Paragraph

This sign (¶), which is used for marking off some clause or portion of reading matter which is intended to be distinct trom what has gone before it, is now seldom used, except as a reference mark, or in the Bible to divide chapters. In Common Prayer-books paragraphs are used to denote the rubrical direction. The word is most frequently now applied to the matter itself, and not to the sign which denotes it. Newspaper paragraphs are usually short and pointed, and a peculiar art is frequently displayed in their wording. It is usual to commence a paragraph with an indention of one or more ems, according to the width of the measure and the openness of the matter, as in a long line the indention of one em is scarcely sufficiently noticeable. This, however, is left to the discretion of the author or printer. Many compositors have a somewhat dishonest habit of driving out a word or two at the close of a paragraph to make a “fat” line. This should always be discountenanced, especially if regard is had to the appearance of the work subsequently. Part of a word or one or two short words should never form a break-line of themselves; and a careful compositor will rather overrun backwards than disfigtuie his work in this way. The reader-should never pass this irregularity. The last line of a paragraph should on no account commence a page, neither should the first line end one, if possible. The length of the page should be altered in preference to doing so. Authors and editors are frequently censurably careless in marking the commence-ment of a paragraph in their copy, and the expense of printing is materially increased by overruns having to be made on this account. The commencement of a paragraph is best marked by a crotchet thus [ being placed before the first word.