Lewis Carroll 
Eight or Nine Wise Words About Letter-Writing [PDF ebook] 

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. The best subject, to begin with, is your friend’s last letter. Write with the letter Open before you. Answer his questions, and make any remarks his letter suggests. Then go on to what you want to say yourself. This arrangement is more courteous, and pleasanter for the reader, than to fill the letter with your own invaluable remarks, and then hastily answer your friend’s ques tions in a postscript. Your friend is much more likely to enjoy your wit, after his own anxiety for information has been satisfied.