SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS.

WRITING School conducted thus, according to the foregoing arrangement of lessons, the principles of penmanship being explicitly illustrated on the blackboard and taught by a thoroughly competent teacher, will be of great and lasting service to the community in which it is held, and will afford every member of the class a season of highly profitable enjoyment. Of course the success of the school mainly depends upon the teacher. The instructor is, in fact, the life and soul of the class. If he possess love of order, tact, versatility, knowledge of human nature, self-possession, with ability to illustrate, explain and entertain his class with story and anecdote pertaining to writing, he will find his classes large and the profession of teaching writing as profitable to himself and as beneficial to the public as any upon which he can enter.

Should teaching writing be chosen as a profession for a series of years, it is well for the teacher to select a dozen or twenty villages in which to teach, and give instruction in each of these localities, once or twice a twelvemonth for years in succession rather than teach over a very wide range of country. The teacher's reputation thus becomes established, the profession is dignified and ennobled; people knowing the worth of the school are free to patronize, and thus the avocation is made much more pleasant and profitable to the teacher.

The outline of instruction given for the foregoing series of lessons is but a brief epitome of what each lesson ought to be. The enumeration of subjects may guide the young teacher somewhat, but the whole should be greatly elaborated, and will be, by the ingenious teacher, as circumstances demand.

The usual charge for a course of instruction of 12 lessons is from $2 to $5 per pupil.

Teachers should furnish paper for students, and care for the books when not in use by the pupils. Students may take charge of the other materials required.

The strictest order should be maintained. No whispering ought to be allowed. Such stillness should reign in the school that every scratching pen may be distinctly heard.

To secure order the teacher will notice when the first evidence of restlessness begins to manifest itself in the class; certain students becoming tired of writing. If this uneasiness is allowed to continue twenty minutes, the school will be oftentimes a scene of confusion, but upon the first appearance of weariness, the attention of the class should be directed for a short time to the blackboard, or the time may be occupied for a little while by some story, humorous or otherwise, having a bearing upon writing; listening to which the students become rested, and proceed with their practice afterwards with pleasure.

Having invited the leading citizens of the town to visit the school, call upon them frequently for remarks to the class on the subject of writing. From the business and professional men who may thus address the class, the teacher and pupils may oftentimes gain many valuable ideas, the class will be encouraged, and better discipline will be secured. The great secret of preserving good order in school is to keep the mind of the students constantly employed with the work in hand.

The subjects pertaining to writing are abundant, and it becomes the teacher to study and present them to the class in familiar lectures as occasion demands. Many of the succeeding chapters of this book afford subject matter, from which the teacher of penmanship can obtain topics to discuss, that will entertain and instruct the class, while the instructor should, at the same time, be on the alert for practical subjects to illustrate his work, from whatever source they may be obtained. For example, how character can be told from penmanship; what faculties of mind are employed in the

execution of writing; why some pupils are naturally handsome penmen and others not; why Edward Everett should write elegantly and Horace Greeley with a scrawl; why gentlemen naturally write a large hand, and ladies fine, etc.

The effect of temperament on penmanship, and the result of using stimulants, should be thoroughly considered, and presented to the class. Students should be urged to avoid the use of tobacco as a noxious habit that lays the foundation for intemperance, and the use of strong drink as the destroyer of the soul; both tobacco and stimulants being also destructive to that steadiness of nerve essential to the execution of beautiful penmanship.

Many a boy may be deterred from an evil habit by the good example and advice of the teacher, admonishing him that superiority in penmanship and great excellence in life will come from being strictly temperate.

CONCLUDING SUGGESTIONS ON PENMANSHIP TO LEARNERS.

HIS book, as is designed, will fall into the hands of many who will never have an opportunity of receiving instruction from a professional teacher.

To practice penmanship to advantage, unaided by the teacher, students should provide themselves with necessary materials, as detailed elsewhere.

For the purpose of making steady progress in the acquisition of an elegant,plain penmanship, the student will be assisted by copying choice gems of poetry or prose, first writing each exercise on a separate slip of paper and afterwards transcribing the same in a book kept for the purpose. In the writing of original compositions and letters, each exercise should be copied as long as the student is desirous of

improving in penmanship; the copy being always a great improvement upon the original, not only in penmanship, but in spelling, grammar, use of capital letters, and composition.

Writers should not rest satisfied until they have absolutely mastered a plain, rapid, and elegant penmanship. The art, being almost purely mechanical, is more easily acquired by some than others; but every person from eight years of age upwards, until the body becomes tremulous with age, having ordinary command of the hand, who will persevere in the attempt, can write a legible, easy penmanship.

Among the benefits arising from a good handwriting, some are shown in the following

ad

Reasons why we should write well.

Because, 1st. Good penmanship of itself adds greatly to our happiness. The consciousness to the lady or gentleman of being able to write a letter that shall win the admiration and praise of the friend to whom it is written is a source of unspeakable pleasure to the writer, and to possess this ability throughout our lifetime is to be proficient in an accomplishment which adds to our happiness, as does excellence in oratory, painting or music. Good writing is a fine art, and is to the eye what good language is to the ear.

2nd. Good writing is of great benefit to us pecuniarily. The person who may apply for a situation as teacher, clerk, or any position where intellectual ability is required, finds a beautifully written letter the best recommendation that can be sent when applying for that position. Hundreds of instances are on record, many doubtless within the knowledge of the reader, where lucrative situations have been obtained. through good penmanship, that could never have been secured had the applicant not had a good handwriting.

And, 3rd. A mastery of the art of writing is of great service to us intellectually. Persons who can write well, taking pleasure in the practice, will write more than they otherwise would. Every time they write a word