Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-25
Left-Hand Writing.

4 correspondent askes for the best wav
Of holding the pen in writing with the
left hand, and the best angle of slope for
the letters No absolute answer can be
given in either case. Hands differ, and
what would be an easy position of pen
for one person might be a very awkward
one for another. Each writer must be
governed by the necessity of his indi-
vidual case, TO be discovered rather bv
thoughtful observation Of his own writing
than by the study Of rules. 1t is enough
to say that the ideal position figured on
the covers of copy books can be main
tanned for but short periods without ex-
cessive fatigue, and only by persons hay
ing slender hands. 1t answers we'll
enough for writing as a fine art. but is
altogether too stiff and tireSome when
much off-hand writing is to be done
What is true for the right hand is equally
true for the left. A good deal depends,
too, on the mode of writing, whether the
motion is a wrist stroke or finger stroke.
or combination Of the two.
EQUAL freedom must be allowed in re-
gard to the angle or slope Of the writinC
promising simply that the greater the
departure from the perpendicular the
greater the danger of illegibility: while
a slight slope to right or left adds much
to the gracefulness of the script without
making it perceptibly less easy to read.
In writing with the left hand, the easiest
position would seem to be with the BODY
square before the table, the arm making
an angle of about forty-fye degrees with
the front line of the table, the line
Of writing being at right angles
with the direction Of the arm. In
this position the writing is naturally
" back hand" about twenty degrees from
perpendicular To the present writer,
whose left-hand practice began rather
late in life, in consequence Of an accident
which threatened the disabling of the
right hand, it is much the easiest way in
letthand writing to hold the pen reporter
fashion, between the first and second
fingers, as in this position the pen is held
steady with the least effort, and is not so
likely to wander from uniform slope.
1t is well, however, to accustOm ones self
to variety of positions, especially when
much writing has to be done, since, by
changing the posture, the labor of writing
may be thrown on different sets of
muscles, and rest obtained without ceas-
ing to write.
One Of the clearest and most graceful
left-hand writers of our acquaintance
writes style that cannot be distinguished,
save in slight peculiarly in shading,
from normal right-hand penmanship. To
one watching the process, the writing APP
pears to be done upside down. The pen
is held between the thumb and for6fnger
in the regular way; but the paper is
placed so that the line Of writing is per-
pendicular to the front of the body, the
direction Of the writing being toward the
body. 1t seems most natural, however,
for the writing TO slope to the left when
the left hand is employed.
There is a special advantage in using
the left hand to write with, and one that
we have never seen commended. The
hand is never in the way Of vision. The
pen point is always in plain sight, and so
is the paper to be written on. There is
consequently, no inducement to stoop
forward or to turn the head so as to throw
the eyes out Of locus. It is q common
fault with those who write much that the
left eye has q shorter range than the
right. 1t is overworked and compelled
to adapt itself to nearer vision. In writ
ing with the left hand these evils are
avoided. An upright posture is the cas-
lest and the eyes are equally distant from
the paper.-Sc56pti1iC A2perGcd71.