Page:Theory and Practice of Handwriting.djvu/20

2 book was one of the innovations which merged into life. These copy-books have grown and increased to an alarming extent during the past forty years. We say alarming, for the wisdom of having such a variety of antagonistic styles is much to be questioned. One has merely to look through the vast number of (headline) copy books in existence to be struck with the anomalies with which they abound. Every compiler or writer–and there is a material difference between the two–of a series of copy books naturally thinks and advertises his own peculiar production to be the best. But that each should be superior to all the others is impossible, and which amongst them is entitled to lay claim to superiority it is hopeless to attempt to determine.

We present for inspection (Figs. 3 to 6) specimens of eight large hand copies and eleven small-hand headlines taken from some of the popular series of copy books now in the market. Glancing at the selection made (p. 4) who would not be bewildered at the contrasts presented? And this is only a selection; yet it is seen that in no one respect do they all agree save in the most objectionable respect of all (as we shall show further on) viz. Slope. They are without exception off the vertical or perpendicular, but the degrees of divergence from the Upright, or the angles of Slope, are only limited by the number of specimens and hardly that. With regard to their several characteristics it will be noted that generally they nearly all differ in the fundamental principles of construction, angle of slope, and style: some are heavy, stumpy and round, others light, flowing and almost angular: some very large others minutely small: some nearly upright others nearly horizontal: some open and wide almost square in their curves others close compact and oval: some with plain simple capitals others with elaborate and ornate capitals: some commencing with an extremely large and heavy hand as in the word “Permutation” others commencing with a smaller but still heavier hand as in the word “Whitsuntide.”

In the books lying before us, and from certain of which these illustrations are severally taken, it is observed that some grade the letters according to system others according to caprice or not at