Page:Hill's manual of social and business forms.djvu/33

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Paper.

For practice in penmanship, obtain of the stationer five sheets of good foolscap paper. Midway from top to bottom of the sheet, cut the paper in two, placing one half inside the other. Use a strong paper for the cover, and sew the whole together, making a writing-book. Use a piece of blotting paper to rest the hand on. The oily perspiration constantly passing from the hand unfits the surface of the paper for receiving good penmanship. The hand should never touch the paper upon which it is designed, afterwards, to write.

Ink

Black ink is best. That which flows freely, and is nearest black when first used, gives the most satisfaction. The inkstand should be heavy and flat, with a large opening, from which to take ink, and not liable to tip over. The best inkstand is made of thick cut glass, enabling the writer to see the amount of ink in the same, and shows always how deep to set the pen when taking ink from the stand. Care should be observed not to take too much ink on the pen; and the surplus ink should be thrown back into the bottle, and never upon the carpet or floor. Close the bottle when done using it, thus preventing rapid evaporation of the ink, causing it soon to become too thick.

Other Writing Materials.

An important requisite that should accompany the other writing materials is the pen wiper, used always to clean the pen when the writing exercise is finished, when the ink does not flow readily to the point of the pen, or when lint has caught upon the point. A small piece of buckskin or chamois skin, obtained at the drug store, makes much the best wiper. The 'student should be provided with various sizes of paper, for different exercises to be written, such as commercial forms, letters, notes of invitation, etc., with envelopes to correspond in size; together with lead-pencil, rubber, ruler, and mucilage. Thus provided with all the materials necessary, the writing exercise, which otherwise would be an unpleasant task, becomes a pleasure.

How to Practice.

Having the necessary materials in readiness for writing, the student should set apart a certain hour or two each day for practice in penmanship, for at least one month, carefully observing the following directions:

See Plate 1. Carefully examine each copy on this plate. Devote one page in the writing book to the practice of each copy. Commence with copy No.1. The practice of this copy is an important exercise for two reasons, being: first, to give sufficient angularity for rapidity in writing; and second, to give freedom of movement.

The student who carries a heavy, cramped hand, will find great benefit result from practicing this copy always at the commencement of the writing exercise. Rest the hand on the two lower fingers—never on the wrist, and rest the body and arm lightly upon the fore-arm. Assume thus a position whereby the pen can take in the entire sweep of the page, writing this exercise, in copy No. 1, from the left to the right side of the page, without removing the pen from the paper while making the same. The student may write both with pen and lead-pencil, and should continue the practice of this exercise until perfect command is obtained of the fingers, hand and arm; and all evidence of a stiff, cramped penmanship disappears.

Copy No. 2 is a contraction of copy No. 1, making the letter m, Great care should be used in writing this letter to make the several

parts of the same, uniform in height, size, and slope; the downward slope of all the letters being at an angle of 52 degrees. See diagram illustrating slope of letters.