386 PART V. WORKING STAGE. 



formed by simply commencing the upward stroke of a letter 

 from below the writing line, saving thus a separate series of 

 alphabetic outlines. Abbreviations of certain frequently recur- 

 ring words and syllables might enable ordinary writing to pro- 

 ceed at, perhaps, four to five times the present speed. This is 

 no indifferent consideration, for the handmaid of thought should 

 not fall far behind deliberate thought itself. Here is such an 

 alphabet: 



t. ?- ? .? &{. <? L/./. // //// 



J '4 ft? '"e" "' 



(I) rotundity, rose; (2) fallow, mad; (3) fun, far; (4) Ml, feel; (5) fell; fa/1; 

 (6) full, fool; (7) falter, fall; (8) le, cceur; (9) Fulle, fi/Men; (10) yain, /ain; 



(II) gain, cane; (12) 6ane, /?ain; (13) sin^, son/; (14) licftt, lacften; (15) leisure, 

 shun; (16) there, think; (17) (unused); (18) (unused); (19) do, to; (20) as, 

 so; (21) 7ot, roll; (22) yes, we; (23) net, /net; (24) he; (24a) y'eer, c/ieer; 



(246) sigh, joy, now ; (25) Knowledge is Power. 



The systematic order and the quality, as well as the time 

 value and desirable time variations, of primary sounds, would 

 be ascertained and fixed by phonograph, and preserved for 

 reference in record offices as are the metrical standards. 



The consonantal and vowel compounds would be constructed 

 on the same basis of economy and euphony, eschewing as far 

 as practicable all cumbrous combinations and favouring those 

 which are mellifluous or characterful. 



2. In the framing of the letters into words the above con- 

 structive principles would be also followed. 



The present practice of only encouraging euphonious com- 

 binations would be continued, but on a strictly systematised 

 basis and independently of conventional standards. This might 

 be, perhaps, effectually aided by arranging that root words should 

 begin with a vowel, and be divided from prefixes and postfixes 

 by a y and w respectively. Prefixes would consist of a con- 

 sonant followed or not by a vowel, and postfixes of a vowel 

 followed or not by a consonant. 



