The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-14

New 1Ork
1t is an undenable fact that notwithstand-
ing the superior educational advantages OF
the present time comparatively few of the
girls of the period can write an attractive
looking gracefully express I'd note The
writing is apt TO be bad, the phraseoiogy
awkward, and the whole production lacking
in that indescribable stamp of culture which
the note of a well-bred. well-educated young
woman ought to express 1t is hard TO say
lust how this state of affairs has beer
brought about for certainly this most
sential part of a young woman's education
has in the present gseration been obviously
neglected. Perhaps in a way it is the nat
ural reaction from the elegant penmanship
and somewhat labored diction of twenty o.
thirty years ago; or perhaps studies that
are deemed of more Importance have taken
up time which was formerly devoted to pot
hooks and dictation, but note writing as an
accomplishment seems almost lost art. Ii
is to be hoped that parents and teachers
will become conscious OF this need in mod
ern education, and that the younger MEM
beers of the family may be better drilled in
this respect than are their elders.
Note writing should belong particularly TO
modern times and ought to reach its high
est degree of perfection in these days. when
a couple of hastily-written pages take the
place OF the old-fashioned letter, which, II
must be confessed, sometimes just
little wearsome to read-especfally when
the writer felt a conscientious obligation to
fill a certain number of sheets. Il will
now sad dear old-fashioned letter
writer, after she had impaired all the news
she could think Of and had still several
pages to write to fill up her quota, proceed
TO make a few remarks about patience ."
and we can fancy what good sound moral
advice she gave. and the praises she be-
slowed upon that excellent virtue. Chill
dren's notes are sometimes funny in their
directness. Il do not want to go TO your
party thank YOU" the answer written
by a little girl TO her friends invitation,
expressed as she thought, with perfect po-
likeness: and the mother, rather than tam
per with the childs sense of honesty. by
an explanation which she was too young to
understand let her send the note incorrect
ed. Facility of expression and readiness OF
diction should receive particular attention in
a schools curriculum, and practice notes on
every imagiua BILE subject should be con-
staltly written. The fashionable handwrit-
ing of the day appears also to be In a tran
sition period. The sharp English hand of "A
decade or two ago has given place to "A
in many cases remains Uniformed and child
ish-looking; an1 perhaps il is for that rea-
son that so many Of the notes of to-day
look uncultured A lady who gave an in
formal dinner to number of debutantes
last winter said that with the exception OF
few really nice-lookng and well-expressed
answers the notes she received were. ac-
I melancholy" as she expressed it, "Suct
J results OF a higher education make one pre-
! fer the days of good English governess
and home training" was her verdict on the
! modern system, which produced such un
| satisfactory results.