The Washington times., 1914-01-26

the sexes are equal. Then some edu-
Cational faddist got an idea 1t
struck him hard. why not have each
letter stand on its own base? Soon
a new lot OF copy books and maple
foot-rules were sent to school.
The copy books were designed for
drills in the vertical system OF pen
manship. Teacher began undoing the
work of four years. Every time I
made a letter as had learned to do.
whack went the ruler. The letters
never pleased, unless they were big
and round, like those } had made
when a baby. But having drilled
those fat letters out of my hands, I
had to learn them all over again be-
fore my penmanship. so-called, was
satisfactory to the Free Public School
that great institution, which, with
the American Constitution, is sup
posed to make up for all the other
things boy does not get
He Masters 1t.
However. having had experience
with the vertical letters. It required
only two years 10 master them in
stead of the four required bv the
Spencerian method. Happy day that,
on which I took home an exercise
graded Excellent
Carefully ! carried that exercise
back to school next morning, proud
that l had proved to mother that [
was some little scholar. lSet teacher
in the hall, struggling with a big
stack OF copy books, and [ helped
carry them to the room As placed
them on the cable L felt faint. MY
eyes behcld. 'COpybOOk No. l in
Business Penmanship." groped
my way to my desk and commenced
sympathizing with my knuckles.
The next two years were sDent
learning that the only unpardonabIe
sin on this earth Is to make a big,
round, vertical letter. They're so
crude, You know. So finally
learned to make a letter which had
all the round. bold outlines of the
vertical system, worked into a debu-
lante slou"h which resembIed re-
motely III" Spenccrian system. |
had tried 50 hard to forget
vt the end Of that two wears.
learned that the real reason I could
not write was that for eight years
! had been drilling the wrong way.
Used Wrong Muscle.
All that tine. |. like the other mill
lions who were alive ut that time.
had been using my wrist muscles
for writing stupid. should have
used a muscle on the fleshy part Of
my arm near IN" elbow, called the
cushion
My copy book. with all it's pretty
business lines. was thrown into the
waste basket. But [ did not get an
other. Instead, | spent a week
studying anatomy so that | could To-
cate that muscle which was to be
used III iic future. Having lain dor
mant for so many years, il, Of
course, was undcveIoped.
So the next year was spent in mus
cular exercises. the object of the
sarnC being 10 hold the pen thuslv.
Place the cushion Of trc arm So. and
then make -laItiug oval without
swearing. SI"D!,. Surely but il re
QuirCd the entire year to master il.
Having mastered the oval exercise.
/ was once more put to work learn
n% to make letters.
But | never learned. / could make
IT." Slanting Oval. but as soon as /
jricd To make 4, =. i. !, or Il, | forEoU
my lessons ,n anatomy: could nor
locate the cushion. and SO used nav
wrist. Some letters We're Spencr-ian.
others We're vertical SuU others
Wcr" business. The others were
munSrels.
The MOngrelS Win.
NJ the end of that year, l started
to hi%h school. where it was taken
for granted that, having been drilled
in penmanshIp for ten years. had
accomplished that much of NV e,u-
cation. For four years was left
to m fate, to write as could. the
mongrels won over ,hc Sponcerians
the business slants. the vertiCaIs
and the muscular Slauts.
Finally. | became tired of stayinc
IN after classes TO hccipher by nen-
manShlD for the teachers So tbev
could grade my work. bought y
typew ritter. Some day I'm going To
figure out how many hours | spcnt
as the playthinE of peumanShiD C,J.