Page:Theory and Practice of Handwriting.djvu/68

50 are large enough to ensure freedom, and still small enough for the tiny fingers to manipulate without much effort.

.–With reference to the thickness of the downstrokes it may be asserted without hesitation that all heavy writing is to be condemned. On the sound principle that a child should be taught that which has to be utilised in after life, heavy or ponderously thick down strokes are ruled out of court, since the easiest quickest and best writing is that in which there is a minimum of distinction between the up and down lines.

Indeed it may be said that with the majority of writers is put forth to thicken the down strokes, what extra body there is in them being due to the facility with which the parts of the nib separate when tracing a down stroke with even the weight or normal pressure of the hand upon the pen. The best headlines then should have as little thickness as possible: of necessity the larger or longer the stroke the more body is naturally given to it to render it steady and even.

Let the aim be to secure a minimum of thickness since every additional degree of intensity only demands an extra and wasteful expenditure of force that speedily wearies, and a profusion of ink that frequently smudges or smears. A further reason in favour of thin or light as opposed to thick or heavy writing is found in the fact that only an insignificant–we might almost say fractional–percentage of pupils can ever hope to become proficient in writing the heavy style, it being remarkably difficult to accomplish. If partisans of the heavy downstrokes be yet unconvinced we can produce a still more potent reason against them and it is this, that of all things, thick writing is most conducive to Writer's Cramp. The more muscular force is exerted in the act of writing the sooner those muscles are fatigued and strained, and it is sell evident that thick writing expends or requires much more energy than thin. We confess our inability to discover where the virtue of thick writing lies; the light-stroke writers are quicker and better in their work; and the thin writing, or the caligraphy that consists of one almost uniform thickness, is quite as legible as any other Teachers should teach a free light style of writing, guarding their