CHAPTER IV
SIZE, THICKNESS, CONTINUITY, ETC., OF WRITING
Having determined the direction that our Writing shall take, it remains to settle such matters as the size, thickness, closeness, roundness and continuity (or otherwise) of the strokes, letters and words, with special and final reference to their shape or outline.
The Size
We are not here concerned so much as to the size of ordinary Script writing as with the size of the letters and words which those who are just learning to write in our schools shall be required to imitate. Individuality will ever assert itself in limiting the size of every day caligraphy, but it is a matter of no small importance whether beginners ought to commence with a very large bold style, heavy and unwieldy, or with a small light hand quite the reverse. The books afford us very little assistance; Manuals of method differ; Text books on handwriting vary or ignore the question altogether; and Copy Books are still more bewilderingly diversified. Who is to decide? Is it preferable to begin with the largest sizes and styles found in Fig. 3 (page 4) or with the smallest in Fig. 4 (p. 5)?
There is a startling contrast between the extremes, and the world is to believe that each specimen is the best, the orthodox one. Many are found who advocate the large heavy writing, their argument being that it stretches the muscles, imparts freedom and elasticity to the fingers, and secures a correspondingly desirable elegance and boldness to the style. The reply to this by those who prefer a much smaller size is, that by commencing with such a large hand for little fingers and afterwards gradually
