Appendix L: A Text-Book on Penmanship, H. W. Ellsworth, 1862

This excerpt is included to give the reader a glimpse into the aesthetic concepts (variety, contrast, motion, etc.) that students using this particular penmanship textbook would have been exposed to.

Lesson III.—Beauty of Objects.

10. The qualities which we perceive in some objects are agreeable, and give us pleasure when we examine them, while those we perceive in others do not. It is pleasant to look upon a fine building; but the heap of stones or bricks and mortar from which it is made afford us no pleasure when we behold them. We say of objects which please the sight, that they appear BEAUTIFUL. Our sight is the most acute of all our senses, and discovers to us the most beauty in objects. We see beautiful forms and colors, as well as the various sizes of objects and parts. The rose has a beautiful form and color, and beautifully shaped leaves, which we see, and an agreeable odor which we smell. It possesses as many qualities of beauty as any other, and because it has each quality in perfection we say it is the most beautiful of all flowers.

(10.) Are all objects equally agreeable? Give an illustration. What do we say of objects which please the sight? Which is the most acute of all our senses? Which discovers the most beauty? What makes the rose beautiful? Why is it the most beautiful of all flowers?

11. REGULARITY, UNIFORMITY, VARIETY, &C.—The eye perceives almost numberless qualities of beauty in objects. We will mention some of the most familiar and important ones. The eye delights to view objects which appear regular or uniform in shape, order, &c. The beauty we perceive in a fine building arises from the regularity and uniformity of its sides and proportion of its parts. We are unable to perceive these qualities in the heap of rubbish. But the eye soon tires of too much uniformity, and longs for variety. This is why the country is so much more beautiful to us than the city, where nothing is to be seen but the uniformity and regularity of the buildings and streets. But the objects of nature, though always uniform, are not tiresome to us, because they are also full of variety at the same time. Nature never separates these two qualities, but blends them with surprising skill through all her works. For instance, the human face is strikingly uniform in all its parts, and perfectly regular; so that a child can always tell it from the face of any other animal; but it has such a wonderful variety in different persons that the same child need never mistake one person for another among a million! These differences may be so slight that no one can point them out, but every one feels that they exist.

(11.) Does the eye discover many beautiful qualities? What does the eye delight to view? From what does the beauty we perceive to exist in a fine building arise? Why do we not perceive it in the heap of rubbish? Does the eye ever tire of uniformity? What does it long for? What does this explain? Do natural objects become tiresome? Why? Does nature ever separate these two qualities? Give an example illustrating this truth. Does every one feel these differences to exist?

12. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST.—We perceive a great deal of beauty by comparing and contrasting objects and parts, or discovering their like and unlike qualities. When like objects are near each other, it gives us pleasure to group or collect them in our minds as one object, and the two objects are together more beautiful than either, alone. For instance, a vine trained to a wall, or twining around the trunk of a tree, is a more beautiful sight than the barren wall or the tree, with the vine trailing upon the ground. But when we contrast them with each other, as they cling together, we perceive other beauties still. The weak and tender vine is supported by the firm but rugged wall or tree, while the vine, with its twining tendrils and bright green leaves, clothes and renders them beautiful and attractive.

(12.) How do we perceive a great deal of beauty? In what way do we derive pleasure from like objects? Are the objects taken together more beautiful than either alone? Give an instance to illustrate this. What is the result if we contrast them with each ether? How?

13. MOTION.—Motion in objects is also the source of much beauty. The boy is never tired of trundling his hoop, or spinning his top, while the waving banner and the running stream never cease to be attractive to us all.

(13.) What else is the source of beauty in objects? Give illustrations.

14. ADAPTEDNESS.—Objects sometimes appear beautiful to us from their adaptedness to the purpose for which they are intended. In this way, objects sometimes appear beautiful because they are small, others because they are large, and others because they are simple and easily understood. We pronounce the Microscope a beautiful invention because it enables us to see very small objects, while the Telescope is also a beautiful invention, enabling us to see objects at a great distance. A theory or saying is frequently called beautiful because of its simplicity and manifest importance.

(14.) How else do objects sometimes appear beautiful? Give examples. What else is frequently called beautiful? Why?

Source: H. W. Ellsworth, A Text-Book on Penmanship: Containing All the Established Rules and Principles of the Art with Rules for Punctuation, Directions and Forms for Letter Writing: To Which Are Added a Brief History of Writing, and Hints on Writing Materials, Etc., Etc., for Teachers and Pupils, Adapted for Use in Schools, Academies, and Commercial Colleges, in Connection with Any Well Arranged Series of Books, (New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1862), pp. 10-12.