The Palmer Method of Business Writing / A Series of Self-teaching in Rapid, Plain, Unshaded, Coarse-pen, Muscular Movement Writing for Use in All Schools, Public or Private, Where an Easy and Legible Handwriting is the Object Sought; Also for the Home Learner

by A. N. Palmer

HOW TO DEVELOP MUSCULAR ACTION

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.

No. 9

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.

No. 16