It is, if not of prime necessity, yet of no little importance to the writer, that he use the same form for the same word at all times. A difference of outline will not render the reading necessarily obscure, any more than a similar mistake in long-hand, nor so much; because the writer of this system need never mistake the true letters of any word that he can properly pronounce, and can hesitate, for the most part, if he hesitate at all, only in the use of the signs for L, M, and R. It may be a matter of taste, however, whether to insert or omit a vowel when unaccented, and whether to use the full form or the contracted for final syllables ending in L and R.

We give below a few rules that will aid the student in securing uniform-itv of outline.

Note. - The upward forms of the three varied consonants are named La, Ma, Ra; the downward forms El, Em, and Ar for convenience.

The direction of the variable letters is determined by their union, first with the vowels, second with the consonants. We use for convenience here, as in some other cases, the names of the letters for the signs indicated. See the alphabet.

1. (a) Ma should follow E, i; Ah, ă, and I. Em always follows A; Ma precedes 0, ŭ, I, and Ew. In other cases Em and Ma are equally convenient.

(b) La is used before A, Ah, and ă, ŏ, Ew, and Ow. El precedes E, ĭ, and Au. La follows O; and El, Oo and ŏŏ. With other-vocals, El and La are equally convenient.

(c) Ra is most convenient before A, ah, ă, 0, Au, and ŭ; and after E, ĭ, Ah, ă, I, and Ew. Ar is always used after A unless A is disjoined; and is more convenient after Oo and oo. In other cases, Ar and Ra are equally convenient. Ra is used almost always for initial R.

2. La, Ma, and Ra are preferred both before and after a descending stroke, and in most cases before the ascenders, Wa, Ya, and Ha. With the horizontals, the upward or downward form is equally convenient, if the angle is equally good. An acute angle is, however, better than an obtuse, and hence we use Ar after Te, De, Cha, and Ja, and Ra after Es and Ze. An acute angle is better than an obtuse, but no angle is better than either; so Em - En is better than Ma - En; but Te or De - La should be avoided; but they are used in a few words.