pounds. I like to run and jump. I like to read books, too. I am your best friend.

Somebody

Oral Exercise. What do you think of Tom's letter to Fred? Is it a bright letter? How does every sentence in it begin? Do you like to have all the sentences begin the same way?

Tom's mother read the letter. Then she read it again. Then she said, "Tom, you can do better than that."

Tom was surprised. He thought it was a good letter. "Are there any mistakes in it?" he asked.

"No, there is not a single mistake in it," answered his mother. "You have the right mark after the words Dear Fred. You have begun every sentence with a capital letter. You have the right mark at the end of every sentence. But, Tom, it isn't a bright letter."

"How shall I make it bright?" asked Tom.

His mother smiled. "Look at the first sentence in your letter," she said. "It tells that you are four feet three inches tall. How uninteresting that is! Who cares to know your exact height, down to an inch! Why not say instead, 'I am a funny little blue-eyed chap with brown hair all over the top of my head'! Would not that be much brighter than 'I am four feet three inches tall'? Now look at the next sentence. It tells that you weigh seventy-five pounds. How uninteresting that is! Is some one thinking of buying you by the pound, as if you were a little pig or a calf? Why not say instead, 'I am as round and fat as a ball of butter'? Look at the third sentence. It says that you like to run and jump. That is true. You do like to run and jump. But why not tell it in a bright way? You might have said, 'My brother says I can run like a deer and jump like a frog.'"

Tom took the letter back and gave a shout. "I see what you mean," he cried. "I'll write the whole letter over." A little later he showed his mother the following:

Dear Fred:

I am a funny little blue-eyed chap with brown hair all over the top of my head. I am as round and fat as a ball of butter. My brother says I can run like a deer and jump like a frog. My sister says I am a bookworm. But rather than be a deer or a frog or a bookworm, I want to be your best friend.

Somebody

Oral Exercise. Which of the letters that Tom wrote do you like better? Can you tell why? Point out bright sentences in his first letter. Point out interesting sentences in his second letter.

Tom was very much pleased that he had written his letter over. "The next time I have to write a letter," he said, "I shall write two, and send the second one."

"That's a good plan," said his mother. "First write the best letter you can. Then read it over and make it better." Tom began at once to write more letters for Valentine Day. "It's fun," he said, "and the teacher told us that we might send more than one if we cared to." He followed the new plan of writing a first letter, rather rapidly, and then slowly writing it over and making it better. Then he would throw away the first. Tom worked more than an hour. At the end of that time he showed his mother three letters. Here is one, written to a schoolmate named Marjorie:

Dear Marjorie:

I have two blue eyes and a roof of brown hair. Besides, I have a nose, a mouth, and two ears. But I must not tell you any more, or you will guess who I am. My name is short and begins with T.

Somebody

Tom's next letter was written to George, the biggest and strongest boy in the room. He and Tom were good friends. Probably Tom wrote the letter in order to have some fun with George. This is it:

Dear George:

I am the boy who can spank you. I think I shall do it soon, if I feel like it. Better be good when I am near. Of course you know who I am. My name is short and begins with T. Better be good, George.

Somebody

Tom's mother asked whether this letter might not hurt George's feelings.

"Oh, no," laughed Tom. "He knows that I am only joking. Why, he is so big and strong, he could spank me, if he wanted to."

Tom's third letter was to a friend whose name was Mary. Tom liked to tease her. Only a few days before, he had thrown snowballs at her. Here is the letter:

Dear Mary:

I am the very, very good boy who never teases you. I never pull your hair. I never throw more than one snowball at you, at a time.

Somebody

Oral Exercise. 1. Which one of the three letters by Tom do you like best? Read the sentence or sentences in it that you like specially.

2. What plan does Tom follow in writing letters? Why did he decide to follow this plan?