[Illustration: No. 22]
[Illustration: No. 23]
Study closely the illustrations on this page. In number 22, the fingers
bend naturally as in repose, and their positions should remain the same
when the penholder is in the hand.
[Illustration: No. 24]
[Illustration: No. 25]
In numbers twenty-four and twenty-five, you should study the relation of
the penholder to the hand. As you see, it is a little below the knuckle
joint. The first finger bends naturally, and rests on top of the holder
about one inch from the point of the pen; the thumb rests on the holder
nearly opposite the first joint of the first finger, and the third and
fourth fingers are bent, touching the paper and forming a movable rest.
Whether these fingers bend exactly as the illustrations show will depend
upon their shape and length. It does not matter whether they rest on the
nails or sides, if they are comfortable and can be used easily as the
movable rest.
[Illustration: No. 26]
[Illustration: No. 27]
These diagrams are intended to show clearly the position of the writing
paper on the desk, the relative positions of arms, paper and desk, and
the direction in which the pen moves to secure uniform slant. Number
twenty-six is the half-side position mostly used in public schools and
best adapted to them, because of the character of the desks. Number
twenty-seven is the square front position.
In both diagrams, A represents the square turn at the right elbow and
its position on the desk, B is the muscular rest of the forearm, C the
position of the left hand in its relation to the paper and the right
hand, D the penholder, and E E the imaginary line between the eyes along
which the pen should travel in upward and downward strokes.
With the right forearm crossing the lower edge of the paper a little to
the right of the center, the pen should progress one-fourth or one-third
of the distance across a sheet of paper eight inches wide, before the
position of the paper is changed. Always use the left hand to move the
paper. Paper 8×10½ inches in width should be moved three or four times
in the progress of the pen across it. When the end of the line has been
reached, the paper should be returned to its original position, and
should be moved up on the desk the width of one line. Lift the pen
before moving the paper.
=It is not Palmer Method if the lines are tremulous. Study instructions
for speed requirements.=