Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-08-20
...-.-.- For the Delaware Gazette. +
WRITING, AS IT IS TAUGHT IN
--- 'fe OMBION SCHOOLS. 1se


1t is said that it is no credit to spell well,
| but 1t is disgraeefuI to spell badly.
One would. think, in looking. over. the
world of the present day, there is a senti-
bment prevalent quite contrary to the above
in estimating the value of chtrography.-
] Take the strongest witness we have In the
case-name1y, the handwriting of to-day
| as found in letters and manascriDts Of
business and literary men, and from the
Testimony deduced, this sentiment seems
/ to be, "It is a credit to write SO badly that
grace to write SO anyone can read it at a
I glance" Ull "
Notwithstanding our benehcent system
of public schools for educating the youth OF
America, it seems to me that the hand
writing of to-day Il below what It was thtr-
ty. years ago. There is q cause Tor this and
titles in the management Of our common
/ schools. r-a " f57sa s9r
Thirty and forty years ago, when the
PRINCIPAL branches taught in the then SUBJ
/ Scri ption schools for that was before the
present system of common schools was IN
augurated, writing and ciphering were the
two great essentials in t'schOolmasteF,T -
and the teacher then prided himself in be-
ing able to write q beautiful round hand
one that could be read like print. This was
before Young America had so strong q hold
not the brass to throw out Tor copy
som ething unlike anything else ever seen
/ for ugliness. Teachers then were content
to write a little slower, If they could thereby
execute handwriting that could be read
at once, instead of writing with double the
speed and producing such hierOglypbs as
/ would be next to i'm possible If not entirely
50. for any one but themselves tn read, nor
even they after they got .'cold." Writing
4 q child is less apt to initiate with a pen than
Eanythtpg else you can give him, at least say
one in dVe would under such circumstance
become a fair penman- The fact is, he had
a good COM, if nothing more. I'll r-aFT 7 D
This brings me down to a, point IN our
present educational system to which wish
to refer In our common schools of TO-DAY
not one scholar in ten can be said 10 have 3
good handwriting at leaving SCHOOL, Now
why is this In my opinion there are two.
principal causes for It. The first-the copy
from which the child gets his ideas, is itself
unfit for copy, being dsyoid bof b of grace
are few honorable exceptions, but this is
the general rule. The second cause is, the
quire a handwriting, and as before re-
marked, a child is less apt TO initiate with
a pen (unless IL be FAULTS than with any
thing elss yOu can give him.
The above are the causes in our common
schools, and more especially in our country
schools of so low a standard of writing
am aware that many of our union schools
in cities and towns are furnished with Htn-
oqraphic coIsies which are gel. orally zraaF-
fnI in form and quite Iegible. and are thus
clear from the effects Of The first cause; but
while the second operates, thar is, while the
child is left to get his style from those copies
indeed he is now back to the advantages OF
forty years ago. He has before him a good
copy, and perhaps one in five Will become
a fair writer undeF this kind of instruction.
if instruction it can be called. Even those
who may possess superior power Of imita-
ton, may by the contracting of habiis D
position and movement, detrimental to
their progress, become oisgusted with the
results OF their trials, and abandon that
which, if properly undertaken, would be
pIeasureable. There are but two arguments
offered for this neglect in common schools.
land is 1t not the case in higher schools and !
colleges p One is. there seems to be no
convenient time after the other studies are
arranged to teach writing. This is no ar
gument at all, for writing is certainly AZ
essential as any other branch taught, and
why cast it out2 There is an answer to this.
very clear to my mind, but will not insert
throwing stones. The other argument is.
there are In writing academies and COM
merciaI schools opportunities offered where
any who wishes to excel, can attend and
receive instruction under scientific pen
men. This argument has no place with a
teacher who holds a. certificate to. teach |
writing, and draws funds for that branch I
as much as any other and II this be aFgu-
unent at all, 1t is no argument for bad |
teaching, or in the absence OF any teaching. Z
allowing the pupil to contract wrong habits 4
in position and movement Not more than !
one In twenty, perhaps, ever get 1nstruc- I
ton in writing after they leave the common /
schoul, and One-third of these have such /
movements, &c, that they never VIII break /
them down and substitute correct ones.-t
Hence their instruction in common schools, /
instead of making good penmen OF them, Il
1t is the experience Of all scientific teach
ers of pPnmauship, that 1t is more difficult /
to break down erroneous habits than to |
schools have more power in cultivating
erroneous habits than all the writing head- |
emies in the country can have to eradicate 4
them. Nor need we ever expect a better /
in the method of teaching it In common /
schools. CHIROGRApHY.