Page:Theory and Practice of Handwriting.djvu/84

66 of the true outlines and proportions of the letters they have to reproduce so frequently; and thus their appreciation grows until an accurate knowledge is attained, that imparts cunning to the hand, that guides the fingers in their caligraphic evolutions, and dictates the grace and elegance that find expression in a style of handwriting, that is as beautiful as it is legible.

For other cogent reasons it is expedient that the copies or models should be permanent. It will be found that the members of a class write at different rates, and some will have finished the page (or the line) long before their fellows.

Certainly the quick writers can proceed to a second copy, but this would create another evil very widely condemned but alas too often practised, viz., writing one and the same copy for too long a time. Then with large classes how impossible to efficiently correct each book in the one lesson. Consequently, the Master in making his rounds is unable to correct any back work even by comparison with his own imperfect Blackboard copy, thus his correction is robbed of half its value.

But further these corrections even in the best conditions, are wonderfully depreciated by the consideration, that in all subsequent time they will be comparatively meaningless.

A pupil looking over his book sees certain marks on various letters in the back pages. They are almost absolutely useless to him as he forgets the signification of the marks, and has no permanent model to refresh his memory, or to give him the clue.

A reply to this may be that the Master can re-write the Copy on the Blackboard. Precisely so. That is possible, but such an act requires time and labour, and multiplies details to an extent simply intolerable. One is inclined to predict that as the subject receives more careful attention, teachers will conclude, that the absence of permanent models constitutes an objection to the System of Blank Copy Books which is fatal to its success or survival.

Amongst the minor objections to this scheme may be noticed the promiscuous character of the subject matter in Blackboard Copies. They change with every variation in the Teacher's mood: trivial, insipid, dull, dry, appropriate, or the reverse. This is not