The Green Forest tribune., 1897-02-11
manShip.
BY G. W. ONEAL.

BY G. W. oNEAL.
Concluded from last week.
A rapid, running, dashy, even hand
writing is something that is worth
considerable and can't be purchased
with money, but must be acquired
by continuous practice and close appli-
cation. There is an old maxim, "Prac-
tice m axes perfect" which should be
before the penmanistic student at all
times, but he should not lose sight of
the fact that this means diligent, care
full practice. To practice for FIVE years
wit h the wrong position, wrong speed
and whistle and sing part of the time,
will not better your penmanshlp but
very little. if any. Better not prac
tice at all than to practice with the
wrong means. | find in practising that
it is better to use the right means and
likely get slig tly wrong results at first
than to use the wrong means and
make perfect letters-i. e. resort to
finger movement in order to get cor
rect form
The failure to OBSERVE this fact has
practically ruined the hand writing of
hundreds of young men and young
young women and scores of penman-
ship teachers have utterly ignored
neglected--it in order to get their
pupils to make wonderful improvement
in form while they were there. They
little cared how many Of their pupils
might in the future fail either to Sc
cure good position or to hold it after
they did secure it. so eager were they
to get good results at the present
and not the future. They choose the
Impractical rather than to lead out in
business-like way.
The chief factors of writing are leg
Utility and speed, The two should go
hand in hand. Legibility without
speed is impractical, while speed with
out iegibllity is useless. We should
therefore practice both. 1t will not do
sacrifice one to obtain the other, but
both must be giyensscareful attention
by the wonld-be practical student.
Some say Il can't get speed" Well, L
know you can't if you don't forever
discard that slow, tedious finger moves
ment and practice with a free, dashy,
forearm, rapid and running move
ment Slow and rapid writing are in
consistent and you can't practice the
one and acquire the other. IT you
desire 10 run fast foot race, would
you train yourself by walking? No,
you might walk 10000 miles and still
not be able to run any faster than you
did before you did the walking, but
you might run at full speed 100 yards
each day for while an win the race.
So in writing if you desire speed, then
your form carefully as you proceed, and,
my word for it, you will invariably get
good results.
Speed is to writing as the locomo-
tive is to the train and to attempt to
write with the finger movement would
be like trying to haul the cars with.
mules.
could make this little more valu-
able if had some reproducing plates
so that I might give some cuts on
movemen t, drills and practice exercis-
es, but as this is not within my power
just now, can say nothing of more
interest to you, likely, than to ask you
to Join one of my classes in Rapid
Business writing if ever the opportuni-
ity presents itself. | am thoroughly
confident that can soon convince you
that speed and ability to put writing
OH paper are far more valuable than to
know ali there is to know concerning
the penmanistic art.