Article April 26, 1913 Issue

CORRESPONDENCE

PETER B. BIGGINS.

We occasionally hear it said, "I would give a great deal to be able to write a good letter." Many people acknowledge that their success has been due in no small degree to the habit of answering their letters promptly and fully. The disinclination to perform one's duty in correspondence is not due to a lack of something to say, as many a fluent and entertaining speaker seems to suffer from this disability; it is not on account of the fear of committing literary improprieties, as a very ordinary education saves one from serious errors in composition. No, we must look elsewhere for the reason, and when this is discovered we are nearing a satisfactory solution.

This disability may be due to a lack of perception of the importance of attending to such duties promptly, failure to recognize the comfort a few kind words may bring to a friend, or the belief that one does not have the time. These are some of the erroneous reasons for neglecting correspondence, and too often they are entertained when they should be instantly dismissed. In any event, the remedy lies in improved understanding. While correspondence viewed humanly is a matter between person and person, regarded scientifically it is a matter between the individual and God. St. Paul reminds us that we should do all things "as to the Lord, and not to men." When one first takes up the study of Christian Science, a transformation in the nature of the contents of one's letters to friends is quite sure to take place. Personal gossip gradually disappears, and the rehearsal of crime and disaster is entirely omitted. An excellent opportunity is thus secured to count our many blessings. A letter in which sincere gratitude is expressed does not stir up envy in the heart of the recipient, but prompts him to consider how much he too has to be thankful for. Thus, like mercy, whose quality is so beautifully portrayed by Shakespeare,—

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