On Bad Handwriting

One of the most impoitant things for boys or girls to learn to do is to write plainly, so that th'-se who have to read what they write a.re left in no doubt as to their meaning. Several amusing stories of the embarrassment which has followed not learning to write legibly are told. One of these is of a Massa:husetts clergyman who nearly got hiraself into a peck of trouble because of Lhe bad quality of his handwriting. It was more than a century ago that this clergyman had occasion to address' a letter to the general court of Massashusetts upon some subject of great interest at that time. When the letter svas received the court ordered the clerk to read it, and was filled with wrath it what appeare to be these words in Dpening: "I address you not as magistraten, out as Indian devils." "What!" they cried. "Read that aver aguin. How does he address us?" "Not as magistrates, but as Indian devils," repeated the clerk. "Thafs what he says." The letter was passed around, and the udges were by no means pleased to see that the clerk had apparently made no nistake. Very angry at what they be(ièved to be an insult, the judges passed j. vote of censure upon the clergyman, and wrote to him demanding an ipology. He carne before them in person, when it turned out that where the ludges had read Indian devils he had written individuals- which, of course, made an apology unnecessary; but the reverend Érentleman was admonished :o improve his handwriting 1Í he wished to keep ut of trouble.