Handwriting

I think at last I have got into a fairly ‘formed’ formal hand for ;fine writing’, and for the writing of my next novel in particular. I wrote a letter in it yesterday, and gave it to Marriott to criticize.  He found no fault with it at all. Indeed he was very enthusiastic about it and sent his wife up to look at it He said it would puzzle Johnston,  the author of the textbook on writing and illuminating, to produce anything as good in the way of ordinary quick calligraphy. Also that if I wrote a whole book keeping up the standard it would be unique in the world. When I lamented that one could not get a really black ink that would run through a fountain pen, he said he referred the slightly greyish tint of common ink. He dissuaded me from doing the novel in double columns.

                                                                         Arnold Bennett Journals - Saturday August 10th 1907