may

tute other words which he consider more appropriate. Perhaps some of the words enumerated in my introduction will be found appropriate, especially to gentlemen of the learned professions-in relation to this, however, I have no desire to dictate.

ARBITRARY CHARACTERS FORMED FROM THE WRITING ALPHABET.

The italic types are used as most convenient to represent the common writing letters.

The attention of my readers is next requested to the subject of short-hand shortened, as taught in page 34 of the system, and exemplified by the first chapter of Genesis, Plate 17.

It will be seen by reference to the stenographic tree, plate 1-to the alphabet, plate 2, and so on throughout the system, that the stenographic characters m, p, h, b, l, w, th, ious, when used alone to represent certain words of frequent occurrence, are always turned in a particular manner; though in joining they are made according to the convenience of the writer, to promote facility, or to improve the appearance of the combinations. See table of joining, plates 3 and 4; and the words permitted, speak, Agrippa, especially, expert, from, Jerusalem, promise, &c. in the first six verses of Paul's Speech before Agrippa.-Plate 9.

It has been abundantly shown in my former numbers, that the words represented by single characters, though few in number, do in fact constitute a very considerable share of all that we write. The principle, then, being a good one, may with propriety be now extended further than was deemed prudent, in that part of my method intended for correspondence and general use.

Short-hand shortened, so far as I have thought proper to recommend it, consists chiefly, in extending this principle. It teaches that the eight characters above mentioned, when reversed, and used alone, shall be the representatives of other words of frequent occurrence: viz. that the letter m, which in its natural po

sition stands for me, my, many, shall, when inverted, stand for him, am, most; and so of the other seven characters thus adding 24 words to the 60 previously given. This will be found to abridge the labour of writing very materially, without the introduction of any new characters or new principles.

The invertion of these characters is nothing new, as all have been previously taught to turn them at pleasure, in combining-but they are now merely informed, that if turned contrary to the natural order, and used alone, they represent a new class of words.

As there are no three characters in the alphabet which can be turned to similar account, without rendering the reading ambiguous, and as it is a fixed determination on my part to introduce no new marks, I have simply proposed that a small horizontal dash, like the stenographic s, or two small dots above or below the line of writing, shall represent certain other words, which are not only of very frequent occurrence, but often coupled; thus, and the, by the, in the, of the, for the, from the, with the, was the.-See System, page 24.

To show the great saving of labour effected, by the simple use of nine inverted letters, a small dash and two dots, I shall exhibit in italics the words to which this plan particularly applies.

All that is necessary to the successful adoption of this improvement, may be rendered familiar in half an hour-after which, it may be used or omitted at pleasure, without the least inconvenience, risk of illegibility, or disfiguration of the hand.

GENESIS, CHAPTER I.

Showing the words effected by Short-hand shortened.* 1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2. And the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3. And God said, let there be light, and there was light.

4. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

5. And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8. And God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9. And God said, let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10. And God called the dry land earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he seas: and God saw that it was good.

* By examination it is found that in this short chapter, no less than one hundred and seventy-five words are reached by this apparently trifling improvement. From this fact, a more correct idea may be conceived, respecting the propriety of adopting the plan.

11. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind. And God saw that it was good.

13. And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14. And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven, to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;

15. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth,

18. And to rule over the day, and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly, the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of hea

ven.

21. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth