The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 21, 1903, Page 11

2an produce a mnote that or any orphan VTANFOR D oTVp/IO AKX TICLES FRONM TR T IVERY Lo art of note writing from A to Z. There of this art; of course it i3 ance what the note has to likewise worth while that it in the most up-to-date and are two phases of chief impc say, but it dal The » takes pains with her notes looks well to the ways of her Gesk ) 1 that it contains. She keeps po newest ideas for paper, c 4 so on. Fashions in stationery hat it is something of an up, but the effort pays, for is quite &s important as a ; envelopes come in an infinite The most conservative y and cream—some nev- 24 cream—while othe novelties 1:/I vender, yellow. ThHis season ts of color combinations for these is pea green paper nar- red with & deep French pink. deep cardinal paper s produced for col- ety ase, also @ blue bordered with A novelty called khaki looks as if 1t have been alipped from the same g as a soldier suit. Even the ve of the cloth as well as the color tated. es are so diverse that they can be described. In general the tend to be sguare, which makes the envelopes long and narrow. The flaps of the envelopes are of every conceivable kind. Very few of the stylish note en- > —=THE ¥ DESK SEY veiopes any longer/ciose with the simple triangular fap that has its point near the center of the envelope. The most popular kind bas a broad flap with two rounded corners. Some close with a tiny flap at one end of a long envelope. Others make a diagonal line. The freakiest of all is the paper and envelope combined in imitation of the oid-i!me letter that was folded over and sealed upon itself before the day of en- velopes ever dawned. The hemstitched paper is one of the hour's fads. It is bordered with an open- work design exactly copying the border of a hemstitched handkerchief. The kinds of paper imitate varlous cloths, although the satin finishes are not in much favor. The linen weave effects are the best liked, and what is known as linen bond has taken the place of the plain and mottled bonds that were the standard some time ago. This is slightly rough, having & weave like that of a fine handkerchief. The owner of smart stationery must possess a die of some kind—crest, mono- gram or address must appear stamped at the top of the first page. Where the top of the first page may be is now a matter of conjecture. Time was when the crest appeared in the middle or left hand cor- ner at the top of what is commonly known as page one. Nowadays milady may have it so, but more likely she dis- plays it on page four, which is the fash- fonable page now for the beginning of a note. It may be placed so that the fold of the paper comes at the top or the right side of the page. The latter is more common, as shown in the picture. Then «observe how she casts logic to THE SUNDAY OALL. BA(Kk oF OBLONG ENVELopp - the winds. After beginning her note on page four she whimsically flits to page one. That filled, she opens to the double page and scrawis diagonally across, end- ing with her signature in a catacorner arrangement in the lower right hand cor- ner of what was originally page three. ¥ashion ordains that an immense scrawl be the handwriting cultivated, and alas, the more illegible the writing the more popular it seems fo be, Milady uses a heavy stub pen to get the desired effect of dash. Unfortunately paper and monogram are not enough of themselves to make a charming note. The writing of a graceful note is an art that can never be acquired from a bookcase full of spellers and grammars and rhetorics. True, they will instruct you in the essentials of spelling and pronouns and commas and all the rest of those important and uninteresting things; but no matter how accurate a note may be the charm of it is still lack- ing unless it carries the tact and grace and sympathy of the writer along with it. There is no possible way of laying down rules. The “Complete Letter Writer” of the past is no longer {m use, because r2o0- ple realize that stereotyped forms are fallures, just as stereotyped speeches are. The note must be spontaneous. The best all-round rule to follow is, write as you talk. Let your note sound like you. Let it be natural. Let it be as informal as pessible, for you know that really good form is always informal. It i{s only by experience that you can learn to write easily and throw off your self-consclous- ness. 8o practice writing to imaginary people about imaginary matters if you really mean to acquire the art. “My dear” is the conventional form of address for the soclety note, and is not considered as intimate as merely “Dear,” although it sounds more so. “Sincerely yours” is a good ending for almost any letter. A little more friendly is *“Cordially yours” or “Faithfully yours.” “Respectfully” and “Truly” are business forms and do not concern the so- clety note. The date and sometimes the address are written at the left below the signature. In dating a note do not write the full form used in business. Merely ‘“Wednes- day” is sufficlent, or “the tenth.” By the way, you are on the safe side in sticking to black ink, although there are always being revivals of purple and white. They are never as good form as the black. In addressing the letter it is a girlish custom to put “For” or “To” above the name. It doesn’t take the letter to its BELIN ON PALE Four 11 THE _APORESS FATicus AMERICAN WOMNEN WHO OWN EURCPEAN TITLES AND RARE C ROWN JEWELS OSTLY jewels having become se common, it is now necessary te own crown jewels, and the women really envied a: ¥ those, who can be lavish in the use of precious stones once worn by the historie royalty of the old world. The Duchess of Marlborough, formerly Consuelo Vander- bilt of New York, is one of these. She has, as a gift from her mother, now Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont, a string of pearls more than three feet In length, that was once In the jewel casket of the Empress Catherine of Russia. She also shares with the present Czarina a part of the collection of Count Orloff. The Duchess has the Orloff pea believed to be the finest in all Europe, while in the Russlan crown to-day glitters the famous dia- mond presented to Catherine by the ount. Mrs. Belmont’s gift to her daughter was not her only souvenir of old-time royalty. She retains a dlamond chain which was at one time also the property of the Em- press Catherine. Its length is more than seven feet, and Its value is $100,000. The same sum was pald for another string of pearls—as well it might bave been, for once they encircled ghe neck of Marie Antoinette, the most beautiful ever bared to an executioner. A similar interest at- taches to a part of the collection of the Countess de Castellane, once Anna Gould of New York. She possesses the famous Esterhazy diamond, set in the center of a heart-shaped brooch: but even above this she prizes a gift from the Marquis and Marquise de Castellane. This is a superb necklace of pearis. consisting of five strings, each of historic intdrest, held to- gether at one end by a magnificent square emerald surrounded by twenty-four dia- monds. One of the strings once belonged to Marle Antoinette,” and another to Henry of Navarre. Could woman ask more than this assoclation with the most beautiful but unfortunate of queens, and destination any faster, but it is pretty in effect. Milady loves to add the un- necessary and leave off the necessary. She will prefix the sign to the number of the street and omit the name of the Stata, Avold writing “City” on any but busi- ness letters. “Town” is just now in favor, and more durable is the custom of writ- ing the full name, “San Francisco.” Some of the whimsical are pasting thelr stamp in the left-hand corner, which causes the mall clerks plenty of annoy- ance. If you must te radical, stick your stamp cornerwise in the coquettish fash- fon shown here. The seal is always a delight to the femi. nine heart, probably from the eternal fas- cination of playing with fire. The wax comes in any shade you may choose. The metallic effects are the smartest. The monogram or crest is cut on the sdal. Itis a pretty idea to have it match that of the paper. The wax may be ap- plied at one or both corners of the broad flap or at the middle. Never economize on wax. A heavy seal is the only kind that is ornamental. It takes long practice to make a good one, #0 you might as well buy a stick of cheap red wax and experiment ajl over a big sheet of paper if you are not already skilled. Hold the wax above the taper, taking care not to let it burn. Keep it far enough from the flame so that it wiil merely melt. Apply it to the letter, melt agaln and apply—as many times as neces- sary to make the seal thick. It is now too hard to siamp. Hold the letter above the flame until the seal softens. It is very hard to avold scorch- ing the envelope, but experience teaches. When the seal is thoroughly melted stamp 1t and hold the die there until it cools. The outfit for milady’s ccsk can be ag elaborate as her taste dictates and her purse permits. The leather sets are more popular just now than the silver. One in alligator skin has silver mountings. It consists of desk pad and rocking blotter, standard case for paper and envelopes, inkstand, penwiper and stamp box. The taper stand is usually of silver and the tiny wax taper is of a color to & monize with the room's decorations. The na{ll of fi/ood and silver, of silver alore, with the most dashing lover in all the of gilt and enamel, of Dresden china or & annals of the adopted couniry of the lit dozen other things. tle American Countess? *