Edwin Hamlin Carr

“ We are greatly afflicted by the melancholy intelligence which has reached us that ———— is no more with us. He carried the riches of God within himself, and was a royal-hearted man. He was greatly beloved by all of us. With a prayer for every blessing on yourself,
Affectionately your friend,
My dear ————,
Permit me to express on behalf of ———— and myself our deepest sympathy. May you find very great comfort in the thought that there is a time coming when there shall be no more death, neither sorrow. ”

“ I commend you to Him who hath said, “There shall be no more death, neither sorrow.”
Affectionately yours,
May you have great comfort in the presence of Him who hath said, “I will not leave you destitute.”
Your friend,
Ever remember the good word which tells us that “He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
Faithfully yours,
Though we pass through the valley and the darkness of death let us fear no evil since He is with us. ”

“ No one can blow and swallow at the same time
Like a butterfly driven aimlessly before the breeze
An inspiration not amounting to a fixed resolve
An impractical sort of dreamer
The refinement of speculation
He flits from scheme to scheme
As changeable as the moon
[93]
Drifting like an idle straw at the mercy of the wind
Like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed
Fickle and irresolute
I am a feather for each wind that blows. ”

“ With kind remembrances and all good wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Bright New Year
With best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a New Year of health and happiness
The best of good wishes for a happy Christmas
May Christmas bring you plenteous store of happiness and joy
[161]
Heaps of Christmas wishes
With the kindest thoughts and the best of good wishes for a happy Christmas
I heartily send all good Christmas wishes to you and yours
For Letters of Condolence
My prayer is that you may be wonderfully sustained by Him who hath said, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” ”

“ Accept my hearty thanks for your dainty gift. It is greatly appreciated, and will ever be a reminder of your kindness and generosity.
Sincerely yours,
REPLIES (For Another, for a Gift of Flowers) My dear ————,
I am deeply indebted to you for your remembrance to my ————. She wants me to write and thank you for the beautiful flowers which you so kindly sent to her. She is much improved to-day. Please accept our warmest thanks.
Sincerely,
(For Birthday Gift) My dear ————,
How fine it was of you to remember me on my birthday. Your gift will be to me a constant reminder of your kindness. ”

“ We are all proud of him, and I sincerely hope that you will find much comfort in the knowledge of the affection in which he is held.
With sincerest sympathy,
(When Interment is at Home) My dear ————,
We have just been informed that your son’s body has been lovingly laid to rest at home. If [296] ever we were proud of our soldier boys it is now. Every day their sacrifices are more precious to us as we dwell upon their likeness to the greatest of all sacrifices which God made for us through his Son.
May the God of all comfort, comfort you and yours is our prayer. ”

“ LETTERS OF CONGRATULATION (On Graduation) My dear ————,
How happy I am to hear that you have so successfully terminated your High School course. You surely deserve the best the world can offer for you have earned it by hard conscientious study. Please accept my congratulations.
Sincerely yours,
[299]
My dear ————,
It was with the greatest pleasure I learned that you were to graduate this year. How much it must mean to you to finally hold in your hand the diploma for which you have labored so faithfully for four years. May I extend my hearty congratulations. ”

“ I have made an effort to emphasize phrases of commendation, optimism, and courtesy. Also many for use in letter writing——especially phrases suitable for letters of condolence. There is perhaps no more difficult letter to write than one of condolence, hence a considerable number under this designation in order to assist in this necessary and yet most blessed task.
The primary purpose of this book is that it may serve as a synonymous phrase dictionary, yet I have so planned it that it can also be used [iv] as a social letter writer. ”

“ As the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Ps. CIII., 11
He filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Ps. CVII., 9
He healeth the broken in heart.
Ps. CXLVII., 3
He is kind to the unthankful.
Luke VI., 35
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
II Cor. IX., 15
As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Isa. XXXII., 2
The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.
Isa. XXXV., 1
The God of truth.
Isa. LXV., 16
The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it. ”

“ Their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more.
Jer. XXXI., 12
I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Jer. XXXI., 13
A refuge in times of trouble.
Ps. IX., 9
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John XVI., 33
[155]
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. ”

“ For example, if one desires to write a letter of Condolence, let him turn to the GUIDE TO PHRASES, p. 279, and to the subheading “FOR LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE.” Then, guided by the references, select in the DICTIONARY OF PHRASES, such expressions as are most desirable, weaving them into a letter as in the following sample:
My dear ————,
[a] I know your heart must be sorely grieved at the loss of your dear father. [b] His name was never mentioned by us without the most tender regard. [c] No one ever displayed a sweeter spirit than he. [d] Be assured of our cordial esteem and fervent prayers. ”

“ Hearty congratulations
(Conventional——Condolence)
Kindly accept my sincere esteem and sympathy
I beg to offer my profound sympathy
We all share in your loss, and you have my deepest sympathy
I sympathize with you in your great affliction
I wish to assure you of my heartfelt sympathy
I could not refrain from assuring you in person of my sincerest sympathy
[42]
We can all splendidly trust God in life, no matter what its vicissitudes, if we but feel that we are drawn nearer to Him
Please accept my sincere condolences
(Conventional——Congratulatory) ”

“ With best wishes for a year of great blessing
May the New Year be full of the kindliest benedictions
With kind wishes for a year of the brightest prospects
[164]
For General Letters
I am ever, with sincerest regard,
Your friend,
Remember me very kindly to ————
Sincerely,
I beg to be most kindly remembered to ————
With cordial regard,
Accept the sincerest esteem of
Your friend,
My compliments to your ————
Very sincerely,
With sincere regard,
With kindest respects to your whole family,
Yours affectionately,
I beg you will give my affectionate respects to all. ”

“ We were very sorry to read of your bereavement in the loss of your ————. Our prayer is that you may find great consolation in the thought that some day, in God’s own good time, you shall see ———— again. ”

“ The very fact that one keeps his eyes open for new expressions tends to make him more careful of his own phraseology, and to encourage the constant improvement of his own style either by the addition of old phrases, new to him, or by the coining of new ones. ”

“ A shrewd, acute man of the world
A fine discernment of the issue
A penetrating declaration that——
With keen discriminating insight
He fully appreciated the potentialities of——
He awoke to a vivid realization of——
With the discerning eye of faith
A complete revelation of the inner life
Face to face with the purposes for which we were created
A fire which consumes the dross
Foregleams of the mercy that would save the blackest sinner
A deep knowledge of the things of God
The delicate hand of a discerning nurse
Submitted to the arbitrament of merciless justice
DISCRIMINATING
Accurate Particular ”

“ While your heart is heavy, and one feel quite deserted, yet we can be much comforted in remembering that “He knoweth our frame.” and is ever mindful of us. With sincere sympathy,
Your friend,
For New Year Letters ”

“ Your views are most satisfactory
Cheerful company shortens the miles
Cold hand, a warm heart
How nicely you put that
Those friends of yours are delightful people
Permit me to compliment you
He is able to extract comfort out of hard experiences
You are looking as lovely as usual
I always thought the hour struck sooner in your home than anywhere else
You have a very helpful suggestion
I greatly like what you say about——
I offer my congratulations on your taste
I am not given to making compliments, but I would like to say that——
CONCEITED
Egotistic Opinionated ”

“ The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Ps. CXII., 6
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Ps. XXX., 5
Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. ”

“ There seems to be a very great diversity in our sentiments
(Of Thanks)
It is good of you to say so
How lovely of you
I reciprocate your good wishes
Thank you for your cheerful words
You give me more credit than I deserve
It is really a pleasure to assist you
I feel amply repaid for my effort
I appreciate keenly the favor you have shown me
[217]
It was delightful I assure you
I feel indebted to you for your kindness
It was very thoughtful of you
One cannot be thankful enough for good friends
It was altogether delightful
REPREHENSIBLE
Blameworthy Culpable ”

“ The bearer, ————, is an acquaintance of mine for ———— years. He is a young man of splendid habits. I would recommend him for any position suitable to his ability.
To Whom it may Concern:
I have known the bearer, ————, for ————. He is of fine family and has been one of our most respected young men.
I would heartily recommend him.
LETTERS OF RESIGNATION
————, Secretary.
My dear ————,
I regret that I shall be compelled to resign my position as ———— on account of ————. With sincere [306] thanks to all for many kindnesses, and with best wishes to the ————, I am,
Yours respectfully,
————, Secretary. ”

“ An air of quiet, unaffected assurance
CAUTIOUS
Prudent Careful
I am not going to leap in the dark
It must be handled with gloves
It is a work of eternal vigilance
Ordinary prudence would suggest that——
It is well within the bounds of conservative statement to say that——
We must keep a sharp lookout for——
[13]
That is the part of the sane caution
In spite of the most scrupulous precautions
Prudential regulations
Pull gently at a weak rope
He has infinite capacity for taking care
Haste onward with caution
Things done well, and with a care, exempt themselves from fear. ”

“ DULL
Uninteresting Tiresome
As dry as desert dust
Ineffably dull
Devoid of interest
An intolerable tedium
Without conscious appreciation of the meaning of——
With all the virility taken out
A gray day
The gray drab of life
No one could accuse him of any inspiration
It is almost impossible to strike any fire in him
The embodiment of stupidity
It needs the infusion of new blood
As tedious as a twice-told tale
As tedious as a tired horse
Unutterably wearisome
[73]
In the usual humdrum way
A dull and tedious statement
EFFECTUAL
Efficacious Operative ”

“ The foe of tyranny
The well-established right of every citizen
Very intolerant of sin, but not vindictive
A life strictly legal
KEEN
Foxy Cunning
With a special axe to grind
He caught you napping
A piece of sharp practice
A shrewd surmise
A bit of keen reasoning
Too ingenious by half
Neutrals think to tread on eggs and break none
As cunning as a weasel
A mind like a steel-trap
Bait the hook well; the fish will bite.
Much Ado about Nothing, II., 3
[133]
Reared in the school of diplomacy
A discipleship with mental reservations
He turns a blow with a jest
KINDNESS
Sympathy Gentleness ”

“ Love that translated us from alienation to family favor
Love, pure, warm, and changeless
Songs of redeeming love
An eye of love
A heaven of love
Abounding love
With undiminished love
Love is the universal language
What the world needs is love
[171]
MANLY
Strong Upright ”

“ Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
II Cor. IV., 17
[153]
The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Eph. I., 18
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away.
I Pet. I., 4
So shall we ever be with the Lord.
I Thess. IV., 17
They shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Rev. XXII., 4
The righteous shall go away into life eternal.
Matt. XXV., 46
Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. ”

“ Many vicissitudes
All true in a finished civilization
He has seen many a bitter day of sorely tried hopes
The many accessories of evil
Crushed by burdens
The misspent strivings of mankind
Errant human nature
To move in paralyzing dread
Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward
A particularity which converts every trifle into a thorn
A dark and stormy sea ”

“ A work of discriminating selection
DISGUST
Aversion Repugnance
The game is not worth the candle
Most vexatious blunders
Profoundly distasteful
This is wretched business
It makes one shiver to think of——
It is not very pleasant to contemplate
How often have I been in a passion with him
Disgustingly enough
I have a deep-seated repugnance to——
Disgusted with fatuous pretensions
I had the disagreeable task of——
For which he has the most ardent disdain
[70]
I consider the action most reprehensible
Particularly approbrious
Nearsighted expediency
They were anathema to him
DOMINATE
Control Rule ”