Ottawa, La Salle County, Ill.,
December 20, 1882.]

The punctuation of the heading and other parts of the letter, is
of great importance in the estimation of cultivated persons, and
something which can be learned by a little attention on the part of
anyone, in examining the forms here given.


MARGIN.

A margin three-quarters of an inch in width should be left, on the
side of the letter, as shown in the diagram. This is convenient for
any mark or memorandum which your correspondent may desire to make
concerning anything contained in the letter, but its greater value
lies in the open, airy, and cheerful dress which it imparts to the
letter. A margin too narrow conveys the idea of stinginess, as if to
economize paper, while an irregular or zigzag margin conveys the idea
of carelessness or want of precision. On a sheet of note paper the
margin may be only one-half inch in width, thus making its width
proportionate to the size of the sheet.


ADDRESS.

On the next line below the heading, that is the third line from the
top of the sheet, and beginning at the left margin, should be placed
the _Address_, which consists of the name of the person to whom the
letter is written, together with his titles, if any, and his place of