How to Write Letters (Formerly The Book of Letters) Part 10

788 East Forty-Sixth Street, December 7th, 1922.

My dear Mrs. Evans,

Mr. Trent and I will be very glad to dine with you on Tuesday, December the twelfth, at seven o'clock.

With kind regards, I am

Very sincerely yours, Charlotte B. Trent

_Regretting_

788 East Forty-Sixth Street, December 7th, 1922.

My dear Mrs. Evans,

We regret deeply that we cannot accept your kind invitation to dine with you on Tuesday, December the twelfth. Mr. Trent and I, unfortunately, have a previous engagement for that evening.

With cordial regards, I am

Yours very sincerely, Charlotte B. Trent.

_The daughter as hostess_

When a daughter must act as hostess in her father's home, she includes his name in every dinner invitation she issues, as in the following:

340 Madison Avenue, January 2, 1921.

My dear Mrs. Evans,

Father wishes me to ask whether you and Mr. Evans will give us the pleasure of dining with us on Wednesday, January the fifteenth, at quarter past seven o'clock. We do hope you can come.

Very sincerely yours, Edith Haines.

The answer to this invitation of a daughter-hostess must be sent to the daughter, not to the father.

_Accepting_

My dear Miss Haines,

We shall be delighted to accept your father's kind invitation to dine with you on Wednesday, January the fifteenth, at quarter past seven o'clock.

With most cordial wishes, I am

Very sincerely yours, Katherine G. Evans.

January 5, 1922

_Regretting_

My dear Miss Haines,

We regret exceedingly that we cannot accept your father's kind invitation to dine with you on Wednesday, January the fifteenth. A previous engagement of Mr. Evans prevents it.

Will you convey to him our thanks?

Very sincerely yours, Katherine Gerard Evans.

January 5, 1922.

_Adding additional details_

The invitation to an informal dinner may necessarily include some additional details. For example:

Five Hundred Park Avenue, September 16, 1920.

My dear Mr. Allen,

Mr. Evans and I have just returned from Canada and we hear that you are in New York for a short visit. We should like to have you take dinner with us on Friday, the twentieth, at half-past seven o'clock, if your time will permit. We hope you can arrange to come as there are many things back home in old Sharon that we are anxious to hear about.

Yours very sincerely, Katherine Gerard Evans.

Mr. Roger Allen Hotel Gotham New York

_Accepting_

Hotel Gotham, September 17, 1920.

My dear Mrs. Evans,

I shall be very glad to accept your kind invitation to dinner on Friday, September the twentieth, at half-past seven o'clock.

The prospect of seeing you and Mr. Evans again is very delightful and I am sure I have several interesting things to tell you.

Yours very sincerely, Roger Allen.

Mrs. John Evans 500 Park Avenue New York

_Regretting_

Hotel Gotham, September 16, 1920.

My dear Mrs. Evans,

I am sorry to miss the pleasure of accepting your kind invitation to dinner on Friday, September the twentieth.