Page:Theory and Practice of Handwriting.djvu/70

52 than times not including dots, crosses and punctuation. The letter contained seventy-seven words and exclusive of dots &c. the pen should have been lifted only seventy-seven times. Can it be credited that it was lifted from the paper, and that it thus made three hundred and fifty separate strokes? Calculate, if it be possible, the labour involved in those hundreds of superfluous acts; and when it is added that the gentleman in question is a most voluminous writer and author and that his correspondence is immense the reader will be astonished to learn that he still survives in remarkably good health. But spite such rare and phenomenal exceptions as these Continuous writing is winning its way and rapidly becoming universal.

.–Writing in order to be clear and legible should not be too compact or closely written. A moderate space between the letters and between their several parts must be observed otherwise an undesirable indistinctness will ensue seriously detracting from the excellence of the penmanship. At the same time a series of Headlines should afford ample material for practice in both the open and close styles primarily the former as if the latter be indulged in too often a cramped style will be cultivated that will be very difficult to cure. The curves, hooks, links, crotchets and loops should all be bold and round not narrow or assimilating to what is known as Ladies' Angular hand. As to the general shape of the letters short loops, finals and simple capitals must obtain. Elaborate flourishes, ornate curves, graceful loops and elegant finals belong to the department of Ornamental Penmanship now nearly obsolete, they are altogether inappropriate to any system of plain Handwriting. The object of every teacher of writing should be to have each and every letter formed with the shortest line or lines possible, consistent with perfect shape and legibility, as not only will the labour of teaching and learning be thus reduced to the lowest possible but many other equally desirable results will be brought about.

When considering the shapes of letters it will be wise to specially examine a certain number of them about which ideas are both vague and various. For instance shall we have in a course of writing