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   0,  The sacrifice won't (1) be very heavy; walking for the sake ot pleasure being out of the question with a rainy day like this. Let us improve the occasion (2) then.
   First of all you must bear well in mind that the object of commercial correspondence is not merely that of communication between people living at a distance from one another, but to afford the record of business transactions, that no misundertanding or dispute may arise as to the conditions agreed upon. A bargain may be entered into (3) verbally ; but, directly upon binding it, the parties, even if living in the same place, will be sure to exchange letters embodying the terms agreed upon, that there may be no room for disagreement. A letter is always an available voucher (4), you know.
   A.  Quite natural. Words are but leaves that any wind blows away. « Verba volant scripta manent» as my old latin master used to say.
   (1) Won't  Accorciatura di « will not ».
   (2) To improve the occasion  Profittare (valersi) dell'occasione.
   (3) To enter a bargain  Stipulare (fare) un negozio.
   (4) Dal verbo to Vouch  Far fede-, provare, il sostantivo Voucher equivalente a « documento » nel senso di « documento probatorio ».
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   0.  Well then; if such is the high function of a commercial letter, you will easily understand, that it must be possessed of some peculiar qualities, not so strictly required in general correspondence. Such qualities are; Correctness, Clearness and Conciseness.
   When I say correctness, mind you, I do not refer only to grammar and style; it being a matter of course that any writing is to adhere to the rules of the language: but I mean that strict accuracy is required, as the slightest mistake in a date or in the figure of a price, for instance, may be fraught with (1) serious consequences.
   A letter must be clear, which means that every word is to be used in its proper meaning; -no ambiguity, no double meaning, that may be interpreted in more than one way. There must be no possible doubt as to the intention of the writer; were it otherwise, the party who receives the letter will always be more likely to take it in the sense most favourable to his interest, which, on the contrary, may happen-to be the least favourable to his correspondenPs'
   Conciseness, which should be in principle a characteristic feature of epistolary style gen-
   (1) To ba fraught with  Tradotta letteralmente questa locuzione significherebbe « essere carico di »; ma idiomaticamente corrisponde nel senso del verbo italiano « apportare ».