“PRACTICAL PENMANSHIP, A DEVELOPEMENT CARSTAIRIAN SYSTEM.twit a to ect he exiles a viol Sree 5 sear tasty elt orem along th apr car's and wap ney ve one se ‘elms i th roto Turan po yh ta henge ear he sae epee fe ting so sl ssn ania bet Fetimoreent ‘Dna teireeproeed al he combinations rei foe praccal peamans cea "Sad Bngere a hoe se i Torin heel er a4 E iS ie fre arm and germ he fore ara resting enually om “efor stig and ed up at exes nd our bngar i exeente words out capitals, Than, orearm at ngs to fora wor snd sesten- ‘ex combining al taerueon of wing, as nto word Bal ‘The mode of teaching upon theee principles is as peculiar he comnaion of movewent Se Cars found tat ie cements of eters 98 writen, comistel of rveal pars, sn according 10. he platy Oe {forts wees bs gino pUsck Dood or lle wih a Ferd pecet cn tarp ee ps ‘ghee do to give ledom to the arm; ant te iy of eowtryclin oicayereuie. he ee Innit of fw net tof ghttbe pap beng i hs Stile proce oly required exene. eds. The Er fete te next expres ad oie these ae tang, te gers ee cosine by an invention of Nr. Care {which ensiea fer execce aesordmg to hi ystem, foegts any former Da habit of eldng te an o pty and {Exdsto an cle stern io teve paral A. bon i {ie round the hm a the bret and second sg, eompel the pup toute is arm, and anther round the hed aad foal to bing thet ule palo that tie fore arm may feet enthelr pe, and fwekand ees along smoothly wpon Beard stance ofthe aa, * “rh postin bog rere he neexercies coos of he mation of ober elomemay pare of ie fete in perpen ‘areola connected by Ioops ad then of eters an? swords connected ina sila way. hia eure feed Tanner ond fclty of execution, A show of paper frepoeh by biog dled hy aiagona! ine onulog heer ‘in parallel lines beginning at the widest part af th fort a byte diagonal od contig to wea found in any work which hos come under our obeervaen, Sain, : nn, ee Goring Treerancat hel w omits oer Asal in ery respect, inthe space of one mont provided pune al aes Sean oy 2 er Eyre el rbot te pee ieee oo a Seite a eae psobltin’ petslit rama of Coos ec aly Ce eee ae Bee er te Ente foe aay tear tpi ts Pacts i no etal wee Sisley sity eam coe, Se ees et eee Serge tee igre, ‘nde web tls apts a mareeas fe ay Fe ee cee aise ese Ratseat cc apie beter el pelea enti Seta peta rf rl rl ty Se ta ii - ee Sept suet et ze kn ation of Chat See rinemen aaa Thy whieh slot ane far bund wring i wade prolminy16‘Salish bates sits Soe eee en Te Bar oes Pees ee MGM Se pent kweli SS eee a fie cg a To rome i pce Save corse once Bare tae eters poner et Fare teeter erence etre et ee ree a Eel ee alee ety ‘Tuo aity ofthe act of Writing wil not be called question by any member of an enlightened. come ‘And whatever has a tendency to facilitate its acquisition and. contibute to its improvements at be dentate of iterest. Sch, inthe pin: jon-of the author, isthe Sysiem invented by Car- stairs whic i in his object, in the present treating, to lay before the American Public. Before proceeding (othe immediate abject of hie blieation i mey note Be improper fo notice briefly Frere acc eel wea ree ing the Art of Writing. ; I The manner in which these errors ane avoid= ‘i or corected by the System of Cartira and IIL, The muecese which has attensted this Sptem in Europe and America. IL Althoogh there are many teschers of Writing who excel inthe practice of the Art. they profou, their mode of teaching it, is conceived to be exceed ingly defective. Hts well known that pil after been place for several years under tl of masters ofthe highest reputution, in ont school are sil unable to write a good busie ess hand. When a epecimen of their penmanship is desired, itis frequently in their power to producesie aiececbed itso af init pr’ Porn| fo feniy bas oa Gta op ate ed teria eteresor eects ea Peeper ne prepa ait toch qpecimen you wil dad that tatoos and Tier erg Abi led ns ere eres dnihlag of eery mre eM cs Teer becraping cab cadet ead the paige tn terted ofthe pat tha eigen ail lgyieliba!tcboroct viewer Sena cannot be delayed far ll hee pale ing prvlinionrica The clerk mhe should waked ‘cous and fvcieh in his mained, oak bat papas Seria nepy 4 Bed lnielcte ike eectal cea ive peclnroplinn ata tcl alae Ae cana es paces at peotlaa gen hic ela ocd FeickcesaBe ee fet boon descabedy ha es jarcclaelo raptors ceed Saipan er femme venom poles ase fbpecinen promplly and witout the precnons teri nthe editing fle, ar len, scr ling if wot ieee? Bat cae conceived’ to be fally as important that the! pen ‘man should be expeditions, as that each of hisletters should be well formed. ”It follows, therefore, that ‘one who has learned the common sehool-boy band, ‘cai be of no service in a counting-house, as a Wri ter; and hence itis generally found necessary to em- ploy the young men who enter mercantile. houses for months or years in copying letters &c avd thus to allow them to acquire an entirely new handy be- fore they are permitted to write a Tine in the Jour- nal ot Leger: Itimay be confideatly asserted, that conly-a very few of those who are taught writing ia ‘ourscloola, are able to write well atthe time of their leaving them. ‘The remainder, though they may Ihave learned to form the letters, and ean distinguish a good from a bad letter, are utterly unable to write ‘even a tolerable hand with facility. Nor is this all: not only is much tine wasted in the vain attempt to acquire a good hand, but in many instances, bed habits of sitting and of holding the pen are formed, which it is dificult, nay, sometimes impossible to eradicate: Teeannot be doubled that, if the mode of Writing ofigially taught the pupil was sub as is most easy fad natural it would ever alter he more conver SARE Net eeatrri tng Coraetoce eee Seefor hico to follow that mode. And if the habit of ‘writing well be once acquired, it willseldom degene- rate into that careless and seramling band, which we are so often obliged to decypher. Sivce such are the eflets ofthe prevalent method ofteaching the art of writing t may be safely infer- red; that thatimethod isradicallyincorrect. His now —) aboutthirty yoars, since Joseph Carstarsa teacher at \ Writing in London, arrived atthe same conclusion, | He vas led by his londuess for the art, carefully to ire into the eauses ofthe evils above alladed to, o the moans of removing them, After a Ahocough examination of the subject he s himself hat the evils of the old system arose chiely from its insisting upon the ase of the Grigers aloncy withoot a simaltaneoas movement of the arm. To this may be added the ordinary mode of giving lex sons in thisart. For this purpose, a particular hour is set apart once aday in some eases, and three times a week inothers, during which the popil is required to write from four lines to.a page, in imitation of a line written by the teacher, or from an engraved co- pyslip. More than this isnot required, and is rare- Iy allowed to be done; and the reason which is giv= en for the adoption of this course, is to prevent the pupil ffom becoming wearied and disgusted with the acquisition of the an. Bat though weariness and disgust are to be avoided, i possible, itis evident: that ifan artis tobe acquired with the least expense of time and Inbour, it should be made the chief ob- Jeet of attention, “Nocturna vote mana, erste d- ‘resis no less applicable to poetry thn to the mann astonuerios, HY lant of Writing. But the prevailing inode of teach- ing on th coatrary i to bring the pupil to bis w ing at Tong intervals, aud to take hn away before he Inns time 19 become interested int; thus he offen eoniracs, not only indifference, but dislike for the employment, Add to this, that the cate of the write ingemaster eds with his hour oF half hour and ia all the various exercises that may be required by ther teachers, as for instance, the writing of Pretch oF-Latin exercises, no comment ie usually made pon the penmanship. ‘The pop therefore, hoties through his exercise, altentive to that alone which will be criticised; and in the end comes off even worse than Penclope with her web, for she ony une ravelled at ight what she had woven in the day, ‘while the-sholars of whom I speak, not only lose all they had gained, but acquire bad habits, which in ‘maiy iistances cleave to then through life. ‘The mode of teaching which has ost been objected {o's adopted, itis said, to prevent the pupil rom be- ng figued and disgusted with that which tis neces: ‘ary for him to learn. But i he were taught in that mode which should keep his body, as well a is arm and hand in an easy unconstrained position; and it _ A the same time he were to see cleatly that he was making daily and hourly progress towards elegant Peoniaiship, he would never be sensible of disgust IL But the defects in the od method of teaching ‘penmanehip, will be rendered still nore apparent, by noticing the improvements which have been pro- posed ad! succeslilly adopted by Carstairs 1sai venopcenios: ‘As in the other arts,so in that of writing, whatever is found to be the prnctice of those who arriveat the greatest perfection, is entitled to the attention ofthe fenquirec, What an individual does every ay in the year and every hour in the day, he is more likely to do well, than one who only pursues the same occupation at occasional intervals. ‘The paint- ‘er may naturally be presumed to have greater skill jn handling the brush, than one who takes it up for ‘temporary amusement ;s0 also those who make beau iL penmanship at once their business and pleasure, will acquire greater facility in the use of the pen, than other persons. Mr. Carstairs remarked, that ‘every clegant and ready penman, often, perhaps without being eonseious of the act, uses the fore-arm. and hand, as much and as readily as the fogerss and that the more rapid the execution, the greater isthe ruse made of the forearm, ‘The reason is obvious’ the muscles of the arm being much stronger than of the fingers and thumb, are not so soon wea ried, and the movement that is the least fatiguing is insensibly adopted by one who is constantly practis- ing the art. Besides, as the words proceed from left to right, iti evident, that any one who depends on. the uso of the fingers alone, without a simultaneous movement of the arm or fore-ari, will be usable to sprite a word extending an inch or more upon the line, ‘without having his hand gradually thrown over from Tell to right, in order to allow for the action of the [pen upon the paper; the third and fourth fingers re- Inaining fixed, while the other two are earrying the 2 Bontothe ond of long won the han and ngs * ‘are painflly cramped and strained. On finishing ‘one word, moreover, the hand is jerked along, and the under fingers made to take up « new position — ‘This they retain tll the hand isagnin gradually turn- ed nearly or quite over, and the fingers that hold ‘the pen are again stretched as far in advance of the thers as they ean bear, when a.new jerk is given to the band, and so on til the writing is finished. ‘This then, Mr. Carstairs was led to consideras the ‘origin of the many evils which result from the old inethod of teaching penmanship, viz:—that the pail 4s permite or directed to test the writ, and generally ale ‘othe third and fourth fingers, and to execte the writing seth the fingers alone. ‘Let any one whose hand-writing is very bad, ob- serve his own mode of writing, and in nine eases out of ten, he will ind that he bears the weight of farm apon the wrist, and uses the two last fingers as Axed prop. ‘Thos te hand-writing of the person is uneven aud crooked, and so long as he leans upon his wrist, how can it be otherwise? The radius of the circle of motion is very short, reaching only from the end ‘ofthe thind and fourth fingers, which are fx- fe to the point of the pen. ‘The centre of motion is hanged ery tine i,t it a hi wi ing very naturally takes'the form of success stroma ees ta ore which be cd to make constant eflors to keep a straight ‘which wearies and pains his fingers. Another per- son is sensible ofthe difficulties just mentioned, and to avoid them, he takes off the [pen aid moves the Ihand at the end of every downward stroke: the effectof this, indeod eto keep the wri tolerably straight and uniform, bat at the same time is want Jing in the appearance of gracefaless and tse. Be- Jes pon this plan i person ean write with idity ; and heuce it ean never be adopted in the or inary concerns of business or commerce. ave sow been briely averted render the old method of teaching tho ar of Writing totally inadequate to fleet he b= ject for mbich they arefbfended which to prepare the pupil fr the concens of actie ie. ‘To allan this end in « more easy and certain manner. Mr. Car- stars recommends the fllowing general plan: 1. To teach the pupil to form the letes of the slhabet by the morement ofthe ann alone, without A separate movement of the gers 2. To teach the movement of the forearm=the ara reating on the table near the elbow. 3. Po tench the moveient af the Gngers 4, ‘The combination ofthese movements ‘Pie manner in-which these objects are effected, vill e partioslany explained in a subsequent part of this work. me, alae ML. The last point to which the author woold Driety direct the aitention af his readers, ig the sjceess which has atended the Sytem of Carstat, ‘which, in his opinion, furaish abundant prot of correctness of what has heretofore heen sud e coming it or upwards of twenty years, Mr. Carstairs baw been engaged in teaching hiv ystom, inthe ety of London, with distinguished success. He has been © ernonverio. ais reson {o by persons of both sexes, of al castes, ineludiogmany ofthe nobility, gentlemen, merchants and mechanics. And notwithstanding tbe deep root: ed prejudices which the system was destined to eny ‘outers uility is now very generally ackuowledge ‘edn that country. © Butt isnot only to a few private individuals that reference is to be made in behalf of the Carstairian System. Men of rank and of high public standing, have in the most public manner given it their unquali- fied sanction. Tn July, 1816, large and respectable mecting was convened at the Freemasons’ Tavern in London at which the late Dake of Kentsthe brother of the pre- sent King, presided. Joseph Hume, weil known in Bngland and in this country, took. an aetire part in the procecdings of the meeting. The object was, to saisly ina public manne, thove who might enter- tain doubts as tothe practicability and value of the Carstarian system. To this end, the Duke of Kent informed the audience, that be hod directed a. nume ber of poor boys to be placed under the tuition of Me. Carstairs in order that a fir experiment might Demade of the merits of his System, and he could speak without hesitation of their rapid snd extraor nary progress. ‘Their wing hooks were also pro- ced, so that all present might judge for themselves of the effects of Mr Carstairs’ instruction, by com- paring the former cramped writing of these children with the fee, quick ad beastfel hand whieh they wrote ater only six weeks tition, After a-due exe ‘mination the assembly came to an unanimous rese-lation, on motion of Me. Hume i favor of Mr. Car= stairs’ method, as «very superior to any now in wie,” and also as affording such a facility inthe acquisition of the art, “as to be a saving both of time and exe pense.” ‘The resolution concluded with a strong re- commendation of the System to public attention, and was signed by the distinguished individual who presided, and also by Mr. Hume and twelve other gentlemen, all of whom were of high standing. [See Appendis.] ‘To make his improvement more extensively known, Mr. Carstairs published a work on the Art of Writing, which contains the principles of his method It is nosmall proof of the estimation in hich this system is held in England, that this work thas passed through six editions. Iti th tion, published has been used ‘compilation of this treatise. But the success of this System bas not been con- fined to England alone. It was frst taught by one who had received his instruction from Car- fairs. Its excellence goon attracted the attention of the French Society for the Encouragement of Na- nal Industry, who appointed a special committee to examine the subject. This committee made a de- ‘tailed report upon the System, recommending it very warmly to the notice of the Society. The report was accepted, and at the suggestion of the Society, translation of Mr. Carstairs’ book was made into French, which passed through four editions. [See Appendix} In June, 1928, this System was also examined by semnopeeriox, xsi ‘committee of the Society for Elementary Instruee ion, under the presidency of the Duke of Doudeau- ville, This committee gave their unqualified sane- tion to the merits of Me. Carstairs; who, in thei lane canting te fremont rank. With wring in kell peetecy BE is tne ated oa Rie autiienty perplexing; Dulben thie complication is rotiod in chaacers which eemtely bea ay resnblanes {othe leters wich they Were designed fo intate, clouds tick Ss doomay bang opoo tur poges 1s om samusete Scranthes, tl the compontior has 0 96 op his fe, and on he ele sta ote cong Ne ot ow tngmert, fo guess: he easing what he cannot rend rough tis ese, ere Find their wey soto the ‘rote page, and not being discover ntl ie rbiom spas ithe ome i graced ih clalogue of ct generals EHF ag Apress: prosimed proceed from the prints eaceesnoes or me [ily when presi i orgontor nthe fad writing of the a Shor wtoweinity to sacred o be roi no conaet rin epoch or bane "hs eos tenn of Mr. Casa’ orto poin out fie nema Yl sings sag a at ‘ich good, On these pica i expen rg int eget to rer nay rarer tei fant theater sequined wn pense Oncashathece pints is observations sve plan and judscug carrying wit hen {Tapas eidece ol thir wm propriety; co ospted with ‘tition and pre wth posse tte eon be Mle doubt ‘eth grnd rena whch bo my wl be tse "Troupiou is volume, ples ro Gite, delinaing caer heetersin het proper for, tae Someta nce fey onthe combinations” Tvese te designed o Bocas Theory ich hs pegen conan san sarc be fstion hat the pop lS tha Beni. od tone though whe ts work hat lead pared prove he Stir not ey orion nd tht as ne sop le fom'fom the press” Ins ospect take eat prom ng Expert ie he at fay and a he Sor Ti appeal forthe dein of ee ae rear tage nim i on, ne nt prin eter a li aE aD ie a oft et fee TE eae sistance mot3h pnscrieal memuaasinr. “Tt must be apparent, on the slightest examination ofthe subject, that both the above requisites, are in- dispensable to make a good penman, Ifa person be deficient in the frst, although he may possess the ‘most inimitable freedom and ease in the use of the pet, his performance willdoplese and diss, from its wantof just proportion and symmetry of pars. If hh is wanting inthe second, however correct the forma ofeach particular letter, thee will be no freedom ot race in the general aspoet of his writing. When man would speak well he must first eon ceive leary the idea which he desires to express; hhe would write well, ke must have distinctly painted on his mind the characters which he means ‘to put on paper. And to illustrate the second eseential af good writ ing by the same analogy, however just and clear a rans conceptions may be, i his utterance be slow and timid hs discourse willbe imperfect and nsatis- faclory; in Tike manner if his letters be most nicely formed, but combined without ente or graceflness ing will never be thought beaut, or even pleasing. = ‘With regard lo the first ofthese requisites for good Writing, Carstairs, as 1 am informed, ie the first ‘of the English teachers of Writing who has simplif- fed the art by reducing all the liters to a few ele- rentary strokes. In this country, however, what he hhas done in this respect, has heen anticipated by Jenkins and others. And there are at present many Systema of Writing before the public in which the forms and proportions recommended forthe vious Praprical FaNMARSIOR: 2 Jetters are qiite in good taste. Were it not invidi- ‘ous it would be easy to mention some in which this branch of the artis carried to a very great perfec- tion, It i the other part of Mr. Carstairs’ improve rents, regarding the ezcewion of Writing, which is particularly entitled to attention, Let any one reflect a moment on the prevailing modes of teaching the.art of Vritng, and be will at ‘once perceive, that the attention af writing masters is chiefly devoted to the first of these requisites of a good writer, to the great nogleet of the second. ‘The author has carefally examined all the Systems of Writing extant, of any note, and all those with which he is acquainted, small and large, from the modest set of copy-slips, up to“ Dean's Analytical Guide,” in a handsome quarto, are filed so far as they undertake to-teach the art, th minnte direce tions for the forms: and proportions of each letter, hile the whole subject of erecuton is despatebed in afew lines; yeti either of these requisites be more important than the other, itis unquestionably the power of executing. Fora man may have a correct {atte and judgment in writing, orin any otherart, without being skilful in the practical exercise of the same art ; and every day we may see persons who are very good critics Jin writing, who will candidly confess that they do not know how to write with tolerable correctness, Bat the power of executing well, generally presuppo- ‘05.0 just idea of the thing to be done. For itis36 ‘ngeniear,wrsuaxsu. natural thatthe attempt to execute a piece of wric fing, shook Lead the mind to velleet upon the which Aehand exeoutes, that is the very forms and. pro- portions of the letter. So that is plain that one Inay have a knowledge of the forms of the letters, sbiyer be delta erpmeettreeatc cme} Dut an the contrary, one is ot likely tohave what is asualy called a commnaged of hnad—a power to exe- cule well without combyng with ita correct idea of the fois of the letter: ‘Excouton then, ought much rather to bé the ob- ject ofthe teachers attention and efforts than the Inere forns ofthe letters ‘The growing taste and {judgment of each pupil wil gradually correct the imperfect, awkward oF asic forms he may have ¢ivenhislettrs, bot, it is not so easy to acquire a Inasterly command of hand* by solitary. practice, ‘bere the foundation was not well laid in the aequ ion of the easiest and most natural movements. of the hind fd nrm; nor ean it be doubted that isthe principal reason why many continue through thie whole lies to write very badly, notwihstand. ing that they have a great deal of wring to do Mitie preciscly her, in the execution, a8 was be- fore intlated, thatthe great errr exist inthe pre: ‘valent methods of teaching to write. ‘The following fare considered disderata in the art, which the pres fentmodes of teaching do not supply, ad which must be supplied before any claim ean be lid to the mer- itof fine pentnanship. Firo—That the pupllsoidd be able to move the hand ‘oud rin ll directions, wih equal fait. Secondly Tat an hlital movement of the hand and rm should be acai, cual applicable to every leer of th alphabet and proc, by ite ene ane, the sae inclination of the eters ad the some stance too then ‘Phidly-—That the pen sowld not be taken of in ony ingle word and may b contin sf reir, from tne ord ther Fourthly Tha the pressure of the pen on the paper howl be light end nny, f0 promote vaiformity of stir kis confidently believed, because ithas been as- cerisived by nuimberless experiments that every Aualty of a good penman, which i» acquired by the Inethods of teaching now prevalent, may also be eared fom thesystem of Carstairs. "Bot this latter system goes farther, and by flly supplying the ime portant desiderata just enumerated, docs what the ‘old methods have not dove, and. cannot do. "The general plan pursued by Mr. Carstairs in his own teaching, ad recommended by him for une ‘real adoption, tas follows: TL A precise idea ofthe correct forms of the Tete ters must first be distinetl fixed in the mind by eare- {il impection; by imitation, with chalk, pene or ety by tracing or otherwise; by forming themRAonieAL. mesaneme. folly by to oF mor of th Ie most convenient il the object is attained more eaten requ omer of exention i tobe given to he pupil "Rie By teaching him freely to we the pen ia forming any lelter by the movement of he arm alone; enzely independent of the mation ofthe f= gore To effect this the old method, by wbich the Konrver ws or a long time confined (o borzontal Tne joining ban, varied only bya diirence of Sie, is abandoned (ater the forts of th eters are seco ell fred inthe nie) for» ercn of exer hes in perpendicilar eolumos, the whole of ach tolamn being execied whoa! iting the pon. "Th ompes the learner to ep the art light ani more ble aud gradully leads bi from a single easyJet ferep to tothe longest sod most Jbl combina- fiona etending over whole Tine, yet performed folly by the movement of the am al edaany perso, who might at once peresive how great analvaniage they would gun bythe ba- ital we of the whole arm, woeld bo contncally Table rom old hat to wwe their finger i neces sary to prevent this by gig te fore and dle fngeroto the thumb in euch manor aa t keep eed poston, ‘Thus eller val bo formed ctirly by the movement of te whole ara, tnd thepen cared forward upon the inh the ate. of the arm ace the fomtion af exch, ‘To obviate the evil of making the third and fourth, fingers a fixed prop, and all the cramped and painfal feeling that results from their being so use siound expedient to tie them also by a tape, which ‘tums thom under towards the palm of the hand. and is fastened round the wrist, +0 that the hand slips along the paper on the nails of these two fingers. ‘This makes the movement of the bund on the paper roc easier than it iin any other way. ‘Sendly. ‘The movement of the fore-arm is next taught. To eit thi, the pupil is permitted to rest the arm atthe elbow; then the muscles of the fre- armare brought into play, and gradually disciplined to the exactness and smoothness of penmanship, by ‘exercises in forming oblique and horizontal oval, and allerwatds, lellers and. words, The capitals, ray be formed with the greatest accuracy by this movement. Thirdly. Ater the movements of the arm ad fore- arm’ are oblaized, the movement of the finger is permitted. This is comparatively aay, ffom the {reat lesbility of the museles ofthe finger, to that itis in geueral only necessary to leave the Gogersat Iiberty and they will be sure to come in ad of the hand, whenever their aid is required. The use of the finger by all means tobe taugbt; but being ae- ‘quired by the poil with much greater ease than that (of the arm and fre-arm,it is etter that the use of thete should be ist taught, and all use ofthe fingers {in writing be postponed fll the use of the arm be- ‘comesin somedegree habitual. Even when the fin- gers arealloned tobe wed, they are nat sufered to execute the whole writing," They only form the up- ‘ward and-downard strokes of the Teller, while