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                                STRAiGHT             LINES.
obseri ation and appreciation of the beauty and wonder of creation, will
lead to a healthful thirst
for knowledge, the truest and surest incentive to the study of books.
   4. In view of the importance of this early education in drawing, as well
as to assist teachers
in carrying out the system proposed, there have been prepared Drawing or
Copy-Books, ruled
and headed, on each page, with progressive examples, similar to those which
will be given in
the course of these rudimental instructions.    Thus, with little or no additional
labor, teachers
may at once, although possessing, themselves, no knowledge of design, be
capable of affording
the means of instruction to their pupils, as well as supplying their own
deficiency, in an important,
and too long neglected, branch of popular education.  These Copy-Books may
be procured of the
publisher, at a cost little beyond the price of an ordinary blank book.
   5. Having acquired a considerable degree of accuracy in tracing the ruled
faint line, as
suggested (2), proceed to fix certain points along the line, at random, and
then connect them
together; moving your pen or pencil (the former is to be preferred) slowly
and steadily, and not
taking it from  the paper until the line required is completed -
Repeat this, from right to left, and from left to right, as in the first
instance.  After some degree
of precision is thus obtained, you may, without fixing the points, endeavor
to draw the lines, of
the length required, by the aid of the eye and hand alone; and then, laying
aside your ruled
paper, see how nearly you can come to the examples given, on plain paper,
on the slate or
blackboard.   Observe well, before you touch your paper, where the line is
to begin, what direc-
tion it is to take, and where to terminate.  When you can achieve this, with
ease and accuracy,
you have made a sure beginning; the importance of which will be felt and
better appreciated
hereafter, when, any amount of time and patience bestowed, in making yourself
master of the
principles and practice of these primary lessons, will not be regretted.
   6. in your next effort, you have no longer to trace the ruled lines, but,
t.o trust your eye and
band in drawing a line, as nearly as possible, in the middle
A difficulty will be felt, at first, in drawing continuous lines, of great
length; as you will find