a man's folly
than a woman's.

Always, too, sign your name the same way: get into the habit of it.
Don't let it be to-day "Mary G. Snodham," and to-morrow "Mary Snodham,"
and the day after "M. G. Snodham." If character comes out anywhere in
writing, it is in the signature, and it ought to be every day the same,
the same in words, the same in writing, and the same in flourishes--that
is to say, if there are any flourishes.

When you send a Post Office order to anyone, however, you may make an
exception to this rule. It is a good plan to sign a letter accompanying
such an order with initials only. When this is done, should the letter
fall into the hands of dishonest people, the chances are considerably
reduced of their knowing the name of the sender so as to get payment of
the order. In getting the money for a Post Office order it is always
necessary, as perhaps you know, to tell at the post-office who sent it.

When you (we shall call you Elizabeth Fisher) are asked to write a
letter in the name of another person (call her Janet Constable), how
should you sign it? Not, certainly, by just writing Janet Constable;
that would be highly improper. To put another person's name to any
letter or document whatever, even in fun, is not even to be dreamt
about. You must sign--

Yours truly,
_for_ JANET CONSTABLE,
ELIZABETH FISHER.

Or, if you like it better--

Yours respectfully,
JANET CONSTABLE,
_p._ ELIZABETH FISHER.

In this case the _p._ stands for _per_, and means that Janet Constable
signs the letter _by_ or _through_ you. You may write _per_ in full, if
you like.

Sometimes you may have to write inquiring about the character of people
or their standing from a money point of view. In doing so, put the name
or names on a slip of paper and gum it at the foot of your letter, so
that it can be easily torn off. Your correspondent can then at once
destroy the slip, and should your letter or her reply afterwards be read
by other people, they will probably be none the wiser, for they will
only see in your letter an inquiry regarding the person or persons
"noted at foot," and in hers an answer about the person or persons
"about whom you inquire."

All enclosures sent in a letter should be mentioned in a note in the
left-hand bottom corner after signing one's name. Thus:--

Enclosed:
Postal Order, 10s. 6d.
Recipe for cooking rattlesnakes.
Pattern: t