ory of Public Worſhip,—the Intention perhaps being to teach us good Engliſh and ſound “Kirk” Do
rines at the ſame Time. Fortunately or otherwiſe, the Do
rines were above our Comprehenſion at that Time; but the long ſ ’s and the Ligatures {p196} became Part of our Eye-Vernacular (if we may be pardoned for ſuch an Expreſſion), at which we rejoice. We hope that the Young who have not had the Advantages of antique Catechiſms will peruſe the Old Style Pages of this Chapter until they become ſo familiar with ancient and nearly forgotten Letters as to be able to enjoy the many good Things to be found in old-time Books, whether printed in Glaſgow or elſewhere.
To Printers who have “ſerved their Time” in the Book-offices of the Eaſt or the early ſettled Cities of the South and Weſt, a Chapter like this may ſeem wholly ſuperfluous. But in a Country like ours, where new Towns and Cities are daily ſpringing into Exiſtence, daily Newſpapers ſpringing up with them, it often happens that Boys and young Men who have had but ſcanty Schooling are taken as Apprentices to learn the Art of Arts. Many of theſe become rapid and corre
Compoſitors, and in Proceſs of Time drift to Cities where are Printing-offices with more Varieties of Type than the new Comers have been accuſtomed to,—among the reſt, Old Style, both in its ancient and modernized Forms; and it is, in good Part, for the Benefit of theſe that we devote a few Pages to Old Style.
In purſuing our Subje