palmer business writing

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A. N. P A L M E R , E d i t o r of thk W E S T E R N P E N M A N .

WESTERN PENMANPUBLISHINGCO., PUBLISHER,CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

1894.


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-/EDAR RAPIDS, IOWAREPuPL~CAN PRINTING CO.7PRINTERS AND BINDERS.


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In preparing this little treatise on "hZuscular Movement Writing," the author has recognizedthe fact tha t there are scores of works on writing in which the most perfect copies may be found,(copies embodying the skill of the engraver really more than that of any penman,) and yet not oneof these works contains a tangible method for developing Muscular blovement, the businessworld's recognized movement for writing. The fau lt underlying the various systems of copy bookscan be summed up in the fact that their authors are theorists, and have never test ed their methodsin the rush of business. hIovement is the tru e foundation upon which to build, ~f a r ap~d ,ract!calstyle of writing is desired, and, as the muscular is the only movement adapted to bus~nes swrltlng,as well as the best movement for nearly every style of ornamenta l writing, we have att emp ted toexplain it in the following pages so fully tha t no one need grope in darkness, and no one with the useof one eye and one hand need long be without a good hand-writlng. The "muscular movement sys-tem" of writing is sweeping the country like wild-fire, and from every quarter we hear its praisessung with all the enthusiasm of which young America is capable. It is the only system tha t com-legibility, rapidity and beauty, it is the only system adapted to the wants of the American people, and it is boundWe know there are some who still cling to the fossilized theory that all tha t is necessary to make good writers ofs before them, and to get them to study and practice such copies carefully. Such teachingnever can be successful.If this theory is correct, why is it that the public school pupils ~ r ac t i c e fter the most accurate copies in copy booksly a dczen years without acquiring a practical hand?A good penman who uses muscular movement as the foundation, will teach the average student to write a good, prac-When we say practical, wem ea n a plain and rapid style, adapted to business purposes.With these glaring facts staring them in the face, it seems strange that the people who pay taxes to support the publicol system, can be satisfied to see their children gradua te from the grammar or h ~ g hchool w~th onors, after a dozenyears of ha rd s tudy, without oneof the most necessary of al l accomplishments-a good, practical style of writing-branch might have been successfully mastered in a few months under proper instruction. Pupils in the lowerf the grammar schools, as a rule, write much bette r than those of the higher grades and in the high schools, Manywhy this is so, and yet the solution is very simple and plain. In the lower grade s the pupils are allowed all thech to write a line in the copy book, and the result is they learn to draw (not write) the lett ers withTha t this knowledge, without movement, is valueless is clearly demonstrated , when the pupils reach theTh e results of this method of teaching penmanship ar e clearly shown in the accompanying cuts, the first oneshowingwriting of a brigh t boy two years afte r he began his school career, and the second showing the writing of the samears later when placed i na pos it~on equiring rapid wr~ tin g. Had this young man been taught a light, slidingmovement as the foundation, with a reasonable amount of drill on the plainest business forms, he would haverapid bus~nes s and long before he reached the high school. Th e author hopes that all whoto turn the pages of this little book will investigate thoroughly the meritsof muscular movement as appliedfor he is reasonably certain tha t all who give it a fair and impartial trial will acknowledge it superior to a llr movements.


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The re is no philosophical line of thought whereby one can argu e himself into a good handwriting. The re aroccult of the mind, -hirh, touched by a master wi!l power. can be made to vibrate along the muscles of thlike magic, guiding the hand safely through beartiful. but unknown forms The re is no subtle line of areunlent that\vhen careful!l adhe red to, enable the-recipient i n become a good writer ivithout that most necessary of-all elements,sistent, personal effort.To be sur e, that wond erful, indivisible spiritual force, calle dthe niin d,mu st, thro ugh the impelling force of will pdirect and the action of the muscles, and through them the directions of the pen, but the stud ent who calmlyhis handr m d argues to himself that learning to write IS a matter of mind, not matter. of theory. not work, w~ l lindself the most deluded of all modern self-styled thinkers.Th e theorem to all is intelligent,lassiduous work. It is the do gma of ou r faith, the watchword of those who havecessfulls threaded the labyrinthine pa ths in the past, and it ever must be the guiding star in this and future generat

The l eg i t imat e resu l t of cop) book practice,


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SO . I .NOTE.--These lessons are in plan and purpose identical with those given in nly classes fronl day to day in the Ce dards Business College The y have been largely compiled from manuscript furnished by a s tenogra pher,wh onlade verbatinorts of my daily lessons to my classes. In this n-ay many points of importa nce, bro ught to Iny notice t hrou gh per-tla1 contac t nith stude nts, have found their way into these lessons, which oth erwise would hnve been omitted. hlanysuggest ions in any line of teaching , ar e creations of imp ulse , and envir onment, s uggested by the moment ary re-ction of th e student's needs, and in this connection I have thought that, as the p~ lpi lswho compose my daily classescome from all points of rhe compass, and as they represent all conditions usually met in penmans hip classes, thatS'FL'IIY 'Fi-IE ISSTKUC7FIOSS.

Good writing is now, always has be en, and always will be the direct result of a process cf deve lopm ent, and this pro-f dev elopment ca nnot be crowded lnto a few hours, da)s , or weeks. Good writing is brought about by careful studycritical examination of the f ar ms given for practice, a proper application of a light elastic movement,ste ady effort alon g the one line It will be our earnes t effort to make all of the step s in the course plain ,comprehension and by a natural process leading up to the higher order of development in the more advanced par tcourse It is of t he ntnlost i mportanc e tha t thc instructions an d suggest ions should be studied and act ed upon ;t spa ~r ~~ od ica lly , continuously. In fact , the high l~ gh tsof reason should be bro ught to be arut thoughtfully ~ n _ l at all times and the dictates of judgment and reason should be followed.

\ \ 'KITlSG hIATER1ALS. 110 not att emp t to prac tice penm ans hip with poor mnterials. Good paper is the first essential; not little sheetsof noter, but foolsc;tp and single sheets are preferable to those that are folded. Of course all will lay in a stock of Pal -Business Pens, ancl the penholder should not be overlooked I)o not, we beg of you, atte mpt to use a m etalhold er, or one that is a numbe r of sizes too small for the hand. Huy a good straigh t holder, i f you do not possessand do not hesitate to [lay ten cents for it i f that is the price Our s tudents all use the "Crown" penholder, manu-agle Pencll Co., Se w York, a holder that retails at ten cents. The re is no better made.17nderno circc~msta nces ttem pt to execute business writing with ;in oblique holder. Th e oblique holder is all rightits piac e, ar.d its plac e is in exe cuti ng ornam enta l writing. For that purpose it has no equal.Good ink is not the least impo rtan t thing in the student' s outfit. Thick muddy ink sho~i ld e avoided as the plague.:or business writing we prefer Levison's Blue Black Wr itin g Fluid, manufa ctured by Levison c9r BLythe, St. Louis, Mo.d's is also a good ink. CLO TH IN G FO R RI(;HT FOKEARAI.A s the movement we teach for writing is one in \\hich th e muscles of the right forea rm play an important par t, it is

essential that the muscles of that ar m should he so clothed lor unclothed) as to permit at all times unrestrictedMany good writers conside r this of sufficient Imp orta nce to lead them , in winter, to cut off the heavy under sleevethe elbow. H E I G H T O F T A H LE OK DESK.S o one can write easily at a table so low that ~t is necessa ryto throw the entire body forward to reach the writing; and agalnit will be fo und fully as difficult to acquire a good movement at atabl e so hig h t hat when sitting in an upright position with theright forear m resting on the table, the shoulder is thrown upwardout of its natural pos~ tion .W e cannot give a definite rule in regard to the height of thetable, as that de pend s entirel y upon the size of the writer. but fora person of average height the top of the table should be at least

, tkirtv inches fronl the floor. T h e ave rag e distanc e in a dire ct, line from the eye to the pape r in rea ding or writing is about 12 or 1 4, inch es; if the des k be a low one , the eye will naturall y dro p to, within a certain distance of th e paper, and the body is forced toassume an unhealthy attitude. On the other hand , by using a.. higher des k, the eye, in order to assume again its writing distance,;' is forced up\vard, the head is also raised, and the body is at oncethrown into a natura l position, enabling one to write for hourswithout fatigue.If your desk is too low, as is often the case , regula te itsheight by using blocks of wood of the desired thickne ss to brin g~t up to correct height.

G E S E R A L P O S IT I O S A T D E S K .Th e following instructions r egar ding position were given inTO O H I G H . one of our daily writing classe s and we tr ust t heir importa nce

In every writing class I have ever taught there have been certain things of the litmost importance, which, when onceought not to be told again: that is, there ought to he no neceisityof repeati ng them, because th ey a re of such vital import-I have never tau ght a class in which I have not been compelledo repeat over and over certain things that ar e of importa nce to beginners; those things which, ~f ignored on the start,

First. In regard to the general position at the desk in writing. The re ar e certain rules which we must rigidly follow\i-e say to you, we want you to use the muscl es of the ar m, we want you to tlse these muscles freelyeasily, not laboriously: we want you to use them from the shoulder. 'There ar e certain conditions unde r which you


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In the first exercise, where twenty downward strokes are made without lifting the pen, not less than ten co mplexercises should be m:tde to the min ute, making 303 downward strokes to the minute. In exercise 2 eight completed ecises should be mld e to the minute assumlng that twenty strok es to the right will be made to the min ute. hIaking twrevolutions in the sam e place, ten completed exercises to the minute will give a q ~ i c k nough movement in exercise 3

We will mak e a still further study of the body, arm and ha nd, as shown in the following illustratio ns:SO. 5. NO. 7.

s o . 6

In numbers 5 and 6 note closely the position of the penho lder In th e h and , the ben ding of the fingers andmuscular rest. In number 7 study carefully the position of the elbow and particularly the dista nce between the rside an d elbow.Page after page and sheet after sheet should be filled ui th exercise I , until the direc t forward and backward mment can be executed with uniformity, freedom and ease. The sam e method of practi ce should be carried out with nbers 2 an d 3.Development in penmanship can only be secur ed through a series of repet itions, an d those who are not williniollow out the suggestions and inst ructions embodied in these lessons need not look for rapid ilflpro veme~it.And now, we leave lesson I In your hands. It is the key to future progress: study it, assimilate it, apply i t , and yfuture progress is assured. Glance over it superficially, avoid its d etails, neglect its personal application, shun its gestions of ha rd work and it will prove valueless.Under no circumstances take up the following lessons until you have mastered this one. It ma y require a day, it require a week, an di t may require a month, but stick to it unttl it is completely mastered.

LESSOS SO. 2. Is it necessary that we should repeat any of the preliminary instructions given in the precedin g l esson ? W e belthat it is n7t necessary; we believe that those stude nts who ar e thoughtful an d earnes t will overlook nothing, and twho ar e carzless, half-hearted a nd indolent will ignore anyth ing fur ther we might ad d to what has alread y beenregarding position and its importance. W e must, however, emphasize the importance of movement before attempfurther progress. W e desire that there should be no mistake regarding the muscular movement or its app lication,with the belief firmly rooted, that success in learning to write an easy, graceful business han d is depen dent upondevel opmen t of that movement, the trend of these lessons will be toward a complet e mastery of muscu lar arm actioW ~ l lyou kindlv undress your arm (remove all clothing from it) and drop it on the table or desk in a natural posiwith the wrist nearly fa t (see cut of bare arm ); now move the hand forward and backw ard rapidly a s far as you can wout sliding the arm . T he flesh on the arm , you will notice, is sufficiently yielding to enabl e you to move the hand asiderable distance, far enough, in fact, to produce very large capi tals without any finger action (ex tendi ng or contracor any other movement whatever Sow slide the hand along on the paper in the direction taken by the connected sm. using the same muscular action. Do you see how it works! Teachers can instruct their students to make this exnation of the bared ar m at their rooms, in order that they may understand the relation of muscl e to movement.From this we are enabl ed to dedu ce the following definition.Th e inrrscul(zr movein? izt, as aflflf ied to writin,., is th e mo71evtent of th e ntzrscles of t h e a r m f r o m t h e s h o z ~ l d e row n r f , w h i l e k e e f li n f t h e y e s h y i yo rt io n of t k e a r m j u s t f o r w a v d o f t h e e l b o u s t a ti o n a r y o n t h e d e s k : t h e f i n f e r s, w h i lbeing he ld r ig id ), remaznirz,o f lassioe.Do you thoroughly comprehend it? If not, read over the preceding instructions a nd explanations and experimwith that right a rm of yours unti l you do. With the understanding that you do comprehend thoroughly the foregoingwill pass on to the solid practice work which will characterize the following lessons:Wlth the lower left corner of the pa per pointing to the center of the body; with the left hand at the up er lefn?r of the paper, with the right ar m thrown well o ut from the side: with a right angl e formed at the elbow or ri gh t with the muscles of the right f orearm just forward of the elbow resting natur ally; with the wrist an d side of t he hand


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9from the paper or desk, and with a gener al observance of the position of the right hand, as shown in receding cuts,practice the following exercise with a light, elastic movement. T he downward strokes should be made toward you, andthe pa per moved toward the left with th e left hand afte r the first exercise has been comp leted, so that its relative positionto the body and right arm may at all times be as nearly as possible the same. This exercise shoulcl be made large.occupying the full space between two ruled lines on the paper. There should be no shade, and the main objects at thisstage of the work should be to develop freedom of movement an d elasti c~ty nd lightness of stroke.

So t less than I jo downward strokes in this exercise should be made to the minute. This can be don e c;lsily if thereis no finger action. Finger movement will not only retar d the spe ed but will give the results a heavy, uneven appear ance.Fill sheet after s heet of foolscap with this exercise, and do not s top until you are satisfied that you have caug ht th e rhytli~ iiof notion*Close this lesson by practicing a few nlinutes the exerctses given in lesson I .L E S S O S j.

Practi ce acc ordi ng to instructions on each of the exercises given in lessons I an d 2 three minutes, and if , at the ex-pirat ion of tha t time you are not satisfied with the finished product s, continue the pra ctice until you areCOLlSTISG AS A JLEASS O F KEC;VI.Al'IS(; J lOTIOS .

In writing, as in music, regularity of movement I S an important factor. A jerky, spasmodic motion is to be avoided.and successful teache rs of wr lt ~n g ave foun d that some method of ~n ar ki ng he time oi makin g the parts of the Iettet-sis helpful. Sorne use a metronome, some a chalk bow and a ruler; others use musical iqstrurnents, but w e prefer thatwonderiul machine, the huma n voice, and a process of counting to fit the difftrent par ts of the letters.In indi\.idual home practice th e cou nti r~g rocess is of as much value as in the school room. Hereaftel-, n theselessons, we will employ ~t n all movement drills.

- - - z / " '

The object sought in th e above exercise is the development of the lateral rnovement and the focusing of that movement to the iorm of t he small m, with uniformity. Tr y it: slide, two, three , slide: slide, two, thr ee, slide; slide, two, three, slide: slide two, three , slide, etc. Make 32 of these exercises to the minute. Shortening the slides, ma ke t u o 'mall rn's without lifting the pe n, as shown in the following exercise:

// - 2 - - z + - z - / - - ----,,' - --i- -/-_- a'


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10 E R R O R TO R E A V O I D E D ,

'This exercise should be a t the ra te of 44 to the minute.Shorten the slides and make two letters without checking the motion, as shown in the following exercise.Thi rty-two of thes: exercis es or sixty-four small 0's to the mlnute is a fair rate of practice speed.

Sothing need be said in connection with above copy. I t is before you, study it and practic e it, continuingpractice until you are satisfied with the form of the letter an d the slide.If you have followed our instructions and have pa ct ic ed on th e sliding exercises carefully, the following will prove an easy one to subjugate.I)o not write less than twenty-two of these words to t he minute.

To those who have been using a slow finger or combined movement, this may seem a very rapid motion. It is, ever, none too rapid, and , although the letters may be too large and poorly formed, and although the spaces and slidesbe irregula r at first, do not become discouraged, but bring your will power into requisition an d rep eat the form s oveover, remembering that no one has ever become a fine writer without this constant repetition. Th e medicine may nentirely pleasant to the taste, but believe us, it is very wholesome.


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LESOS So j.R e i :e r at io n T ila\- b e c o m e m o n o t o n o u s , b u t i n t h e l i g h t of a n u m b e r o f v e a r s ' e x p e r i e n c e i n t e a c h i n g ! ~ u s i n e s s r i t in g ,\ r e f e e l t h e n e c e s s 1 6 of t i n c t u r i n g e i - e r y l e s s o n w it h t h e e s s e n c e of m u s c u l i r m o v e m e n t , k n o w i n g f u l l \\ el l t h a t e \ e r y s t u -e n t n . h o c ,l n b e l e d t o a m a s t e r y o f a l i g h t , ~ i i u s c u l a rm o v e m e n t n - i l l b e c o ~ l r e z n n d b11;iness wri ter .1 1)IFFlRF:XT K l S I l \ OF \ l Y S C L - I - , \ l < J lO \ . I : \ l f < \ l 'c c a s i o n a l l v \v e m e e t a s t u d e n t w h o u s e s n i u s c u l a r m o v e -

Iw r i t i ng S u c h s t r. ~ d e n ts u s u a l l y \ \ r i t e w h a t m i g h t b e t e r m e d. ' ; ~ l l v e r ," e v e r y m u s c l e b e i n g t e n s e a n d e v e r y p a r t of t h eb o d y s h o w i n g s y m p a t h y w i th t h e r i g h t a r m t h r o u g h a s e r i e s ofs p a s m o d i c m o v e m e n t s . I t i s t h e f u n c t i o n of t h e r i g h t a l- n1 t ope r f o r m t he i vo r k o f xv r i ti n r , an d i t w i l l d o i t s w or k ca s i l \- a n t 1a n d a t u r n f o r m e d a t t h e e i bo iv . a r e r y s li g ht e f f o ~ t i l i p r o -L 1 t l u cc m u s c u l a r a c t i o n L o c a t e t h e D I - o n e l l i n r I lo \v er b a c k of

I \ \ -HOLE A K \ l \ l o \ - E I E S TT h e a c c o m p a n ! i n g c u t i l l i~ s t r a t e sw h a t , p r o f e s s i o n a l l y , i sk n o x n ;IS \ \ .h o l e -a r m m o v e m e n t ; a n i o v e ~ i i c n t f \ \ h i c h -:cryl i t tl e o f goo t i c an be s a i d . I t i s t ir e s o m e , e r r a t i c , u n r e l i a h l ca n d a n t a g o n i s ~ i c o m u s c u l a r m o v r n l e n t I t is fa st b c i n ~ele .g a t e d t o t h e b h a d o n s of t h e p a s t a n d s o o n w il l b e w i t h u s a s ;I

1 I n e n t a n d t h e a l m o s t g e n e r a l a d o p t i o n of ~ n u s c u l a rm o v e m e n t ,a e e n e ra t io n o f v o u n e p e n m e n b a s s p r u n r up . t h e e q u a l ofw h i c h w a s n e \ . e r' k n o ; c n ' u n d e r t h e o ! d r e g i m e , \ \. h en ' \ \h o l e1 a r m a n d fi n ge r o r co m b i n e d m o v e m e n t s \ r e r e d o n l i n an t . F o ra p r e l i m i n a r y m o v e m e n t d r il l , a t e s t of m o v e ~ i l e n t p o w e r a n dThe \ i ' 1 1 0 1 ~ . ,11111 >ln\?!~leiltP i~ i $< , . t 1 5 a > I i , n s t r n , i : \ . Slltln i t . m o v e m e n t c o n t ro l , p r a c t i c e t h e f ol lo \v i ng e x e r c i s e s a c c o r d i n g

\ l a k i n g t e n r ev o l u ti o n s i n t h e s a m e p l a c e f or b o th t h e l a r g e a n d s m a l l o v a l s, t h e r e s E ou l d b e a t t h e e n d of o n e m i n -u t e , n o t l e ss t h a n n i n e of t h e l a r g e a n d t h e s a m e n u m b e r of t h e ~ n i a l l x e r c i s e , rSo r e v o l u ti o n s t o t h e m i n u t e , a l l o \v i ngs u f ti c ie n t t l m e fo r l i f ti n g t h e p e n a n d c a r r y i n g i t f r o m o n e e x e r c i s e t o a n o t h e r . L .se w i l l p o w e r , a n d w h i l e t r j i n g t o d e -v e l o p e l a s t i c ~ t y f m o v e m e n t t r ) - a l s o t o g ai r, a l i t t l e b e t t e r c o n t r o l of t h e m o t i o n s of t h e p e n w i t h e a c h s t r o k e .

I n t h e a b o \ - e e x e r c i s e t h e p o s i t io n o f t h e p a p e r i s t h e s a m e f o r t h e Ant a s f o r t h e d i r e c t o v a l. A f t e r h a v i n g p r a c t i c e dc a r e f u l l y o n t h e f o r e g o i n g e x e r c i s e s , t h e f o l l o tv i n g ~ v i l l e v e r y e a s y a n d r e s t f u l .

C l o s e t h e l e s so n b y t l r i l l ~ n g f e w m i n u t e s o n e a c h e x e r c i s e g i v e n i n l e s s o n s j a n d 4.L~:s\oxso.6.\ l o r e r e p e t i t i o n . R e p e a t t h e m o v e m e n t d r i l l s g i v e n i n l es s o n 5, pract ic in :, . bu t t w o o r t h r ee m i nu t e s on each .


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--

1 2

L-niformity in slant, space, size, width and heig ht should ma rk the course of the pen in the abo ve exercise. Countindicated by the figures above the letters: I , z,3; I , z,3; I , 2 . 3;. or, I , z , 3, 4, 5 , 6 , 7, 8, 9.In our regular drill work in class, we insist upon ev ery pup11 makl ng from fifty-five to sixty small m's per minutethe start, and w c increaje the speed constantly. When you hav e practiced five m inutes on this exercise, we think ibest to stop and study the form, and right here we wish to caution all against sl ighting this part of the work. It is imptant a nd is positively neces sary to study carefully the forms if you wish to write beautifully as well as rapidly; a~t s our belief, that movement, form and speed can all be acquired at the same time, if each is given its proportionshare of attention. Srnall m begins with a left curve, (left side of 0 ) ;is rounded a t top; any two of its parts come togethin a point on the base l~ ne ;he downward strokes ar e oblique strai ght lines; an d the line following the completion of letter IS al\\.ays a right turn.I ' R E P A K A T O K 1 ' M O T I O N S .

It is unnecessary to make a half dozen or more false motions with the pen in the air preparatory to making a letter the paper, but the pen should be in motion hen it strikes the plp er in order to produce light, smooth forms, and heneach beginning letter should be preceded b y a preparatory motion of the pen in the air. As an example , in practicing the small m exercise as given above, the upward motion should start a t a point a little below the star ting point of th e fim, and as the pen moves l~ gh tl y pward in the air it should be brought to the paper without any checking of the motiothus striking the form of the letter when in motion. T h ~ same rule should be applicd, to a greater or less extent, (depdent upon the form made), in all capitals and the beginnings of an y small letter beginning a word. Suppo se, in crossia field some cold day you espy, a short distance ahead of jou, a glassy stri p of ice which you d esire to slid e across your feet. Do you walk to the edge O F the ice and step upon its surface, expecting to be ca rr ~e d cross? No; prepatory to the slide, you make a good run, expecting the momentum to carry you across the ice. 'This is the principle of aplied preparatory motion that will produce smooth letters and develop muscular movement rapidly.

In this exercise move the pen once round over the space on the paper occupied by the first traced oval, and withochecking the motion, bring the pen to the paper on the second downward str oke ; make ten revolutions, lifting the pfro111 the paper on the tent h downward stroke, and lifting it without check ing it s motion, let it tak e a circular motiin the air below the base line, striklng the first downward st roke of t he cap ital 0 while in motion, leaving th e pa per on tlast downward stroke while in motion and passing to the beginning stroke in the next form still in motion.I n fact, in this exercise the muscles of the a rm a nd the pen should be in motion const antly, not bein g stopped btween the exercises when the pen is in the air. Have we made it plain? Th e rate of speed in the exercise above givis 1 5 traced ovals of ten revolutions each and 15 capital 0 ' s to the minute. This is a good drill exercise to use any timwhen the movement becomes labored.


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LESSOXSo . 7Do not forget anything that has been told vou in the prece ding lessons, and ~f you fail to understanti all the esplana-tions, study them carefully until you do. X mastery of the beginning lessons is of v ~t a l n~p ort anc e.

.vs

Hefore atte mpti ng the above exercise we will ask our pupils to adjust all the machinery, studying carefully the po-sition throughout, and before taking ink we will go through t he motions used in the exercise with the pen moving in theair just above the paper.X count of six will facilitate regula ting motion, making six revolutions in the same place. If the rlluscles of th e a rmmove easily, we will try the exercise with ink, bringing the pen down gradually to the pa per while in motion, and withoutr-heck in^ the soeed. S o t less than twenty-two of these colnpleted exercises ( 1 3 2 revolutions) should be mad e to the min-...-Ute. ho e es ek is es given for practice we& photo-engraved'from copy executed at a higher rate of speed.

After five to ten minutes pra ctice on the first copy given i f the muscles move easily we w ~ l l hange to the reversetraced oval as shown above. The time and count should be the sa me as in the direct oval.

110 you see the figures one and two in the abov e exercis e? Th ey are a very imp ortan t par t of this exercise You areto make one cap~t al1 in a count of one- two , and then with the same count are to mak e one a little to the right in the airin the sarne count , keepi ng the pen about a n eighth of an inch above the pape r. You are to continue this exercise forfrom five to fifteen minutes dep-nding upon th e tlnle necessary to secure a light motion.In practicing these exercises f or the development of ~n o ve n~ e nt , should be in motion all the time, even ,he penbetween the letters. 111 other words strike the beginning stroke, in the letters while the pen is in ~n o t i o ~ ,nd when alett er is finished, lift the pen from the p ape r without che cking the motion.

Pract ice the ab ove exercise in the manne r just exp laine d; makin g one capi tal for every count of two. This copy waswritten a t the rate of seventy capital s to the minute ; not a high rate of sp eed, but fast enough for practice on the start.Examine all of the cap ital 0 ' s you have made a nd see how many good ones you can find. If out of every hundredmad e you find one good one you have don e well, but i f you ca n find no good ones you have no reason to be discouraged.OVAL LIOTIOS APl'LIEII TO CAPITALS.

Study each part of every letter caretully before attempt ing to m ake it. )lake comparisons as regards width, height,slant and g eneral proportions.Mak e the traced ov al ~81 th light motion, from six to ten revolutions, and the n, lifting the pen on the last downwardstr oke while in motion, continue the circular motion below the base and strike the first part of capital .Iwith the pen stillin motion. In a word, the pro per application of the oval niotion will produce a good ca pital A , at a fair rate of sp eed.G


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14

LESSONNO . 8.\Zre desire all to keep in mind the fact that hap-hazard pr actice can neve r lead to satisfactory results, and we csider such practice pernicious in the extreme. W e never allow our pupils to d eviat e in the least from our plan of pgram, although many of them would, if allowed to follow out their own inclinations, pract ice on all the movement ex

cises thev had ever seen, work u p a few conlbinations, make a bird or two and wind up with a set of nice, irregular catals, all during th e tlme occu pied by one lesson.Such practice not only leads to un sa ti sf ar t~ r~ results in penmanshi p, but develops a habit of d3ing everything;insame careless, slip-shod manner. We cannot caution teachers and pupils too strongly against this demor aliz~n ghabit cribbling. Every stroke of t he pen should be made with some definite object in view.It might not be a bad plan to compare your position in writing with those given in the first lesson. Are you sure thyou are maki ng no mistakes in this direc tion? \lie cannot emphasize too strongly the necessity of following strictly rules and suggestions in regard to position given in the first lessons.

minute; not less. Regularity of motion may he facilitated by counting, as indicattice speed in the following coples is r; words to the minute. Write at least two pregards speed, there is no preference between the two capitals; one can be madebe adopted is, thus, only a matter of taste or adaptability. II7e advise beginne-


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16exercise. Guard against spasmodic n~otions. Perha ps you are not sitting in a good position, and the muscles of t hare so cramped as to make it impossible to use a free movement. 110 not stan d in your own lig ht by neglectingessential s of position thoroughl ? treated in our first lessons. 3laking the g in groups of four, fourteen groups shornade to the minute. The loop 1 0 the g should exte nd about four spac es below the b ase line, taki ng a s a basis space the height of the upper part of the small rn.

A study of the above and a comparis on with the bett er forms may prove beneficial to all , an d surely will to Th e mistakes shown are those that a re most commonly made by beginners. Strenuous, continuous effort, backpoorly conceived id eas of form, will not bring satisfactory results. Bear this in mind and let study and practice gin hand.The re is enough in this lesson f or a couple of hours, work. Do not slight any part of it.

L ~ s s o sN o 10 .

This is a combination of the extend ed ca plta l 0 and t he traced oval exercises. Study it. 'The pen is not liftedbeginning to the finishing stroke. Th e length of time to practice this exercise wili depend upon the individual neeach student.

The ab ove are for study an d not especially for practice, although they mi ght be practiced with advantage, no Th e small 1 is the basis of the small h, b, k and is the uppe r part of the small f , hence its importance maalmost imperat ive that it shall be mastered duri ng the first few lessons of a course. What detracts more from a potherwise good writing than poorly formed loops, standing, as they do, as sentinels above the other letters?In the style of writing we are giving in these lessons one-sixteenth of an inch has been adopted as the standmeasurement for the one space or minimum letters. However, as the eye is the only gaug e that has been used inting their height, they may vary a trifle from this standard, at all times. Taki ng, then, one-sixteenth of a n inch height of the minimum letters, the small 1may be made four spaces high. Relatively, this makes a very neat stbusiness writing and since being advocated by us some years ago, has been largely adopted .

Slide forward on the third an d fourth fingers as the loop is formed. and draw the hand straight on main slant toline Do npt keep tbe fingers rigid, and i f t here is r very slight extension and contraction of the fing& holding thas the turn IS made a t top, no harm will be done. In fact , such a motion, if very sLiekt, may be beneficial, but thalways dang er of using too much of such action on the loops, an d thus falling into the habit of using finger m oveCount one, two, for every 1 made Make at least 50 small 1's to the minute where two are joined, an d, applying th espeed, more, of course, may be m ade when th e pen is not lifted so often.


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Th e slant of the loop is depe nden t very largely upon the curve of the first stroke; if the first stroke is too st ra ~g ht ttoo much, an d i f curve d too much it assum es more of a vertical or back-hand ap peara nce than is desired. Have youe any of the mistakes shown abo ve?

Another splendid movement drill. I f you studied critically the enla rged form of the small h, as shown in copy 28know all about this form; the comparative slant of each line; the rela t~v e eight of the different parts and the w ~d thspa ce par t, you should have a mental pho togra ph of the letters constzntly before you.

Ha ve you made any of the mistakes:shown abo ve? Comp are the results of your labor with the above formsNow co mpar e with the b etter forms. Xote the curve of first stroke, length of loop, crossing of loop; w ~ d t hf last,urv e an d slant of the stroke sisepa rate from their connections. In fact, study with minute closeness every strokedts connections. Such stud)-, coupled with in telligent practice, will lead to the most satisfactory results.

. .. .Smal l b finishes one space above the base line ; width of lower part equal to 1oop:through widest point. In making xf the let ters connectedly, note particularly the fact that the connective stro kes must curve downw ard in order tothe crossing of the loop one s ace above the base. The last part of the small k is a little hi gher th an last part ofb . Did you notice th at ? ca re & study of the enlarged form given above will enable you to practice intelligentlyfollowing:

foregoing forms shou1d;be made at about the following rate of spe ed: Whe re they are made in groups of 4,72 to 84 to the minute, b 80 to 92 to th e minute, and k j2 to 63 to the minute. Th e copies from which you areto practice were execute d atjth e rate of speed at which you are instructed to mak e them. Advanced pu ils, whoof course, make the letters well a t a higher ra te of s p e e l

L ~ s s o sNo. r I .drills arelre peate d forms, and hence any lette r, when repea ted a number of times, becomes a movementIn beginning this lesson use some movement exercise tha t will develo and regulate that form in which you areIf you find yourself mak ing your small m's, n's, a's and ot te r letter s of that class too close toge theroo high, practice on such exercises as were given in lesson 3 where long slides are used to accustom t he hand tolose to the base If, on the other hand . you find that you alread y have too mu ch of that movement, pract ice


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1S/-+-&?--/-2-J-4&ma -A,&--Am-

Again, if you find your movement halting, erratic, heavy or too cram ped , drill on the lar ge oval forms glessons 5 and 6. LESSON12 .

LESSOX13. We take the ground, in arranging material for this course, tha t there will be intervals of rest between the

/&@&c@uKeep right on; fill page af ter page if necessary. Do not permit yourself to become discouraged and do not fied until you can see positive progress in your work. Compare your work with t he copy frequently. Look atevery direction, an d do not be satisfied with small things.z i L 4 3 a & m m u :Take a menta l photograph of this copy; fill your mind with it to the exclusion of everything else. The capitgins with a downward stroke, which is simply a guide line for slant, and is really no essential part of t he lett er.Are you think inq; are you study ing: have you noted the contour of the letter at the top; have you fixed the of the center loop firmly in your mind; have you noticed the slant of the ovals f orming the last part of the B, word, have you made a mental ph otograp h?Speed: From eighteen to twenty-two a minute.

LESSON14 .

_ . . _ < . . __ -The dotted lines show the direction the pen should take (in the air) between th e letters.


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\Trite fro m twenty to twenty-four of th ese words a minute. Make frequent comparisons with th e copy after havingtvrltten a few lines. Study and practice should go hand in hand

Select one type of capit al C, and a dhere to tha t style until you can m ake it well.Th e second form will recommend itself to many from the fac t t hat the finishing stroke gives a convenient joiningwhen th e capit al 1s tollowed by small letters. As regards speed t here is no essential d~ff ere nce etween the two forms.

In business writing time-saving habits should be acquired, and superfluous lines should be omitted. Whenever thesmall letters a, c, d, o and g begin words it will be a savin g of time to omit the usual initial stroke start ing on or a littlebelow the base line, beginning at once on the direct form of the letter.

Th e last stroke in the capital D could be continued, m aking a direct connective stroke between the capital andsmall letters and thus writing the entire word without li ft ~n ghe pen. It may prove advantageous to practice a few min-utes on the capital D, before taking u p the sm all letters, and this may prove tr ue in the other copies given.L ~ s s o s5.

Are you giving the attention you ought to the genera l position? Whe n we say position we contemp late not only thehand, fingers, wrist a nd ar m, but the feet, body, and head.Those who are not under th c personal instruction of a teacher must bea r constantly in mind that they are more likelyto settle back into ba d habits, acquired t hrough years of constant use, than to form new and better hab ~t s.It may. and no doubt will, require constant effort to tear ourself away from the old habits of cramp ing the hand . ofcrowding forward ont o the right arm, of resting on the wrist, of throwing the ar m back until an acu te angle 1s forme d atthe elbow, instead of f orwar d, thereby forming a right angl e

It is a fact-one tha t will be ar repeating-that it is folly to at te mp t to use mus cul ar m ovem ent 11nless the conditionsare favorable. B y conditions, are nleant clothinq of right arm. height of desk, position of body, arm , fingers an d wrist.A failur e to comply with one condition will result in partial , if not c omplete failure. Cause and effect must go hand inhand in this work. If the effect is not desirable stud y the cause.

Th e above capitals with the finishing ovals ar e given simply as a movement exercise W e do not recommend thelast curve for a busmess capital.

Here IS an excellent test of your a b ~ l ~ t y Th e object sought is'to ando control the movement. b r~n g h e b eg in n ~n gending stro kes of the capital 0 together at the top; the 0 havlng equal curvature on both s~ de s. Try to makeboth strokesvery I~ght.

He re is anothe r exercise that is given simplv for the development of movement.Don't b e timid, but str ike out boldly with a fight swinging movement, and cover two or three s heets with theexer cisesbefore stopping. Leaving off the las t curv e this letter will mak e a good business style.


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As a test of your mo\.ernent make a few lines of the above copy, twenty revolutions in a place and ten compiercises, or two hundr ed revolutions to the minute. Practice exercise sevente en, in lesson five, as a test of mopower and accuracy of application. Follow the instructions explicitly given in connec tion with the exercise.. Ndown the movement with steady practice on exercise fifteen.

In general contour small e and small 1 are alike. Thir tv of these words should be written to the minute.

Twenty words to the mlnute, not less; possibly more. Dissect the ca pital E. Note the height, width, slant ative proportions of the several parts.Give earnest attention to the ca pital E ; practice it by itself, repeating the form over and over until the form pshows a decided improvement. In class work we count for the E (first form) as follows: dot, two, thr ee ; dot, twetc. Make about forty of the first form to the minute .

Muscular movement, an d a light stroke in maki ng this letter, bear In mind. It merlts your careful study andF ~ l lt least one page before leaving it. You may be a ble to make the f with a slow, draw ing finger movement rately as the copy, but how do they look when you make four connected a t the rate of twenty exercises or eighty lthe minute; try it and see.

Writ e from eighteen to twenty-two of the word fall to the minute. No shade; a very light and elastic movem

Angular turns , being made with full stops, are necessarily slower than oval turns; hence, the third form of ta l F can be made at a higher rate of speed than either of the other forms. \Ire, however. favor the first form gisenting, as it does, a more finished appearance. Select your favo rite form and prac tice it assiduously.LESSON16.D o n o t neglect the iMor/emendDrills.

A fair practicing speed for this copy is four lines to the minute. At this ra te there is ample time to make forms, and to improve consta~itly.


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21In business wrlt ing we fa\or the thud form of the cap ~tal , ~ x ~ n g t connective line for the small letetrss doe>, a

/u - & L & - k - / A ~ ~ &1Iake this a mo\ ement dr ~l l nd see how much l~ ght er nd qu ~c ker ood forms ran be made at the bottom than at thetop of th e pag eYa -JAY/

\ l rr~te rom taenty to t \ \ent \ four of the word h ~l l , e g~ nn ~n g\ ~ th he snlal l h, and when uslng the capltal about-I\teen.LP4 5 0 \ 17.As we stated In the first lesson of t h ~ sours, these l e~s on sire, 111 arrangement a nd essentlnl de ta~ ls , er \ nearly the qnme as are gl \en from da\ to da, in our ~ l n is e sn the Cedar Rapids Rus~ne ssCollege T h e entire all11 I S to ~l lethod~cali \resent a course of lessons In p l a ~ n us ~ne sswrltlng that 1\11] b r ~ n gabout results, .ind \\bile we have entered Into det a~ ls e ga rd~nghe mo\erxcnt, ~ t s and the speed a t pp l~ ca t~ on \ \hlch ~t should be applied, we ha le tr~eci o steer clear of mere th eor ~lin g \l to w to models froma l e t e l l ~ng o u prac t lce and p~esent~ng ~ h ~ c h vou must ,tud\, st ud \, practrce, Dractlce, and stu d\ and practlce must o prnctlce, that IS all, )ou niust do the rest be contlnr ~ous nd regular, nio\lny along side h \ s ~ d e

A T 1 b \ I l o \ , ( L A S \ ' \\ K I l I \ ( . l ' O i l T 1 0 \t 'ract~ ce raced o\ al exercise 14, fixe m~n ut es , 1yht strokes, no shade, qu ~c h lotlon, make from ten to twenty revo-lut ~o nsn a place, and to Insure reg ul ar ~ty f motlon, count for each o\ al

Ih e uo rd 111, beglnnlng ni th a small letter and wlth the small I dotted each time, should be pra ct~c ed t not less than28 words to the minute , and \ \hen the ~ a p ~ t a lIS used. from 2 2 to 26 uslny first form, an d fro m 26 to 30, uslng secondform, w~ t h onnectix e stroke hetween the ca p~ ta l nd first I

Wd&&&&&l se care In spacln g betn een the lette rs. hold the pa per \ \ell in front of the e\ es an d In such a posltlon a t all tlmes as\vlll enable the doa nu ar d strokes to be made toward the central portion bet aeen the el es I h d I O U notlce th at the cap-ltal 1 crosses one space ahoxe the ba se- It does Ih d \or1 notlce In the hrst form that the upper part was abou t one-halfthe \\ ~ d t hof tt3e o\\ er pa rt - It I =0 1 F \ T I ( ) \ \ b O l < \ OL TO I\\\\I- R

i r e )ou fol lo\clng the lnstruct~ons elat ing to poslt lon g ~ \ course-n In the fii3t lessons of t h ~ si r e \ ou h o l d ~ n ghe bodv, arm, nrl,t, tinges3 and hand In po,ltion, t h ~ tn ~ l lencour age the use of a 11qht moi emen t -h e ou prac t lc lng s tead~lx nd fai thful l\ or spas~nodica ll \ , r l f lieartcdl\ and imp at~e ntl \1-1 >.O\ I \

In b e g ~ n n ~ n g I ; ~ n d ,, pract11 Ing each e\er cise from three toh~ . e->on use a s rno\ement drill5 exercise. I ; 16 I -t l \ e mlnutes, depen d~n g pon \our need.


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Th ere can be no oblection to the use of the loop e I you find it easier than t he style here given, use it Try tocthe loop to the 1 on the base line, and ma~n tai n qual space s between the letters.A good practic~ng peed in the word be g~ nn ~n g J words to the minute Fill at least~ thhe small is twentyshe et of foolscap with the word beginning with the small 1before passlng to the following copy:

Should you experience trouble in making the capital J, drill on that letter separa te from the small letters. It is geally conceded that a capital J one space longer above than below the base, and with t he 1.lpper par t at least doublewidth of the lower, presents a more pleasing app ear anc e than one in which the lower part is longer and wider in protion. In the above forms it will be noticed tha t the upp er p art of each lette r is considerably more than double the wof the lower part. e have seen many excellent J's in which the lower part was considerably wider in proportion;hewe say, use your judgment in determining the exact width you will make the pa rts of th e J. In practicing the capiby itself make not less than fifty-five to the minute, and in starting the letter be sure that the pen is at a point belowbase line and is moving upward before strikiug the paper . In this way the habit of starti ng the J with a downwarstead of an upwa rd stro ke will be overcome. LESSON19.

Test our skill on some movement drills and then write the following word at the rat e of from sixteen to twwords to tYhe minute, including the dotti ng of small i:

It will be doing yourself a grea t favor if you will study closely and careully the forma tion of each line composingcapital K ; the comparativ e length an d joinings of the stro kes and the width of th e different parts.

Practice the capital K by itself for not less thqn I 5 minutes, and longer if necessary, making thirty or more tominute. Write the word at the rate of about sixteen to the minute.LESSON20 .

Do not neglect the M07~ementDrilk.

Length of uppe r loop of L one-half entire length of lett er; lower loop flat on bas e; noie#artictdarly that first stdoes not begin on base line, but at a point very nearly opposite t he crossing of the uppe r loop, and tha t this beginstroke is a horizontal right curve. Again, follow the trend of the main downward strok e a nd rake note of tne curvthat line. A straight line might be made for that stroke without making the letter illegible, but it would not presevery pleasing appearance to an artistic eye.

In making a capital M at a high or business rate of spee d, the loop, as given in the first par t, will frequently minto a dot. A car efu l comparison of the parts of the M will show that after the first stro ke each succeeding pa rt is sened; not very much, but a little. The capital M is, in itself a splendid move ment drill when pra cticed continuouTak e as a model the third M given in the above line and practic e it for fifteen minutes, with a light swinging movemcounting I , 2, 3 , 4 for each letter, and making forty to the minute. The word LIill should be written from sixteejwenty to the minute.L ~ s s o s21 .

Exp and your muscles on the following exercise. Make ten revolutions without check ing the motion.


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23

J - a - 3 / - 2 - 3/-7--3,,,,.,/&/ A-

- 2~~dd\la ke at least one page of the capital S by itself before writing the word. Compare your work frequently with

L ~ s s o s2 2 .The connected small p of th e follo~ving orm cannot be excelle d as a movement drill.POISTSTO R E S O T E D . - T ~ ~mall p begins with a r ight curve; it is the same height above base as small t ; the loopow base is one spa ce shorter than the loops to the smali y and g ; while the loops in y and g cross on base line, the loopp crosses one-half spa ce above base. Close up the last part on the base.

7++/WW\Vhen four letters are connected, sixteen groups (64 connected letters) should be ma de to the minuteTh e word pull, beginning with a sniall letter , should be written at the ra te of eightee n or twenty to the minute.

Th e initial stroke starting on the base line for the beginninq of capital P is not an essential part of the letter as far a saranc e goes, but by repeate d tests with different classes of pupils we have reac hed the conclusion that this initla1of assistance to the avera ge pupil in maste ring aud retaining t he form of the lette r.Study, by comparison, the different pa rts of the l etter, an d make at least one page as a movement drill before writingword. Make the capital a t the ra te of from forty-five to fifty to the minute.

LESSOX2 3 .In each preced~n gesson in our course much of a cautionary nature regarding the development and use of the move-we deem it unnecess.iry to refer at great length in futu re lessons to the man neracquiring it. T o succeed, those who have not mastered muscular movement must turn back an d go over th e ground weIn these and coming lessor.^, we will deal more largely with the application of movement to form.Ple ced e this lesson's work with practice on copies j,6, I j and 16, obel ing instructions implicitly.Upper part of small q is the same In every way as small a and first part s of srnall d and g ; lower part a spa ce short erop in sn ~a ll . Practice; compare, and practice again.\Vrite eighteen or more of the word quill to the minute. follo\v the base line care fully. See that q, i and u extend


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24

the same distance above the base. Watch the spacings between letters. Compare your work with the copiepractice.

Capital Q is the enla rged form of the figure 2. Apply the reverse oval movement lightly, and d o not m akesixty to the minute.

Wri te from e ighteen to twenty-five of above word to the minute. Use your eyes for comparison and criticismthe muscles of your arm at the dict ates of your will. L ~ s s o s s24.From five to ten minutes' drill in starting the muscle s to moving on this lesson, using such drill s as you thinof the most benefit t o you. If the muscles do not move freely in the execution of capitals, d r ~ l l n such free exnumbers 3, 12, 13 , 14 an d 17 . If, on the other hand, the movement is free but wild, drill on number 16; an d i f yoence difficulty in la teral movement letters, drill occasionally on nu mber 1 5 .By many, the small r is considered the most difficult lette r we have. It is not so extreme1 difficult i f the rigment IS applied. Rote r e . The movement must be applied to fit the different parts o j he lette r. and thcannot be made at as high a rate of speed as small m and letters of like character.

Small r is a space and a quaater high; the shoulder is composed of two st ra ~g htines, as plainly shown in and the movement used in forming the angula r turns composing the shoulder must of necess ity be halting.Study the above form carefully and then practice on the following:

Her e is a form of r favored by many good business writers It can be easily made on e-hal f fa ster tha n the pform; ninety to the minute being only a fair rate of speed. If you like it, make it and sti ck to it. Close study of should precede practice.

From 2 0 to 25 of ab ove to the minute.

Here is an app licat ion of the small r shown in copy 73. It is not more graceful than the other form

Make a menta l photograph of ab ove; fix the form fiirmly; notice every par t, and its relation to th e other para good movement drill. ll ak ea fe w in the air before trying them on the paper. Th e direction taken by the pmines the form; hence, it is essential that the pen should swing in the right direction before striking the pa per.paratory or preceding motion should be from right to left. For class dr ~l l ount I , 2 , 3. Make from 45 to 50 to th


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q f l ~ ~ i ! ! !_130th of abov e are good movement d r~ ll s, nd may be p ra ct ~c ed ften.

If vou fail to maste r the loo p lett ers , it will not be for lack of copies. \Ye recognize their impor tance and shall con-tinue to sprink le future copies liberally with them.

LESSOX SO. 2 5 .Cuiil ion : S t t ~ d ~ , ~z~ t r i ( ( . t i o> z s- (z~ 'ef i t l ( \ , .Eve ry well formed letter is the result of the application of a good m ovemen t. Poor let ter s bespea k poor nlovelllentor poor application of th e movement. \Vlth careful attention to the developn>en tof movement, and a conservative, butvixorous application of it, awkw ard labored writing will disappea r like ~na gi c.Th e application of movement m eans a great de al; more in fact than most teachers a ttribut e to it.In forriler lessons we have tried to mak e our meaning regar ding the application of movement plain, but we feel thatsolne of the class have either overlooked that pa rt of the instructions or have failed to catc h in its entiretv the meaningwe have sought to convey.It must be appa ren t to all, that to use the muscular movement successfully there rnust be behind the hand a drivingforce that will carry the pen throug h all its gyrations with freedom, rapidity and a ccurac y, without the extension or con-traction of the fingers.Thi s force must be positive and assertive, and it must be expende d in the right direction To illustrate the pointInore fully let us study the follo aing exercise: its general contour , the motion necessary in its formation, and the applica -tion of that motion.

/6

-he traced oval exercise preceding each capital 0 , is simply used to accus tom the muscle s to lllove in the directiontaken by that capital and others beginning with the sam e principle: the left curve. In applying that movement to thecapital 0 , very little thought need be given to the form if the movement is rightly used an d applie d. In a word it mustbe app are nt to the most obtuse that the direction taken hy the pen in motion, will determi ne in adv anc e the form t hat willhe produced.T o mak e a genera l summing up of this principle of applied motion, we \rill state that to secure the highest order ofdevelopment t here must be motion in advanr e of the form sought to be m ade: tha t tha t motlon must be in the direction ofthe first stroke in that form, and that the pen must strike the paper when it moves in the direction of the first stroke T oillustrate this more fully in the ab ove exercise, notice the tendency when practicing the exercise rapidly and passing fromthe trac ed oval to the first stroke in the capital 0 by lifting the pen from the paper while in motlon, to let the pen strikethe pap er too soon thereby causing an up\vard, instead of a downward stroke, as the beginning of the letter.While this principle is fresh in your mind, study the motion and appl y it to the form of capital 0. \\'ithdraw yourthought from the form and give vour attention to the movement and its application. As a drill, move the p er once roundin the air in the direction of the &ipital 0 , lett~nghe pen strike the paper the second time round when moving downward.If the pen were moving in the direction of the capita l ( ) , you mad e a good letter without thinkin g of the form. T obe sure, we must first think of the fo rms; we must particularly deter mine the direction of the s trokes composing an y letterto be made, but, havi ng once made a mental photogr aph of the letter, we must study the motion necess:lry to its construc-tion, and the application of that movem ent I f the movement is right, and its applicatign right, the letter will take careof itself, and good letter s must he the result. to make one more application of this principle before passing to our regu-lar work of the m onth, we will tak e the capit al J .T o produce the 1, use the reverse oval (t he re\-erse of ca p~ ta l0 tnotion). move the pen to a point a little below baseline and strike the letter with an up ward motion, when. i f rightly applie d, the re\-erse o\-al motion will produce a goodcapital J , and that letter cannot be well made with a ny other motion.Our copies will speak for themselves, and sure]> -, hey are r ugged enough to do so. They were execu ted rapidly, \vltha coarse pen. and one claim only is made for them. and that is that the!- represent the business man's favorite style ofsvritinq, ernhodying legibility and rapidity

Small s is one-third higher th an small m Study the enlarged form and mak e the connected letters at the rate of rooto the minute from the start, and that rate can be increased some~ vhat s soon as the form has been well ~ ~ ~ a s t e r e d .


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2 6

Freqdent comparison of your work with the copy being practiced w~ l l elp you. In this capital do not makethan 5 5 to the minute The movenient used in making capital S 1s what mlght be terme d a push and pull motionthe pa er in the r~ g h t osition the hand IS pushed from you and pulled toward you. The propelling power, rememblocateh'back of the elbow.kkk

Try it; it is a good movement drill.' " /ddddThese are what might be termed radical forms Now ~th sta ndi ng he opposltlon of some of our good breth ren, angu lar strokes continue to be popu lar and ar e used by many excellent business writers. To be sure, an anguslower than an oval turn, and, from a standpoint of speed, these lettets are not as de sirab le as those mad e up of ova

w g - d / / \Write fou r words to a foolscap 11ne n the above copy, and do not mak e the letter s large r than those in the copyat least two pag es of foolscap, making frequent comparisons with the copy. No ha rm will be done if you writ e asmaller than the copy.

LESSONNO. 26Reviw all preceding lessons

L E S S O NNO . 27 .

-Jzd&fY& /-.2zzG9-- 2 i z z Z ~ - # ~, I


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S o other movement drill than above is necessary in opening t h ~ sesson. Use mind, use judgm ent; use muscle, andtwo pages.

\

Capital IJ is an excelient moveme nt drill. Try the muscles with the pen in the air before makin g the letter Have enough movement power to enabl e you to make the letter s three times as large as those given in the copy. Suchom will enabl e you to make these letters easily, rapidly and well, when practically appli ed. How many shall you

Her e we hav e a practical appl icati on of the final t. Point at top; not loop. Last line s horter than first; not longerct .L ~ s s o xNO. 79.

This is not a small o. It does not begin as the small o does. Have you noticed the difference? Yes, it is hard, bua good drill. Do not say, ' I can't," but pitch in, and ke ep pitched in until you can.

A hands ome letter wheu well made, the reverse when poorly made. Look out, you will ma ke the main downwardon too much slant, the lower part ~o i n t e d nd the finishing stroke too long unless you are very careful Make aHow many did you get ? Tr y another page and see if you cannot make

L ~ s s o sSo . 30.

Small u. right curve carried one-half width of u to right, and one spa ce above base; that is small w, but there is noll your attention to the f orm ; ~t s before you, and you hav e studied it, hav e you not? No ? \\'ell, stu dy it nowthen ma ke it over and over and over again.


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Which one will it be? Th e u ppe r style is more rapid , belng made entirely of ovals. To make the serequires sligh t hesitation on the base line, especially on the first downward strok e.

- LESSON?;0. 31.I fear we are forg ett~ nghe movement dr~lls. The movenl-nt dr~ lls ,o the embrvo penman, are what the gyexercises are to the athlete, an important means to the end sought.

'The keen-eyed pupil has noticed th at there are two styles of sma ll x given in th e above co py, an d he h as althat t he pen is not lifted in maki ng the la st style as it is in the first. In t he first style it is a question as to whi chto cross the first part with an upward or a downward stroke. We use the upward.

Thl s wlll try your forearm muscula r actlon Il ro p the m from t he point of the pen Ilghtly, an d by no meaA ialr practicing speed IS 45 to the minute.

LESSONNO. 3 2 . After the movement the following:


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2 5

Conneted capitals cannot be made with even an av erage degree of s~lloothnesswith a slow motion. A rapid and lightnotion is not only essential, but it is absolutely necessary. 'Those who hav e practiced our lessons according to instruc-so far will be enabl ed to make these exercise well alt er a few trials. Those who have not, will be brought face toce with t he necessity of mas tering t he movement drills given in preced ing lessons.

Preparat ory to the exercises, swing the hand in the direction to be taken by them, with the pen in the air Ue surehat th e move ment is free enough to permit of their execution without an): broken lines or irregular curves W e considerhese exercises very valuable at this particular part of the course in th e de velopment of movement power. Until youave tried all of the exercises repeatedly for a full month you will hardly be able to realize the dormant m o ~ e ~ n e n towere developed through their continued practice.IIak ing f our letters before lifting the pen, sixteen capital X exercises should be m ade to the minute.; Tha t is, sixty-T h ~ speed may he increased, but shouid not be diminished. The capltal H exercise is more complex, andletters to the minute is a fair rate of speed.Connect four C's and make eighty-four lstters to the minute connecting four 1)'s without lifting the pen, and make sixty letters to the minute. L ~ s s o zSo 34.

..-,


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31

Compar e your work frequently with the copy. Do not permit yourself to return to the habit of using a slow, dra ggin gmovement. Perha ps you have not given enough attention to position recently; per haps you are resting upon the side ofthe hand or wrist; perhaps the elbow is thrown back until a na cut e angle is formed, thus precluding the possibility of usinga fre e movement. It might prove1profitable to turn back to the beginning lessons and study carefully all instructions re-lating to position and movement.Sixty connected capital P's should be made to the minute.

13 0

This is a good drill. >la ke fifty to the minute. S o shade, and pure muscular movement. >lake a full right curve inthe main downward stroke, and an oval in lower par t flat on the base line.LESSONNO. 36.

Unless you study with car e the different parts of this exercis e before atte mpt ing to xilake it, you will be likely to pro-duce very awkward forms. Carry the upper part clear over the top of the s tem. A customa ry fault is to cut the top ofthe stem off with this last stroke. Guard against making the loop at the top too-wide. Study. Compare. Practice.

Again, careful study of the for m of capit al V, and the directions of the connective lines, should precede practice.Thi s is a gracef ul exercise when well made. If you do not have a good conception of the form of the \ -, and find it diffi-cult to make good letters, practice the disconnected letters before attem pting to loin the m.

L ~ s s o sXo . 38.Sla ke a few lines of the connect ed cap ital 0 exercise bef ore tr ying the follo\ving. Put energy and life into the work;move the pen lightly and rapidly in every stroke.


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Accuracy of movement and a true eye are necessary elements In pra cti c~n ghe capital X exercise. Practice the mment used with the pen in the ai r until accustomed to the directions of the pen, then tak e a good aim and fire to hitmark . Th e same rules will, in a measure, apply to writing with muscular movement as appli es to rifle practice, visteady, nervy movement, a keen eye and true aim.

Allow no comp ron~i sewith finger, wrist, whole arm or combined nioLements. Use pure muscular. Th e last formthe capital \' exercise given admi ts the lifting of the pen afte r each letter.

This completes the connected ca p~ ta lmovenient drills, and it is our sincere hope tha t all who are earnestly strifor improvement hav e been benefitted through sys tematic practice from the copies given.

We have reached a point in our course of lessons where study a nd practice ar e essential to futu re advancemen t.spasmodic study and irregular; practice, but steady effort along both lines of work, while constantly app1ying;muscmovement as it has been taught. So far, especial emphasis has been given to developing and subjecting the movemas it has been appli ed to the different forms of small and capital letters. Whil e we do not wish to lose sigh t of theportanceiof further dev elo pme nt~ of~ mov en~ ent that stress should be put upon form and cower, it is.essentia1 moreacter as appli ed to the written page. It is often the case that those who have a fair control of movement an d are ablits application, to secure a dmira ble results in a short word, or even a line, do not succeed in turning out neatly wrpages when there is a miscellaneous'admixture of small and capi tal letters.Th e question is, have you such control of muscular movement as will enable you to produce systematical1y;wrpages? The following copies are ~nt en de do test your ability in applying movement to writien lines and pages.After a sho rt drill on such movement exercises as nnrnbers 3, 9, 1 4 an d 1 5 , to test the movement and give it elasticfill a page of foolscap pap er with the following copy:

Thr ee lines-of this copy should be written to the minute, and no doubt many of ou r studen ts will be able to writecopy well at a higher ra te of speed . In practicing it is desirable that the movement should be'rapid enough to complight and fre e movement, but beyond tha t point it is not desirable to force the movement at p resent.In page writing there should be from one to two spa ces between the tops of the letters and the line above, andsame rule should apply to th e letters extending below th e base line. It is desirable to1give more thought and attentiothe relative heights of the letters than has heen done so fa r in this course. in the style of writlng we are giving it itended th at the one spac e (min imum) letter s sho111d be one-sixteenth of an inch in height: tha t the extended stem leabove the base should be four times as high, or four-sixteen ths of an inch. Th e lower loops exten d below the base tspaces, and the stem letters are one space shorter than the loops. As has been stated in former lessons, the small s aare made one-fourth higher tha n other minimum letters. If put into practi ce, these few rules will prove sufficient fodevelopme nt of,system as regards the relation of one small letter to another. Examine your work critically from timtime. Study slant, space, height and general characteristics.LESSONNO . 40.

Th e second style of capital F given can be made a t a higher ra te of s peed tha n t he first owing to the fact of it s bmade .up entirely of ovals. It is oiten a good plan to fill a few lines with each word separately before writing the encopy. The repetition of movement In such practlce develops a l~g htne ss nd elasticity of stro ke difficult to acquire inother way. Write a number of lines of the copy and then stud y them closely as suggested in connection with prececopy. This method should be always followed.


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33L L S ~ O U o . ) I .

I.?&// L'-7' -' /+[;e systemat tc; carefu lly fill a page of foolscap with above copy. If you find one word more dlthclllt to n rl tc th.cnother, practtce on :hat uo rd bv Itself until rts comblnatl on of letters is mastered.

L o s so x h o . 42.//

2 1 , 4 , L+.2. ..../I f l 7/12


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34LES\ON 48.

little ~nstructlonIS needed ~f those who pract ice th e copies glven In the remalnlng lessons, wlll do so and thoughtfullv. A mreat deal has been s a ~ dn the preced~ ng ages about the development of movement andcation. rhese &tters'should be thoroughly understood at the outset; we may add th at they must be ~f success IFill a few l~n es ~t hhis

4,- e / / / d 4 z Icopy after hav~ng rilled on such nlo~ement~exerclsess are needed to sublugate a ny erratlc tendency of the m\lake the writ ~ng f a llne a movement drlll. Study, compare and practice. Fill four foolscap pages w ~ t h boLESSON 49.We would recommed practlclng t h ~ scopy in sections. Use the ca p~ ta l first as a movement drlll, makinrate of n~ ne tyo the mlnute. It is intended that James C. D. should be written without lifting the pen, and wenough and qu~ ck nough motlon to b r ~n gut sharp, clear 11nes. Continuous drill on this pa rt of the copy wbeneficial. LESSON 50.

As has been before stated, any repeated form 1s a movement exerclse, an d there are few better drills than thcapital P form. Flll a few lines w~ t hhe capita l P form before att emp ting the rest of the copy. Make s~ x tthe mlnute. Practi ce on the combination C. P. G.. until all ragged lines disappear. Wri te a full page of the eand then study the general characteristics LESSON 5 1 .

Cap~talQ as a movement dri ll, half a page. Select the most d~fficultwords to wrlte and practice on:tspaces, slants and heights are un~f orm.As an easy movement drill in small letters, the word summer fur n~s he sooL E S S O N52.

W r ~ t eour pages. Write them better than the copy if possible.LESSON 53.

Do not drag. Use a l~ghtnot~on. Harrnon~ze he letters, words and llnes. Do not permit the loops tothe line above or Into the line below the one on which you ar e writing.LESSON 54.

It Is more difficult to wrlte small than to write large. W r ~ t e small hand now and ~t will be easy to wrlte lthe occasion requires. LESSON 55.

Ca ltal U can be used as a ~noverne nt rill to good advanta ge W ~ t h I ~ g h t ,wlnglng movement dashpage o r apitals preparatory to systematic practlce on the full 11ne.


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110 !ou value yo ur time! Th at 1s a serious q uestion . If you do you will 1:ot per mit \o ur je lf to become carele ss inpractic e. Above is given a copy containing material for a number of hours' careful practice. It is not best to prac-ce on any copy more tha n one hour a t a time, and a goo d plan to follo\v in drilling on abo ve is to devote t he firat hour'sdrilling on the words singly, writing a few line . of each one u n t~ l t s easy to make regular spacings, uniformnd to ap ply a light motion. I.essos 5;./

/ & L / c c+ i f +J* ,-J. ,',, I ~ r) ~. -F ig u re ne is often made with an upwartl initial stroke, making it resemble seven. Figureo i i also often mistaken for seven when the main downward stroke is connected with an u pward oblique finishing stroke a point on the base line .,,The naugh t ma" b e mad e to res emble S I X when the right side is brought against the down - elow the to p i i inishing, and &hen th e six is finished against the first part instead of on the base line it is infre uently carried so high as to resemble the naugh t. In add ing a column of figures the three is often confo undedth the l v e where a sl~ gh t ur ve is used in th e beginning strok e with the Ilorlzontal line at top carrie d too far to right.the main faults to contend with in makin g legible business figures, but we think a careful ad heren ce to the formsent a ny confusion.

SIZE.-Figures should b e made small, as a rule not over one-e ighth of an inch high, and for many classes of work F'o~\ r.-Sau ght, a disconnected small o, always closed at the top; one, a plain, oblique straight line; two, a sn ~a lloopght cur ve to base, and a small loop flat on base; three, beginning w ~ t h ot,,up per part aboutgreat deal of side motion; fo ur, obliclue stralg ht line, horlzor.tal str alght llne finlshedth a slight left curve extend ing a little above first part and resting on the base line: tive, beginning with plain downwardline, well rounded in ~n a in art, a nd \vith horizontal line at top always connected with first part; six may extendthe other figures, and should always be finished with a small loop, the finishing point being brought to base lineTh e form of six given was reduced a little too much in engraving. There a re no angles in the form of seven

-A more beaut~ful orm could ha\-e been produced had two angular turns been made: one at extreme upp er lefter at extr eme uppe r right point, but such a form sacrifices, in a large measure , speed , while nothlng 15 gamed


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in legibility. Figure seven extends below the base line. Our figure eig ht begins a: up pe r left side, while some this figure will begin on opposite side. Th e upp-r part of ligure nine rests on base line, with stem extendi ng belothe upper part.

How TO PRACTICE.-In making figureone push the han d b ack with a quick, light motion, sliding on thefourth fingers. Uniformity in height an d slant a re the two important points to observe.Th e development an d application of a lateral oval motlon will aid in the construction of the figure two. Plooped ovals preceding the figure two in the copy, to develop this movement. In mak ing figure two in class drof three should be used, as one, two, three, one, two, three, etc., or dot, two, three.Notice the exercises preceding the figure three. Th e motioc used in that exercise will produce a good figurproperly applied: one, two, three, or dot, two, three, is the count to use. A count of three is also us ed in four anfor six, seven an d nine, a cou ct of twoAt least half a dozen lessons should be given to drills on the figures singly, before grouping them, but a s soforms have been mastered, and they can be made at a fair rate of speed, it is best to drill on them in miscorder, something after the following manner: I ,0 , 2 , 6, 9, 8, j , 1,3, o, 9, 6, 7, 2 . 8, 0,3, j,6, 9, 2 , 1, 5, 7 , 6, 9, j, 48, etc. S o particular order is necessary, but the alm should be to repeat one figure as often as another.KATEO F S~EE ~. -F i gure s aken s ingly , 175 ones, 150 naught s. 8 3 twos, 7 j threes, 83 fours, 75 fives, loosevens, 93 eights, and loo nines p er minute. Figu res take n promisc uousl y, not less th an r)5 good figures to thThis rate ca n be increased materially by repeat ed effort. Enduran ce brings success. Practice steadily an d fai


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VARIETY BUSINESS WRITING.

In the following pages, are given a large variety of speci mens of Business \\'riting by diff ert nt penme n an d buwriters. These specimens repre sent the style of writing that is marke tabl e in the commercial world, and hence, that should be learn-d by all. Th e Business Colleges of the country ar e ttac hin g this style of writing, an d it is outhat in the Public Schools will some d;ry, be taught Practical LVriting.

In connection with the foregoing lessons these specimens furnish excellent examples for home learne rs to pfrom.


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l%usine~s MOOKE,Penmen, Rt~sinessYniversity, Indianapolis, In d.apitals b y t'. 13

Husiness Capitals b y (;. 1.:. jacksonville, Illinois.ETT I . ETOS ,

13usiness \vriting b y 1.;. 11. HI.S.I .>IS(;I


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I5usiness Capitals by J . >I . L ' E T E K \ O \ , St. An sg n r , Iowa.


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13y I.. C. HOKTON.

This e x c e l l e n t s p e c i m e n of l e t t e r w r i t i n g w a s e x e c u t e d by H . A. PRICI.:,w i t h H a l c h , P r i c e cY: Co., 376 FBrooklyn IY. U.


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palmer business writing

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