Page:Hill's manual of social and business forms.djvu/53

Rh Blackboard Flourishing.

The plates, representing flourishing in white lines on dark groundwork, though designed to represent off-hand work upon the blackboard, will be found equally useful for practice with the pen. The figure of the Swan from Packard and Williams' "Gems of Penmanship" is a beautiful piece of flourishing, which finely illustrates how true to nature an object may be made with but very few strokes of the pen. As will be seen, the figures on these plates are composed wholly of curved lines.

TEACHING PENMANSHIP.

URING the past twenty years great improvement has been wrought in the penmanship of our youth, by the general introduction of writing books into our common schools, containing engraved copy lines; and yet statistics show that vast numbers of people in every State in the Union are unable to write; and some of these are to be found in nearly every locality. A majority of these persons have passed their school days, but the necessity is none the less urgent with them for improvement in penmanship; and they would gladly avail themselves of the opportunity for receiving instruction, if a competent teacher were to open a Writing School in their vicinity.

There exists a general demand for good instructors in Writing throughout the country, and teachers who will properly prepare themselves for the profession, can have excellent remuneration for their services. It is true that many persons attempt to teach writing as a profession, who, through bad management and want of moral principle, deservedly fail; but the earnest, faithful, competent teacher is wanted, and will be well rewarded for his labor.

The "12 Lesson" System. There are but twenty-six letters in the alphabet to write; fifty-two in all, capital and small letters. The principles from which these letters are formed are, in reality, very few; and to obtain a mastery of these principles is the object of giving instruction. Therefore, to acquire a knowledge of how to write, a large number of lessons is not absolutely necessary. The course of instruction may be so arranged as to very completely include all the principles pertaining to penmanship in twelve lessons; and the class may have such practice, each lesson being two hours in length, as will, with many pupils, completely change their penmanship in that time. It is not pretended that any one can perfect their writing in twelve lessons. Real ease and grace in penmanship is the result of months and years of practice; but a knowledge of how to practice, to impart which is the mission of the teacher, may be learned in a short time. In fact, most people are surprised to see how much may be accomplished in few lessons when the class is properly instructed.

Should, however, the teacher wish to give a more extended term of instruction, it is only necessary to drill longer upon each principle, with elaborate blackboard illustration to correspond. If the time and means of the student prevent the taking of the longer course, the shorter term may be made proportionately beneficial. Should the Twelve-lesson term be adopted by the traveling teacher, the following suggestions may be of service in the organization and management of a Writing class.

Having acquired proficiency in penmanship, and having good specimens of writing to exhibit, let the young teacher, desirous of establishing a Writing school, visit any locality where live a civilized people. While it is true that the more ignorant most greatly need the advantage of such instruction, it is nevertheless a fact that the more intelligent and educated the people of a community, the better will be the teacher's patronage.