Upper loops have their crossing at the hight of one space, while lower loops cross at the blue line.

[Illustration:  y your youth y j journey joining rejoicing fs effs efffs afsure z zone zone zenith zzzzzz tune time tanner drum dime tttdddd]

Place the capital letters on the scale, analyze them according to principles 6, 7, and 8, and notice their relative proportions.

[Illustration:  (uppercase cursive alphabet)]

In order to practice capital letters to advantage, as well as to study them, collect in a group or family all those letters which have some one form or principle as an essential part.  Take first the 6th principle, or oval, and we group the letters as follows: 

[Illustration:  O. D. C. E. P. Q. R.]

The excellence of an oval depends largely on its fullness and roundness.  No corners or flat sides.

Down strokes parallel.

Capital D is a Capital O with a knot on the lower corner.

[Illustration:  O Olean Orleans Ohio Delia David Dahlia]

[Illustration:  C Church Currency E Elucidate Economy]

[Illustration:  P Prince Prayer P R Regan R Raymond R]

The letters in which the capital stem, or 7th principle, forms a leading part, may be grouped as follows: 

[Illustration:  H. K. F. T. S. S. G.]

In the H and K, the capital stem is almost straight on the down stroke, in the F and T it is little more of a wave line, and in S and L the line is much of a compound or double curve.

[Illustration:  H Hand Hunter Hinder K Kingdom Ky.]

[Illustration:  F Famine Fremont T Tenement Troy]

[Illustration:  S Sumpter St. S Sarimore G Grammar]

The capital I, and also the J, which is a modified I, are sometimes classed among the capital stem letters, from the resemblance of the I to this principle in all but the top.

[Illustration:  Independence Jamestown Inkerman Judgment]

The capital loop, or 8th principle, is found as an essential element in: 

[Illustration:  M. N. X. W. Q. Z. V. U. Y.]

In the capital loop, or 8th principle, another oval may be made within the large turn at the top, but for practical purposes the letter is perhaps better without it, and may be simplified even more, as in the N below.

[Illustration:  M Monumental N Nathaniel X Xenophon]

[Illustration:  W Writing Q Quay Quack J J Jones J J]

[Illustration:  V Value Valuable U Union Y Youthful]

FIGURES.

Make figures small, neat, and of form exact.  Each figure must show for itself, and cannot be known by those which precede or follow it, as is the case with letters.  The common tendency is to make figures too large and coarse.  Mind the ovals in figures and have them full and round.  The chief excellence of the zero lies in its roundness; the 3, 5, 6 or 9, without care in making the ovals, may degenerate into a straight line, or simply a meaningless hook, which it would hardly be safe to use in expressing sums of money, ordering goods, or the transaction of other business.