Place your arm on the desk and close the fingers of the right hand
tightly. (Number nine.) See how far you can move the hand forward and
backward without slipping the sleeve or without any motion of the wrist
or fingers.
Can you move that hand through space a sufficient distance to make any
capital? Could you make a capital through two or three lines of the
paper, two or three times larger than necessary, without any action of
the fingers?
=To the Teacher=: You should again examine your students on lesson one
and also on this lesson.
[Illustration: No. 9]
[Illustration: No. 10]
On page fourteen are five pictures of a boy who sits in a splendid
position for writing. He is never found in a cramped or poor position.
In number eleven, the right elbow is placed on the lower right corner,
the hand pointed toward the upper left corner, of the desk. The arm may
then be lowered until it rests in a writing position. In number twelve,
the left arm is placed on the desk as shown in pictures one, two, and
three, and then the exercise of the muscles begins. The entire right arm
is on the desk, and this is the best position, except when the arm is so
thin that the bone of the elbow grates on the desk. Then the elbow may
be extended off the desk enough to relieve the discomfort.
In no case will it be necessary to extend the elbow more than an inch;
and not one pupil in a hundred will need to take advantage of this
exception to the rule, that the entire right arm should be on the desk.
In number thirteen, make a special study of the upper part of the
penholder. It does not point toward the right shoulder, and never will,
if the arm, wrist, and hand are allowed to retain natural positions,
providing pupil and desk are fitted to each other. In number fourteen,
again study the right arm, and, in particular, notice its distance from
the right side, also look at the portion of the penholder in sight.
In number fifteen, notice carefully the distance between the boy and the
desk. You should always sit well back in your seat, so far back that the
body will not touch the desk. This boy is none too far back; his writing
is well in front of the eyes, and it is easy for him to retain the very
important square turn at the right elbow. You should follow his good
example in the matter of position, and if you practice faithfully you
can soon become an expert penman.
Number sixteen shows the position in which many good business penmen
carry the penholder when writing. Others who write just as well let the
holder drop below the knuckle joint, as shown in illustrations
twenty-four and twenty-five, page seventeen. The best position is
determined by the length of the fingers and the shape of the hand. It is
not necessary that the pupil with a long, slim hand and long, tapering
fingers, should carry his penholder in exactly the same position as the
pupil with the short, thick hand and short, stubby fingers.
[Illustration: No. 11 No. 12 No. 13 No. 14 No. 15]
[Illustration: No. 16]
[Illustration: No. 17 No. 18 No. 19 No. 20 No. 21]