To the Secretary of the Town Club.

    My dear Mrs. Brown: 

Mrs. Titherington Smith, whose name is posted for membership, is a very old and close friend of mine.  She is the daughter of the late Rev. Samuel Eminent and is therefore a member in her own right, as well as by marriage, of representative New York families.

She is a person of much charm and distinction, and her many friends will agree with me, I am sure, in thinking that she would be a valuable addition to the club.

    Very sincerely,
    Ethel Norman.

=RECOMMENDATION OF EMPLOYEES=

Although the written recommendation that is given to the employee carries very little weight, compared to the slip from the employment agencies where either “yes” or “no” has to be answered to a list of specific and important questions, one is nevertheless put in a trying position when reporting on an unsatisfactory servant.

Either a poor reference must be given—­possibly preventing a servant from earning her living—­or one has to write what is not true.  Consequently it has become the custom to say what one truthfully can of good, and leave out the qualifications that are bad (except in the case of a careless nurse, where evasion would border on the criminal).

That solves the poor recommendation problem pretty well; but unless one is very careful this consideration for the “poor” one, is paid for by the “good.”  In writing for a very worthy servant therefore, it is of the utmost importance in fairness to her (or him) to put in every merit that you can think of, remembering that omission implies demerit in each trait of character not mentioned.  All good references should include honesty, sobriety, capability, and a reason, other than their unsatisfactoriness, for their leaving.  The recommendation for a nurse can not be too conscientiously written.

A lady does not begin a recommendation:  “To whom it may concern,” nor “This is to certify,” although housekeepers and head servants writing recommendations use both of these forms, and “third person” letters, are frequently written by secretaries.

A lady in giving a good reference should write: 

    Two Hundred Park Square.

    Selma Johnson has lived with me for two years as cook.

I have found her honest, sober, industrious, neat in her person
as well as her work, of amiable disposition and a very good cook.

She is leaving to my great regret because I am closing my house
for the winter.

Selma is an excellent servant in every way and I shall be glad to
answer personally any inquiries about her.

Josephine Smith. 
(Mrs. Titherington Smith)
October, 1921.

The form of all recommendations is the same: 

——­ has lived with me ——­ months years as ——.  I have found
him/ her ——.  He/She is leaving because ——.