it, and laid before the
teacher for examination. Without some arrangement for an examination of
all the books together, the teacher would be liable to interruption at
any time, from individual questions and requests, which would consume
much time, and benefit only a few.

When a page of writing could not pass, a brief remark, calling the
attention of the pupil to the faults which prevented it, was sometimes
made in pencil at the bottom of the page. In other cases, the fault was
of such a character as to require full and minute oral directions to the
pupil. At last, to facilitate the criticism of the writing, a set of
arbitrary marks; indicative of the various faults, was devised, and
applied, as occasion might require, to the writing books, by means of
red ink.

These marks, which were very simple in their character, were easily
remembered, for there was generally some connexion between the sign and
the thing signified. For example; the mark denoting that letters were
too short, was simply lengthening them in red ink. A faulty curve was
denoted, by making a new curve over the old one, &c. The following are
the principal criticisms and directions for which marks were contrived.

Strokes rough.
Curve wrong.
Bad termination.
Too slanting, and the reverse.
Too broad, and the reverse.
Not parallel.
Form of the letter bad.
Large stroke made too fine, and the reverse.
Too tall, or too short.
Stems not straight.
Careless work.
Paper wasted.
Almost well enough to pass.
Bring your book to the teacher.
Former fault not corrected.

A catalogue of these marks, with an explanation, was made out and placed
where it was accessible to all, and by means of them the books could be
very easily and rapidly, but thoroughly criticised.

After the plan had gone on for some time, and its operation was fully
understood, the teacher gave up the business of examining the books into
the hands of a Committee, appointed by him from among the older and more
advanced pupils. That the Committee might be unbiased in their judgment,
they were required to examine and decide upon the books, without knowing
the names of the writers. Each scholar was indeed required to place her
name on the right hand upper corner of every page of her writing-book,
for the convenience of the distributors; but this corner was turned
down, when the book was brought in, that it might not be s