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TIME TABLE I., FOR A WEEK IN THE FIRST MONTH.

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Wednesday) 7 to 9 a.m., Geography.
and 6 to 7 p.m., Copying.
Saturday, 7 to 10 p.m., Arithmetic.

TIME TABLE II., FOR A WEEK IN THE SIXTH MONTH.

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As a further guide to the student, I will here specify what I consider to be a reasonable amount of lessons for each interval in these time-tables; you may call them "tasks" if you please, for they fairly represent what a good grinder would require a student to prepare for him. I may remark that I know at least a dozen young men, now holding Civil Service appointments in Dublin, who won their places-in nearly all cases at the first attempt-after having regulated their studies in strict accordance with time and task tables ex

actly resembling those given here. If you have not been accustomed to study, it will take at least a month's training before you can get over the work I have laid down here, in the specified time. WORK FOR A WEEK IN FIRST MONTH.

Monday:

Tuesday:

Geography (1 hour): Anderson, p. 104-Rivers of Europe (whole page).

Arithmetic (2 hours): Barnard Smith, Profit and Loss, Nos. 1 to 30.

Composition (1 hour): "Sicily."

Geography (1 hour): Anderson, p. 105-
Rivers of Europe (whole page),

Arithmetic (1 hour): Barnard Smith, Cube
Root, Nos. 4 to 12 inclusive.

Précis (2 hours): Papers relating to the conflict between the Alabama and the Kearsarge. Wednesday: Geography (1 hour): Recapitulation of two previous days' lessons. Draw map of Eu

rope.

Copying (hour): a page of any tabulated statement in a blue book or report.

Arithmetic (3 hours): Barnard Smith, Miscellaneous Exercises, I., II. Long Tots, 18 to 29, inclusive.

Thursday: Geography (1 hour): Anderson, Europe, pp. 12-18. Draw map of Italy.

Friday:

Arithmetic (2 hours): Johnston, Miscellaneous
Exercises, A and B.

Composition (1 hour): "Fortitude."
Geography (1 hour): Anderson, Rivers of Asia.
Draw and fill in outline map of Asia.

Arithmetic (1 hour): Johnston, T.

Précis (2 hours): Papers relating to the formation of a Welsh colony in Patagonia.

Saturday: Geography (1 hour): Recapitulation of week's work.

Copying (hour): Any page of tabulations
in any report.

Arithmetic (3 hours): Barnard Smith, Miscel-
laneous Exercises, III., IV. Long Tots,
30 to 41,
inclusive.

Monday:

Tuesday:

WORK FOR A WEEK IN SIXTH MONTH.

English History (1 hour): Ince and Gilbert,
Hen. IV., pp. 58-60.

Book-keeping (1 hour): Hunter, Question
38.

Arithmetic (2 hours); Barnard Smith, Stocks,
Nos. 6-32, inclusive.

Geography (1 hour): Stewart, Descriptive
Table, "Spain." Draw outline map of
Spain, and fill it in.

English History (11⁄2 hour): Ince and Gilbert,
Hen. V., pp. 60-62.

Arithmetic (2 hours): Johnston, L and M.

Wednesday: English History (1 hour): Ince and Gilbert, Hen. VI., pp. 62-65.

Arithmetic (1 hour): Barnard Smith, Comp.
Interest, Nos. 1 to 15.

Book-keeping (2 hours): Hunter, Question
39.

Thursday: English History (1 hour): Ince and Gilbert, Edw. IV., pp. 65-67.

Friday:

Saturday:

Book-keeping (1 hour): Hunter, Questions 40 and 41.

Arithmetic (2 hours): Barnard Smith, Appen-
dix, I., II.

Geography (1 hour): Stewart, Descriptive
Tables, "Portugal,'
"Switzerland." Draw
and fill in outline maps of Portugal and
Switzerland.

English History (1 hour): Ince and Gilbert,
Edw. V., pp. 67-69.

Arithmetic (2 hours): Johnston, C and H.
Composition (1 hour): "Chivalry."

Copying (hour): A tabulated page of a
blue book.

Précis (2 hours): Papers relating to the assassination of Dr. M'Carthy at Pisa.

Arithmetic (1 hour): Barnard Smith, Appendix, III.

CHAPTER III.

HANDWRITING.

You will see by a glance at the second programme, that each of the three subjects, Handwriting, Spelling, and Arithmetic, has 400 marks, while each of the others has but 200. Consequently, the candidate who is a good and quick penman, who can spell well, and who is a good arithmetician, has an immense advantage over others not so well prepared. These three subjects bring him over nearly half the course (twelve twenty-sixths), and he must be a great laggard indeed in the rest of the race if he allow those he has left far behind to overtake him.

QUALITY OF HANDWRITING.

What is most valued by the examiners is perfectly plain writing, moderately large, not much slanted, and totally free from ornaments or flourishes. The commissioners say that "good handwriting is held to consist in the clear formation of the letters of the alphabet."

Mr. Foster's copy books, Nos. 5 and 6, are good models for imitation; but there is a certain style that always receives the highest marks, of which I give a lithographed specimen in the appendix. It is a fac simile of the specimen published by the commissioners themselves in one of their Reports, as a guide to candidates; and it is easily acquired

by any one who has already a good command of

the pen.

If you be a downright bad penman, there is nothing for it but to begin at the beginning. Take Foster's copy book No. 4, and imitate it exactly as to size, shape, slant, and length of line, writing slowly and carefully at first till you gain facility. Fill book after book-but only one or two pages at a time-till you are fit for No. 5, which you are to go through in the same way.

Give yourself the habit of writing with a good, plain, strong, steel pen; one of the best for general use is John Mitchell's N. barrel pen.

Leave good spaces between the words; a broader space where there is a comma than where there is none; more still for a semicolon; a colon, a note of interrogation, a note of admiration, or a dash, takes more; and at every period there ought to be left three-quarters of an inch. Do not crush the last word of the line against the right margin of the page if you find you have not plenty of room for the word, or for part of it, bring it to the beginning of the next line, and do not mind the waste of space. In all these respects, the specimen I give is the best model for imitation.

In these days it is a great misfortune for a young man not to be a good penman; and it is to be feared that the generality of teachers do not take as much pains as they ought to train their pupils in this important acquirement.

QUICKNESS.

You have not the shadow of a chance of winning a place unless you can write quickly. If you can

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