Modern practice avoids display 229 Why the last word was inclosed in quotes is not to be explained. The desire to make written language clear to the reader is to be respected, but some of the methods now in general use are unsatisfactory and will not stand critical examination. A hundred years ago it was the duty of the printer to begin every noun with a capital letter and to compose in italic every word that needed or seemed to need emphasis. It was hoped that capitals and italic would help the reader to a better comprehension of the subject, but they were used too profusely and really made trouble for the reader. Experience has proved that readers do not need these crutches, and that ordinary matter can be made readable and intelligible without them. It is probable that the next generation will put greater restrictions on the use of quotation-marks. They will never go entirely out of use, for they are of real importance in many forms of literary work, but they will be used with more discretion and only in the places where they are really needed. SUBHEADINGS APITAL LETTERS of the text type are used with propriety in leaded matter for subheadings of one word or of two or three words that make less than one line, but they will seem bold, coarse, and sprawling in every subheading of words that must occupy two or more lines. As subheadings of the same class should be uniform, a size of capital should be selected that will enable the greater number of words to come in one line. When subheadings are frequent and make more than one line, the small capitals of the text type are preferred for solid and often for leaded matter. If the text type is of small body, the small capitals of that text may be found too compact and relatively insignificant. To give the desired distinction, publishers of school-books sometimes select light-faced Faces preferred for subheadings 231 antiques or gothics of small sizes for subheadings. Judiciously selected, the change in face may be acceptable, but the temptation to make subheadings prominent by the use of large and thick-faced types should be resisted. There are but few occasions in which job type of large size is tolerable in a good book, which is materially degraded when it imitates the typographic mannerisms of a trade pamphlet or a newspaper advertisement. Italic lower-case of the text is preferable as a substitute for job type. It has the merit of compactness with clearness, for it will take in more letters to the line than is practicable with ordinary capitals. It is always preferred for the long headings of tables and tabular matter. When greater prominence is desired for any special subheading, an italic of larger size than that of the text may be selected with propriety.1 Roman lower-case three sizes smaller than the type of the text is often used for subheadings by the book-printers of France. The display of large type is purposely avoided as savoring too plainly of advertising methods. It is supposed that the attentive reader will not need large or bold type for a subheading any more than he needs it in a side-note. The following subheading in brevier 1 These remarks can apply to lower-case only. Subheadings set in italic capitals are seldom pleasing, for the inclined and kerned characters of italic are rarely fitted with accuracy and symmetry upon the square body. Awkward junctions in the combinations of letters are common in many faces of italic. 232 Subheadings need surrounding blanks (over a text in small-pica) is from a book printed at the Imperial Printing House at Paris: 1 § 8 Par qui et en quelle ville furent imprimées les SPACE NEEDED FOR SUBHEADINGS White space is needed more than staring type to give distinction to subheadings. The subheading in small capitals of text type which has a broad blank above it and a narrower one below it always has more prominence and a neater appearance than the subheading in bold type forced in a too narrow blank space. The relief of white is required as well at the sides. The heading should be arranged to avoid a crowded appearance when it occupies two or more lines. A first line of full HEADINGS ARE UNPLEASING WHEN TOO FAR ABOVE THE TEXT width and a too short second line violate this rule. Such a subheading may huddle to comparative indistinctness the words in the first line, and produce ungainly white gaps at each end of the second line, while needlessly separating the text from the subheading. When a subheading makes more than one line, it is not needful that its first line should fill the measure. If its second line is made short by 1 Bernard, De l'origine et des débuts de l'imprimerie, tome 1, p. 55. Related words should be kept together 233 the turnover of one word or syllable, the first line should be shortened to turn over more words, so HEADINGS ARE MORE PLEASING WHEN PUT as more evenly to distribute the blank space. For the reader's convenience (the object most deserving of consideration), it is of no consequence whether the first line is short and the second line long, or vice versa; but it is of consequence that the words most clearly related in sense should be kept together and that the blank space about the heading should be evenly distributed. A first line should never be full over a second line of one syllable. AN ILLUSTRATION OF A SUBHEADING DIVIDED AWKWARD LY If two lines of a verbose subheading or legend are of the same length, do not attempt, by a hairspacing of letters or a wide spacing of the words, to change their position or their length. It is admitted that they produce an unpleasing effect when of the same length, but not so unpleasing as they would if the first line should be full and the second line short, with a needless gap of white space below. LIEUTENANT JAMES CALHOUN, COMMANDER OF TROOP L, ONE OF THE OFFICERS WHO DIED WITH GENERAL CUSTER The white space about an illustration in the text and about headings and subheadings should be |