211.  Order of Writing and Reading. - Although initial-hooks are written before making the stems to which they belong, yet they are read after such stems.

212.   Vowels and Initial-Hook Stems. - Vowel-signs written to initial-hook stems are read as follows: If placed before the stem, the vowel is read before both stem and hook; if placed after the stem, it is read after both stem and hook.

Remark. It will be remembered that a vowel-sign placed after a stem with a final hook is read after the stem and before the hook (184).

El And Er Hooks On Straight Stems.

213. Either l or r may be added after any straight stem by a small initial-hook. For / it is turned on the right side of downstrokes, and on the upper side of rightstrokes. For r it is turned on the side opposite the El-hook. The following examples illustrate the use of the El and Er hooks, and show them in contrast with each other :

214. Imperfect Hooks. - When hooks occur in the middle of outlines, it is not always possible to shape them perfectly. Sometimes the tip of one stem will form a part of a hook on another stem and at other times a mere offset or shoulder will be all that can readily be indicated as constituting a hook. Examples:

215. The Diagrams of the Hands. - By holding up the Left hand before us, and bending the end of the first finger, we get the L hook. By holding up the Right hand, and bending the first finger in the same way, we get the R hook.

Reading Exercise.

Writing Exercise.

216. Blow, brew, clay, crow, able, apple, odor, pledge, prairie, trial, truck, climb or clime, crumb, blemish, clothing, triumph, table, dicker, double, paper, girl [curl], fiber, vocal, wager, waddle, employ, labor, label, trouble, broker, blown [plain], brain, brief, glove, platter, traitor, decline, improve, plunge, Browning, attraction, tribune.