In the old days, when  people still wrote letters to each other, it happened one day that a businessman received a letter from his son, who had gone away to study.  The businessman was examining his accounts when his secretary came in with the envelope.  Not wanting to stop what he was doing, the businessman said, “Open it and read it to me.”

The secretary, who was also in a hurry, quickly read: “Papa, please send money.  I need to buy clothes.”

“What kind of a letter is this?” said the businessman, disgustedly.  “The boy has no feeling and no  manners! I’m not sending him anything.” And he went on with what he was doing.

When he went home that evening, he had the letter in his pocket, and his wife saw it. Taking it out, she read it aloud, lingering over every syllable as if it were a teaspoon of honey.

“Ah,” said the businessman, “that’s better. He’s starting to learn something.  I’ll send him some money in the morning.”