Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-08-07
Pen and Paper,
Handwriting Is as much an express
ion of character as dress or speech.

handwriting Is as much an expires
sion of character as dress or speech.
The cut, the color. and the arrange
ment of the dress indicates the position,
taste, and inclination Of the wearer; the
tone of voice, the pronunciation, and the
thought expressed in speech is a com
plete index to the individual who holds
your attention, and not less certainly docs
the color of ink used, the shape and
quality of paper, and the fashioning q,
the characters in a written Communlca-
ton tell the story of the personality OF
the inditcr.
To be sure, we are governed or fashioned
in each by certain arbitrary rules pc
culiar to the time and place, but it Is III
the adaptation of these mandates that
the individual crops out.
AT one time no dress was complete
without a trail, and it was in its manage
mcnt that a woman's grace or awkward
ness was apparent.
1t is the individual surviving under
herculean difficulties that led q certain
young man to be spoken OF lately as "a
sensible. respectable dude"
The soft tones and smooth, grammatical
sentences of educated persons are notice
able even when married by the drawing
tones aesthetic culture gives, or the twang
the Yankee atmosphere imparts.
Thus does an unobtrusive color of ink,
heavy, plain, paper, and neatness. of the
sheet, indicate the lady or gentleman,
Notwithstanding the style of handwriting
in vogue.
Fifty years ago, the very delicate, very
regular, very slanting characters of the
Italian style of handwriting was in use;
this, while lacking in character, possessed
the one recommendation of lcgibility.
Then came in the English style, very
square, very imposing, stately as Britain
ria herself, but wholly illegible.
At this time we have in use, generally
a happy combination of both, and per-
haps at no former time has more import
ance been attached to letter writing than
at present.
Business men consider it a most essen
tial dignity to maintain, and their hand
somely engraved letter-heads and care
fully dictated and neat typewriter mail
are carefully considered indicate ons of
their business standing.
1t was formerly believed that illcgi-
bility and haste indicated enterprise and
promptncss: but while they do not en-,
tirciy abandon money-saving and time
saving. they now consider beauty-saving
as we'll.
In lettcr-writing it is demonstrated
that it is practicable to combine useful
ness and legibility.
Ladies Of leisure can have no excus
for such an omission, which in them
would be at once unladylike and dis.
courteous.
They are aided in this work by the per
feet pens, perfect paper, and perfect ink
of the day,
Steel pens are most generally used IL
preference to the more expensive golC
ones, at one time considered ~indispensa
bic.
The variety and excellence of paper i
unlimited for the ladies' use, but thu
heavy cream-laid, moderate-sized sheet
unruIcd, is considered in most elegan
taste.
The sheet may be simply ornamenteC
by the address of the writer, the street
and number, or, if suburban, the name
as "Rosebush Villa" in plain, handsom
engraving. We learn that Mrs. Cleve
land uses stationery adorned with he
monogram in heraldic fashion, and tn
motto in Latin, "Where bees are, Their
is honey and perhaps this will lead t
innovations.
The use of sealing-waS, recently intro
duced, met with a hearty reception a
first, but lately we see but little of its use
The convenient self-scaling envelopes
for which wax seals are ~superf1uOus, ar
too neat an pyDpdicnt to be immpdiatpl
superseded.