and press of a business position. The demand of the merchant is, that
his clerk shall not only write well, but with rapidity, and the
volume of letters to be answered, bills to be made out, or items to be
entered on the books of account, compel the clerk to move the pen
with dexterity and rapidity, as well as skill. While there is great
diversity among persons as to the rapidity as well as quality of their
penmanship, some being naturally more alert and active than others,
yet by securing the proper position of the hand, arm and body,
favorable to ease and freedom of execution, then following this with
careful practice in movement, until all the varied motions necessary
in writing are thoroughly mastered, the person may, with suitable
effort, acquire the quality of rapidity in writing, gradually
increasing the speed until the desired rate is accomplished.


BEAUTY.

In the handwriting, as in other things, beauty is largely a matter
of taste and education. To the man of business, the most beautiful
handwriting is that which is written with ease, and expresses plainly
and neatly the thought of the writer. To the professional or artistic
taste, while such a hand may be regarded as "a good business hand," it
would not be considered as beautiful, because it conforms to no rule
as to proportion, shade, and spacing. In the practical art of writing,
it is not very unfair to measure its beauty largely by its utility.




[Illustration: Movement]