Manuscript Composition Notebook.

“Zealously Pursue Virtue”

[Education]. (Bailey, Amelia). Manuscript Composition Notebook, [ca. 1840].

Square, slim 8vo.; unlined leaves; marbled wrappers; string-tied; covers wrinkled, as if from water damage; ink stains; rubbed and abraded; small hole in upper cover; edgeworn. In a specially made cloth slipcase.

A lesson book for penmanship practice; twenty-two leaves; rectos and versos; completely filled in brown ink. On the verso of the upper panel is written “The Property of Mrs. Amelia Bailey/Her Book.”

While the leaves are unlined, it is evident that Bailey used a ruler or a straightedge to keep her penmanship even. At the beginning of the notebook, her writing is large and loopy, and she fills each page with 8 to 10 lines of text. The last 14 pages of the book, it seems, were written later on; her penmanship smaller and condensed, and on these pages she fits 12 to 15 lines.

Bailey repeats a phrase on each page until the page is entirely filled. The message that these phrases convey, however, vary from sinister-sounding imperatives – like “Do nothing wicked Amelia,” “Fear vicious men Amelia,” “Honor the King Amelia,” or “Beauty soon fades Amelia” – to morbid reminders – “Manage your affairs carefully,” “Sin most commonly brings sorrow” (each of these appears on two pages), “Temperance is the best guardian of health,” “Quiet minds enjoy happiness,” and “Xenophon loved virtue.” (Xenophon was the ancient Greek philosopher and admirer of Socrates.)

It appears that Bailey used this book not only to practice her penmanship, but also to learn how to properly space her words in order to fit them onto a single line. The last line of the last page of the book reads, “A lads manners often shape his Fortune” however, it took an entire page of mistakes – the first line fits only “A lads manners often shape his” until she ran out of room – for her to finally get it right.

Bailey also practiced other social communications, imagining a rather intriguing life outside the classroom; on the verso of the lower cover, she repeats phrases – with, perhaps, names she has invented – like, “Miss sanfords compliments to miss smith and hopes she has received no injury from last nights adventure” followed by, “Miss smith compliments to miss Sanford received not the least injury and got home perfectly safe.” And, “Miss shadells compliments to miss cloudy should be glad of her agreeable company to pass the afternoon,” and, in response, “Miss cloudys compliments to miss shadewell cannot have the pleasure of accepting her agreeable invitation being engaged in a party to the museum.”

Although there is little specific information available on Bailey, she was from East Hampton, New York, and likely privileged; these penmanship activities would have taught her proper etiquette for her adult responsibilities.

(#6106)

Item ID#: 6106

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