jSS6 :- : aIoteps w \ {eadipg&kjpemiM \ Class _ Book * r (o Copyright N? COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT ESSENTIAL STEPS IN READING AND SPEAKING FOR TEACHERS, PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS, STUDENTS, AND PERSONS SEEKING GENERAL CULTURE BY FRANK S. FOX, M.A. Professor of Public Speaking, Wittenberg College; President of The Capitol College of Oratory and Music, Columbus, Ohio Copyright, 1905, by Hinds, Noble & Eldredge HINDS, NOBLE & ELDREDGE 31-33-35 West 15TH Street, New York City n UI3RARY of CONGRESS a' wo CJopies (i«c*v»u SEP. S3 4905 oopf s. To my noble parents, who taught me to always do my best; to her, my life companion, who is the i?ispiratio?i of my home ; and to our quartet of children, whose active lives I have watched unfold to verify natural laws of speech, is this volume dedicated. PREFACE This book has been prepared in response to repeated requests from teachers, students, clergymen, lawyers, and other persons interested in general culture, who have desired that the Author should present his thoughts on speech training in a tangible form. While he fully believes the truth, " Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh," he has prepared this volume with the hope that it will place the studies of speaking and read- ing on a more teachable foundation, and thus help many persons to further their efforts to improve themselves in speaking and reading and to become more potent and efficient in these "greatest of all arts." After deciding to undertake the work, it was found to be much more difficult than at first anticipated. And to carry out the preconceived plan it would be necessary in some places to "blaze the way." On this account, more than eight years has the temple been in building. A properly prepared text-book is one that will impart instruction to the student and at the same time admit of being taught. This twofold phase of the work has been constantly kept in mind ; the aim of the Author being to make the text instructive without a teacher, and also to make a book that is strong by being taught. For these reasons a number of illustrations have been introduced that appeal to the "visual mind " ; for a con- crete presentation of thought is most forcible. These VI PREFACE illustrations were sketched especially for this book by Miss Laura Miller, the celebrated sketch artist, who drew the most of them from the speaker in action and from photographs taken especially for this work. They are meant to be suggestive of thought, not absolute in in- struction. They do not represent fancies, but fact. In the discussion of the several subjects the purpose has been to show a natural basis upon which to build, not a mere hypothesis nor an opinion ; assertions have not been accepted. A great deal of the method is out of the usual path of texts on speaking and reading, but it is the result of study, teaching, investigation, observation, and by actual use has been found to be most practical. The Methods of Breathing and of Voice Culture have been used with over two thousand students, and there has not been one failure. But scores of speakers and singers who have used other methods of breathing and voice production, and have developed sore throat and hoarseness, and have been compelled to quit their work, have been permanently cured by the method and practice set forth in this book. The author has implicit confidence in the work because it is based on science ; and the application has proven practical, and he has had not one failure in results. Yet he does not doubt it will be severely dealt with by persons who read it for the first time and who have never put the instructions to use. The book will be found useful in home study as well as the class room. Technical terms have been largely omitted because they are usually confusing to students. Some chapters may be thought to enter into techni- PREFACE Vll calities too much ; for example, the chapter on Articu- lation and the one on Pitch of the Elementary Sounds. But this was done because teachers in the Primary Grades in the Public Schools have indistinctness of speech to deal with in teaching, and the application of the principles in these chapters will cure the diffi- culty. As the author has explained these difficulties to Teachers' Institutes, he has always been asked for this technical work in a tangible form. Many children and even grown persons are psychically deaf, and can- not be taught the elements of a word unless taught the articulate positions of the organs of speech. Neither can they be trained to overcome the defect of omitting consonant sound pitches and dwelling principally on the vocal part of a word unless taught the technicalities of the Pitch of the Elementary Sounds. It is not expected that all will aspire to become plat- form artists, but inasmuch as all persons must com- municate with their fellow-associates, it is important that an effective style of speech be acquired, and for this purpose every chapter in this book will be found helpful in developing a beautiful and effective speech. As " Oratory is the greatest of all arts," any com- plete method of instruction must deal with the two couplets of trinities which are the bases upon which to build a liberal education. The first couplet of trinities is : — Intellect Acquisition Volition Retention Emotion Expression Vlll PREFACE the other is : — Wit Action Worth Utterance Words Powers of Speech and to train these twelve elements of a person's educa- tion has been kept ever in mind. The study of Speaking, then, consists of science as well as art, and may well be considered the science of expression and the art of its application. As a science, we may study it from books ; as an art, we must make the application of the science by actual practice. Many persons study the science, but fail in the art because they will not apply it. This book deals with the science and gives directions to develop the art. Acknowledgments for valuable suggestions are due Joseph M. Anderson, D.D., Columbus, Ohio ; Hon. Charles B. Galbreath, Ohio State Librarian ; Professor Edward Rhynearson, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ; Superin- tendent Delos Fall, Albion, Michigan ; Professor O. E. Weaver of Wittenberg College ; and to the several authors who have so kindly permitted the use of their literary productions to illumine the several chapters. The illustrations in this book were, in the main, specially drawn from life poses for this work ; and are fully protected by copyright. FRANK S. FOX. The Capitol College of Oratory and Music. Columbus, Ohio, March i, 1905. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction . xi CHAPTER I. The Thought Sentence . . . . 3 II. Breathing 16 HI. Voice Culture 31 IV. Pauses 49 V. Emphasis 65 VI. Articulation ....... 76 VII. Pitch of the Elementary Sounds . . .104 VIII. Modulation 108 IX. Inflection 115 X. Pitch of Voice in Speaking . . . .120 XI. Rate 131 XII. Movement 145 XIII. Accent 153 XIV. Rhythm 160 XV. Stress and Force 167 XVI. Pronunciation 171 XVII. Enunciation 175 XVIII. Quantity or Time 178 ix X CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XIX. Climax and Cadence 186 XX. Melody 193 XXI. Syllabication 199 XXII. Gesture Study . . ' 202 XXIII. Personation or Character Sketching . . 254 PART II Foxonian Selections 283 INTRODUCTION Industry Necessary to the Attainment of Eloquence The history of the world is full of testimony to prove how much depends upon industry ; not an eminent orator has lived but is an example of it. Yet, in contradiction to all this, the almost universal feeling appears to be that industry can effect nothing, that eminence is the result of accident, and that every one must be content to remain just what he may happen to be. Thus multi- tudes who come forward as teachers and guides suffer themselves to be satisfied with the most indifferent attainments and a miserable mediocrity, without so much as inquiring how they may rise higher, much less making any attempt to rise. For any other art they would have served an apprenticeship, and would be ashamed to practice it in public before they had learned it. If any one would sing, he attends a master, and is drilled in the very elementary principles, and only after the most laborious process dares to exercise his voice in public. This he does, though he has scarce anything to learn but the mechanical execution of what lies in sensible forms before the eye. But the extern- Xll INTR OD UCTION pore speaker, who is to invent as well as to utter, to carry on an operation of the mind as well as to produce sound, enters upon the work without preparatory dis- cipline and then wonders that he fails ! If he were learning to play on the flute for public exhibition, what hours and days would he spend in giving facility to his fingers, and attaining the power of the sweetest and most expressive execution ! If he were devoting him- self to the organ, what months and years would he labor that he might know its compass and be master of its keys, and be able to draw out at will all its various combinations of harmonious sound and its full richness and delicacy of expression ! And yet he will fancy that the grandest, the most various, and most expressive of all instruments which the infinite Creator has fashioned by the union of an intellectual soul with the powers of speech may be played upon without study or practice ; he comes to it a mere uninstructed tyro, and thinks to manage all its stops and command the whole compass of its varied and comprehensive power ! He finds himself a bungler in the attempt, is mortified at his failure, and settles it in his mind forever that the attempt is vain. Success in every art, whatever may be the natural talent, is always the reward of industry and pains. But the instances are many of men of the finest natural genius, whose beginning has promised much, but who have degenerated wretchedly as they advanced, because they trusted to their gifts and made no efforts to improve. That there have never been other men of equal endow- INTR OD UC TION Xlil ments with Demosthenes and Cicero, none would ven- ture to suppose ; but who have so devoted themselves to their art or become equal in excellence ? If those great men had been content, like others, to continue as they began, and had never made their persevering efforts for improvement, what would their countries have benefited from their genius or the world have known of their fame ? They would have been lost in the undistin- guished crowd that sunk to oblivion around them. Of how many more will the same remark prove true ! What encouragement is thus given to the industrious ! With such encouragement, how inexcusable is the negligence which suffers the most interesting and important truths to seem heavy and dull and fall ineffectual to the ground through mere sluggishness in their delivery ! How un- worthy of one who performs the high functions of a religious instructor, upon whom depends, in a great measure, the religious knowledge and devotional sen- timents and final character of many fellow-beings, to imagine that he can worthily discharge this great con- cern by occasionally talking for an hour, he knows not how, and in a manner which he has taken no pains to render correct, impressive, and attractive; and which, simply through want of that command over himself which study would give, is immethodical, verbose, inac- curate, feeble, trifling. It has been said of the good preacher that " truths divine come mended from his tongue." Alas ! they come ruined and worthless from such a man as this. They lose that holy energy by XIV INTRODUCTION which they are to convert the soul and purify man for heaven, and sink in interest and efficacy below the level of those principles which govern the ordinary affairs of this lower world. REV. HENRY WARE. ESSENTIAL STEPS IN READING AND SPEAKING =>>**:< CHAPTER I The Thought Sentence Reading, as we wish to treat the subject, may be properly said to consist of three parts : first, finding the thought ; second, retaining the thought ; third, express- ing the thought. That line of reading known as perus- ing (Latin per, over; and video, to see) is not what we wish to discuss. Reading as a part of expression is more difficult and more comprehensive. This is the acme of communication, and when attained, the student will have mastered each step, for he will have passed from the beginning to the ideal. The word "read" itself is significant. It is of Anglo-Saxon origin, from rcedan, to advise, to counsel, to declare. From the word itself we have our line of duty marked out. To many the road will be new and probably difficult to travel. But do not falter ; for when you have mastered Reading you have acquired all the elements that lead 3 4 THE THOUGHT SENTENCE to a liberal education. Reading is probably the most difficult branch with which the teacher has to contend. This is due to the fact that so little training of a tan- gible character is given in this study. The object of these lessons is to show that it can be taught by another method than imitation. There are some prin- ciples of the study that must be understood and made plain. We shall omit technical terms in order to make the work as easy and practical as possible. The first step is to understand thoroughly the thought sentence and be able to master it in every detail. With- out this there must be constant stumbling, and much of the progress made in speaking and reading cannot but be of a guess-work character. All elements of thought gathering and of expression are based on the Thought Sentence. A Thought Sentence is a group of words which repre- sent a single thought. In composition we often asso- ciate a number of thoughts in a single grammatic sentence. Within this sentence we often represent a Thought Sentence by a single word, or by two words, or more. In order to get the full meaning a reader must be able to separate the grammatic sentences into Thought Sentences. Where the Thought Sentence is represented by a single word, ellipsis has been used, and in speaking or reading, pauses must be made of suffi- cient time to allow the listener to supply in his mind the words omitted. Where the Thought Sentence is composed of several words, some words will be more THE THOUGHT SENTENCE 5 closely related to the thought than others. These significant words are the monuments of thoughts ; that is, they mark the location of the thought of the sentence, and the remaining words are auxiliary to the Monuments or Thought Words. These auxiliary words soften the language of the sentence. When skill has been acquired, as it will be by prac- tice in pointing out these Thought Centers, the reader will be able to run his eye over the page and gather all the thoughts in a very few seconds. The person who has developed himself in this work has gotten the first important step in learning. He will have the power to gather the thoughts and time to digest them ; and this digesting is the real work of education. Here may be pointed out two reasons for disliking an author : First, the thoughts of the composition may not be methodically arranged ; second, if they are prop- erly arranged the reader may not be able to see clearly the line of Monumental Words and grasp their full meaning. The first difficulty is due to the author ; the second is with the reader. This constitutes one of the first and most important steps in reading. Many of the elements of good, intelligent, comprehensive, and entertaining reading are based upon a clear, marked understanding of the Thought Sentence and the abil- ity to develop it; that is, to see the thought picture with the " mind's eye." As an example let us take the following from the writings of Dr. Holland. The dashes separate the Thought Sentences. 6 THE THOUGHT SENTENCE GIVE US MEN God give us men — a time like this demands Strong minds — great hearts — true faith — and ready hands Men whom the lust of office — does not kill — Men whom the spoils of office — can not buy — Men who have honor — men who will not lie — Men who can stand before a demagogue — And damn his treacherous flatteries — without winking — Tall men — s?m-crowned — who live above the fog — In public duty — and in p?'ivate thinking — For while the rabble — with their thu?nb-worn creeds — Their large professions — and their little deeds — Mingle in selfish strife — lo ! freedom weeps — Wrong rules the land — and waiting justice sleeps — In referring to this poem, it will be observed that men is the first important Thought Center. It is the subject. Then the author realizes that there are differ- ent classes of men, and proceeds to describe the char- acter of the men he has in mind. This description is found in the Monuments, — sti'ong, great, true, ready, hist, not kill, spoils, not buy, opinions, will, honor, not lie, stand, damn, without, tall, sun-crowned, above, public, private. These Thought Centers thus far describe the whole man. Some show what elements are wanted ; others what the author would have eliminated. This ends the first division of the poem. The next division gives the reason for wanting such men. The Thought Centers here are rabble, thumb- worn, professions, deeds, selfish, weeps, wrong, sleeps. These fill out the list of important words in the poem. THE THOUGHT SENTENCE 7 Some of these Monumental Words are more important than others. Some are milestones ; some are half mile- stones; some are quarter milestones. Around these Thought Centers cluster the words of each Thought Sentence, and are auxiliaries in the expression of thought. Some are of so great importance as helpers and approach so near the principals, that readers, not knowing the author's thought, sometimes differ as to the Thought Center, and consequently as to the real meaning to be brought out. This, however, we shall treat in the chapter on emphasis. For practice work, point out the Thought Centers in any of the following poems : Lowell's " The first Snow- fall" ; Whittier's "The Barefoot Boy" or "The Pump- kin " ; Longfellow's " The Day is Done " or selections in this book. Study first the production carefully. Be sure you follow a single chain of thought, so the contexts will harmonize. The tendency of the student will be to have too many Thought Sentences. After you have made the divisions, leave them for a few days, then take up the work again and see if you are satisfied to leave the phrasing and Thought Centers as first made. Note if the line of thought is logical, consistent through- out. A little practice in the work will soon enable the student to take a poem or literary production and with the first reading locate the Thought Centers and gather the thoughts rapidly and retain them accurately. The student will notice in his work that often poems will 8 THE THOUGHT SENTENCE divide into several divisions, these divisions correspond- ing to what may properly be called a paragraph ; and in pointing out the Thought Centers in these para- graphs he should be careful to follow a single line of thought, and he will then . see that there is a close connection between all the Thought Centers of the paragraphs. In the present arranged curriculums of our public schools, normal schools, academies, colleges, and uni- versities, and in much of the method of teaching, there is little or no real training that will give help to the student in getting his lessons quickly, and at the same time accurately, so that he may retain them. A stu- dent can just as well be taught to get a lesson at one reading as in three or four. This should be the ideal training. Many children do this ; and yet the teacher says, " Study your lesson four or five times more." This fruitless repetition brings about a weakening of the mental powers. Too much stimulant is no stimu- lant. The child gets the whole of a story with one reading, hearing, or telling. You listen to a speech or sermon and get it all with one hearing ; that is, if it has been arranged and given as it should be. In most of our practical life we adhere to this once process. Why not develop this power in school ? The race be- longs to the swift. But if we attempt this kind of work, many of the old, and supposed wise teachers, because they were not trained in this way themselves, and can- not do this rapid work, shake their heads in discourage- THE THOUGHT SENTENCE 9 ment because it may be contrary to the way they were taught, and so they say : — " Now consarnin' this readin', Provided things go to my say, Shan't hang on new-fangled hinges, But swing in the old-fashioned way. " We ain't no time for sech foolin', Besides there's no good to be reached By tiptoein' the children up higher Than ever their fathers was teached? — Carleton. This is about the amount of their argument. They tell us there is no permanency in this rapid work, when example and history prove that men and women who have stood at the head of affairs have had this power of doing work quickly. Because the students have no power to gather thought quickly and retain it, all of their school life is spent in poring over the regular course of the full arranged curriculum. There is no time for individual thinking. Many of them leave college with a good deal of knowledge but with little education. They are bookworms, and because of this make failures of life, and in their cases the old adage, " Knowledge is Power," is false. The world is demand- ing more of men and women every year, and to meet this demand better methods of study are imperative. This logical analysis is the basis of memory training. It not only broadens the acquisitional powers of the IO THE THOUGHT SENTENCE mind, but strengthens the retentive. It is the " heart root " of all educational advancement. Whether you desire to read or speak or not, it is valuable ; for it is the very life blood of culture. Phrase the following selections and mark the Thought Monuments as suggested in the poem, " God Give Us Men." THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH Under the spreading chestnut tree The village smithy stands ; The smith a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands, And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands. His hair is crisp, and black, and long ; His face is like the tan ; His brow is wet with honest sweat, He earns whate'er he can, And looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man. Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow ; You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, With measured beat and slow, Like a sexton ringing the village bell, When the evening sun is low. And children coming home from school Look in at the open door — THE THOUGHT SENTENCE II They love to see the flaming forge And hear the bellows roar, And catch the burning sparks that fly Like chaff from a threshing floor. He goes on Sunday to the church, And sits amongst his boys ; He hears the parson pray and preach ; He hears his daughter's voice Singing in the village choir, And it makes his heart rejoice ; It sounds to him like her mother's voice Singing in paradise ; He needs must think of her once more, How in the grave she lies, And with his hard, rough hand he wipes A tear from out his eyes. Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing, Onward through life he goes ; Each morning sees some task begun, Each evening sees its close ; Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose. Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught ; Thus, at the flaming forge of Life Our fortunes must be wrought ; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed, each thought. — H. W. Longfellow. 12 THE THOUGHT SENTENCE GLORY The crumbling tombstones and the gorgeous mausoleum, the sculptured marble and the venerable cathedral, all bear witness to the instinctive desire within us to be remembered by coming generations. But how short-lived is the immortality which the works of our hands can confer ! The noblest monu- ments of art that the world has ever seen are covered with the soil of twenty centuries. The works of the age of Pericles lie at the foot of the Acropolis in indiscriminate ruin. The plowshare turns up the marble which the hand of Phidias had chiseled into beauty, and the Mussulman has folded his flock beneath the falling columns of the temple of Minerva. Neither sculptured marble nor stately column can reveal to other ages the lineaments of the spirit ; and these alone can embalm our memory in the hearts of a grateful posterity. As the stranger stands beneath the dome of St. Paul's or treads, with religious awe, the silent aisles of Westminster Abbey, the sentiment, which is breathed from every object around him, is the utter emptiness of sublunary glory. The fine arts, obedient to private affection or public gratitude, have here embodied, in every form, the finest conceptions of which their age was capable. Each one of these monuments has been watered by the tears of the widow, the orphan, or the patriot. But generations have passed away, and mourners and mourned have sunk together into forge tfulness. The aged crone, or the smooth-tongued beadle, as now he hurries you through the aisles and chapel, utters, with measured cadence and unmeaning tone, for the thousandth time, the name and lineage of the once-honored dead j and then gladly dismisses THE THOUGHT SENTENCE 1 3 you, to repeat again his well-conned lesson to another* group of idle passers-by. Such, in its most august form, is all the immortality that matter can confer. It is by what we ourselves have done, and not by what others have done for us, that we shall be remembered by after ages. It is by thought that has aroused my intellect from its slumbers, which has "given luster to virtue, and dignity to truth," or by those examples which have inflamed my soul with the love of goodness, and not by means of sculptured marble, that I hold communion with Shake- speare and Milton, with Johnson and Burke, with Howard and Wilberforce. — Dr. Wayland. Observations on Finding the Thought Center and Thought Sentence 1. Sometimes the Monument of the Thought (a Mon- ument marks where something may be found) is a group of two or more words. When it is a group of words, usually one word may be found that can be substituted for the group and have the same meaning. This one word will be emphatic, and since the phrase or group means the same as the word, the group will be emphatic. EXAMPLES Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. — Bible. This phrase means, day uttereth speech and night showeth knowledge, but the expression is much weaker, hence the phrase is used for emphasis. 14 THE THOUGHT SENTENCE He looks the whole world in the face. In this Thought Sentence whole world is the Monu- ment. It is used instead of all, meaning all persons, and so takes the emphasis. He owes not any man. Here not any is the Monument, and means no Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow. The Thought Sentence here is the two lines, and the Monument is the first line. It means constantly or continually. 2. In reading the phrases which make up the Monu- ment, you read them as a single word, with the force and rate and volume gradually growing till the climax is reached on the last word, which corresponds to the accented syllable of a word. An accelerando and swell movement expresses it. 3. In all good language, words and sentences are often paraphrased to emphasize the thought; that is, to make clear the thought. EXAMPLES Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish. In this example it is all said, as far as the thought itself is concerned, when the speaker said sink or swim. Sink means to die and also perish. Swim means live the thought sentence 15 and also survive. The two couplets, live or die, survive or perish, paraphrase the first couplet, sink or swim, for the purpose of impressing the thought. In Hamlet's Soliloquy it was all said, practically, when he said, " To be or not to be." Yet the poet draws it out till there are thirty-five lines. CHAPTER II Breathing Principles of Breathing and Practice Exercises Physiological theorists have repeatedly presented ideas on the principles of breathing that further inves- tigation has proven vagarious. The advancement of these opinions has, however, been productive of much good. I wish to present a few thoughts on the subject of "Why we Breathe" and "How to Breathe," which are the results of teaching and investigation. Frequently as I have lectured to assemblies and classes on these subjects, I have found that the listen- ers have all been taught similarly, and accepted the instruction without any personal thought or investiga- tion. Also, many students are very loath to accept anything different, especially if the thoughts have even a shadow of newness. These persons have always given at least two reasons for not wanting to change. First, they are afraid they would have to learn new work, and, second, they were afraid it might not " work." While I do not wish to presume that the reader is a person of the kind mentioned, yet if you have any misgivings, will you kindly put aside your 16 BREATHING 1 7 antipathy to leave the well-worn path and let the mind contemplate for a few minutes some thoughts on " Why we Breathe " ? Why we breathe has always been a theory. Physiolo- gists usually say breathing is produced by the contrac- tion and relaxation of the intercostal muscles, together with contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm, and rest at that. This is really a result rather than a cause. The All-wise Creator established a first cause from which we have certain results. Let us look farther, then, for why we breathe. In the beginning of things the element of Life and the element of Death were introduced ; each at war with the other. " Man no sooner begins to live than he begins to die." Indeed, he is dying every second of his life. Unless the life activity, or building up of bodily functions, is more powerful than, or equal to, the dying activity, the individual is approaching the death point. In this tearing-down conflict which is constantly going on within the system, much of the worn-out matter is in the form of carbonic acid gas. This is a deadly poison to bodily life and must be thrown off. The blood in its circulation from the heart through the arteries, the capillaries, and the veins to the heart again, then to the lungs for purification and rejection of effete matter, then back to the heart again, thus con- tinuing on its never ceasing journey while life lasts, con- stitutes one of the great purifying systems of the body. When the blood reaches the lungs it ejects the carbonic 1 8 BREATHING acid gas {carbon dioxide) into the air cells and receives oxygen, a life-giving element which burns the food for assimilation. Unless every lung cell receives oxygen and unloads its share of the poison, the body will not be completely cleansed and rejuvenated. The presence of the carbonic acid gas in the lungs' air cells acts upon the delicate, sensitive nerve ends as does a poison, dead- ening the vitality, destroying the resisting power, and thus permitting a collapse. In this way most of the poison is thrown from the lungs, and as the air cells are contracted, the lungs occupy a much smaller space ; and as nature " abhors a vacuum," the intercostal mus- cles contract and pull the ribs toward the lungs and down, and the diaphragm is pulled upwards, and thus the thorax is made smaller and the vacuum avoided. Because the heart continues to beat and so forces the blood with the new supply of oxygen and nutriment through the channels of circulation, and because the poisons have been removed from the lungs, a renewal of vitality takes place, at once the nerve forces and the air cells are forced to expand, and as an opening is being made, the pressure of the air from without forces itself through the canals of breathing into the lungs, and they expand, the diaphragm moves down, the inter- costal muscles relax, and the thorax enlarges. In this manner the system is cleansed. The action of the respiratory muscles is brought about by nerves which have their center in the Medulla Oblongata, or Spinal Bulb. BREA THING 19 SCAPULA There are two sets of these nerves. One carries the message from the lungs to the center in the spinal bulb, and the others bring back the command for the muscles to act. People who do not breathe completely suffer for oxygen. When the oxygen is wanted, these nerves make the want known, and the motor centers make an effort through the mediums of nerves and muscle to supply the much- needed oxygen, hence the respira- tory act. Great care should be ex- ercised so the re- spiratory muscle can act with per- fect freedom. Since this oxy- gen is so necessary, it is evident that a method of breath- ing which will give the fullest and most complete expansion of the chest and lungs must be the best for health, vigor, and power. Some teachers claim they can inhale as much air and not expand the waist muscles for the contraction and moving down of the diaphragm as they can if they relax them. This is a mistake. For the purpose of an hypothesis, Cut 1. Note how firmly the upper part 0/ the chest is built. and how flexible the lower. 20 BREA THING grant they can. An examination of the thorax shows the greatest flexibility as well as the greatest capacity of the lungs (see Cuts i and i a) at the bottom. Then it must follow they overdevelop the chest and lungs in the region of the heart, and also they compress the air in the lungs in the region of the heart. The lungs being Note how small the upper part of the lungs are and how large the lower. Evidently where will they expand most ? thus solidly filled around this vital organ, the heart beats are very much interrupted and weakened. Because of the lack of room to exercise the propelling power of the heart, the blood does not reach thoroughly the extremi- ties of the body. Then, too, because the bottom of the thorax has been kept in a contracted condition, the lower parts of the lungs were not filled with fresh air, and were BREATHING 21 not cleansed of the poisonous elements, and, as a result, the health of the speaker or singer is broken, and the throat becomes affected, and the voice does not have its purity. This incorrect work is made manifest by weari- ness of the throat muscles, and by hoarseness and sore throat, and the breaking of the voice during vocalization. As has been observed above, a healthy body depends very largely on correct and complete breathing. In order that a person shall form this habit correctly, let us now study " How to Breathe." Many persons will say at once, " I know how to breathe." Good ! I am glad you do ; very many per- sons do not. One person says, " I always fill the lungs well at the bottom, using vigorously the diaphragmatic and abdominal muscles"; another says, "I give most attention to the intercostal muscles, and pay no atten- tion to the diaphragm " ; still another says it is unneces- sary to give so much attention to the diaphragmatic and the intercostal muscles, for it is better to use the clavicle and scapular muscles instead, and develop fully the upper chest. Then still another says, " I always breathe through the nose and never take any breath through the mouth, as I want to avoid catarrh." Let us look at these separate methods and practices. I believe there is some virtue in all these, but the prac- tice of any one to the exclusion of the others will not give the best symmetrical results. The person who uses exclusively the diaphragmatic and abdominal breathing is likely to develop a form about as shown in Cut 2. 22 BREA THING Besides, there is danger of the upper chest being sunken and the upper lobes of the lungs growing weak. In the person who uses the intercostal muscles prin- cipally, there will be a tendency to develop a chest form as shown in Cut 3. Then, too, there is danger of the ft Cut 2. Cut 3. Cut 4. chest contracting at the top and the bottom, which would result in lung weakness because of non-usage, and hence a tendency to symptoms of consumption. The individual who uses that pernicious method of breathing known as the "Clavicle and Scapular Method" will develop a form similar to the one shown in Cut 4. BREA THING 23 But the greatest wrongs will be the contraction of the lower chest, the lack of usage of the lower and middle lobes of the lungs, an insufficient amount of oxygen in the system, affected heart action, complicated if not fatal lung disease, poor digestion, poor circu- lation, shortness of breath, headaches, and in time a general breaking of health. Avoid this method as you would a poison. The student will find that a proper com- bination of all these methods will prove the best, and will develop a form and chest as shown in Cut 5 ; and will also prove the best for tone, voice protection, and endurance. In ordinary or normal breathing, and under ordinary circumstances, always breathe through the nose. But there are times when it is necessary to catch the breath through the mouth, in order to protect the health, and sometimes as an exercise to raise the soft palate and depress the tongue so as to open the throat. But it should not be a constant practice. As was said above, the hygienic reason given for always breathing through the nose is to prevent catarrh. Notwithstanding this general precaution, about nine-tenths of the American people have more or less trouble with the malady. The precaution seems to fail in results. All or nearly all nasal catarrh is brought on by the sufferer having always insisted on breathing through the nose. Hence, Cur 24 BREA THING when a person is out in " zero weather," the membranes of the nose are sometimes frozen, and catarrh is the result. When once contracted because the individual continues to inhale through the nose, he forces the dis- ease through the nasal passages to the throat and lungs, and thus the throat becomes diseased and the voice affected. If the following method of inhaling is ad- hered to under such conditions, the breather will have no trouble with catarrh. Separate the lips and teeth slightly, place the tongue against the roof of the mouth back of the teeth, spreading it well across the front part of the mouth. Now take in a major part of the air through the mouth, thus causing it to circulate around the tongue to arrest any particles of dust in the atmos- phere, and to warm the air before it reaches the throat and lungs. If you will keep the throat in a healthy condition, all disease germs in the atmosphere will be destroyed by the secretions from the different glands in the mouth and throat, so you need have no fears from this source. Scores of cases of throat trouble have been cured by observing these precautions. The method has been approved as rational by leading physicians. In order to have volume of voice, the throat must be well open, and it is necessary to lift well the veil of the soft palate, and to lower the root of the tongue. Per- sons who always breathe through the nose cause a re- laxing of the soft palate muscles and cause it to droop and so form a barrier between the pharynx and mouth, BREATHING 2$ thus preventing the free escape of tone. To overcome this difficulty the student should practice catching the breath through the mouth a few minutes daily for a while, to force the root of the tongue down and lift the veil of the palate, thus opening the throat as shown in / Note how small the opening for tone. Note how large the passage for tone. Cut 6. B, Cut 6. Observe, I said practice, which does not mean that this manner of breathing should be habitual. This manner of breathing together with the exercise to de- velop the voice, as directed in Chapter III, will prevent and cure sore throat. Breathing- Practice Note. — All the following exercises should be practiced daily. Exercise I First Part Stand with the right foot in advance (or left foot) as shown in Cut 7, with weight of body on the forward foot, shoulders well thrown back, and head erect. Place the hands on the hips, fingers forward, arms akimbo to support the weight 26 BREA THING of the shoulders, to allow the ribs directly under the shoulders to be lifted so as to fill well the upper lobes of the lungs. This position in the beginning is of pri?nary importance ; do ?wt neglect it. Now take the breath in slowly and continuously through the nose for eight seconds. As soon as you begin to inhale, cause the muscles at the waist to expand, which will allow the edges of the diaphragm to move outward and the peak to descend, which will enlarge the lower part of the thorax and give room for the lower lobes of the lungs to expand. Now as the lungs gradually fill to the top, cause the intercostal muscles that lift the ribs to contract, thus pulling the ribs outward and up and the sternum out and up as if hinged at the top. These actions of the muscles and ribs will en- large the thorax and permit an easy and complete expansion of all the lungs, which, as we noted above, is absolutely necessary for good voice and health, because it permits every air cell to do its work perfectly. Corsets or belts must not be worn if you wish to do perfect work. Cut 7. Correct standing position while speaking. Second Part Exhale the air through the nose, emptying the lungs at the top first (this is natural and logical), by allowing the intercostal muscles that contracted to expand and the set that expanded when you inhaled to contract, thus pulling the ribs and sternum BREA THING 27 down and in, and lastly the diaphragm to relax and rise and the waist muscles to contract and move in. These combined move- ments will help to empty the lungs quite completely. These logical movements of the muscles must be practiced for weeks so the habit of breathing in this way may be formed. Practice the above round of exercise five times before you pass to Exercise II, unless you get dizzy, which will be a symptom that you are a bad breather and that you are doing good prac- tice work. Exercise II Inhale the air as directed in the first part of Exercise I, and before passing to the second part of the exercise hold the breath for eight seconds. Then round and project the lips as in Cut 8 and exhale the breath continuously and with even rapidity for eight seconds. Repeat this exercise at least five times before passing to Exercise III. 28 BREATHING Exercise III Open the mouth wide as possible as suggested by B, Cut 6. Then, with one quick inhalation, force the lungs to expand very quickly, as directed in the first part of Exercise I, giving special attention to expanding the muscles at the waist. The object of catching the breath through the mouth is to force the root of the tongue down and the veil of the soft palate up so as to open the throat as shown in Cut 6, which must be the condi- tion of the throat for volume of tone. Volume means capacity and capacity means the open throat. Having filled the chest quickly as possible, hold it filled for eight seconds, then round the lips as shown in Cut 8, and let the air pass out evenly and smoothly through the mouth, keep- ing the waist firmly outward. Practice five times. Caution. — Before practicing Exercise III, see that the temperature of the room is not lower than sixty-five degrees. Remark. — Exercise III is most valuable. It gives health to the lungs and chest muscles and muscles of the pharynx, because the quick expansion and contraction of the thoracic muscles is an inward physical culture exercise. The holding of the waist muscles firmly outward brings them under the con- trol of the will, and this will help to protect the vocal cords from overwork during tone production. As the opening be- tween the vocal cords when vocalizing varies from three tenths to the one one-hundredth part of an inch, it is necessary to hold the breath back that the vocal cords may not be strained. Nearly all throat troubles in speaking are brought on by the improper use of the breath during vocalization. Practice this "catch breath" exercise for months, and thus help prevent and cure sore throat. BREA THING 29 Exercise IV .Inhale the breath as in Exercise I. Retain the breath for about eight seconds and during this time tap the chest all over with the hands, being sure not to omit the top nor the bottom. Then let the breath pass out all at once. Repeat this exercise at least five times, and keep up the daily practice for months. Exercise V Open the mouth as directed in Exercise III, fill the lungs with the quick gasp. Hold this breath from ten to twenty seconds, then round the lips as shown by Cut 8, and let it pass out slowly, smoothly, and continuously for about fifteen seconds ; now keep the lungs empty for ten seconds, and then fill the lungs with one quick gasp as directed at the beginning of this exercise. Now breathe naturally for a few moments, then prac- tice the exercise again. Repeat the exercise a number of times. Exercise VI Inhale slowly and evenly for ten continuous seconds ; hold the muscles of the thorax firmly for ten seconds, then round the lips as shown by Cut 8, and let the breath pass out evenly and continuously for ten seconds. This is to train for the econ- omy of breath, which must be mastered by the complete con- trol of the muscles of the thorax. When expelling the breath, do not let the waist muscles relax ; keep them pressing firmly outward. This is very important when vocalizing. If the dia- phragm is in a relaxed condition, the tone will not carry, and besides, will have a muffled, deadish quality and will lack force. This is because in proper tone production the diaphragm must 30 BREATHING vibrate with the vocal cords, and if permitted to be in a relaxed condition, there will be no clear vibration of this muscle. When speaking, breath should be taken often. Never relax the waist muscles while speaking or singing ; if you do, the tones will not be good. Breath should be taken often when using the voice. Watch the little child. Exercise VII When you have gained control of the muscles so that you can make the round of ten easily, — that is, take in the breath for ten seconds, hold it for ten, and then let it pass out for ten, — • then increase the round to twelve seconds, then thirteen, then fourteen, on up till you can make the round of twenty easily. A perfect mastery of breath control will help to cure and prevent hoarseness, or huskiness, or sore throat. These breathing exercises are most important. The object is to remove any overstrain or exercise of the vocal cords by requiring them to help keep back the breath when producing tone. Their business is to vi- brate, not to help retain the breath in the lungs. In shouting, the natural force exerted on the vocal cords by the column of air thrown against them to make the strong vibration of shouting is considerable. It is about equal to the pressure of a column of water thirty inches high, or about one and one fourth pounds. Control the col- umn of air for tone by the thoracic muscles, and as directed in above exercises, not by the vocal bands. CHAPTER III Voice Culture Voice Culture for the speaker is of as much im- portance for effective work as is Voice Culture for the singer, and from the utilitarian point of view it is twenty times more valuable. Bishop Simpson well says the demands for speech and music are twenty to one in favor of the former. Without a good voice the effectiveness of the spoken word is largely lost. Without vocal force, the speaker cannot be heard ; without good enunciation, he cannot be understood ; without proper tone production, he will not have endur- ance. A weakness in any one of this trinity will seriously affect the speaker's usefulness. In order that the stu- dent may have the advantage of proper tone production throughout his course, the chapter on Voice Culture is placed third in the book. A good voice must have Depth, Volume, Clearness, Resonance, Sympathy, Roundness, Melody, Modulation, and Durability. These give the vocal powers of speech. Depth of voice will obviate the severe muscular con- traction which occurs when the voice has a high pitch. The more intense the muscular contraction, the quicker do the motor areas of the brain become fatigued, which 31 32 VOICE CULTURE affects the activity of the thinking powers. Usually extempore speakers who have high-pitched voices do not think as profoundly nor as connectedly after they have talked a short time. ' Because of the close sym- pathy of the organs of expression with the faculties of thinking, both are affected by the expenditure of con- traction energy. I have observed that adult students who have habitu- ally high-pitched voices do not recall committed lines as readily nor as accurately as do students with lower voices, and who speak without so much physical exer- tion. And, also, these same students become more accurate in the lines as the voice is cultivated to a lower pitch. These persons who have the high voices may think just as profoundly when sitting at the desk and writing, but they fatigue more readily, and so think less accurately when in vocal activity. Then, too, when the tension of the vocal muscles is not so great, the amplitude of the vibration will be greater, and so the carrying power of the voice will be augmented. It must be borne in mind, however, that if the relaxation of the muscles should be so great as to destroy a moderate tension of the vocal bands, there would be no carrying qualities to the voice. A pitch of voice hovering about middle C of the musical scale will prove on the average the best. These conditions are best not only from scientific reasons, but also because they are proven to be the best conditions from practical observations. Also, if the contraction of the vocal mus- VOICE CULTURE 33 cles is only moderate, there is less likelihood of injuring them when indulging in enthusiastic speaking or when shouting. The use of the voice on a moderately low pitch is an important safeguard. To acquire depth of voice strive for the open throat as shown in Cut 6. SOPRANO CONTRALTO Cut 9. Cut 9 will show the natural pitch of cultivated voices of the different qualities. The voice should have volume, as this will inspire your listeners with confidence. A voice without volume sounds " lost " in an audience room of even moderate seating capacity. Volume gives the quality of earnest- ness and sincerity to speech and is one of the elements of magnetism. Language which is intended to convey profound, sublime, dignified thought will lack effective- ness when expressed without volume, and volume ac- companies low pitch. Clearness is important, as it enables the speaker to be heard. A muffled or flabby tone will not carry ; and it has, besides, a debilitating effect upon the audience. 34 VOICE CULTURE Clearness is acquired by holding the abdominal muscles firm, the waist muscles pushing outward, and the dia- phragm firm and drawn downward, and the whole body firm. There must be no relaxed muscles. Let them be firm, but not stiff nor rigid nor inflexible. Resonance should not be neglected, because it gives the element of sympathy. A resonant voice will have clear, strong vibrations, and when the speaker is in tune with his auditorium, the materials about the room will be made to vibrate and so help the influence of the speaker's voice. Every room has a pitch of tone, and to speak easily and well the speaker must have his voice in harmony with the tone qualities of the room or there will be discord. This harmony between voice and room will reenforce the speaker's vocal power, and he will be able to reach many more people and in a pleasing manner. There must be Sympathy in the voice. If the voice is not trained to fall into harmony with the thought being expressed, there will be a coldness and a mechan- ical quality about the delivery effort which will have an adverse influence on the audience. A voice devoid of feeling or sympathy is very dispiriting to an audi- ence. Roundness in the voice not only makes it carry well, but will help to bring out the good qualities, such as force and completeness and full cadence and volume. To get this quality the lips must be projected and rounded and the throat open and round, so as to make VOICE CULTURE 35 the tone passage tubelike, as shown by Cut 8. The circle is the largest boundary. Melody deals with the perfect utterance of the single tones. This gives the mellow, musical quality to the voice which keeps the tone pitches from being harsh and discordant. The rhythmic succession of the single tones gives a charm and magnetism to the voice. Modulation is the element of flexibility which prevents the voice from becoming monotonous. Without modu- lation the voice tires not only the speaker, but the audi- ence. Modulation has to do with the adjustment of the pitches of the Thought Sentence as a whole. To modu- late well, the voice must be trained to pass from one pitch to another with perfect ease. " 'Tis not enough the voice be round and clear ; 'Tis Modulation that must charm the ear. When desperate heroes grieve, with tedious moan, And whine their sorrows in a seesaw tone, The same soft sounds of unimpassioned woes Can only make the yawning hearers doze." Durability is the result when all the elements enumer- ated are developed. There is no reason why a voice should wear out or the speaker or singer have sore throat or be hoarse. A voice should not be fatigued with six hours', or even more, use daily. Many singers and speakers begin to complain of the voice giving out when they have used it only thirty or forty minutes. They indirectly insinuate that the Lord made a mistake 36 VOICE CULTURE in his plan for the vocal machinery. The Lord is all right ; it is the vocalist that is wrong. He does not know how to manipulate the machine. The student's first efforts in expression should be to acquire a well-trained voice. While nature may do much for the student in what is called " natural ability," yet this is too crude ; only careful education will make his natural powers most effective. To whom much is given, of him much more is required. Beware of flattering friends ; their advice may be your worst foe to progress. Work! In vocalization the knowledge and practice of correct bodily position are very important, and should be given careful study and attention. Correct and easy positions of the body have much to do with correct, pleasing, and forceful speech and graceful, magnetic gesture. Many a speaker has spoiled the influence of a good speech by a careless, awkward, and listless bodily attitude. The speaker should never forget he is a living picture before the audience, and his success will depend very much on whether or not the picture is artistic in appearance and attractive to the audience. The speaking body must have an energetic attitude in all its parts, and not be devitalized. I am aware that some teachers and writers hold to the opposite view ; but the instruction as here given conforms to the principles of science, and is in accord with the method used by the most influential speakers. The qualities of a good voice require this energy of the body. Let us first consider then the VOICE CULTURE 37 STANDING POSITION OF THE SPEAKER The standing position is determined largely by the feet positions, so we give attention to them first. The right-angle or vital or strong position is the basis from which to work. To take this position, place either foot Cut io. Right front. Left front. in advance of the other, from six to eight inches, so the straight line passing through the front foot length- wise and the line passing through the back foot length- wise shall intersect under the ankle of the back foot, as shown in Cut io. This is a correct position for standing wherever a person may be, and all other posi- tions are but variations of this right-angular or strong position. In character sketching the feet are placed in various positions from this right-angular position. Now put the weight of the body on the front foot so that the position of the body shall be forward, that the waist muscles and the point of the nose shall be on a straight line with a perpendicular whose base shall be at the juncture of the great toe with the foot. See Cut 7. Keep the shoulders thrown comfortably back and the head upward. 38 VOICE CULTURE There are five reasons for taking this position when vocalizing and before an audience. First, the weight on the front foot, as directed above, and the waist muscles outward, give a firmness to the muscles of the dia- phragm which, with some persons, will double the carry- ing power of the voice. The shoulders back will allow an easy expansion of the lungs, because the sternum at the lower point will be thrown out from the spinal column and this will allow the lungs to fill easily, beginning at the bottom. The head thrown back so as to elevate the chin will give the proper angle to the throat, which is Cut ii. LINE OF PURE VOCAUTY the obtuse angle, as shown by position C y Cut n, and allows the full expansion of the pharynx, which will give a full, rich voice. See Cut u. The vocalist should never allow anything to press against the throat so as to prevent easy expansion of the pharynx. It not only destroys the quality of the voice by preventing its projection forward, but also is likely to cause throat trouble in time. The fourth reason VOICE CULTURE 39 for so standing is because it is a magnetic position. Un- less the speaker shows to the audience that he is pleased with them, the audience is not likely to show any interest in him. When anything pleases us we instinctively in- cline that way, and we are impelled to move toward it ; and we do the same in our attitude toward persons. If we do not like the object, "We recede from it; if we do not like a person, we move away from him — we avoid him. So to lean toward an object or person is a magnetic position and will help to please, and to move away is non-magnetic. The fifth reason for standing with the weight on the forward foot is that it gives a more commanding pres- ence. The rays of light reflected from the body of the speaker to the eye of the auditor will form a right-angle with the body, and the speaker will look tall. This is an advantage, and especially when the speaker is only of aver- age or below the average height. In all vocalization, and especially in very strong tone production, keep the muscles at the waist line pressing outward. This will obvi- ate forcing the breath against the vocal cords, and prevent hoarse- ness and sore throat. The natural force exerted on the vocal cords cut ua. S ftlGHT ANGULAR POSITION 40 VOICE CULTURE in strong tone production is about one and one fourth pounds to the square inch. If the breath is not kept 1 back by the firmness of the diaphragm, this force will be increased and throat affection follow. Purer, easier, and stronger tones will be the result when the breath is expelled by the force of the intercostal muscles, than when expelled by the diaphragm. Having taken the position above described, and hav- ing practiced vigorously for two or three minutes the breathing exercises as directed in the chapter on Breath- ing, we are now ready to begin the Vocal Work Exercise I Produce the sound of long a as directed in the study of Articulation. Make the pitch medium or about middle C. Direct the tone current so as to strike the roof of the mouth on the ridge back of the teeth. Produce the sound three times with each breath ; and each time you strike the tone let the waist muscles press firmly outward. This will keep the tone from irritating the throat. After the tone has been produced a number of times on this pitch change to a pitch a little higher, and produce the tone several times. Then go to a higher pitch still, and practice as before. So continue to raise the pitch until your highest tone has been reached. Next begin to lower the pitch little by little, practicing on each successive pitch till the lowest tone has been reached. This will train the voice in flexibility. As you ascend in the pitch, tense the muscles of the body slightly with each change of pitch. And when you descend, relax the muscles very slightly. When you have VOICE CULTURE 41 raised or lowered the pitch to what seems your limit of either extreme, make the effort to reach just a little farther. This effort will in time increase your range of flexibility. Practice the above exercise, as well as those that follow, with energy and care, keeping your mind fixed on what you desire to accomplish. Active, persistent thought is necessary to success ; there can be but little accomplished without thought. Whatever success you attain will be accomplished by active, energetic thinking. Keep the mind active in all your work. Keep your jaw motionless. As the person thinks, so he will grow. Exercise II Take the sound represented by the letter o ; project and round the lips well, as shown in Cut 8. Now produce the tone, observing the same bodily conditions and changes of pitch of tone and tension of muscles. Do not drag the tones and blur them together. Make each separate, and clear, and full, and vibrant, being careful to expand the pharynx and press the waist muscles outward. Do not move the jaw. Put the hand to the throat to learn if the pharynx expands when the tone is made strong. Exercise III Take the syllable la, macron a, draw the lips firmly back 42 VOICE CULTURE against the teeth, without increasing the natural distance be- tween the corners of the mouth, and expose the upper and the lower teeth about one half, as shown in Cut 12, separating them slightly. With the waist muscles pressing firmly out- ward produce the tone as in the former exercises, holding the jaw motionless, moving only the tongue to make the L element. LINE 0FCONTAC1 OF LONG VOCALS/ VOCAL CORD5" Cut 13. Think of the tone current striking the roof of the mouth on the ridges just back of the teeth. This is the focal point. If you wish to develop intense penetration, let the tone current strike the teeth. Cut 13 shows the sounding point of the macron vocals and long sound of a. What the sounding-board of a piano is to the tone of the piano, so is the hard palate to the tone of the voice. Tone currents striking the hard palate have the best resonance. VOICE CULTURE 43 Exercise IV Take syllable Id, macron o, round the lips, and project them well, as shown in Cut 8. Hold the body firmly, waist muscles firmly outward ; produce a strong, clear, and vi- brant tone, being careful not to move the jaw, only the tongue for the Z element. Let the pitch of tone be changed upward as well as down- s -««*-^7'LOCATiON OF ^j^X VOCAL C0RD5 INSIDE VIEW OP LARYNX ward. Put the fingers to CU'l 13 a. the throat and see that it expands with each stroke and relaxes between the stress efforts. Exercise V Take the syllable ?id, macron 0, and produce it as directed for Id in Exercise IV. Keep the waist muscles firm. Exercise VI Take the long sound of a (that is, diaeresis a), separate the teeth as far as possible, and the lips so as to expose about one half the upper and the lower teeth, Cut 14. Draw the throat muscles down as much as possible and raise the soft palate so as to expand the pharynx wide. With the mouth and pharynx well expanded as shown in Cut 6, keep the body in the same attitude and condition as for the former exercises, and 44 VOICE CULTURE produce the sound of diaeresis a full, round, clear, and vibrant. Ascend and descend in pitch as before. Catch the breath through the mouth for this vocal exercise, so as to lift the soft palate and depress the root of the tongue. It will be well to use a hand mirror with all these exercises, to see if you keep the correct positions of mouth and throat while pro- ducing the different tones. Exercise VII Speak the word now, open- ing the pharynx and mouth as wide as possible, continuing the tone as you separate the teeth. Produce this tone on as many different pitches as possible. Keep the body and waist muscles in the same con- dition as for the former exercises. Cur Exercise VIII Speak the syllable le, macron e, making it ring from the teeth, observing the same bodily conditions as before. Teeth and lips should be separated as shown in Cut 12. Exercise IX Combine all the consonants with the macron sounds of the vocals. Practice each combination a number of times before passing to the next. Be sure to keep the muscles of the torso, VOICE CULTURE 45 throat, jaw, and lips firm. Do not permit yourself to practice in a listless way at any time. Show vigor and earnestness in your work. Exercise X Take the following sentences and practice each on as many different pitches as possible. Always be careful that the lips take the proper position for the different vocals as they occur in the words. Assert your will power in your practice. Listen carefully to your own voice. Make all tones clear and distinct, and articulate all consonants with the utmost care. {a) " All are scattered now and fled." — Longfellow, (b) " Now o'er the one-half world." — Shakespeare, (e) " Oh, what is so rare as a day in June ! " — Lowell. (d) " Now I am alone." (e) " Over the river they beckon to me." — Priest. (/) " E'en so, my lord." — Shakespeare. (g) " Speak the speech as I pronounced it to you." — Ibid. These exercises and others that are similar must be practiced for months in order to develop the open, flexible throat. If you do not have this throat condition, your tones will be harsh and pinched and rough, and abrupt in their beginnings and clos- ings ; and the throat will be pinched together at times and the tones will be forced and strained, and disagreeable to the listener; the speaker will suffer in time with huskiness and hoarseness and sore throat, and a weariness of the throat muscles with which the whole body will sympathize. In order to vary your exercise work, select other sentences for practice, some in which the Open Tones predominate, and others where there are a majority of Close Tones. To develop heavy Tragic Tones practice the following work. 46 VOICE CULTURE Stand as if lifting a very heavy weight, feet at angle as shown in Cut 10. Clench both hands very tightly. Tense every muscle of the body as if lifting all you possibly can. Set and hold the jaw very firm. Hold the muscles of the throat rigid and in- flexible. Hold the waist muscles exceedingly firm and pushing outward. Round the lips as shown in Cut 8, then shout o as heard in no. Let the tone be made at the root of the tongue, and speak the sound as if very angry, — short and quick. Do not let the muscles relax while producing the tone, for it will make you cough. You will not be able to produce this tone very often when you first begin this practice, as you will not be able to hold the tension of the muscles. It may be weeks before you can produce this tone well. This will give the quality called the Guttural Rattle Tone. Exercise XI After a few days of practice take the syllable no. Observe the same bodily conditions as for former exercise. Make the sound of n very strong, and severe, like the angry growl, and follow it with o, quick, short, abrupt. Exercise XII Select any syllables you may wish and practice as before. Exercise XIII Practice on the following sentences, giving careful attention to the bodily conditions. Practice each slowly till you can carry it through without the voice breaking, increasing the force and exploding it on the last word. VOICE CULTURE 47 0) "I say no." (b) " Oh, this is too much ! " (V) " You cowardly cur ! " (d) " Ay, an itching palm, you know you are Brutus that says this, or by the gods this speech were else your last." — Shakespeare. (e) " Traitor, who says this, who'll prove it at his peril on my head ?" — Rev. George Croly. Exercise XIV Practice on such selections as "Catiline's Defiance," "The Seminole's Reply," " Regulus to the Carthaginians," and " The Curse of Regulus." Do not practice this work carelessly. Assert your volitional powers and put forth strong physical effort. Do not become discouraged if you are not able to get this quality in a few days ; it may take months of daily practice. Exercise XV To develop a soft, low, intoning quality, use the following exercises. Be very careful to make the tone clear and even and soft. Also hold the muscles of the waist and throat firm, and try to make the tone strong, but not loud. After practicing with these muscular conditions, then relax the muscles some- what and prolong the tones, making them even and soft. (a) " Oh, thou eternal one ! " (b) " Now I am alone." (e) " All are scattered now and fled." 48 VOICE CULTURE (d) " Over the river they beckon to me, Loved ones who have crossed to the farther side." — Mrs. Priest. ( and the sound for d will result. The sound for d cannot be prolonged as much as the sound for b, because the cavity of the mouth and throat above the vocal cords is made smaller by the position of the tongue. The tongue opposite the middle of the cheek forward will rise, and the movement is that of contraction. Sixty-five per cent of the people make t instead of d when talking. This tilde sound of e is the long sound, that is, it is continued longer because the organs are more widely separated when the sound is produced than they are when making either of the other sounds. To make this sound, separate the teeth about one eighth of an inch, and the lips so as to show about one half the teeth ; now draw the lips firmly back against the teeth ; expand the pharynx by lowering the root of the tongue ; draw the tongue back in the mouth till the tip is on a straight line with the first molar teeth ; now AR TICULA TION 8 3 give the sound as if you would pronounce her, omitting the h breathing. e For the breve sound of e, put the teeth, mouth, and throat in the same position as for making macron a, then pronounce net, leaving off the n and t, and as you make the sound expand the throat by drawing down the root of the tongue. Give the sound force, and make it quick and explosive. e To make this, the macron sound of e, the mouth is more nearly closed than when making either of the other sounds. Hence this is the short sound of e. To make this sound, separate the teeth slightly ; depress the tongue lengthwise through the middle, elevating the outer edges so as to touch the upper teeth as far for- ward as the bicuspids ; now put a tension on the tongue and throat and pronounce the word eat, leaving off the letters a and /, being careful not to move the tongue. F has no vibratory sound ; that is, sound made by the vibration of the vocal cords. It is a nonvocal or aspi- rant (Latin ad, to, and spirare, to breathe) and belongs in the class — f, s, h. To make the sound of f, gently press the lower lip against the upper teeth ; then force the breath between the teeth and lips without the vibration of the vocal 84 AR TIC ULA TION cords. This will make a hissing sound, but it is not voice. % The letter g is used to represent two sounds. The one is the short, or hard; sound of g; the other, the long, or soft, sound. The short sound is made by rais- ing the root of the tongue so as to touch the roof of the mouth at the juncture of the hard and soft palates, thus shutting off the exit through the mouth. Now raise the soft palate as in making b, so as to close the exit through the nose. Now make the vocal cords vibrate as for b or d, and this will be the sound of g short. The duration of voice will be very short, because the cavity above the vocal cords to store the breath is so small. The sound will be prolonged a little more after the student has developed the pharynx to be flexible. Many persons do not make this short sound of g at all, because the pharynx cavity is so very small. Such per- sons will require a good deal of practice to make g short. The long sound of g is the same as the sound of j, and the student is referred to j. h //is a nonvocal ; its sound is that of breath only. Un- like any of the other letters, there is neither movement of the vocal cords nor organs of articulation, only the muscles of respiration. It stands in a class by itself. It is the least complicated element of all the letters, as there is no voice nor articulation. Separate the teeth AR TICULA TION 8 5 about one half an inch ; give an impulsive exhalation of the breath, without vibration of the vocal cords ; or make the effort of labored breathing ; this will give the h sound. The letter i represents two sounds, macron l and breve i. The macron I is the long sound. It belongs to the open vocal elements. To make the macron sound of i, separate the teeth about one half an inch ; let the tongue lie flat in the mouth, and do not make any effort to expand the pharynx. Now think of the tone striking the roof of the mouth at the union of the hard and the soft palates ; now pronounce the word ice, leaving off ce. By pressing the throat between the first finger and the thumb you will notice that the throat expands on J, but closes again on ce. I The breve sound of i is made by putting the mouth and throat in position for making macron e. Now pro- nounce the word it, leaving off the /; at the same time think of the tone striking the soft palate, that is, farther back in the mouth than macron i. Make the tone with a quick outward impulse of the breath, expanding the pharynx slightly. J The letter j belongs to the close consonants, although there is some movement to expand the throat when 86 AR TIC ULA TION making the sound ; but this is counteracted by the in- creased pressure of the tongue against the roof of the mouth. To make the sound of /, separate the lips and teeth about one fourth of an inch, as when making the sound of d\ then close the front part of the mouth with the tongue as for d, only placing it against the roof of the mouth a little farther back from the teeth and a little flatter than for d. Now close the passage to the nose by extending the veil of the palate across the upper part of the pharynx. Now cause the vocal cords to vibrate on a medium pitch, and at the same time depress the tongue from near the tip, being careful to keep the end of the tongue firmly in contact with the roof of the mouth. The movement of the tongue is that of expan- sion. This sound can be prolonged longer than that of d y but not so long as b. k The letter k is a mute, that is, it has no sound. Its office is that of modification only. Before and after several consonants, even modification disappears ; and with the other sounds its presence is detected by the abrupt opening of the sound of all the vocal elements and the consonants //, /, r, s, and y. The companions of k are / and t. Many teachers instruct their pupils that k is in the class of mutes ; that Is, it has no sound ; then in the next sentence they ask them to give the sound of k. A little illogical ! AR TICULA TION 8? In articulating k there is neither vibration of the vocal cords nor escape of breath while the organs are in contact, only when released for the sound of the next letter, and because the breath has been compressed in the pharynx it makes a rushing sound like the escape of steam from the steam chest of an engine ; but the making of the letter k is over before this, and the stu- dent has passed to the production of the next element. To teach that k is a mute and has sound is a confliction of terms. To give the modification of k, draw the tongue back in the mouth so as to bring it in close con- tact with the front part of the soft palate ; now extend the veil of the palate backwards so as to close the exit through the nose. Next, force the breath strongly into the pharynx without vibrating the vocal cords, and the articulation of k has been effected. The pharynx will tend to contract. 1 The sound of the letter / is an open sound, and can be prolonged indefinitely. It is so open that it sometimes forms the basis for a syllable, as in table. To make this sound, separate the lips and teeth as for j\ partially close the front part of the mouth with the tip of the tongue, permitting the breath to escape on both sides ; depress the tongue backwards, keeping the tip against the roof of the mouth. Depress the tongue at the root as much as possible, or the tone will be nasal. Now make the vocal cords vibrate, and the sound of / will result. 88 ARTICULATION m The letter m represents one of the easiest sounds to make. Close the lips without any effort to compress them. Let the tongue be in an easy natural position; separate the teeth, keeping the lips closed; now make the vocal cords vibrate, the breath passing out through the nose. This will give a smooth, flowing, humming sound, the sound of m. n The sound n represents is made by combining parts of the organic position necessary to make the sound of d and the sound of in. Place the lips, teeth, and tongue in the position as for d. Depress the tongue as for m. Now expand the pharynx a little ; make the vocal cords vibrate, causing the breath and tone to escape through the nose. This will produce the sound of n. xVis a nasal sound. The letter o represents three sounds, the breve, the caret, or sound before r, and the macron. The breve sound of o is nearly like the long sound of a (a), differ- ing only in the position of the root of the tongue and the size of the pharynx. This, then, is the long sound of o. To make this breve sound of o, separate the lips and teeth as for the long sound of a ; now draw the tongue backwards so as to bunch it at the root, thus raising the root towards the soft palate and making the opening AR TIC ULA TION 89 into the pharynx smaller than when the diaeresis, or long sound (a), of a is produced. Now cause the vocal cords to vibrate by expelling the air with a sudden, short expulsion of the breath, as if you would pronounce not quickly, leaving off n and /. This will give the breve, or long, sound of o. This character (o) represents the caret sound of 0, and is closely allied to the sound of a, sometimes called the broad sound, which is represented with the diaeresis under the a, thus a. To make this caret sound of 0, put the organs of articu- lation in the same position as for the sound of a in all. Now bring all the organs a little closer together and try to pronounce the word or, witJiout moving any of the organic positions, and this will give you the sound of caret 0. 5 To make the macron sound of 0, project the lips as much as possible so as to hollow the cheeks, and open the lips so as to make the orifice round and about three fourths of an inch in diameter ; lower the base of the tongue and raise the soft palate as much as possible ; now pronounce the word old, leaving off the Id. Cut 8 will suggest the positions. This is the short sound of o in articulation with other sounds, because the lips are closer than in either of the other sounds. 90 AR TICULA TION P The letter / is a mnte and belongs in the class with k and t. Like k and t, it has no sound; it is a " non- vocal," and like k and /, it has organic articulate position and is only a modifier of other sounds. The breath explosion is accounted for in a similar manner as in the k modification, and it is not heard when p is followed by /. The breath sound that is heard is what was forced into the mouth and passed the vocal cords, and the breath that produces the tonic forces it out. To pn> duce the modification made by p, close the lips tightly, hold them firmly, and force the breath past the vocal cords, witlwat causing vibration, and compress the air in the mouth and pharynx. Now when you go to articu- late another sound, it will have this/ modification. q The letter q in composition is always followed by u. These two always go together, and their sound is repre- sented by kw. For directions in making the sounds of kw, see those letters. The letter r represents two sounds, and they are. so open that the one sometimes takes the place of a vocal in a syllable, as in acre, nitre. Like /, it can properly be called a vocal consonant, for that is just what it is. To make the sound as represented by r, when it follows AR TIC ULA TION 9 1 a vocal, separate the teeth about one half an inch and the lips to just show the tips of the teeth. Now spread the tip of the tongue and raise it till it nearly comes to the roof of the mouth, about an inch back of the teeth. Now lower the root of the tongue and pronounce the word ar, omitting the a. This will give the more open of the two sounds of r, or the sound made at the root of the tongue. The other sound of r is the sound the letter takes when it precedes a vocal, in the same syllable, and is made with the tip of the tongue. The r in this position may usually be trilled, " The r is a trill in most lan- guages." To give this trill sound for some persons is very easy, and for others next to impossible. Most per- sons can get this sound of the r by observing the follow- ing positions : Spread the front part of the tongue and raise it till it almost touches the roof of the mouth just at the root of the teeth ; let the middle sides of the tongue rest firmly against the side teeth for support ; bring the root of the tongue and the soft palate nearly together ; now let the breath flow very gently over the tip of the tongue ; at the same time let the tension on the tongue be strong enough, that as the breath forces it down from the roof of the mouth the tension will cause the tip of the tongue to vibrate like the reed to a clarinet ; this will give the trill to the r. This sound in pronunciation must never be exaggerated by prolong- ing it, or its production will be ridiculous. Correctly made, it is a mark of culture. 92 AR TIC ULA TION S The letter s is an aspirate, a sibilant (Latin, sibilans, from sibilare, to hiss), so named from the hissing sound it represents. It is a nonvocal. To make this sound, separate the teeth slightly and the lips to show about half the teeth ; now put the tongue against the upper teeth on each side, but leave the tip of the tongue free to emit the breath. Now force the breath over the tip of the tongue and between the teeth so as to give a clear hissing sound. t The letter /, like k and /, is a pure mute. It takes organic articulate position, but has no sound. It is a nonvocal. Its office is to modify the initial sound of the following letter by making the sound to open ab- ruptly. T, like k and p y has no carrying qualities. It is the modification of the letter that follows that is intel- ligible, and not a sound of these letters, as has been taught ; they are mutes. The articulate position of t is very similar to that of d } and many persons confuse these two letters in oral pronunciation. For the organic position of t y spread the tongue across the front of the mouth against the roof, so as to prevent any escape of breath. Keep the tongue close to the top of the mouth, keep the pharynx from expanding, and then by a strong effort force the breath into this small cavity, but do not let it escape, and without vibrating the vocal cords. This is the articulate position of /. Its presence is evi- dent by the modification of the following element. AR TICULA TION 93 This represents the breve sound of u, and is found in the word up. It is the m©st open position of the organs of articulation when making the sounds of u, and hence is the long sound of u — a vowel and not a mixed element. To make this sound of u, separate the teeth about one half an inch and the lips to show the tips of the teeth. Do not put much tension on the lips. Spread the tongue so that it lies flat in the bottom of the mouth, expand the pharynx well, and then pronounce the word up, omitting the/. u This represents the nether semidieeresis sound of u, or neutral u. It is to be found in such words as full, pull, put. To make this sound correctly, let the tongue be in the same position as for breve u sound ; do not separate the teeth quite so far nor expand the pharynx so much. Now pronounce the word full, omitting f and //. u This represents the caret u sound, and is heard in such words as curl, urn. To make this sound, separate the teeth and lips very slightly, tension the tongue, draw it back a little from the teeth, and raise it till it is midway from the bottom and the roof of the mouth. Now hold the pharynx firmly, and with a very slight downward movement of the larynx pronounce the word urn, omitting the m. 94 AR TICULA TION This nether diceresis sound of u is heard in crude, ruin, rule, rue. It is a close sound. To make this sound, separate the teeth and lips slightly ; put the tongue in the same position as for the caret u, except the tip a little lower. Now raise the tongue just a little at the base ; hold the lips, jaw, tongue, and throat still ; pronounce the word rue, omitting r. u This macron sound of u is the short sound. It is the closest of all the vocal elements unless it be vocal y. The macron sound of u is so close that it has con- sonant y in articulation at its beginning. Its sound is a composite one, being made up of macron e, y, and ma- cron oo, as in moon. To make this sound of u, put the lips, teeth, and tongue in position for making macron e. Now begin to make e ; at the same time draw the root of the tongue downward until you get the sound of ma- cron oo, as in moon. Go through the complications of the sound slowly till well mastered ; then go through them just as quickly as you can, conveniently. v The letter v is in part made like /, the difference being that v has a subvocal sound. To make the sound of v, put the lips and teeth in the same position as for f\ now draw the base of the tongue downward, lowering the larynx, and at the same time cause the AR TICULA TION 9 5 vocal cords to vibrate. The sound will be that of v. V, like f, can be made with the lips alone, but when made by the teeth and lip it has a sharper and clearer articulation. w The letter w is an open consonant, so open that it is usually semivowel. It is, in fact, more of a vowel than is macron u. To make w, project the lips and round them as for whistling, making the orifice about one half an inch in diameter. Lower the larynx so as to open the pharynx, and make the sound as if you would pro- nounce the word wood, leaving off the ood. This will give the sound of w. x The letter x does not represent any sound of its own. Its two sounds will be found in ks and gz in combina- tion, to which the student is referred. y Y is a fricative consonant, like/", s, v, and z. It is an open consonant and is sometimes so open that it is a vocal, as in hymn, hyena, hyacinth, hypnotic. To make the consonant^, put the tongue in the same position as for macron e. Now cause the vocal cords to vibrate and at the same time press the tongue against the side teeth more firmly, as if to sound the word you, being very careful not to lower the base of the tongue ; thus you will leave off the on sound, and you will get consonant y. g6 AR TIC ULA TION Put the lips, teeth, and tongue in the same position as for s, except let the tip of the tongue lightly touch the upper part of the mouth just back of the teeth and draw the corners of the mouth together slightly. Now cause the vocal cords to vibrate ; at the same time lower the larynx as if to pronounce the word zone, leav- ing off one. th The combination th has a subvocal sound and an aspirate influence. To make the subvocal sound, put the tongue against the back part of the upper front teeth. Now cause the vocal cords to vibrate, and at the same time expand the pharynx by raising the soft palate and lowering the larynx. To produce the aspirate, or nonvacal ///, put the tongue in the same position as for subvocal /// ; do not expand the pharynx, nor make the vocal cords vibrate, but force the breath over the tongue and between the teeth, as if pronouncing thin x without the in. ng Draw the tongue back until the tip of it rests against the lower part of the gums of the lower teeth, bunch- ing the tongue in the middle enough to reach the front part of the soft palate, forming a juncture with the soft palate. This will cause the soft palate to drop at the back edge, cause the vocal cords to vibrate, and the AR TICULA TION 97 tone to pass out through the nose, making the sound as it is heard in the word song, omitting so. The above are the principal word elements. There are many modifications of these, the results of different combinations, but it is not necessary to discuss them here, as the student will be able to deal with them. The after sound of the word elements sometimes spoken of is the result of the movement of the articu- late organs in changing their position to produce the next word element. It is not present when the vocal element is produced alone. Stammering and Stuttering SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO FOLLOW Stammering and stuttering is a most unfortunate defect in speech. It not only hinders the usefulness of the person so afflicted, but is the indirect cause of ill health. While all persons may stammer or stutter under cer- tain conditions, — embarrassment, for example, — the stammering and stuttering that become speech defects manifest themselves when the person so afflicted is between three and six years of age. A stammerer is one who stops in his speech and can- not proceed. A stutterer is a person who repeats a syllable or a word over and over without being able to utter the following word. 98 AR TICULA TION The cause, or causes, of these difficulties have been the subject of much speculation for many years. Nu- merous articles have been written concerning these speech defects. The author, having cured many cases and having studied them for the purpose of learning the cause, finds certain conditions common to all. The persons afflicted are always poor breathers, using only the upper part of the lungs ; they are always weak at the waist muscles and sometimes even sore. When they attempt to breathe with all the lungs, they become dizzy. When taking the breath in, the waist muscles move in instead of out. They are troubled with short- ness of breath. The muscles of the lower jaw are weak. The muscles of speech production do not act continuously. Two things stammerers and stutterers can do ; namely, sing and swear. They cannot hold the breath more than ten seconds, and when the breath should flow out slowly against the vocal cords to produce the tone for speech, it leaves the lungs seemingly all at once. They lack physical endurance. They are nervous, and afraid of making mistakes. Seldom are two cases alike, yet they are all similar. Usually there are only a few of the speech elements that cause all the trouble. Lastly, all these defects yield to similar treatment if taken in time. AR TICULA TION 99 Most, if not all, of the above enumerated troubles are results of the speech difficulty, not the cause. The cause lies deeper. Cause of Stammering a7id Stuttering In nearly all cases investigated by the author, he has found that some other member of the stammerer's family, either immediate or remote, is or has been so afflicted, more or less ; or the afflicted person has when a mere child played with or been with some one who has had this speech difficulty. In one school the teacher stuttered, and nearly all the smaller children did likewise. Often a number of cases are found in the same community. In a number of cases one of the parents was afflicted. Sometimes the author has been told that the trouble began after a severe illness. His opinion is that it was present in a mild form previous to the sickness, and disease having left the child's muscles weak, the trouble became exaggerated. The cause of stammering and stuttering is not abso- lutely known, although much speculation has been indulged in. The author believes the cause to be unequal growth in mental and pJiysical activity, and on this basis must the cure be effected. Speech is the result of certain muscular activities. These muscles are controlled by certain motor areas of the brain. Back of the motor areas of the brain, on the "throne invisible," are the thought powers. The LQFC. I OO AR TICULA TION primary element is thought. Thought prompts the motor areas to act, and the motor centers manifest their activities in bodily muscular movements. If for any reason the motor areas of the brain are not properly developed, there will be a lack of proper action of the muscles. No person grows active sym- metrically. One person lacks correct motor activity in the brain centers that control the feet ; another, the legs ; another, the digestive organs ; another, the arms or hands, — and with some persons it is in the motor areas that control some of the muscles of speech, and this lack of development shows itself in stammering or stuttering. Evidence of the lack of these several developments is ocular, and it is not necessary to argue further. The truth is apparent. The Ctire From the above facts it is evident that the cure must be in the symmetrical development of the motor areas of the brain, that the cure must be mental or psychical. The sooner the remedial work is begun, the sooner and easier can a cure be effected. It is a well-established fact that the work of mental development can be delayed too long and until it is too late to accomplish the desired result. The nascent period of mental development is before the person has reached the age of twenty-five years. The author firmly believes that every case of stammering or stuttering can be cured if AR TICULA TION I O I the person begins the drill here recommended before the age of twenty years. He is also convinced that it is almost impossible to effect a permanent cure after the age of twenty-five ; but the person can be greatly benefited if the drill is given at any time. To succeed in the cure of stammering or stuttering, two things both student and teacher must exercise, viz., patience and perseverance. Mental growth is not attained in a week, or a month ; time is necessary. Practical Work As soon as the parent or teacher notices any defect in the speech of the child, begin to drill on the exer- cises under " Breathing Practice " in the chapter on " Breathing." Drill the child frequently, daily, on all the exercises, especially emphasizing the exercises for developing the outward movement of the waist muscles and the holding of the waist muscles firmly outward all tJie time tone is being produced. Have the pupil make the sounds of a, o, a, i, e, in the order here given and as described in the chapter on " Articulation," making each sound separately several times. Then reverse the order, and practice. Then prolong each sound ten, twelve, fourteen seconds, and so on till thirty seconds are consumed in the continuous making of each tone. Hold the waist, pressing firmly outward, and the lower jaw without 1 02 AR TICULA TION moving during the tone. Make each tone many times each day and repeat for many days. During intervals of rest from drill on these elements have him talk and read very slowly. Watch closely to ascertain which sounds are causing him trouble. The sounds of any of the letters may be at fault. As you discover which are the faulty sounds, make a list of them for future reference. Train the child to articu- late these sounds as directed in the chapter on " Articulation." This drill will awaken the motor areas of the brain to action necessary to produce these letter sounds and begin their correct development. When he can articulate a sound fairly well, combine it with the vowel sounds and drill him on the combina- tion. Then find the combination in words, and drill. Next put the words into sentences, and have the sen- tences practiced very slowly, carefully, and accurately. All this practice must be done very, very slowly and deliberately at first. When skill and ease are acquired let the rate be in- creased till a normal movement is reached. While practicing in this way, drill the pupil also on the exercises in the chapter on " Voice Culture " in order that he may acquire vocal power. In all the voice practice keep the muscles of the waist, thorax, throat, and jaw firm. There must be no careless, no indifferent practice. After some practice on the elements, have the pupil AR TICULA TION 1 03 commit any of the selections in this book and practice them orally very carefully and firmly. " Over the River " will be found very helpful. Have the pupil take a breath at the end of each line in the poem, but none in the middle of the line. Later, be sure he takes the breath between the Thought Sentences. Be sure the speaking is done slowly and firmly. As skill is acquired vary the drill work. The author believes that every case of stammering or stuttering will yield to the above treatment if taken in time. The effort must be to acquire a correct habit of breathing and speaking, then there will be no trouble. CHAPTER VII Pitch of the Elementary Sounds While no two elemental sounds have the same pitch, yet they may be classed under three general divisions. The class of highest pitch includes the vocals; the middle class, the semivowels and subvocals; and the lowest class, the aspirates and nonvocals or mutes. The following illustration will make clear to the student what is meant. From Cut iy the student will observe that the first elements whose influence will fail to reach the listener will be those of the First or Lowest Class, that is, the C O N-T R A-D I C T-O-R I-N E S Cut 17. Third or highest class, vocals: Second or middle . class, semi- vowels. First or lowest • class, aspirates and nonvocals, or mutes. modification known as the mutes and the aspirate sounds. The next sounds that will not be heard will be those of the middle class, or the subvocals, and then the semivowels. The sounds that the voice will carry to the last will be those of class three, or the 104 PITCH OF THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS 105 vocals. A perfect enunciation requires that all the elements of each class shall be nicely blended, and a correct proportion sustained between each class. If this is not done, part of the person's utterance will be blurred. Much drill is usually required to develop a correct proportion in the utterance of the pitch of the elements. Very few persons are to be found who do not require more or less drill in this part of their speech. I had a number of students who used but very few of the elements in the first class, and of course many of the middle class would be omitted. One was a clergyman who had spent ten years in college. He came to me and said, " My people complain that they cannot always understand what I say ; what is the mat- ter with my speech ? " We soon found the difficulty. In many instances, where the case is extreme, the per- son is supposed to have a malformation of the vocal organs. Two cases have come to me in which the persons uttered none of the first class and very few of the middle class, only those of the middle that were so open as to be almost vocals. Both of the persons were bright boys in college. One boy's father was wealthy, and he had had the boy examined by over a score of physicians, each of whom prescribed the medi- cine that would " fix up " his vocal organs. One said, "The boy's tongue will have to be cut." But the boy objected. In conversation with the boy, he told me he had taken "pints of medicine." Nearly all teachers 106 PITCH OF THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS in the public schools have difficulties with pupils to be mastered, which come under the Pitch of Elements. In order to develop a correct proportion of pitch in uttering the elementary sounds, it will be necessary to give most attention to the aspirates and nonvocals. The following exercises the student will find most helpful. Take each of the letters, /, b, t, d, s, k, g hard, and combine them with the macron vowels as follows : — Pa, pe, pi, po, pn. Ba, be, bi, bo, bu. Ta, te, ti, to, tu. Da, de, di, do, du. Sa, se, si, so, su. Ka, ke, ki, ko, ku. Ga, ge, gi> go. gu. In these exercises hold the contact of the organs for these several letters very firmly, forcing the waist mus- cles strongly outward ; articulate the syllable very strongly and abruptly, but not loud. This pinching of the articulate organs tightly together will develop the strength of these muscles and give a clear, sharp articulation that will have great carrying power. After these exercises have been practiced for some days, then use these combinations : — Peter Piper picked plenty of peppers. A big black bug bit a big black bear. Don't drive Dan down to Petersburg. Many more might move merrily on. PITCH OF THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS 107 Six brave maids sat on six broad beds braiding broad bands. You never saw a saw saw like this saw saws. Samuel Shaw sawed six short sticks since six. " Robertson is not Robert's son, Nor did he rob Burt's son ; Yet Robert's sun is Robin's sun And everybody's sun." The sea ceaseth and the wind dismisseth us with its blessing. Give Grigham Grimes Jim's great gilt gig-whip. A DEFINITION A blush is a temporary erythema and calorific effulgence of the physiognomy, etiologized by one's perceptiveness of the sensorium when in a predicament of unequilibrity from shame, anger, or other cause, eventuating in a pressor of vasomotor filaments of the facial capillaries, whereby, being divested of their elasticity, they are suffused with a radiance emanating from an intimidated praecordia. In these exercises the student should be exceedingly careful to articulate strongly and clearly the initial let- ter to every syllable. Many more exercises might be added, but these will be sufficient to show the student the line of work to be followed. He can select others to suit his fancy. CHAPTER VIII Modulation Every person admires a musical voice, but few know how to attain it. If the teacher, or reader, or speaker, has a harsh, hard, mechanical tone, unmusical and un- sympathetic voice, usefulness in any work is hindered. Every one is pleased with a good voice. One of the elements that helps to make it is Modulation. In the reading work of the school most of the energy is spent upon studying "words, words, words." All well and good. But we cannot deny the truth that we are measured as much by the manner of our speaking as we are by the words we use. We are now entering upon a new era in the training of the student. That person who has a harsh, mechanical, out of tune, unsympathetic, nonresonant, uncultivated voice will not stand first in the schoolroom or anywhere. The line is already being drawn by many of the more intelligent school boards and business men. The writer, in his travels, has visited many of the schools, and observed among other things that the scholars talk and do very much as the teacher talks and does, — using the same inflections, the same modula- 108 MODULATION IO9 tions if any at all, the same melody, the same peculiar accents, the same mannerisms of emphasis, the same eccentricities. Because little or no attention has been given to the vocal qualification of the teacher, and because children imitate unconsciously the instructor, the American people have developed an unpleasant tone in speech for which they are rather severely criti- cised, and probably justly so. Our climate may have something to do with this bad quality of tone, but the lack of culture has more. The writer once held a two weeks' convention in a certain town, and every student he had who came from the high school was the pos- sessor of a well-developed nasal tone. Investigation brought to light the fact that one of the primary teachers who had been in the school for years pos- sessed such a defect. At another county-seat school one of the teachers had a peculiar stoppage in his speech, brought on by improper breathing and retained because of the continued misdirected efforts of breath ; and as a result of the silent influence of the teacher, nearly every scholar in that room had developed the same unpleasant peculiarity in a greater or less degree. At another school a gentleman who was the teacher stuttered, and many of the scholars did likewise. This is not the place to enter into a detailed discussion of the causes of stuttering or stammering and the direful results, but suffice it to say that one of the causes is imitation. Stuttering and stammering can be traced to certain causes. The above is enough to show that our 1 1 MOD ULA TION manners of speech are in a great measure the result of imitation, savored with a personality. But to return more closely to our subject, let us con- sider the principles of Modulation. Modulation (Latin modulation a measure) has to do with groups of words, a measure. The measure re- ferred to is the Thought Sentence discussed in a former chapter. Modulation is the manner of reading the Thought Sentences as regards pitch of tone so as to express properly the thoughts and feelings. Some speakers and readers do not give proportionate expression to this principle of speech. They overdo the application of the principle, and so make their speech laughable. This diversion is often used for burlesque. For instance, in speaking sentences con- taining such words as loud, shout, gruff, rasp, the practice of some speakers is to do just as the words suggest. Also in such words as calm, silent, soft, and mild. While modulating thus will often be correct, it is not always so. For example : in reading that passage in the New Testament where Luke records, in the twenty-third chapter, the mob scene before Pilate, a minister, to show his elocution, shouted in a loud voice the passage, " Crucify Him, crucify Him." The minis- ter was mistaken in the application of his elocution. The outrage of justice and the appalling crime that this mob was about to commit would so modify the expression of this passage as to require it to be spoken in almost a whisper, notwithstanding it says, " But they MODULATION III cried, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him." Again, in Julius Cczsar, Brutus, near the beginning of his forum speech, says, " And be silent, that you may hear." This passage is frequently rendered by modulating it in almost a whisper. This is wrong. Brutus is surrounded by a howling mob, and he is striving to get the atten- tion. So he shouts this in a loud, powerful voice in order 'to reach the ears of all the persons in the forum. To modulate it silently would be most ineffective. In this kind of modulation the thought must be considered, not merely the words of the text. Principle The principle of Modulation is never to read tzvo or more Thought Sentences in the same pitch of voice in succession. Neither should they be read in the same pitch of tone at regular intervals, as this brings about a " singsong " manner of reading or speaking which should be avoided. Good Modulation presumes that the voice has been trained for flexibility. If there is no power to change the pitch of voice, there is a lack of mental elasticity. To develop a changeful voice means to develop the mind, then the muscles that pro- duce voice, and bring them under mental control. The drill necessary to develop Modulation must be mental as well as physical. For no good reasons whatever some school superintendents and teachers laugh to scorn all training in voice and speech culture. It may 112 MODULATION be harsh to say it, but it is true when we say that every time they indulge in their belittling rapture they only lay bare their own ignorance. Do not be too pronounced in your denunciations, and you will be saved regrets, if not humiliation, afterward. To make the most rapid progress in speech culture, one should begin with the elements of tone. Experience has proven that the fol- lowing exercises will cultivate Modulation quickly : First, begin with the long sound of a, making a medium pitch, then a little higher pitch, then higher, and so continue to ascend till the highest strong pitch is reached. Be sure to practice the tone of each pitch a number of times before you leave it to pass to the next. When the highest tone has been reached, then begin to descend, practicing each degree of pitch several times, and continue to go down until the lowest is reached. Repeat this exercise daily for some time. After you can give this with ease, then take a word of one syllable with either a or o in it as the basis, and practice it in like manner. Next take a word of several syllables and produce on different pitches. Then take a short sen- tence like the following : We should not live for money alone ; and practice it on as many different pitches as possible, and as above directed, and until you can produce every element in clear, distinct, firm tones. Give the sentence in as near a monotone as possible. However, accurately speaking, there is no such thing as monotone in speaking. This, however, belongs to melody. The next step is to take a selection, MOD ULA TION 1 1 3 separate it into the Thought Sentences, and drill as directed above. Do not make a practice of pre- arranging the pitches. This would make it like music and would render the disposition of the pitches me- chanical. Train the mind to grasp the thought at once, and at the same time to determine the pitch, and the voice to produce that pitch without hesitation. The following gem is splendid for practice ; divide it into the Thought Sentences, then practice : — CREEPING UP THE STAIRS In the softly fading twilight Of a weary, weary day, With a quiet step I entered Where the children were at play ; I was brooding o'er some trouble Which had met me unawares, When a little voice came singing, " Me is creeping up the stairs." Ah, it touched the tenderest heartstrings, With a breath and force divine, And such melodies awakened As no wording can define ; And I turned to see our darling, All forgetful of my cares, When I saw the little creature Slowly creeping up the stairs. 114 MODULATION Step by step she bravely clambered On her little hands and knees, Keeping up a constant chatter, Like a magpie in the trees. Till at last she reached the topmost, When o'er all her world's affairs, She delighted stood a victor After creeping up the stairs. Fainting heart, behold an image Of man's brief and struggling life, Whose best prizes must be captured With a noble, earnest strife ; Onward, upward reaching ever, Bending to the weight of cares, Hoping, fearing, still expecting, We go creeping up the stairs. Next take such selections as : " Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard " ; " Why Should the Spirit of Mortal be Proud?" " The Psalm of Life"; " In Memoriam," or any selection in this book. If you will train yourself in Modulation, you will not want to listen to reading that does not have this element of beauty well developed. CHAPTER IX Inflection Inflection, to be understood, must be studied from the mental standpoint. Inflection (from the Latin preposition in, and flectere, to bend) is the sliding of the voice up or down to show the speaker's mental attitude toward the thought ex- pressed. There are two Inflections : the Rising or Nega- tive Inflection, and the Falling or Positive Inflection. The Inflection ahvays conies on the Thought Center (see chapter on the " Thought Sentence "), and the stress of the Inflection will be on the accented syllable of the Thought Center and on the vocal of the syllable, because the Thought Center receives the emphasis, and empha- sis reveals to the auditor that about which the speaker is thinking ; and since inflection reveals the speaker's attitude toward the thought, inflection must coincide with the Thought Center, and, hence, with emphasis. In Negative Inflection there will be an upward slide of the voice before the stress of the inflection is reached, and the length of this upward slide will depend upon the number of words that precede the Thought Center. And there will be a falling slide after the Negative Inflection, unless the emphatic syl- "5 Il6 INFLECTION lable of the inflected word should close the sentence, then there would be a vanishing slide on the final consonants of the syllable. The length of this falling slide, like the upward slide, will depend on the number of syllables which follow the Thought Center. The Negative or Rising Inflection occurs when the speaker's mind is in doubt or insincerity, or when it disapproves, or there is incomprehension, or desire. Doubt makes the person hesitate ; although the mind may understand the thought, he questions its propriety. When a person wishes to deceive, being naturally hon- est, he doubts his course. When he disapproves, the mind understands the thought, but does not approve of the motive, and the speaker shows his resentment. In- comprehension is the failure of the mind to grasp the thought or to understand the intention or import. De- sire implies the lack of something, hence the person is seeking information, and so the mind is in suspense. These different mental conditions give Rising Inflec- tion, because in each case the mental powers stir the Motor Areas of the brain to action which causes a tensity of the muscular power, which affects the vocal cords, and they assume the conditions necessary for a higher pitch, and the voice takes the Rising Inflection. The Falling Inflection, like the Rising, is the result of mental condition. The voice falls in Approval, Comprehension, Satisfaction, Completion. When the Mind approves, there is no intention to oppose ;• when it comprehends, it is not in suspense ; INFLECTION 117 when there is satisfaction, there is no desire to pursue ; and in completion there is no incentive to action. All of these conditions set the mind at rest, giving ease and comfort, and so do not arouse the Motor Areas of the brain ; and there is no tensing of muscle, and so the vocal cords relax, and as a result the voice takes the Falling Inflection. Do you wish to know if the person is telling the truth ? Watch his inflection. He cannot deceive you altogether. Lies give rising inflection ; truth, falling. The Circumflex Inflection is merely a combination of the Positive and the Negative Inflections. The mind is negative in its attitude, then suddenly positive. These conditions would give a continuous movement of rising and then falling in the voice. Again, the mind is positive, and then suddenly changes to a negative attitude. This would give a continuous movement of the voice of falling, then rising. The " Straight Inflection," or Monotone, shows disinterestedness or doubt, hence would belong to the Negative or Rising Inflection. The following examples will show the different phases of the Rising Inflection : — DOUBT OR INSINCERITY " I doubt not your wisdom. . . . Alas, what shall I say? My credit now stands on such slippery ground." — Julius Ccesar, Act III. Il8 INFLECTION " Oh, that I might know the end of this day's business." " Cassius. I know not what may fall ; I like it not." DISAPPROVAL " Cassius. You know not what you do ; do not consent That Antony speak in his funeral. " Bassanio. You shall not seal to such a bond for me ; I'll rather dwell in my necessity." — Shakespeare. " Don't do that." " Heaven is not reached at a single bound." INCOMPREHENSION " I do not understand, tell it again." " I cannot by the progress of the stars give guess how near to day." DESIRE " I tell you I want my papa." " Sir, I desire you do me right and justice." " Would it were my lot to sleep so soundly." " Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew." The following are examples of Falling Inflection. The student should hunt others. APPROVAL " You have my consent, and Heaven bless you both." " I looked them both all over And I blessed them with a smile." — Car let on. INFLECTION 119 COMPREHENSION " I know that my Redeemer liveth." — Book of Job. " By Hercules ! I see, I see, if the gods help not our friend, he will be run away with by the Israelite." — Lew Wallace. SATISFACTION " I am satisfied with whatever disposition you make of it." " I'm never weary when I hear sweet music." — Jessica, Merchant of Venice. " How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank ! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears." — Lorenzo, ibid. COMPLETION " I have done my best." " The day is done, And the darkness Falls from the wings of Night, As a feather is Wafted downward From an eagle in its flight." — Longfellow. COMMAND " Up drawbridge, grooms, let the portcullis fall." — Scott. "Ride, ride, Messala ; let them all come down." — Shakespeare. "Angels and ministers of grace defend us." — Ibid. CHAPTER X Pitch of Voice in Speaking The pitch of voice in speaking is determined by the thought. As the materials and solidity of a body have much to do with the pitch and quality of tone, this acuteness will be as various as the natural bodily condi- tions of the speakers differ for the acoustic properties of the tone. What would be low for one speaker might be high for another, and vice versa. But the pitch of each individual will vary with the nature of the thought. As a certain pitch is essential for certain classes of thought, so certain classes of thought to be well ex- pressed demand certain pitches of the voice. The fol- lowing table will show the affinity of rate, pitch, and tJwugJit : — Rate Thought Pitch Very Rapid Rate Thoughts of Excitement Very High Pitch Rapid Rate Enthusiastic Thought, Joy High Pitch Medium Rate Thoughts of Pleasure and Calmness Medium Pitch Slow Rate Serious or Sublime Thought Low Pitch Very Slow Rate Profound and Solemn Thought Very Low Pitch These several classes of pitch shade one into the other. That is, Medium to High ; and High to Medium. High to Very High ; and Very High to High. Medium PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING 121 to Low ; and Low to Medium. Low to Very Low ; and Very Low to Low. The shadings of pitch belong- ing to these general classes are very minute, and to make the glides so as not to be rough, the voice must be trained for great flexibility. The speaker, to be able to give the many different degrees of pitch necessary for a magnetic, accurate speech, must have much more flexibility in the voice than the singer. The speaker's voice pitches must be much more accurately developed. The singer, in uttering the pitches represented on the key-board by the letters C, C sharp, and D, produces three tones whether he sings up the scale or down. The speaker, in passing over this same range of pitch, should be able to produce a score or more of pitches. Thus it is that a singer is seldom a good speaker ; to become a good speaker he would require much more delicate voice culture. A singer may have a wider range of pitch than a speaker and at the same time produce well a much fewer number of pitches. A speaker's voice should have the easy range of at least two octaves, and even more, but the most of his speak- ing will be done within the range of one octave. And he should not be content with his voice work unless between each note of the two octaves he can produce at least five distinct pitches. For drill in this work, the student is referred to the chapter on " Voice Culture." The following concrete examples will serve to illus- trate the application of rate and of pitch to the expres- sion of the thought : — 122 PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING Very High Pitch, Very Rapid Rate. To be used in intense excitement. " Come, master, awake, attend to the switch, Lives now depend upon you, Think of the souls on the coming train, And the graves you are sending them to. Think of the mother and the babe at her breast, Think of the father and son, Think of the lover and the loved one too, Think of them doomed every one To fall, as it were, by your very hand, Into yon fathomless ditch, Murdered by one who should guard them from harm, Who now lies asleep at the switch." — George Hoey. Here the rate is very fast, because the speaker realizes imminent danger at hand. Not one second must be lost. He is very much alarmed and excited. He talks very rapidly, and on a very high pitch. Very high pitch goes with very rapid rate, because the organs of articulation and vibration are held close to- gether and tense. In order to make quick articulations, it is necessary to hold the organs close to avoid long distances in movement. Study for practice, on very rapid rate and high pitch, " Kit Carson's Ride," by Joaquin Miller. High Pitch, Rapid Rate. For enthusiasm, joy, and pleasure. " And lo ! as he looks, on the belfry's height A glimmer, and then a gleam of light ! PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING 1 23 He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns, But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight A second lamp in the belfry burns ! " A hurry of hoofs in a village street, A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark, And beneath from the pebbles, in passing, a spark Struck out by the steed that flies fearless and fleet." — Longfellow. In this part of the poem, " Paul Revere's Ride," by Longfellow, the rate is rapid because of the enthusi- asm, and the pitch is high. The following extract from Milton's " L'Allegro" will illustrate the high pitch and rapid rate in the expres- sion of pleasure and joy : — " Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee Jest and youthful jollity, Imps, and cranks, and wanton wiles, Nods, and becks, and wreathed smiles, Such as hang on Hebe's cheek, And love to live in dimple sleek ; Sport that wrinkled care derides, And Laughter holding both his sides. Come, and trip it as you go On the light fantastic toe." This example approaches the Medium Rate. Other good illustrations of high pitch and rapid rate are parts of "How Salvator Won," "How the Old Horse Won the Bet," " Lily Servosse's Ride." 124 PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING Medium Pitch, Medium Rate. For conversational styles of speech. This rate is used in conversation, description, and didactic styles of composition. EXAMPLES "The longer I live, the more deeply am I convinced that that which makes the difference between one man and another — between the weak and the powerful, the great and the insig- nificant — is energy, invincible determination, a purpose once formed, and then death or victory." — Powell Buxton. " Have you ever thought of the weight of a word That falls in the heart like the song of a bird, That gladdens the spring-time of memory and youth And garlands with cedar the banner of Truth, That moistens the harvesting spot of the brain Like dewdrops that fall on a meadow of grain, Or that shrivels the germ and destroys the fruit And lies like a worm at the lifeless root?" GOD'S WONDERS Grand the expanse of the heavens, but grander the thoughts they suggest ; Lovely the blush of the morning, the crimson and gold of the west ; Bright are the stars of the midnight, floating in measureless space, But deeper and grander the secret we strive mid their bright- ness to trace. PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING 1 25 Fair is this beautiful planet,«its carpet of verdure, its seas, Its mantle of life-giving air, its sunshine, its mists, and its breeze ; Deep the emotions that nature quickens to life in the soul, But deeper and grander the glimpses we catch of the infinite whole. Cunning the hand of the artist, a study his thought-chiseled face ; Bewitching the smile of the maiden, entrancing her beauty and grace ; Perfect the cup of the lily, sweet is the breath of the rose, But deeper and grander the spirit that vainly they strive to disclose. Wondrous the symbol of being spread out on every hand, Wondrous the secret of nature, of the sky, of the sea, of the land ; Vast is the outward creation, undiscovered by man, and untrod, Yet ignorance in its presumption familiarly prates about God. — Eliza Lamb Marly n . Low PitcJi, Slozu Rate. When the thought is serious or sublime, the pitch is low, and the rate slow. EXAMPLES " Let us do our duty, and pray that we may do our duty here, now, to-day ; not in dreamy sweetness, but in active energy j not in the green oasis of the future, but in the dusty desert of the present ; not in imagination of other-where, but in the realities of now." — Canon Farrar. 126 PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING " At the devil's booth all things are sold ; Each ounce of dross costs its ounce of gold ; For a cap and bells our lives we pay, Bubbles we buy with a whole soul's tasking : 'Tis heaven alone that is given away, Tis only God may be had for the asking." — Lowell "The hills, Rock-ribbed, and ancient as the sun ; The vales stretching in pensive quietness between ; The venerable woods ; rivers that move In majesty, and the complaining brooks, That make the meadows green ; And, poured round all Old ocean's gray and melancholy waste ; Are but the solemn decorations all — Of the great tomb of man." — Bryant. " Daughter of heaven, fair art thou ! The silence of thy face is pleasant ! Thou comest forth in loveliness. The stars at- tend thy blue course in the east. The clouds rejoice in thy presence. They brighten their dark brown sides. Who is like thee, in heaven, light of the silent night ! The stars, in thy- presence, turn away their sparkling eyes. " Whither dost thou retire from thy course, when the darkness of thy countenance grows? Hast thou thy hall, like Ossian? Dwellest thou in the shadow of thy grief? Have thy sisters fallen from heaven? Are they, who rejoice with thee at night, no more ? Yes, they have fallen, fair light ; and thou dost often retire to mourn. But thou thyself shalt fail, one night, and leave thy blue path in heaven. " The stars will then lift up their heads and rejoice. Thou PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING 1 27 art now clothed with thy brightness. Look from thy gates in the sky. Burst the clouds, O wind, that the daughter of night may look forth, that the shaggy mountains may brighten, and the ocean roll its white waves in light." — Ossian. Very Low Pitch, Very Slow Rate. To express profound and solemn thought, These elements of expression are used in the most thought- ful, serious, and solemn styles of speech. Soliloquies, the most beautiful descriptions, hymns, the profound and solemn parts of the Bible, and sincere prayers, all require this style of expression. Low Pitch and Slow Rate are also frequently used. Perfunctory reading of hymns and the Bible, and even prayer, do not have much, if any, of this and the preceding style of delivery. There are reasons for empty pews. The reason so few persons use these elements is because they have not developed in themselves the power to place themselves in the psychic condition here implied. None but earnest, sincere speakers are likely to use these powerful elements of successful speech. These powers of speech cannot be developed to artistic rendition in a few weeks. They will require months of practice. They belong to those parts of oratorical studv that promise a life work to the artist. EXCERPTS FOR PRACTICE " Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll ! Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain ; 128 PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING Man marks the earth with ruin — his control Stops with the shore ; upon the watery plain The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain A shadow of Man's ravages, save his own ; When for a moment, like a drop of rain, He sinks into thy depth, with bubbling groan, Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown." — Lord Byron. CATO'S SOLILOQUY ON IMMORTALITY " It must be so — Plato, thou reasonest well ! Else, whence comes this pleasing hope, this fond desire, This longing — after immortality? Or, whence — this secret dread, and inward horror, Of falling — into naught ? Why — shrinks the soul — Back on herself, and startles — at destruction ? — 'Tis the Divinity — that stirs within us : 'Tis heaven itself, that points out — an hereafter, And intimates — Eternity — to man. Eternity ! — thou pleasing — dreadful thought ! Through what variety — of untried being, Through what new scenes, and changes, must we pass ! . The wide, the unbounded prospect lies before me, But shadows, clouds, and darkness, rest upon it — Here — will I hold. If there's a Power above us (And that there is, all Nature cries aloud — Through all her works), He must delight in virtue. And that which He delights in must be happy. But when? or where? This world — was made for Caesar? I'm weary of conjectures — this — must end them. — {Laying his hand o?i his sword.) PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING 1 29 Thus — I am doubly armed. My death — and life, My bane — and antidote, are both before me. This — in a moment, brings me to an end ; But this — informs me — I shall never die. The soul, secured in her existence, smiles — At the drawn dagger, and defies its point. — The stars — shall fade away, the sun himself Grow dim with age, and nature sink in years, But thou shalt flourish — in immortal youth, Unhurt — amidst the war of elements, The wreck of matter, and the crash of worlds. " O thou eternal One ! whose presence bright All space doth occupy, all motion guide ; Unchanged through Time's all devastating flight ! Thou Only God — there is no God beside ! Being above all beings ! Mighty One, Whom none can comprehend and none explore, Who fill'st existence with thyself alone, Embracing all, supporting, ruling o'er ; Being whom we call God, and know no more ! Thou from primeval nothingness didst call First chaos, then existence ; Lord, on thee Eternity hath its foundation ; all Sprung forth from thee — of light, joy, harmony Sole origin — all life, all beauty thine ; Thy word created all, and doth create ; Thy splendor fills all space with rays divine ; Thou art and wert and shall be ! Glorious ! Great ! Life-giving, life-sustaining Potentate ! " — Fro?n DerzhavhCs " God.''' 1 130 PITCH OF VOICE IN SPEAKING Profound thought (from the Latin pro, forth, and fundus, bottom) means to go to the bottom, complete, deep in meaning. A most notable example of this kind is in Paul's letter to the Romans. Read it slowly and ponder it well. " For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is a most masterly effort to teach a people infinity. Many exercises for practice of this principle may be found in Job, the Psalms, Isaiah, the New Testament, as well as other parts of the Bible. And in secular literature, such productions as Hamlet's soliloquy, "To be or not to be," " Over the River," " First View of the Heavens," " Burial of Moses," and " The Leper " are good. CHAPTER XI Rate Rate is the uttering of words in quick succession. It differs from Movement, as it pertains to quickness only, while Movement deals with elements of enunciation as to thought. Rate may be classified as Very Slow, Slow, Medium, Rapid, Very Rapid. Very Slow Rate is used wherever there is intense emo- tion — either pathos, hilarity, or anger. Fifty syllables a minute would be about the maximum for this rate. The deeper the pathos, the slower the rate. The deep- est pathos is tearless, wordless, and soundless. An example of this is the death scene in "Hiawatha."' Longfellow says : — "And he rushed into the wigwam, Saw the old Nokomis, slowly Rocking to and fro, and moaning, Saw his lovely Minnehaha, Lying dead and cold before him. And his bursting heart within him Uttered such a cry of anguish, That the forest moaned and shuddered, That the very stars in heaven Shook and trembled with his anguish." 131 132 RATE The above describes the first impulse of his grief. As the sorrow deepens with him, note what he does. " Then he sat down still and speechless On the bed of Minnehaha, With both hands his face he covered, Seven long days and nights he sat there, Speechless, motionless, unco7iscious Of the daylight or the darkness." The speech of Hiawatha at the close of the famine scene is a direct example. The rate, of course, is not uniform, but unless this is spoken very, very slowly the pathetic picture will be lost. If the pathos is not so intense, then the Rate may be Slow. Very Slow Rate is necessary in humor, or the audi- ence may not be moved at all by the reading of a humorous selection. There must be time to drink in the " fun " and then time for mental assimilation, then time for the auditor to express himself physically, or there will be no response from the audience. Such examples as the following must be read very slowly to be effective : — SAM'S LETTER " I wonder who w-wrote me thith letter. I thuppoth the b-b-beth way to find out ith to open it and thee." (Opens letter.) " Thome lun-lunatic hath w-w-written me thith letter. He hath witten it upthide down. I wonder if he th-thought I wath going to w-w-wead it thanding on my head. " Oh, yeth, I thee. I had it t-t-turned upthide down. RATE 133 America — oh, who do I know in America? I am g-g-glad he hath given me hith addreth, anyhow. Oh, yeth, it ith from Tham. # I alwayth know Tham's handwiting when I thee hith name at the b-b-bottom of it." (Reads.) " ' My Dear Bwother.' Tham alwayth called me bwother. I-I thuppose ith's because hith mother and my mother wath the thame woman, an' we had no thisters. When we were boyths, we were ladths together. They uthed to g-g-get off a pwoverb when they thaw uth corn-coming down the stweet. It ith v-very good, if I could only think of it. I can never we-wecollect anything that I can't we-wemember. Iths- it iths the early b-b-bird — iths the early bird that knowth iths own father. What non-non-nonthenths that iths ! How could a bird knowth its own father? Iths a withe — it's a withe child he geths the worm. Thaths not wite. What non-nonthenths that iths ! No par-parent would allow hith child to ga-gather wormths. It's a wyme. Iths fish of — of a feather — fish of a fea — What non-non-nonthenths, for fish can't have feathers ! It's a b-b-bird — it's a bird of a — of a feather flock together. B-birds of a feather. Just as if who-who-whole flock of b-b- birdths had only one feather ! They'd all catch cold and only one bird c-c-could have that f-feather, and he'd fly thide withse. What con-confounded nonthenths that iths ! Flock together ; of course th-th-they'd flock together. Whoeve*. heard of a bird being such a f-f-fool as to g-go into a corner and flo-flock by himthelf ? " (Reads.) " ' I wote you a letter thome time ago — ' Thath's a lie. He didn't wite me a letter. If he had witten me a letter he would have thent it and I would g-g-got it ; so, of courth, he didn't potht it, and then he didn't wite it. Thath's eathy. Oh, yeth, I thee." 134 RATE (Reads.) — " ' but I dwopped it into the potht-potht-office, forgetting to diwect it.' I w-w- wonder who th-the dickens got that letter. I wonder if the potht-pothtman is going around inquiring for a fellow without a name. I wonder if there ith a fellow without any name. If there ith any f-f-fellow without, how dothes he know who he ith himself? I w-w-wonder if thuch a fellow could get marwied. How could he athk hith wife to take hith name if he h-h-had no name ? Thaths one of those thingth no fellow can f-f-find out." (Reads.) " ' I have dithcovered that my mother ith not my mother and that you are not my b-bwo-bwother.' If Tham's m-m-mother ith not my mother and Tham ith'ent my bwother, who am I? Thaths one of thoth thing that no fel-fel-fellow can find out." (Reads.) " ' I have purchased an ethtate thom-thomewhere.' Don't the id-idot know w-w-where he hath bought it? Oh, yeth " — (reads) — " ' on the banks of the M-M-M-M-Mith- ithippi.' Mi-Mi-Mithithippi ? I ge-geths iths Tham's m-m- mother-in-law. Tham's got marwied. He th-thaid he felt v-v-very nervous. He alwath wath a lucky fellow getting th-things he didn't want and hadn't any uthe for. Thpeaking of m-mother-in-lawths, I had a friend who had a mother-in-law and he didn't like her pwetty well, and she f-felt the thame way towardth him ; and they went away on a st-steamer acwoth the ocean, and they got wecked, catht away on a waft, and they floated around with their feet in the water and other amuthments — they eath ith-cream, oranges, and other canned goods that were floating awound. When that wath all gone, everybody ate everybody elth. F-finally, only himself and hith mother-in-law wath left, and they play of checkerths to thee who would be eaten up, himthelf or hith mother-in-law. A-a-the RATE 135 mother-in-law lotht. H-he tweated her handthomely, only he stwapped her to the floor and ca-carved her up gently. H-he thays that vvath the f-f-firth time that he ever weally enjoyed a mother-in-law." Intense anger demands Slow Rate. Such invectives as the following must be done very slowly : — " Blaze with your serried columns, I will not bend the knee ; The shackles ne'er again shall bind The arm which now is free." Slow Rate is necessary at the beginning of a speech or selection, because statements are being made which later in the production will be paraphrased and empha- sized. These several statements you want the auditors to fix in the mind so they may recognize the several steps or parts of the discourse, as this will enable the listener to get what has been said in a connected whole. The maximum of Slow Rate is about one hundred sylla- bles a minute. The following by Dr. Wayland is a good illustration. "The crumbling tombstones — the gorgeous mausoleum — the sculptured marble — the venerable cathedral — all — bear witness to the instinctive desire within us to be remembered by coming generations. " But how short-lived is the immortality which the works of our hands can confer ! The noblest monuments of art the world has ever seen are covered with the soil of twenty cen- turies. The works of the age of Pericles lie at the foot of the 136 RATE Acropolis in indiscriminate ruin. The plowshare turns up the marble the hand of Phidias had chiseled into beauty, and the Mussulman has folded his flocks beneath the fallen columns of the temple of Minerva. Neither sculptured marble nor stately column can reveal to other ages the lineaments of the spirit, and these alone can embalm our memories in the hearts of a grateful posterity." % In the first sentence he has made four statements and a conclusion. The word all is a consummation of the four preceding statements. The five sentences which follow constitute a paraphrase, or discussion, of the four statements and conclusion of the first sentence. Remember is the Thought Center of the conclusion. The last sentence, " Neither sculptured marble nor stately column can reveal to other ages the lineaments of the spirit, and these alone can embalm our memories in the hearts of a grateful posterity," is the conclusion of the whole paragraph. Slow Rate is necessary, too, where the thought is deep ; for example, Cato on " Immortality," or Milton's " Paradise Lost," or Hamlet's " Soliloquy." Medium Rate verging to Slow Rate is used in grandeur, sublimity, or solemnity, also pathos when giving vent to the emotions ; a good example of this latter is Job's " Lyric of Woe," chapter three of the Book of Job. The maximum of this rate is about one hun- dred and twenty-five syllables a minute. The following is an example of Grandeur or Sublimity; these are synonymous terms : — RATE 137 THE ALPS Proud monuments of God ! sublime ye stand Among the wonders of his mighty hand ; With summits soaring in the upper sky, Where the broad day looks down with burning eye ; Where gorgeous clouds in solemn pomp repose, Flinging rich shadows on eternal snows ; Piles of triumphant dust, ye stand alone, And hold in kingly state a peerless throne ! Like olden conquerors, on high ye rear The regal ensign, and the glittering spear ; Round icy spires, the mists, in wreaths unrolled, Float ever near, in purple or in gold ; And voiceful torrents, sternly rolling there, Fill with wild music the unpillared air. What garden, or what ball on earth beneath, Thrills to such tones as o'er the mountains breathe ? There, through long ages past, those summits shone, When morning radiance on their state was thrown. There, when the summer day's career was done, Played the last glory of the sinking sun ; There, sprinkling luster o'er the cataract's shade, The chastened moon her glittering rainbow made ; And blent with pictured stars, her luster lay, Where to still vales the streams leaped away. Where are the thronging hosts of other days, Whose banners floated o'er the Alpine ways ; Who, through their high defiles, to battle wound, While deadly ordnance stirred the heights around ? Gone, like the dream, that melts at early morn, 138 RATE When the lark's anthem through the sky is borne ; Gone, like the wrecks that sink into ocean's spray, And chill oblivion murmurs, Where are they ? Yet, " Alps on Alps " still use ; the lofty home Of storms, and eagles, where their pinions roam ; Still, round their peaks, the magic colors lie, Of morn and eve, imprinted on the sky ; And still, while kings and thrones shall fade and fall And empty crowns lie dim upon the pall ; Still, shall their glaciers flash ; their torrents roar ; Till kingdoms fail, and nations rise no more. Ordinary description or common conversation re- quires Medium Rate. It is not necessary to give examples here. Rapid Rate is used where there is excitement, or the first impulse of emotion. Intense excitement or emo- tion passes to the state of Very Slow Rate. Some per- sons become so emotional, when agitation continues, that they can scarcely speak at all. The maximum articulation for Rapid Rate is about one hundred and seventy-five syllables a minute. The following will illustrate this Rate. FLITTING All aboard, ye travelers, For Chicago and the West, This train is the " flyer " \ All say it is the best. One mile a minute, We'll flit through the air, RATE 139 There's not a bit of clanger ; You need not thus despair. Hear the engine puffing And gasping for his breath ! Hear the stokers grumbling Because the track is wet ! Forward we are moving, Soon we'll have our gait. Clear the track, you booby, There is no time to wait. Oh, but this is glorious ! Watch that crossing there ! Flitting through the hamlets, Past the farms so fair. Look out ! There is some danger ; A cow is on the track, Bump ! how the engine trembled ; We knocked her off " cherwhack." Now yonder is a city, Just a mile ahead. " Ten minutes' stop here ; Time to get some bread." Over plain and mountain At such a lively rate — " San Francisco, flower land ; We've reached the Golden Gate." — Frank S. Fox. 140 RATE Very Rapid Rate is from one hundred and seventy- five syllables a minute up, and is used in excitement. The following extract from Ouida's novel, " Under Two Flags," describes the race for the " Soldiers' Blue Ribbon and the Gold Vase prize." Thirty-two horses enter the race. At the finish only two are left, and at the last supreme test only " Forest King " dares the leap and wins the race. The rate in this selection will sometimes be over two hundred syllables to the minute. The rate is not tini- form throughout the selection. THE MILITARY STEEPLECHASE Not knowing, or looking, or heeding what happened behind, they tore on over the meadow and the plowed land ; the two favorites neck by neck. The turning flags were passed ; from the crowds on the course a great hoarse roar came, louder and louder, and the shouts rang, changing every second, " Forest King wins," " Bay Regent wins," " Scarlet and White's ahead," "Violet's up with him," " Violet's past him," "Scarlet recovers," "Scarlet beats," " A cracker on the King 3 " "Ten to one on the Regent," "Guards are over the fence first," " Guards are winning," " Guards are losing." As the shout rose Cecil's left stirrup leather snapped and gave way; at the pace they were going most men, ay, and good riders too, would have been hurled out of their saddle by the shock ; he scarcely swerved ; a moment to ease the King and to recover his equilibrium, then he took the pace up again as though nothing had chanced. And his comrades of the Household, when they saw this through their race RATE 141 glasses, broke through their serenity and burst into a cheer that echoed over the grasslands and the coppices like clarion, a cheer like blast of trumpets, and thrilled on Bertie's ear where he came down the course a mile away. It made his heart beat quicker with a victorious headlong delight, as his knees pressed closer into Forest King's flanks, and, half stirrupless like the Arabs, he thundered forward to the greatest riding feat of his life. His face was very calm still, but his blood was in tumult; the delirium of pace had got on him; a minute of life like this was worth a year, and he knew that he would win or die for it, as the land seemed to fly like a black sheet under him, and in that killing speed, fence and hedge and double and water all went by him like a dream, whirling underneath him as the gray stretched, stomach to earth over the level, and rose to leap after leap. He was more than a length behind the Regent, whose hoofs as they dashed the ground up sounded like thunder ; it was more than the lead to keep now, there was ground to cover, and the King was losing. Cecil felt drunk with that strong, keen, west wind that blew so strongly in his teeth, a passionate excitation was in him, every breath of winter air that rushed in its bracing currents round him seemed to lash him like a stripe. Certain wild blood that lay latent in Cecil under the tranquil gentleness of temper and of custom woke, and had the mastery. He set his teeth hard, and his hands clinched like steel on the bridle. "Oh! my beauty, my beauty," he cried, half aloud. " Kill me if you like, but don't fail me!" As though Forest King heard the prayer and answered it with all his hero's heart, the splendid form launched faster I42 RATE out, the stretching stride stretched farther yet with lightning spontaneity, every fiber strained, every nerve struggled ; with a magnificent bound like an antelope the Gray recovered the ground he had lost, and passed Bay Regent by a quarter length. It was a neck to neck race once more, across the three meadows with the last and lower fences that were between them and the final leap of all, — that ditch of artificial water with the towering double hedge of oak rails and of blackthorn that was reared, black and grim and well-nigh hopeless, just in front of the Grand Stand. A roar like the roar of the sea broke up from the thronged course as the crowd hung breathless on the even race ; ten thousand shouts rang as thrice ten thousand eyes watched the closing contest, the gigantic Chestnut, with every massive sinew swelled and strained to tension, side by side with the marvelous grace, the shining flanks, and the Arabian-like head of the Guards' horse. Louder and wilder the shrieked tumult rose : " The Chest- nut beats ! " " The Gray beats ! " " Scarlet's ahead ! " " Bay Regent's caught him ! " "Violet's winning, Violet's winning ! " "The King's neck by neck ! " " The King's beating ! " "The Guards will get it ! " " The Guards' crack has it ! " " Not yet, not yet ! " " Now for it ! " " The Guards, the Guards, the Guards!" "Scarlet will win!" "The King has the finish!" " No, no, no, NO ! " Sent along at a pace that Epsom flat never eclipsed, sweep- ing by the Grand Stand like the flash of electric flame, they ran side to side one moment more, their foam flung on each other's withers, their breath hot in each other's nostrils, while the dark earth flew beneath their stride. The blackthorn was in front, behind five bars of solid oak, the water yawning on its RATE I43 farther side, black and deep, and fenced, twelve feet wide if it were an inch, with the same thorn wall beyond it; a leap no horse should have been given. Cecil pressed his knees closer and closer, and worked the gallant hero for the test ; the surg- ing roar of the throng, though so close, was dull on his ear : he heard nothing, knew nothing, saw nothing but that lean chestnut head beside him, the dull thud on the turf of the flying gallop, and the black wall that reared in his face. Forest King had done so much, could he have stay and strength for this? Cecil's hands clinched unconsciously on the bridle, and his face was very pale — pale with excitation — as his foot where the stirrup was broken crushed closer and harder against the Gray's flanks. " Oh, my darling, my beauty — now / " One touch of the spur — the first — and Forest King rose at the leap, all the life and power there were in him gathered for one superhuman and crowning effort ; a flash of time, not half a second in duration, and he was lifted in the air higher and higher, and higher in the cold, fresh, wild winter wind ; stakes and rails, and thorn and water lay beneath him black and gaunt and shapeless, yawning like a grave ; one bound, even in midair, one last convulsive impulse of the gathered limbs, and Forest King was over ! And as he galloped up the straight run-in, he was alone. Bay Regent had refused the leap. As the Gray swept to the Judge's chair, the air was rent with deafening cheers that seemed to reel like drunken shouts from the multitude. " The Guards win, the Guards win ; " and when his rider pulled up at the distance with the full sun shining on the scarlet and white, Forest King stood in 144 RATE all his glory, winner of the Soldiers' Blue Ribbon, by a feat without its parallel in all the annals of the Gold Vase. The student must keep in mind that very few selec- tions have the same Rate throughout. Several kinds of Rate will be found in nearly every production. " Sheridan's Ride " by Thomas Buchanan Read, for example, has elements of the five classes of Rate. In the examples here given, the Rate under which each is quoted predominates. CHAPTER XII Movement Movement is that element of speech which has to do with the ethos or manner or style of progression, but does not relate to quickness. It does not deal with the physical but with the mental condition of the indi- vidual. The mind must feel the quality. Thus we speak of a Majestic or Dignified Movement ; the emotion would be of the ethos kind, such as would be used in the delivery of the following from Hopkinsou : — " How imploring is the majesty of the law ! How calm her dignity ; how vast her power ; how firm and tranquil in her reign ! It is not by fleets and arms, by devastation and wrong, by oppression and blood, she maintains her sway and executes her decrees. Sustained by justice, reason, and the great interests of man, she but speaks, and is obeyed. Even those who do not approve, hesitate not to support her ; and the individual upon whom her judgment falls knows that sub- mission is not only a duty he must perform, but that the security and enjoyment of all that is dear to him depend upon it. A mind accustomed to acknowledge no power but physi- cal force, no obedience but personal fear, must view with astonishment a feeble individual sitting with no parade of strength, surrounded by no visible agents of power, issuing i45 146 MOVEMENT his decrees with oracular authority, while the rich and the great, the first and the meanest, await alike to perform his will. Still more wonderful is it to behold the coordinate officers of the same government yielding their pretensions to his higher influence ; the executive, the usual depository and instrument of power ; the legislative, even the representative of the people, yield a respectful acquiescence to the judgments of the tribunals of the law pronounced by the minister and expounder of the law. It is enough for him to say, ' It is the opinion of the court,' and the farthest corner of our republic feels and obeys the mandate. What a sublime spectacle ! This is indeed the empire of the law, and safe and happy are all they who dwell within it." We speak of the Somber Movement as illustrated by this extract : — THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, As his corpse to the ramparts we hurried ; Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot, O'er the grave where our hero we buried. We buried him darkly at dead of night, The sod with our bayonets turning ; By the struggling moonbeam's misty light, And the lantern dimly burning. No useless coffin inclosed his breast, Nor in sheet nor in shroud we wound him ; But he lay like a warrior taking his rest, With his martial cloak around him. MOVEMENT 1 47 Few and short were the prayers we said, And we spoke not a word of sorrow ; But we steadfastly gazed on the face of the dead, As we bitterly thought of the morrow. We thought as we hollowed his narrow bed And smoothed down his lonely pillow, That the foe and the stranger would tread o'er his head, And we far away on the billow. Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone, And o'er his cold ashes upbraid him ; But little he'll reck, if they let him sleep on, In the grave where a Briton has laid him. But half of our heavy task was done, When the clock struck the hour for retiring ; And we heard the distant and random gun, That the foe was sullenly firing. Slowly and sadly we laid him down, From the field of his fame fresh and gory ; We carved not a line, we raised not a stone, But we left him alone in his glory. — Wolfe. Then we have the Sprightly Movement as illustrated by the following from Tennyson : — THE BROOK I come from haunts of coot and hern, I make a sudden sally, And sparkle out among the fern, To bicker down a valley. 148 MOVEMENT By thirty hills I hurry down, Or slip between the ridges, By twenty thorps, a little town, And half a hundred bridges. Till last by Philip's farm I flow To join the brimming river. For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever. I chatter over stony ways, In little sharps and trebles, I bubble into eddying bays, I babble on the pebbles. With many a curve my banks I fret, By many a field and fallow, And many a fairy foreland set With willow-weed and mallow. I chatter, chatter, as I flow To join the brimming river, For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever. I wind about, and in, and out, With here a blossom sailing, And here and there a lusty trout, And here and there a grayling, And here and there a foamy flake Upon me, as I travel With many a silvery waterbreak Above the golden gravel, MOVEMENT 1 49 And draw them all along, and flow To join the brimming river, For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever. I steal by lawns and grassy plots, I slide by hazel covers ; I move the sweet forget-me-nots That grow for happy lovers. I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance, Among my skimming swallows ; I make the netted sunbeams dance Against my sandy shallows. I murmur under moon and stars, In brambly wildernesses ; I linger by my shingly bars ; I loiter round my cresses ; And out again I curve and flow To join the brimming river, For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever. We have also a Stately, Dignified Movement, of which the following selection is an example : — OTHELLO'S APOLOGY Most potent, grave, and reverend seignors, My very noble and approved good masters, That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter, It is most true ; true, I have married her : 150 MOVEMENT That very head and front of my offending Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech, And little bless' d with the soft phrase of peace ; For, since these arms of mine had seven years' pith, Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used Their dearest action in the tented field ; And little of this great world can I speak, More than pertains to feats of broil and battle ; And therefore little shall I grace my cause In speaking for myself. Yet, by your gracious patience, I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver Of my whole course of love ; what drugs, what charms, What conjuration, and what mighty magic, — For such proceeding I am charged withal, — I won his daughter with. I do beseech you, Send for the lady to the Sagittary, And let her speak of me before her father : If you do find me foul in her report, The trust, the office, I do hold of you, Not only take away, but let your sentence Even fall upon my life. And, till she come, as truly as to heaven I do confess the vices of my blood, So justly to your grave ears I'll present How I did thrive in this fair lady's love, And she in mine. Her father loved me ; oft invited me ; Still question'd me the story of my life, From year to year, the battles, sieges, fortunes, That I have pass'd. MO VEMENT 1 5 I I ran it through, even from my boyish days To the very moment that he bade me tell it : Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances, Of moving accidents by flood and field ; Of hairbreadth 'scapes i' the imminent deadly breach ; Of being taken by the insolent foe, And sold to slavery ; of my redemption thence, And portance in my travels' history : Wherein of antres vast and deserts idle, Rough quarries, rocks, and hills whose heads touch heaven, It was my hint to speak, — such was the process ; And of the Cannibals that each other eat, The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads Do grow beneath their shoulders. This to hear Would Desdemona seriously incline : But still the house affairs would draw her thence ; Which ever as she could with haste dispatch, She'd come again, and with a greedy ear Devour up my discourse : which I observing, Took once a pliant hour ; and found good means To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart That I would all my pilgrimage dilate, Whereof by parcels she had something heard, But not intentively. I did consent ; And often did beguile her of her tears, When I did speak of some distressful stroke That my youth suffer' d. My story being done, She gave me for my pains a world of sighs : She swore, In faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange ; ' Tw as pitiful, 'tiuas wondrous pitiful : She wish'd she had not heard it ; yet she wish'd 152 MOVEMENT That heaven had made her such a man : she thank'd me ; And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her, I should but teach him how to tell my story, And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake : She loved me for the dangers I had pass'd ; And I loved her that she did pity them. This only is the witchcraft I have used : Here comes the lady : let her witness it. — Shakespeare's Othello. THE BEAUTIFUL SNOW Over the mountains, so rugged and old ; Over the meadows, so barren and cold ; Over the withered brown foliage and flowers, Strewing so sadly the summer's fair bowers ! Tenderly, gently, thy white mantle throw, Cover them, hide them, O beautiful snow ! Come in thy beauty, our sad thoughts beguile, Win us from earth and its sorrows awhile ! Teach us sweet lessons, remind us that we, Sullied with earth-stains, may purified be ! Walking as angels, though dwelling below — Spotless as thou art, O beautiful snow ! Over the hearts that are weary and worn, Over the mortals who wander forlorn ; Over the hopeless, the helpless, oppressed, Draw thy white curtain, and soothe them to rest ; Hush their complainings thy silence below, Cover them, hide them, O beautiful snow ! CHAPTER XIII Accent Accent has its origin in the natural flow of rhythm. In the discussion of rhythm we learned that it is a natural movement. Accent is that ictus of the voice which marks the prominent syllables in spoken language. Every word not a monosyllable has an accent. Nature is constantly exerting itself in arsis and ictus, or rhythmical force. It is not an even effort. Note the planets in their orbits, a storm in its course, water in its rush. At times they relent, then they strike with fury, or increased force. Accent is defined as a stress of voice on one syllable of a word more than on another, but seldom is there a reason given for this in books. After a careful con- sideration of the subject, I find four reasons for accent, but only two of any real importance. Years ago there were three. The first reason is a natural one as noted above ; the remaining three are artificial. The natural reason for accent is the natural move- ment of the voice in rhythms. This natural accent need not be especially learned, as it comes as an ele- i53 154 ACCENT ment of movement in speech. Without this natural accent the tones would be monotonous and, so, un- pleasant. The second reason for accent on a word was agreed upon by linguists to mark the root of the word. This we may term the Radical \ or Root, or Primary Accent. This was purely dictatorial. The philologist wanted the root of the word apparent. While this was convenient for linguistic study, in words with several affixes it very often rendered the pronunciation difficult. So the "com- mon " people, who had no interest in these root distinc- tions, pronounced the words, giving the accent that was natural, and hence easy to utter. As the common people in time usually win, so they did here, and the desire of the scholar has been so completely ignored that this accent distinction is of very little consequence, and scarcely worth the effort made to teach it. This Radical or Primary Accent is still retained as the principal accent, whether it occurs on the root of the word or not. It is made by the most forcible stress of the voice when uttering the word, and is indicated by an oblique mark, thus ('), over the accented syllable. A third use or reason for accent is to indicate the meaning of certain words. There are about eighty-five words in the English language that are used to repre- sent entirely different meanings by the simple change of accent. They are classed as nouns, or adjectives, or verbs. The following are a few : con'summate, con- sum' mate ; gal'lant, gallant' ; Au'gust, august' ; con' vert, ACCENT 155 convert 1 ; per' feet, perfect 1 ; con 1 tract, contract 1 ; detail, detail' ; survey, survey' ; ex' He, exile' ; min'ute, minute' ; perfume, perfume'. This use of the accent is very limited, and so of little importance, since the context will determine the meaning of the word. The fourth reason or use for the accent is to mark stress syllables in metrical literature. In scanning, the syllable is termed the accented syllable. This is the natural rhythm of language, arranged so the ac- cented syllable comes at regular stated intervals. For the mastery of this use of accent, the student must make a careful study of verse. The accented syllable of meter is the long syllable, or, if perfectly constructed, the syllable that contains the open or long vocal. However, in English verse this open or long vocal syllable is not always accurately con- structed with an open vocal, and so the metrical stress is marked by accent. The following are the metrical formulas of English verse with their respective names. The student will observe that three of the feet are dissyllabic and three trisyllabic. These accent adjust- ments are called the Poetic Rhythms. The straight mark, or macron, marks the accented syllable, and the curved mark, or breve, the unaccented syllable. The perpendicular line shows the division of the verse into feet. The accented syllable corresponds with the long syllable, and the unaccented is identical with the short syllable. 156 ACCENT TROCHEE, OR TROCHAIC VERSE u I \J \ — w|_w I \J _ KJ I _ \J I _ \J I IAMBUS, OR IAMBIC VERSE u _ I u _. I u _ I w _ I \J \ \J \ \J I w I This foot is the basis of the heroic couplet and also of English blank verse. SPONDEE, OR SPONDAIC VERSE I I - - I __ I __ I __ I Spondaic feet are seldom successive. In dactylic hexameter, the final foot is always a Spondee. DACTYL, OR DACTYLIC VERSE ww| ww| ww| — v^wl — ww| — ww| ANAPEST, OR ANAPESTIC VERSE WV_/ I \J \J I \J \J I \J \J I \J \J I \J \J — I This is a reversed Dactyl. AMPHIBRACH, OR AMPHIBRACHIC VERSE KJ U I U _ U ] W w|w w| \j w|w \J \ \J — u I U \J I ACCENT 157 The following excerpts are examples of the applica- tion of these poetic accents : — TROCHEE Sing-ing I through the | for-est | Rat-tling I 6-ver | rid-ges | Shoot-ing I un-der | arch-es | Rum-bling | 6-ver | bridg-es | Whlz-zTng I through the | moun-tains | Buz-zTng I o'er the | vale | Bless me | this is | pleas-ant | Rid-ing I on a. I rail | — John G. Saxe. IAMBUS We live | in deeds | not years | In thoughts I not breaths | In feel- | ings, not | in fig- | ures on | a. dial | We should | count time | by heart | throbs. He | most lives | Who thinks | most feels | the no- | blest, acts | the best | — Bailey. Thou too I sail on | O ship | of state | Sail on | O Un | ion strong | and great | Hu man | 1 ty | with all | its fears | WTth all I the hope | of fut | ure years | Is hang I ing breath | less on | thy fate | — Longfellow. SPONDEE Oh that this | too too \ sol id flesh. — Shakespeare. Fare-well I a long | fare-well | to all | my great ness | — Shakespeare, Henry VIII. Rocks, caves I lakes, fens \ bogs, dens | and shades | of death | 158 ACCENT DACTYL Mer-ri-ly | mer-ri-ly | shall I live | now | Un-der the | blos-som that | hangs on the | bough | — Shakespeare. Per-ish-ing | gloom-I-ly Spurred by con | tii-me-ly | Cold in hu I man-T-ty | Burn-ing in | san-i-ty | In to her | rest. — Thomas Hood. ANAPEST The As-syr | ian came down | like a wolf | on the fold | And his co | horts were gleam | ing in pur | pie and gold | And the she~en | of his spears | was like stars | on the sea I When the blue | wave rolls night | ly, on deep | Gal-T-lee | — Byron . You have heard | said a youth | to his sweet | heart who stood | While he sat | on a corn I sheaf at day I light's de-cline | You have heard | of the Dan | ish boy's whist | le of wood | And I wish | that that Dan | ish boy"s whist | le was mine | . AMPHIBRACH How dear to | my heart are | the scenes of | my child-hood | When fond re I col-lect-ions | pre-sent them | to view | The 6r-chard | the mead-6w | the deep tangl | ed wild-wood | And ev-ery I loved spot that | my in-fan | cy knew | — Woodworth. In slum-bers | of mid-night | the sai-lor | boy lay | His ham-mock | swung loose at I the sport of | the wind | But watch-worn | and wea-ry | his cares flew | away | And vis-ions | of hap-pi | ness danced o'er | his mind I — Dimond. ACCENT 159 These different arrangements of accent in poetic feet are somewhat suggestive of certain kinds of emotion. It will be observed by examination of poetic literature that the Trochaic foot fits naturally to emotions of Pleas- tire, Cheerfulness, and Sprightliness. The Iambic foot naturally expresses Firmness, Dignity, Sedateness, and Gravity. The Spondaic foot suggests Determination, Resolution, and Decision. The Dactylic foot belongs to that poetry that ex- presses Pleasure, Gayety, Vivacity, and Nimbleness. The Anapestic foot has a natural animated sweep, and expresses Activity, Buoyancy, Alertness, and Alacrity. The Amphibrachic foot has an Elevating, Ennobling, Inspiring, and Enrapturing quality in its expression. While it is true that many poems are written which do not have these emotional influences and yet have the metrical foot as indicated, this does not argue against these foot and emotional associations. Such poems lack affinity in thought and poetic movement, and they do not cling to us as those that have this affinity. The student should now search in literature for these ele- ments of literary expression, and practice faithfully the poems, committing some so as to absorb these movements of language. This will have a pleasing effect on the movements of the voice, that will enrich the conversation as well as give more animated speech. These move- ments must be faithfully drilled into the language habits. A more practical application of Accent is to be found in the chapter on "Rhythm." CHAPTER XIV Rhythm The ability of man to produce sound is natural. His power to grasp single tones is likewise a gift of nature. The association of these sound groups, which is called speech, to represent certain objects or actions, is artifi- cial. To illustrate : in English the little sound group, door, is used to represent an opening ; in German the sound group for the same thing is represented by thiir, in Anglo-Saxon it is d?im t in Latin fores. The manner of this association is man's own invention, it is artificial. The single tones that compose these groups are not of the same duration. The difference in duration is due to man's natural manipulation of the natural laws of speech. A person left wholly to himself will, under natural impulses, develop a speech. The study of Rhythm is the study of the length of these single impulses of sound. Rhythm, Meter, and Stress are often confused by students studying the Speech Arts, and even by writers on these subjects. Let me try to illustrate the differ- ences of these terms. If you will take a hammer, hold- ing the handle very loosely in the hand, and then drop 1 60 RHYTHM l6l the hammer on an anvil or hard stone, you will observe four things. First, the hammer will rebound. Second, it will rebound a certain number of times, the number of times depending on the distance you let the ham- mer fall. Third, each rebound will diminish in force. Fourth, the time will be shortened between each re- bound. Now, the rebounding and the shortening of the time between each rebound constitutes Rhythm. The rebounding a certain number of times with each drop is Meter. The diminishing in force of each re- bound is Stress. Thus we see that Rhythm is a movement of nature. This movement is seen in the rippling waters, the sway- ing bough, the swinging pendulum, the nodding flower, the rolling waves, the flying bird, and the leaping ani- mal. It is heard in the chirp of the cricket, the song of the bird, the roll of the thunder, the whir of machinery, the laughter of the child, the song of the maiden, the speech of the orator. As the child develops and sen- sation begins to control its activities, Rhythm manifests itself as a Mental Movement. This Mental Movement is the result of the influence of our emotional nature upon our mental activities, and is made apparent in speech by the length of the vocal element. Rhythm is most influential in poetic language, because the effect in poetry is made more vital by the mechanical arrange- ments of the open and close vocal elements into poetic feet or Meters. Rhythm is in prose as well as in poetry, but is not so prominent because of the lack of 1 62 RHYTHM metrical arrangement. Victor Hugo says, " There is no prose in English," and he is right. All persons natu- rally have Rhythm in their speech, and it is very promi- nent in childhood. But some lose it almost altogether, either because of environment, or carelessness in speech, or educational training. This rhythmical movement is so natural that in joy we involuntarily laugh and sing and move in rhythms. We learn from Plutarch that in his time all teaching and the learning of numbers was in rhythms. Most children will remember the multiplica- tion table more readily if taught it rhythmically. All truly great orators have this Rhythm in their speech. Some have kept it from childhood, others who lost much of it have attained it again with comparative ease, while still others have had to labor long and hard to regain it. When this is one of the elements that makes the pleasing speaker and conversationalist, and when speech is such an important factor in this coun- try's welfare, it is unfortunate, indeed, that so many teachers in our schools seemingly do all in their power to knock the Rhythm out of the child's speech. Persons who possess this potent speech element without any apparent effort are said to be born orators, they speak so fluently. But, like music, to some it comes easily, while others acquire it only after persistent study and practice. Coming under natural law, Rhythm belongs to all languages, not to English alone, and is due to the fact that elementary sounds are not of the same prolonga- RHYTHM 163 tion when marking the mental action. We have long and short vocal elementary sounds in proportion as the organs of articulation may be widely separated in the production of the elements as they are being grouped. Any vocal element may be prolonged indefinitely, hit its length is determined when it is being associated with others so as to form speech. Consonants are long and short in proportion as the organs of articulation are in loose contact or pinched together. Thus we have two general classes of speech elements : the first we may call vocals or long elements ; and the second, articulates or short elements. Keeping in mind the organs of speech, it is better to think of the vocals as open elements and the articulates or consonants as close elements ; because the organs of speech are open or close when making the element. Then, again, the vocals are divided into long and short elements, or open and close sounds; and the artic- ulates or consonants are divided into long and short elements or open and close sounds. The following table will show the classification of the open and close elements. The elements, as noted above, do not have the same length ; it is doubtful if any two of the whole number have the same duration when grouped with others for speech in an easy natural way. An element belongs to the open class when there is a strong tendency to separate the organs more widely in producing the sound strongly; and an element be- longs to the close group when the organs stand firm or 164 RHYTHM contract to close the mouth when the element is made or emphasized. Table of Vocal Elements Open or Prolonged Vocal Close or Shortened Vocal Elements Elements 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3. e, e, e. 6, 6, 0, 1. 1, u, u, u, u, u. aa, ae, ai, ao, au. ea, where the 3 has lost en- ee, ea, ei, eo, eu. tirely its own sound. ii, i3, ie, io, iu. 00, oa, oe, oi, ou, ow, oy. uu, ua, ue, ui, uo. Table of Articulates or Consonants Open or Prolonged Articulates r, w, y, 1, ra, n, ng, v, z. Close or Shortened Articulates b, d, f, g, j, s, th ; subvocal y zh, wh, ch, th ; aspirant, sh, k, t, p. These tables do not include any substitutes, as a sub- stitute is clothed with all the power of the letter it repre- sents. Also, c is omitted, as its sounds are represented by k and s ; and q is omitted, as it is always joined with u and the two are represented by kw\ and x has its equivalent in eks\ h has no place in the tables because it cannot be given separate from the vowel following, RHYTHM 165 and its office is merely to cover the following vocal with breath. K, t, p, of the list, are nonvocals ; that is, they have no sound. See chapter on " Articulation." Rhythm is one of the " powers of speech " of which the listener feels the influence, but unless he is some- what learned in the elements of speech he will not be able to point it out. It gives a magnetism and a charm of such subtle persuasion that the auditor is compelled to listen. Teachers and public speakers and persons who wish to excel in address and conversation should carefully cultivate this rhythmical speech. In order to educate oneself in this language element, the student must first know how to make the elementary sounds organically accurate, and for this the student is referred to the chapter on "Articulation." Few persons can describe at once how an element is made organically. Neither is it easily done. It can be learned only by introspective study. After the student has studied and carefully practiced the manner of making the elementary sounds as described in the chapter on " Articulation," then he should study and drill on the following exercises. First. Pronounce the sentences very slowly several times, being sure that each element of each word is accu- rately and clearly made. Do not hurry. After the sentence can slowly be pronounced per- fectly, then increase the rate, reading it again and again until the proper rate is reached. 1 66 RHYTHM (a) Rate is gesture. (J>) To express thought, gesture is necessary. (V) Emphasis is gesture. {d) Gesture is emphasis. (e) The perfections of nature hide themselves behind the veil of modesty. (/) A natural speaker is not ignorant. (g) He who struggles to be natural without study, scholar- ship, and practice in harmony with nature's laws, will be most artificial. {h) " 'Tis a point I long to know, Oft it causes anxious thought ; Do I love the Lord or no ? Am I His or am I not ? " — Newton. (i) " I heard the voice of Jesus say, ' I am the dark world's light ; Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, And all thy days be bright.' " — Horatius Bonar. Any literary production may be used as a study and for practice in Articulation. CHAPTER XV Stress and Force Stress is force in Articulation and hence closely associated with it. It is the principal factor in Accent and is the important element in Emphasis. Unless the vocal elements have their proportionate Stress, some parts of the speech elements will be indis- tinct, and pronunciation will be unintelligible. Because the elements of speech do not have the same pitch (see chapter on " Pitch "), some cease to be heard sooner than others. If the proper proportion of Stress is not ob- served, some elements of the words and sentences will be lost altogether. This element of speech, properly observed, gives the clear, distinct utterance. To acquire it, every letter, with its various sounds, where there is more than one, should be carefully practiced. Stress is usually applied to parts of words, and here is where it becomes Accent, and grows into Emphasis. It is given different names under Accent, which are the result of its location on the word, and are practically three in number. Radical Stress is the principal force applied at the 167 1 68 STRESS AND FORCE beginning or initial part of a sound, or a syllable, or a word, or a sentence. Median Stress, or Middle Stress, is the principal force of the voice applied at or near the middle of a sound, or a syllable, or a word, or a sentence. Terminal Stress is where the principal force falls on or near the end of a sound, or a syllable, or a word, or a sentence. Sentence is usually excluded from Stress and included under Climax, but Climax means more than one word or sentence ; and often this Terminal Stress is on a single sentence. Some writers speak of a Thorough Stress, but this is only sustained Stress, throughout the sound, or syllable, or word, or sentence. Also they have a. Compound Stress, but, as the term indicates, this is only a union of the Radical and Terminal Stress. Then there is the Tremulo Stress, which is only the quavering of the Thorough Stress. To make subdivisions when they are only variations is confusing to the student. Force, which is a component part of Stress, has many degrees of intensity. The Force of the Stress must be determined by the kind of thought. For example, lan- guage whose thought shows strong determination will have either Radical or Terminal Stress, or may have both, predominating. Radical Stress shows decision and intellectuality, and is used in positive narrative, courageous, and instructive style of speech. If the lauguage shows the thought to be pathos, emotion, STRESS AND FORCE 1 69 grandeur, melancholy, the prevailing Stress will be the Median. Terminal Stress has for its thought contempt, revenge, strong determination, command, astonishment, horror. To develop the expression of the stresses, the student should practice for many weeks the following exercises. Most speeches, if long, may contain Radical, and Median, and Terminal Stress. In the application of Stress, do not think the tones must all be loud. Stress is to be applied to the soft tones as well. EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE " Hath a dog money ? Is it possible A cur can lend three thousand ducats ? Or, Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key, With 'bated breath and whispering humbleness, Say this, — Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last ; You spurned me such a day ; another time You called me dog ; and for these courtesies I'll lend you thus much moneys ? " — Merchant of Venice. " Down, ruthless insulter." " Now die, base wretch ! Never again, by the all-righteous Lord, shalt thou with life Escape this trusty sword ! Revenge is sweet ! " -— E. C. Donnelly. 170 STRESS AND FORCE " 0, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew ! Or, that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter ! " — Shakespeare. " The bright moon rose over the mighty city, tipping with silver the domes of more than two hundred churches, and pour- ing a flood of light over a thousand palaces and the dwellings of three hundred thousand inhabitants. The weary army sank to rest, but there was no sleep for Mortier's eyes." — J. T. Headley. "'This to Me!' he said, — ' An 'twere not for thy hoary beard, Such hand as Marmion's had not spared To cleave the Douglas' head ! And, first, I tell thee, haughty peer, He who does England's message here, Although the meanest in her state, May well, proud Angus, be thy mate.' " — Sir Walter Scott. " I've scared ye in the city, I've scalped ye on the plain ; Go, count your chosen where they fell Beneath my leaden rain ; I scorn your proffered treaty, The paleface I defy, 9 Revenge is stamped upon my spear, And blood my battle cry." — G. W. Patten. CHAPTER XVI Pronunciation Some one has said, "Speak, that I may know thee." Accurate pronunciation is an unknown art with many people, and there are no classes of individuals to be excepted. The leaders of education come in for their share of adverse criticism. I once listened to a college president, a man of enviable reputation, and in a speech of about twenty-five minutes he mispronounced over twenty words. At another time I listened to an educa- tor, a Ph.D. graduate, and the author of a work on phi- lology which was accepted and published by a leading publishing house ; and this man in a speech of about thirty minutes blundered on the pronunciation of over forty words. I have heard recitations, conducted by teachers, most of whom were college-trained, in scores of leading high schools and colleges, and in these recita- tions many of the most common words were mispro- nounced by both teacher and pupils. This kind of English teaching will not be likely to produce accurate users of the English language ; and certainly, accuracy is important. Because the English language is a living language, and on this account constantly changing in many of its 171 1 72 PR ON UNCI A TION details, it is important that the student be ever on the qui vive for changes which are constantly taking place. The successful student must have ever at his elbow an unabridged dictionary of accepted authority, which he must consult constantly. A good dictionary is indis- pensable in the student's library. If he would be a scholar, he cannot afford to be without one. It is painful to listen to 'a speaker, a leader, incorrectly pro- nouncing words in common use. When a pronunciation is once learned, it is not easy to change it. Hence it is very important that the first learning shall be correct. For this reason teachers in the common schools and professors in the colleges should assiduously guard the pronunciation of students. The lack of good pronuncia- tion has cost many a person a position of worth, influ- ence, and honor. It is not my purpose to give rules here for pronuncia- tion, but, rather, to emphasize the importance of giving more careful attention to this study, and to suggest a few helps for the student. Suggestive Study Helps First. — Learn carefully and accurately the diacritical marks. They are the keys that unlock the pronuncia- tion as given in the dictionary. Without this knowledge the dictionary is a sealed book. The diacritics are omitted from this volume because they are to be found in every good dictionary. PR O NUN CIA TION 1 7 3 Second. — Drill very carefully and long on the organic positions for articulation as described in this book in the chapter on " Articulation." Third. — Give careful attention to the syllabizing. This is a subject to which many teachers give no atten- tion ; and it is a very grievous error in the student's training. It is most commendable for good pronuncia- tion to have the pupil pronounce every syllable in oral spelling. The argument that it is a loss of time to do this is not compatible when the damage caused by its omission is considered. Fourth. — Carry in your pocket a small notebook ; and put in it every word you hear pronounced differently from your pronunciation, marking the word diacritically as you heard it pronounced, and as soon as possible con- sult the dictionary to see which is correct. It is not safe to accept any person as authority, when he is speaking. Fifth. — Avoid adopting fads. They are short-lived and usually nonsensical. A few years ago one of Longfellow's relatives said the poet wanted the name of the hero of his Indian legend- ary poem pronounced as if spelled Heawatha, instead of Hiawatha. Some adopted the fad and even went so far as to teach it in the schools when the standard diction- aries on pronunciation were opposed to substituting e for i. Had these same teachers been as enthusiastic in noting the pronunciation of other words, they would have done real good. Even should they succeed in getting 1 74 PR ON UNCI A TION the pronunciation universal enough to influence the lexicographer to change his view, nothing of importance has been accomplished. Some singers were very quick to take up the change, e for z, which has the effect of a close syllable instead of an open syllable. This threw the syllable to the front part of the mouth and closed the mouth, and made a sharp head tone of the syllable. Before it was a middle mellow tone and more musical and pleasing, and easier to utter. There are other words that have suffered a detrimental change in pronuncia- tion. "Hiawatha" is spoken of here only as an exam- ple. The thought, however, for the student is, avoid fads in pronunciation ; you are always judged by the standards as set forth in the dictionaries. Pronuncia- tions should not be changed unless it is to harmonize the word with scientific principles or improve the ease or beauty of speech. CHAPTER XVII Enunciation Enunciation (from e, out, and nuntius, a messenger) is the mode of uttering a word or a sentence with regard to the inflection and tone of voice necessary to suggest the thought, and to give correct pronunciation. " A perfect enunciation consists in the accurate formation of the sounds of the letters by right motions and positions of the organs, accompanied by a proper degree of energy to impress those elements fully and distinctly on the ear; and the act of combining and linking those together so as to form them into words capable of being again combined into clauses and sen- tences, for the full conveyance of our ideas and determinations." — B?'onson. It is apparent that Enunciation is a broad term. It comprises some of Articulation, Pronunciation, and Modulation. It also has to do with Voice and even with gesture, as shown by this passage from Channing : "To enunciate with a voice of thunder and vehement gestures a cold discourse, is to make it colder still." If the student will develop the elements of expression and then combine them into perfect speech, he will possess the required Enunciation. J 75 1 76 ENUNCIA TION Besides this accuracy in uttering the elementary sounds of speech, there is another element that enters into Enunciation ; that is, " tone color." Tone color deals with the emotions. The low chest tones, or voce de petto, express the feelings of the heart, or inmost feeling. The tone color is somber ; that is, a yellow-crimson. The tone is sad, doleful. Above this chest tone is the common or middle voice. This tone expresses cheerfulness, mirth, joy, liveliness, and the color is red ; and as the emotions vary in their intensity, so will the color vary in its shadings. A blind man was once asked what was his idea of scarlet, and he replied that it was like the tone of a trumpet. As color is revealed to us through the eye by certain numbers of vibrations, so the sensations of vibration through the ear of the blind man would give him color. The ear is even more delicate an organ than the eye. For this reason certain enunciated sounds affect us. Martial music enunciated in the key of D stirs our fighting blood, and makes the war horse champ his bit. Strains enunciated in E minor make us sad and sor- rowful. Certain colors spread before us have similar effects. The blind man was no doubt right. He heard the color. Since color and sound have such a close affinity, and have a very great effect on the individual, it is quite important that the speech be enunciated in the proper tone of voice. Above this common voice is the head tone, or voce de EN UN CI A TION 1 7 7 testa. These tones are formed at the highest point of the vocal apparatus. As the chest tones are called the language of the heart, because they seem to spring from that region, so the head tones, or falsetto, may be termed the tones of deception. They show insincerity, deceit, feigning. These elements of enunciation are some of the powers of speech that many persons cannot describe, and yet they have a very decided effect on the auditor. The student should analyze a number of literary pro- ductions and determine to which class the several parts belong. It will be good drill to analyze such speeches as are made by Shylock, Iago, Othello, Cassius, Portia, and the leading characters in King Lear. CHAPTER XVIII Quantity or Time Quantity relates to the time consumed in speaking the elementary sounds when combined to form words. There are two classes, Long Quantity and Short Quantity. While this time element is noticeable in all the sound elements, it is more prominent in the vocals and open consonants, and is most apparent in the open vocals. Quantity is a very strong factor in pleasing speech. It makes one of the prominent differences in a magnetic and a nonmagnetic utterance. While the underlying principle is natural, its modification is effected through the Emotional nature. Long Quantity is used in Deep Pathos, Reverence, the Sublime, the Beautiful. The Short Quantity is used in Impetuous Anger, Sudden Grief, Excitement, Triviality. About the only attention given to Quantity by the rhetorician is in poetry, because Quantity deals with the Open and Close tones of speech and is a fundamental part of rhythm. When the single elements of Quantity are grouped in regular numbers and kinds, we get a measure of speech, and several of these measures con- 178 QUANTITY OR TIME 1 79 stitute Meter. These single groups of Quantity are called, in rhetoric, feet, of which the following are the names : Iambus, Trochee, Spondee, Anapest, Dactyl, Pyrrhic, and Amphibrach. For a complete discussion of feet, see under Accent. In choosing words to express thought, those should be selected that most fully express the emotion of the thought. For dignity, beauty, sublimity, and reverence, the rate is slow, and the vocal elements chosen should be the round, open tones. In conversation and descrip- tion these classes of tone will intermingle. In excite- ment, petulancy, and impatience, the time is fast and the quantity short, and the words chosen should be the close tone elements. I know this is not always observed, but it should be. If it were, much that is written to be spoken would live longer. This same law should be observed by the musician when setting music to words. Study this affinity in the songs that have lived. Now in the best of prose speech we have these same elements of rhythm and meter, only in less regular order. Sometimes the best conversationalists, and the best ora- tors, when using the most effective language, will use a style of speech that is quite poetic in its form. This should be the ideal to be attained in all speech culture. The following are examples for practice, also some prose poems. The student should make a careful study of them, pointing out the different feet and meters. The English language is very susceptible of this poetic 180 QUANTITY OR TIME style, so much so that Victor Hugo says the English has no prose language. EXAMPLES Pathos. It c Farewell ! ' said he^ ' Minnehaha ! Farewell, O my Laughing Water ! All my heart is buried with you, All my thoughts go onward with you ! Come not back again to labor, Come not back again to suffer, Where the Famine and the Fever Wear the heart and waste the body. Soon my task will be completed, Soon your footsteps I shall follow To the Islands of the Blessed, To the Kingdom of Ponemah, To the Land of the Hereafter ! '" — Longfellow. Solemnity. " O God ! this is a holy hour ; Thy breath is o'er the land ; I feel it in each little flower Around me where I stand — In all the moonshine scattered fair, Above, below me, everywhere, — In every dew-bead's glistening sheen, In every leaf and blade of green, — And in this silence grand and deep Wherein thy blessed creatures sleep." — William Motherwell. QUANTITY OR TIME l8"l Beautiful and Sublime. " Over his keys the musing organist, Beginning doubtfully and far away, First lets his fingers wander as they list, And builds a bridge from Dreamland for his lay : Then, as the touch of his loved instrument Gives hope and fervor, nearer draws his theme, First guessed by faint auroral flushes sent, Along the wavering vista of his dream." — Lowell Prose-Poetry. " The palaces and domes of Carthage were burning in the splendor of noon. The blue waves of her harbor were rolling and gleaming in the gorgeous sunlight. An attentive ear could catch a low murmur sounding from the center of the city, which seemed as the moaning of the wind before a tempest. And well it might ; for the whole people of Carthage, startled, astounded by the report that Regulus had returned, were pouring a mighty tide into the great square before the senate house." — Kellogg. " Mankind are toiling for a deathless name. Various are the schemes devised and the plans pursued to gain this one world-sought end ; to rear a pyramid that shall not decay, but grow broader and higher with the roll of ages. This is the nucleus of the world of thought. At its altar are immolated the smile, and the tear ; the swell of delight, the revenging throb, the sweets of duty, the joys of life, and the hopes of heaven. No hardships, nor privations, nor sacrifices, but here are freely shrined. Eating the bread of sorrow or drinking the tears of mourning, the individual world eagerly pursues the 1 82 QUANTITY OR TIME phantom of hope till death stops the chase and rolls them into the tomb." — Barties. EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE OF SHORT QUANTITY "Ye gods ! it doth amaze me a man of such feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world and bear the palm alone." — Shakespeare. " I, an itching palm. You know you are Brutus that says this; or, by the gods, this speech were else your last." — Shakespeare. In the above extracts from Julius Caesar, Cassius is very angry. He bites off the words as it were. SPARTACUS TO THE GLADIATORS "Ye call me chief; and ye do well to call him chief who, for twelve long years, has met upon the arena every shape of man or beast the broad empire of Rome could furnish, and who never yet lowered his arm. If there be one among you who can say that ever, in public fight or private brawl, my actions did belie my tongue, let him stand forth and say it. If there be three in all your company dare face me on the bloody sands, let them come on. And yet I was not always thus, — a hired butcher, a savage chief of still more savage men ! My ances- tors came from old Sparta, and settled among the vine-clad rocks and citron groves of Syrasella. My early life ran quiet as the brooks by which I sported ; and when at noon I gathered the sheep beneath the shade, and played upon the shepherd's flute, there was a friend, the son of a neighbor, to join me in the pastime. We led our flocks to the same pasture, and par- took together of our rustic meal. One evening, after the sheep QUANTITY OR TIME 1 83 were folded, and we were all seated beneath the myrtle which shaded our cottage, my grandsire, an old man, was telling of Marathon and Leuctra, and how, in ancient times, a little band of Spartans, in a defile of the mountains, had withstood a whole army. I did not then know what war was ; but my cheeks burned, I knew not why, and I clasped the knees of that vener- able man, until my mother, parting the hair from off my fore- head, kissed my throbbing temples and bade me go to rest, and think no more of those old tales and savage wars. That very night the Romans landed on our coast. I saw the breast that had nourished me trampled by the hoof of the war horse, and the bleeding body of my father flung amidst the blazing rafters of our dwelling ! "To-day I killed a man in the arena, and when I broke his helmet clasps, behold ! he was my friend. He knew me, smiled faintly, gasped, and died ; — the same sweet smile upon his lips that I had marked, when, in adventurous boyhood, we scaled the lofty cliff to pluck the first ripe grapes, and bear them home in childish triumph. I told the praetor that the dead man had been my friend, generous and brave, and I begged that I might bear away the body, to burn it on a funeral pile, and mourn over its ashes. Ay, upon my knees, amid the dust and blood of the arena, I begged that poor boon, while all the assembled maids and matrons, and the holy virgins they call Vestals, and the rabble, shouted in derision, deeming it rare sport, forsooth, to see Rome's fiercest gladiator turn pale and tremble at sight of that piece of bleeding clay. And the praetor drew back, as if I were pollution, and sternly said, ' Let the carrion rot ; there are no noble men but Romans.' And so, fellow-gladiators, must you, and so must I, die like dogs. O Rome, Rome, thou hast been a tender nurse to me. Ay, thou hast given to that 1 84 QUANTITY OR TIME poor, gentle, timid shepherd lad, who never knew a harsher tone than a flute-note, muscles of iron and a heart of flint ; taught him to drive the sword through plaited mail and links of rugged brass, and warm it in the marrow of his foe ; — to gaze into the glaring eyeballs of the fierce Numidian lion, even as a boy upon a laughing girl. And he shall pay thee back, until the yellow Tiber is red as frothing wine, and in its deepest ooze thy lifeblood lies curdled. " Ye stand here now like giants, as ye are. The strength of brass is in your toughened sinews ; but to-morrow some Roman Adonis, breathing sweet perfume from his curly locks, shall with his lily fingers pat your red brawn, and bet his sesterces upon your blood. Hark ! hear ye yon lion roaring in his den? 'Tis three days since he tasted flesh, but to-morrow he shall break his fast upon yours, — and a dainty meal for him ye will be ! If ye are beasts, then stand here like fat oxen, waiting for the butcher's knife ! If ye are men, — follow me ! Strike down yon guard, gain the mountain passes, and there do bloody work, as did your sires at old Thermopylae. Is Sparta dead ? Is the old Grecian spirit frozen in your veins, that ye do crouch and cower like a belabored hound beneath his master's lash ! O comrades, warriors, Thracians, — if we must fight, let us fight for ourselves ! If we must slaughter, let us slaughter our oppressors ! If we must die, let it be under the clear sky, by the bright waters, in noble, honorable battle ! " — Kellogg. The above production, from the writings of Kellogg, is the masterpiece of mob oratory in American literature. To delineate this character requires great physical strength as well as voice power. To deliver this properly, every muscle of the body will have to be stiff QUANTITY OR TIME 185 and rigid, those of the throat held very firm in order to get the guttural quality of the voice. Standing in a de- fiant attitude with hands clenched, jaw firm, brow knit, facial lines drawn sharp, voice rasping and guttural, you have the attitude for the proper rendition of this production, and it will take weeks of practice to attain this degree of control. Think of the man having just left the arena, the scene of mortal combat. Think that for twelve years he has looked upon these cruel, barbarous sports, and that his heart in a measure has grown cold, cruel, and indifferent. Having killed two men to-day, the second his boyhood friend, his better nature revolts against this kind of a life. Having disobeyed the command of the authorities, he is taken out of the arena and punished so severely that the flesh on his body is bruised and cut and bleed- ing. Covered with blood and dust, he appears before the two hundred other gladiators and delivers this insur- rectionary speech. The elements of expression to be brought out are those of defiance, revenge, hate, remorse, and a longing for justice. A student who has learned to deliver this production properly will have no trouble with any others of a similar character. Practice patiently, persever- ingly, and critically, and success will crown your efforts. Be sure that you keep a proper proportion, or you will pass into the realm of ranting, which would be very inartistic. CHAPTER XIX Climax and Cadence Climax (from the Greek word klimax, a ladder, which is from klino, a slope) belongs to the speaking rhetoric. It is of little, if any, use in language not intended for speaking. Two or more words, or phrases, or clauses, or sen- tences, or paragraphs, may be so arranged as to form a climax. While this is the linguistic arrangement of the climax, it is of very little consequence unless climac- teric expression is used. Frequently in compositions splendid climaxes have been arranged, but they are dead in the rendition, because they have not been vitalized by expression. The office of the climax is emphasis. The simplest use of the climacteric expression is on the Thought Sentence, when a single word is to be emphasized. This might be characterized as the slope element of climax, there being a single swell of the voice. The falling Modulation of the voice after a climax is called the Cadence (from the Latin cado, fall). The Cadence is introduced here because it is so closely connected with climax, and it is much better 1 86 CLIMAX AND CADENCE 1 87 to consider their development together. The short cadence corresponds in voice movement to the Falling Inflection. They differ only in that cadence is voice movement for melody, and inflection deals with the thought interpretation. In the expression of the Climax the fullest tone of the voice is reached on the emphatic word of the Thought Sentence and the accented syllable of that word. The length of the climacteric approach, as well as the length of the Cadence, depends upon the location of the Thought Word in the sentence. The following sentence will show the climacteric approach to be very short, in fact, only the slope of the voice on the letter r\ / Run for your lives, y The lines show the swell of the voice in speech. This abruptness in the beginning of a sentence is called the Abmcpt Open. This next sentence will show the Cadence to be very short : — Here the vocal climax is reached on 0, and the last syllable forms the cadence. This is the Abrupt Close of speech. If the emphatic word opens the sentence, and the accented syllable of that word is the first sylla- ble, and the syllable begins with a vocal, there is no 1 88 CLIMAX AND CADENCE climacteric approach other than the swell of the stress on the vocal. This is an example : — /On, Stanley.X If the emphatic word closes the sentence, and the ac- cented syllable of the emphatic word is the last syllable, and the syllable ends with a vocal, then there is no cadence, except the vanish in the voice to close the vocal. For example : — /\ say I want to go.\ The Abrupt Open and the Abrupt Close of speech indicate some emotion, but not always, usually that of anger. When the emphatic word of the Thought Sentence comes near the middle of the sentence, then we have the climacteric approach or slope, the climax proper, and the Cadence. This gives dignity to speech and shows emotional balance. Example : — / What is so rare as a day in June ? / Then, if ever, come perfect days. ^> These principles of voice movement run through all our speech. CLIMAX AND CADENCE 1 89 The following example is a climax of words with a cadence : — You go, hurry, run, or you will be too late. The Climax ends on run, and the Cadence follows to the end of the sentence. Practice the following : — (a) The good, the great, the noble, and the brave, all slum- ber here. = = (J?) Rise, rise, 'tis Rome demands your help. ( when speaking. When the majority of scholars first read the above state- ments they will say at once, if they have not studied these things, it is not the case ; but I have observed the speech of the ignorant person and of some of the most profound scholars, and they all do as above stated when speaking with natural ease either sentences or words. This is an observation on this part of speech study and a suggestion for the cure of stum- bling in articulation. In many schools no attention is given to syllabizing. Yet for accurate pronunciation it is of very great importance. The sound of many vocal elements depends very much upon how it is associated with the consonants. For example, the boy who said, " Grammar is divided into four parts : or-tho-gra-phy, e-ty-mo-16-gy, syn-tax, and pro-s6-dy," followed the natural law of syllabizing and sounded the vowels according to this association. When he was educated to syllabize according to arbitrary S YLLABICA TION 20 1 rules, the association of vowels and consonants was changed, and he had to change the sound of the vocals also ; and he would then syllabize " or-thog-ra-phy, et-y-mol-o-gy, syn-tax, and pros-o-dy," and he would have short vocals when in the first place they were long, the change from the long to short being brought about by the difference in the association of the vocals because of syllabication. A pupil when spelling should at the same time be taught the syllabizing. It is of as much importance for the correct pro- nunciation of words as it is to know how to spell the words. In the humorous example above the boy could spell correctly, but he could not pronounce correctly because he could not syllabize in harmony with the syllabication given by the linguis- tic scholars. If it had not been decided that the latter way of pronouncing should be the correct way, the boy's way would have been just as good. That pronunciation is not a settled fact is easily seen when examining the dictionaries published, say, fifteen years apart and noting the changes. There is nothing for the pupil to do but to learn the sylla- bizing and pronunciation that has been agreed upon as cor- rect by the linguists when he is in school, and then in after years keep pace with the changes that are made whenever the scholars repent of their former decisions. English is a living language and so constantly changing. When finding a new word, the student should at once refer to the dictionary and learn the syllabication and the correct pronunciation. CHAPTER XXII Gesture Study Of all the elements of speech power, gesture is prob- ably the most used, the least studied, and the most severely criticised. Yet the strongest speakers are free to gesticulate, and they hold the audience attentive listeners and sway them at will, because " Gesture is magnetic, speech is not so." The adverse criticism to the use of gesture is usually made by persons who have studied the subject very little, if at all ; and who do not comprehend the princi- ples of gesture nor the reasons for gesticulation. Per- sons who gesticulate will be more magnetic than those who do not. There is an attractiveness in free, easy, graceful gestures. Besides, their use will give a free circulation of the blood and so quicken the mental ac- tivities, and make the voice and body flexible, all of which will increase the speaker's magnetism. The question is frequently asked, "What is ges- ture ? " Certainly it is an expressive element of lan- guage. Language is of two kinds, namely, uttered sound, or articulate ; and bodily expression, or inarticu- late. Broadly speaking, gesture is any variation of these GESTURE STUDY 203 modes of communication in order to give emphasis to the expression of thought. This being true, there is no reason why the vocal elements which impress thought, such as Emphasis, Climax, Cadence, Rate, Force, Inflection, Melody, Modulation, Swell, Guttural, and Intonation, should not be classed as voice gestures, since they result from certain muscular action prompted by thought. So considering these elements, gesture is of two classes, Voice gesture and Bodily gesture. For the de- velopment of Voice gesture, the student is referred to the chapters discussing those subjects. Bodily gesture here claims our attention. In my teaching and discus- sion of the subject of gesture with the objectors to and criticisers of gesture work, I have found that about one hundred per cent of them constantly confuse gesture with movement. Gesture is movement, but movement is not always ges- ture. A movement becomes a gesture when it expresses a distinct thought ; and it is a good gesture when it ex- presses the thought in such a way as not to attract special attention to itself, and away from the thought. Shakespeare puts it nicely when he has Hamlet say, " Suit the action to the word, the word to the action ; with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of Nature : for anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was, and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to Nature." Every movement to become a gesture must have a 204 GESTURE STUDY o^^jgpRoW - kA 7^ Z stress, or in other words a quick, tense movement of the forearm and hand, especially this latter, and this com- pleted on the accented or empJiatic word of the Thought Sentence. Without this latter stroke there can be no gesture of the arm and hand ; it will be a move- ment. Gestures made singly have three parts, name- ly : first, the movement or preparation preced- ing this stroke; second, this quick or emphasis stroke, made and com- pleted on the emphatic word ; third, the return of the hand to the body after the preparation and stroke. When ges- tures are made, one im- mediately following the other, the return is made on the last gesture only, and the gestures, except the last one, are composed of the preparatory movement and the stroke. See Cut 18. NOTE,^-^"'" NO'S 2. 3.4. t 5,5 MOW THE LINE OF PREPARATION FOR THE GE5TURE. 6. GESTURE PROPER, posr 7 1 8, THE THIRD PART OF THE GE5TURE, OR RETURN MOVEMENT THE5E THREE PRINCIPLES ARE )H EVERY G.E3TURE, IN WHAT EVER MANNE.R IT MAY BE NADE. Cut i 5 Manner of Making the Gesture Since gesture is controlled by the thought, the man- ner of making the gesture will depend upon the nature GESTURE STUDY 205 of the thought. Here the psycho-physics of the work must be kept carefully in mind. Let us first consider gesture from the standpoint of Like and Dislike A person likes a thing or he dislikes it. If he is indifferent, he does not like it, hence he dislikes it. If he did not dislike it, he would have some interest in it, which would be Like. So we either like or dislike. Like Gesture or Positive Action If a person likes a thing he is attracted to it. He looks toward it with pleasure. He moves toward it. He stretches his hand toward it with the palm toward himself and the back toward the object. Note what Casca says in "Julius Caesar": — Brutus. Ay, Casca ; tell us what hath chanced to-day, That Caesar looks so sad ? ******* Casca. Why, there was a crown offered him ; and being offered him, he put it back with the back of his hand, thus ; and then the people fell a shouting. ******* Brutus. Was the crown offered him thrice? Casca. Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than other ; and at every putting by mine honest neighbors shouted. ******* Brutus. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. Casca. I can as well be hanged as tell the manner of it ; it was mere foolery, I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony 206 GESTURE STUDY offer him a crown ; — yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of these coronets ; — and, as I told you, he put it by once ; but for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he offered it to him again ; then he put it by again ; but to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. In this scene Shakespeare pictures us a natural action. Now, if the person points to the object he likes, the palm is up and in- clined at an angle of about forty-five degrees, with the lit- tle finger side down. See Cut 19. In the bodily atti- tude of Like the shoulders rise, the weight inclines to the forward foot, the head and body incline forward. In deepest devo- tion the knees bend until the body is in the kneeling attitude. The facial expression is that of joy and pleasure and approval. Dislike Gesture or Negative Action In Dislike gesticulation we have the opposite gesture movements and attitudes from what we had in Like Gesture and Positive Action. If a person sees an object or individual he does not like, he recedes from it. The head is thrown back, the weight of the body is shifted to the back foot or he GESTURE STUDY 207 moves from it, the palm is turned toward the object. If the index position of the hand is used, the palm is down- ward. See Cut 20. The face scowls. The corners of the mouth are drawn down. The eyebrows are drawn down and knitted. If the hands are at the side of the body they are clenched. See Cut 21. As the resentment becomes greater the muscles of the body become more tense. Besides these specific at- titudes there are many others, not necessary to mention, the body will take. For, if the student will develop the motor centers of his brain to act with the impulse of the thought powers, and will train his muscles to • respond to the influence of the motor cen- ters, his body will be ex- pressive in gesture. The gesture is sometimes made 208 GESTURE STUDY and the voice omitted. Sometimes it may precede the vocal utterance. In fact, each individual speaker must, to some extent, be a "law unto himself," and choose fitting gestures, training himself in the wisdom of choice, and be free to exercise this power, just as the writer does in his Choice of Words. Man is not a machine. In order that the student may possess this activity of mind and body, it is necessary that he practice the following exercises : — Lesson i 6,8 In all the following lessons count the positions as i, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, each count taking a second of time. Stand as in Illustration 22, arms folded ; bend the neck, moving the head to the right as shown by the position marked 1 in Cut 22. Now straighten the neck, moving the head to position marked 2 ; bend it to 3 ; straighten it to 4 ; bend it to 5 ; straighten it to 6 ; bend it to 7 ; straighten it to 8. Now rest a few seconds. Stand as in Illustration 22, arms folded ; bend the neck, moving the head to the left, until you have the position marked 1 in Cut 22. Now straighten the neck to give the head the erect position marked 2 ; now bend it again to 3 ; straighten it to 4 ; bend it again to 5 ; straighten it to 6 ; bend it to 7 ; straighten it to 8. Now rest for a few seconds before beginning the next lesson. GESTURE STUDY 209 Lesson 2 Stand as in Cut 23, arms folded. Bend the neck, moving the head to the right to position marked 1 ; straighten the neck, bringing head to position marked 2 ; bend the neck, moving the head to the left to position 3 ; straighten it to 4 ; bend it to 5 ; straighten it to 6 ; bend it to 7 ; straighten it to 8. Rest a few seconds. Cut 23. Cut 24. Lesson 3 Stand as in Cut 24. Move the head to the right to posi- tion 1 ; then to the left to position 2 ; then to the right to 3 ; then to 4 ; then to 5 ; then to 6 ; then to 7 ; then to erect position, 8. 2IO GESTURE STUDY Lesson 4 Stand as in Cut 25. Move the head forward to position 1 ; raise it to 2 ; lower it to 3 ; raise it to 4 ; lower it to 5 ; raise it to 6; lower it to 7 ; raise it to 8. Now rest a few seconds. Now drop the head back to 1 ; raise it to 2 ; lower it to 3 ; raise it to 4 ; lower it to 5 ; raise it to 6 ; lower it to 7 ; raise it to 8. Rest a few seconds. 5.7 Si.3 3,7 Cut 25. Cut 26. Lesson 5 Stand as in Cut 26. Lower the head to position 1 ; raise it to 2 ; move it back to 3 ; raise it to 4 ; lower it to 5 ; raise it to 6 ; lower it to 7 ; raise it to 8. Rest a few seconds. GESTURE STUDY 211 Lesson 6 Stand as in Cut 27. Drop the head to position 1; move it back to 2 ; move it forward to 3 ; back to 4 ; forward to 5 ; back to 6 ; forward to 7 \ erect to 8. 6,8 7.5/ 3.1;- ^5.7 ,1.3 Cut 27. Cut 28. Lesson 7 Stand erect as shown by the middle position, Cut 28, hands on the hips. Bend the body at the waist, moving the head and shoulders to the right to position 1 ; straighten it erect to 2 ; move it to 3 ; straighten it to 4 ; bend it to 5 ; straighten it to 6 ; bend it to 7 ; straighten it to 8. Rest a few seconds. 212 GESTURE STUDY Stand as before, in Cut 28. Now bend the body at the waist and move the head and shoulders to left to position 1 ; straighten body to 2; bend it to 3 ; straighten it to 4; bend it to 5 ; straighten it to 6; bend it to 7 ; straighten it to 8. Rest a few seconds. ' In*}. W Cut 29. Lesson 8 Stand as in middle position, Cut 29. Move head and shoulders to the right to position 1 ; straighten the body to 2 ; bend it to the left to 3 ; straighten it to 4 ; bend it to 5 ; straighten it to 6 ; bend it to 7 ; straighten it to 8. Rest a few seconds. GESTURE STUDY 213 Lesson 9 Stand as shown by middle position, Cut 30. Move hand and shoulders to right to position 1 ; move body to the left to position 2 ; to the right to 3 ; to the left to 4 ; to the right to 5 ; to the left to 6 ; to the right to 7 ; erect f o 8. Rest a few seconds. 1,5;<^^. . 7,5. 3-< Cut 30. Cut 31. Lesson 10 Stand as in middle position, Cut 31. Move the right foot to right to position 1 (do not bend either knee) ; back to 2 ; right to 3 ; back to 4 ; right to 5 ; back to 6 ; right to 7 ; back to 8. Keep both knees straight and always put sole of right foot on the floor. 214 GESTURE STUDY Now stand as before. Move the left foot to the left to posi- tion i ; back to 2 ; left to 3 ; back to 4 ; left to 5 ; back to 6 ; left to 7 ; back to 8 ; always putting left foot on the floor. Stand as 753 I ' %b«2 Lesson ii shown in middle position, Cut 32. Now move right foot to the left to position 1, passing it in front of the left leg, bending the knee slightly to lift it over the left foot, rest the toes on the floor ; now move the foot back to position 2 ; pass it to 3 ; back to 4 ; pass it to 5 ; back to 6 ; pass it to 7 ; back to 8. Now move the left foot to the rig/it, bending the left knee slightly to lift the left foot over the right, and passing it in front of the right leg to position 1, touch toes of foot on the floor ; bring it back to 2 ; move it to 3; back to 4; move it to 5 ; back to 6 ; move it to 7 ; back to 8. Lesson 12 Stand with feet at right angles, as shown in Cut 33, with arms folded. Now, without moving shoulders or body, twist the neck, moving head to right to position 1, as shown in cut. Move it back to 2 ; right to 3 ; back to 4 ; right to 5 ; back GESTURE STUDY 215 to 6 ; right to 7 ; back to 8. Be sure to say one for the first position, two for the second, three for the third, etc., and make a short pause at each position. Now, as before, move the head to the left to position 1 in Cut 33 ; back to 2 ; left to 3 ; back to 4 ; left to 5 ; back to 6 ; left to 7 ; back to 8. Rest. Cut 33. Cut 34. Lesson 13 Stand as in Lesson 12. Now move the head to the right to position 1, in Cut 34 ; back to position 2 ; left to 3 ; back to 4 ; right to 5 ; back to 6 ; left to 7 ; back to 8. 2l6 GESTURE STUDY Lesson 14 Take standing position as in Lesson 13. Move the head to the right to position 1, in Cut 35 ; then to the left to position 2 ; right to 3 ; left to 4 ; right to 5 ; left to 6 ; right to 7 ; back to position 8. Note. — In Lessons 12, 13, 14, after you have gotten somewhat used to the exercises, make a strong effort to get the chin around directly over the shoulder, as shown in Cuts 33> 34> 35- ^ vvm " ta ke a good deal of practice. Cut 35. Lesson 15 Stand as shown in the central position of Cut 36. Now, without moving the feet from their position, twist the body to the right till the left shoulder is directly over the apex of the angle formed by the feet, and the head is in position 1, as shown by Cut 36; then move the head around till you have the chin over the right shoulder, as shown by position 1, Cut 35. Now reverse the movement and come back to position 2, Cut 36. Now twist the body again and move the shoulders to' the right as before, to position 3 ; back to 4 ; move to 5 ; back to 6 ; move to 7 ; back to 8. Now execute the same exercise, moving the body to the left. Cut 36. GESTURE STUDY 217 Lesson 16 Stand as shown in central position of Cut 37 the body to the right, as directed in Lesson 15, so as to take position 1, in Cut 37. Now come back to position 2 ; then twist the body around to the left to position 3, as shown by direction in Lesson 15 ; now come back to 4 ; now go to 5 ; come back to 6 ; now go to 7 ; come back to 8. Rest a few seconds. ft Note. — In Lessons 15,16, 17, be very sure to keep the LTjr 2.4 f eet from moving at all. Now twist Cur 37. Lesson 17 Stand as in the middle position, Cut 38. Now twist the body to the right as di- rected in Lesson 16, moving it to position 1, Cut 38. Now reverse the movement and twist the body clear around to position 2 ; twist it to three ; twist it back to 4 ; reverse it to 5 ; twist it to 6 ; twist it to 7 ; move back to 8. Lesson 18 Stand in erect position, as shown by Cut 39. Now bend the body forward to position 1 ; straighten it erect to 2 ; forward to 3 ; erect to 4 j bend it to 5 ; straighten it to 6 ; bend it to 7 ; straighten it to 8. Cut 38. 2l8 GESTURE STUDY In all these bendings take about a second for each one. „. Cut 49. Cut 50. Lesson 29 Stand as shown by Cut 50. With the right arm describe the circle as shown by cut. Start the movement toward the body. Keep the arm as straight as possible at the elbow. At the wrist let the hand drop down till the perpendicular position GESTURE STUDY 229 is reached at 7 ; then, as the arm descends, let the hand turn upward, as shown in cut, by turning the hand so the palm is downward. In other words, always let the hand follow the arm. In dignified and artistic gesture the hand must follow the arm with the wrist bent. Complete this circle eight con- secutive times. Second. Make the circle with the left hand in a similar manner eight times. Third. Reverse each movement, beginning with the right hand ; that is, start the hand from the body. Next make the reverse movement with the left hand. Give each eight times. Fourth. Make circles with both hands simultaneously, start- ing the hands toivard the body. Make the circle eight times. Now reverse these circles ; that is, start them ^.•.•••**"""*'-? c \ ■ from the body. Make eight \ " -~ assa times. Lesson 30 \ LINE OF GE37URI MOVEflENT Stand as shown by Cut 51. First with right foot in ad- vance. Use the right hand. Describe the elliptical line, as shown in cut, letting the hand pass under the chin, bending elbow, and let the hand follow by bending the wrist. Let the elbow and wrist straighten on the line opposite the shoulders ; bring the hand to this point with a Cut 51. 230 GESTURE STUDY stroke, or accent, as shown in cut by heavy line. Hold the hand at this point for a moment, then turn the arm so the palm of the hand is down, and let drop to the side, the hand following the arm. Repeat eight times. Second. Repeat the same exercise with the left hand eight times, standing with left foot forward. Third. Use both hands, but do not overlap in front of the body the elliptical lines ; just let the hands nearly touch, with backs toward each other. These exercises are frequently used to express thought, and when so used they become gesture. ^ s "~ : --c". r ..*? >"■'-- Dfr- SV Lesson 31 Stand as shown by Cut 52, right foot forward, hands at sides. With the right hand describe the figure as shown in the cut. It will be seen that the figure is that of the closed figure 8, with one end open and the closed end at the left shoulder. The hand should follow the line about one foot from the body, so as to make the circular end of the figure by bringing the hand toward the body, and the movement on the line next to the body downward. In executing this movement follow the line in the direction indicated by the figures. When the hand has taken the final position at figure 11 it should be the index UNE OF INDEX CE5TURE MOVEMENT Cut 52. GESTURE STUDY 231 position of the fingers, the palm being either up or down as the thought requires. Practice this exercise by pointing to objects on different levels. This exercise becomes a gesture when used to delineate thought. It can be used to indicate any position, up or down, forward, side, or back. Second. — Practice these same exercises with the left hand. Practice in many positions, although only one is shown in cut. Lesson 32 When making strong gestures, the foot should be forward on the side that the gesture is being made. See Cut 53. That is, if you are gesturing with the right hand, the right foot should be forward ; and if you are gesturing with the left hand, the left foot should be forward. The observ- ance of the positions makes the movement more graceful, and it is easier executed. It preserves the symmetrical appearance of the body. This requires a shift- ing of the feet, because it will sometimes happen that the right foot will be forward when you want to use the left hand, and the left foot will be forward when you want to use the right hand. In either case the changing of the feet is necessary to execute strong gestures. Cut 53. 232 GESTURE STUDY Lesson 33 To change position of the feet, always step with the front foot first. If the right foot is forward and you want to use the left hand, step with the right foot directly to the right about eighteen inches, placing the foot on a parallel line with the side of the body, then draw the left foot toward and within about eight inches of the right foot, and on a line perpendicular with the line running lengthwise through the right foot. At the same time you are doing this with the feet, begin the movement for the gesture with the left arm, moving the arm fast enough so as to complete the gesture just after the feet are in position. If the left foot is forward and you want to gesture with the' right hand, step with the left foot to the left, and proceed to bring the feet and arm into position in the same way as directed for the gesture with the left hand. The student will have to work this out in detail. Cut 54 will be suggestive. Cut 54. I find in my teaching that students fail to do gesture work because they are timid, and are at a loss how to GESTURE STUDY 233 begin. It is deemed proper here to give a few specific directions. Before we begin the student must remem- ber that the usual audience is largely " sense and senti- ment." The most intelligent person, finding himself in an audience, becomes a member of this class. Persons in this state of mentality consider all thought concretely, not abstractly. This has always been the prin- cipal method of presentation. In the early life of man, because of his inability to conceive in the abstract, we find him presenting all things concretely. Take up your mythology and note there the efforts to picture the abstract beings called gods. Note the mythical characters in Homer's great work. " Troy is the city of Darkness, where Priam the king of Darkness dwells; and Paris is the shades of Night. Helos is the Sun, and Hellas the land of the Sun ; and Hellenese, the Greeks, children of the Sun. Europia, Europe, is the land of the Dawn, and Samander and Simois are the Sky rivers. Paris abducts Helen and carries her to the kingdom of Darkness. Now the war begins. The Celestial Luminaries sail the Sky rivers to attack the king of Night." Priam gathers his forces for de- fense, and the battle is on. The forces of Light dispel Darkness, those of Darkness dispel Light, and the con- test has never ceased. The goddess of night was usually pictured as a woman ; the god of time, a young man with wings on his feet, meaning to say, " / run very swiftly," — no hair on the back of the head and thick locks on the front, which meant 234 GESTURE STUDY to say, " You must clutch me as I approach you, for if you let me once pass by, you cannot take me." This gave rise to the expression, "Take time by the forelock." Saint Paul, when he went to Athens, found thirty thou- sand gods pictured in marble about the streets of the city, and one "To the Unknown God." Terah, the father of Abraham, worshiped idols, as did many of the Israelites afterward. It was in accord with their conception of things. They could not comprehend the abstract, and so held to the concrete. The idolatrous heathen still live in the same mental plane. This prin- ciple of human life still exists. The only way to succeed with an audience is to take them as you find them, and proceed from the knozvn to the related unknown. Pro- ceed from the concrete to the abstract. Make your ges- tures when referring to the intangible things as if they were tangible — the audience thinks of them in that way. Kinds of Gestures With reference to picturing things gestures will indi- cate the following, each class having an opposite or a contrast : — EXAMPLES Expanse, opposite Location. Height, opposite Depth. Coming, opposite Going. Darkness, opposite Light. Beseeching, opposite Repelling. GESTURE STUDY 235 Forward, opposite Back. Moving, opposite Stationary. Beckoning, opposite Defiance. Love, opposite Hate. Heaven, opposite Hell. Then there are variations of these. All speeches will have some of these elements in them. In passing from one of these elements to another, and even from one part to another of the same element, the line of move- ment is in circles and curves ; except when expressing anger and insanity, when the line of movement is mostly in straight lines. In making strong gestures straighten the arm well at the elbow. The best artists showing persons gesticulating with the arm paint the straight arm. While it is true that the majority of persons have crooked arms, they should not have and would not have if they had used them well. The ideal is the arm nearly straight, or straight at the elbow. Study the pictures of the best artists. While it is impossible in a book to show a speaker in action, that is, actually passing from one gesture to the next, the following cuts will show his positions when he has gesticulated to express one of the thoughts in the class as named above. All thoughts do not require bodily gestures, some gestures are voice. In passing from one gesture to the next, when they are consecu- tive, the transition must be made smoothly, not abruptly. The words in the following quotations are printed in italics to show where the gesture is completed. 236 GESTURE STUDY Let the arms for front gesture usually be kept within the arc of the dotted lines, except in show- ing vast expanse. Cut 55. {Showing expanse.) " Nor in the torrid clime dark heaving, bound- less, endless, and sublime." — Byron. Cut 56. {Showing definite location^ Once in the days long ended, Just where those shad- ows fall, There grew a bed of heartsease, Close by the old stone wall." GESTURE STUDY 237 Cut 57. {Showing height.) High as yonder mountain top." Cut 58. (Showing depth.) Deep as yonder sea." 238 GESTURE STUDY Cur 59. {Shaving coming.) If you dare fight to-day, come to the field." Cut 60. {Showing going.) I prithee, boy, run to the senate house." GESTURE STUDY 239 Cut 61. (Showing darkness.) Darkness may lend her gloomy aid, And wrap the groaning world in shade." — East burn Cut 62. (Showing light.) " Behold the glorious morn." 240 GESTURE STUDY Cut 63. ( Showing beseech ing. ) "Abide with me; fast falls the even- tide; the darkness deepens; Lordwith me abided Cut 64. {Showing repelling.) Vain pomp and glory of this world, I hate you." GESTURE STUDY 241 Cut 65. {Showing forward.} Borne by the tempest, on we sail, O'er Ocean's billowy way." — J. Pierpont. Cut 66. (Showing back position.) In the rear came the guide's horse, slowly trotting after." 242 GESTURE STUDY Cut 67. {Showing motion.') " Esca was advancing, inch by inch, stride by stride, like a tiger about to spring." — Melville. Cut 68. (Show i?ig stopping . ) " He paused in front of the grand stand to receive his in- structions." GESTURE STUDY 243 Cut 69. {Showing beckoning ) " Don't look so, Give me the baby.' 1 '' Cut 70. {Showing defiance.) ' I tell thee, Thou art defied'''' — Scott. 244 GESTURE STUDY Cut 71. {Showing love.) Come, my little boy, / love you ; let me put my arm about you." Cut 72. {Showing hate.) " I tell thee, I hate the Moor." — Shakespeare. GESTURE STUDY 245 Cut 73. {Showing reference to heaven.) " Now by yon marble heaven, in the due reverence of a sacred vow, I here engage my words." — Shakespeare. Cut 74. {Showing reference to hell.) " Dear to her are the pomp and power, the shadowy vastness and the terrible splendor of the Nether World r ' — Melville. The gesture movement, that is the preparation for the gesture, begins when the first word of the sentence is spoken. This movement will terminate in the stroke on the accented syllable of the emphatic word, as is shown by 7 and 8, Cut 18. This stroke position will be held till the end of the Thought Sentence is reached, or nearly so. If the emphatic word is the first word, then the prepara- 246 GESTURE STUDY tion which precedes the stroke will be made before any words are uttered. Keep ever before you these principles : — First, the thought suggests the kind of gesture, the move- ment of the gesture, and the manner of making the gesture, generally ; and sec- ond, the gesture m7ist be suggestive of the tJiouglit. These must be carefully kept in mind. The speaker, hav- ing his thoughts which when pre- sented will constitute his picture, must have a plan by which the parts which go to make up the picture shall fit nicely and logically, one into the other. Thus it is that the speaker becomes an artist in the truest sense of the word ; both a re-creative artist and a creative artist. None of man's artistic attainments excel this. The speaker, either a reader declaiming a selection, 3*s % , m JHHr^ « ^IPt JWpll»'>3£^MPP: I 1 ■*'%m> , CUT 75 ; THE LANDSC £\PE THROUGH THE HAXE GESTURE STUDY 247 or an orator redelivering his oration, is not confined to a single plan. The plan may vary in some details as often as the production may be delivered. A thousand or more renderings can present as many variations in the picture, but the general plan will remain. The discussion of the following picture, as given by Joaquin Miller, will serve to make plain what is meant : " Two gray hawks ride the rising blast ; Dark cloven clouds drive to and fro By peaks preeminent in snow ; A sounding river rushes past, So wild, so vortex-like, and vast. A lone lodge tops the windy hill ; A tawny maiden, mute and still, Stands waiting at the river's brink, As weird and wild as you can think. A mighty chief is at her feet ; She does not heed him wooing so — She hears the dark, wild waters flow ; She waits her lover, tall and fleet, From far gold fields of Idaho, Beyond the beaming hills of snow. tC i He comes ! ' The grim chief springs in air — His brawny arm, his blade, is bare. She turns ; she lifts her round, brown hand ; She looks him fairly in the face ; She moves her foot a little pace And says, with coldness and command, ' There's blood enough in this lorn land, 248 GESTURE STUDY But see ! a test of strength and skill, Of courage and fierce fortitude ; To breast and wrestle with the rude And storm-born waters, now I will Bestow you both. : . . Stand either side ! Take you my left, tall Idaho ; And you, my burly chief, I know Would choose my right. Now peer you low Across the waters wild and wide. See ! leaning so this morn I spied Red berries dip yon farther side. See, dipping, dripping in the stream, Twin boughs of autumn berries gleam ! Now this, brave men, shall be the test : Plunge in the stream, bear knife in teeth To cut yon bough for bridal wreath. Plunge in ! and he who bears him best, And brings yon ruddy fruit to land The first, shall have both heart and hand.' " The picture shown by Cut 76 was drawn by Miss Laura Miller, under supervision of the author of this book, to illustrate the important things spoken of in the first paragraph of the above extract from the poem of Joaquin Miller. Facing the picture, you will note that the hawks, the lodge, and the river are on the left ; on the right is the rising blast, the mountains, the maiden, and the chief ; the lover will enter from the right. All these may be, and ought to be, designated by gesture, so as to present the plan to the auditors in a concrete way. GESTURE STUDY 249 250 GESTURE STUDY The speaker, describing a scene, must always have a view point, just as does the artist. The above scene is that of a rising storm. The time of the year is autumn. On the one side of the picture will be the mountains, snow-capped, rising above the black storm cloud, which has been parted by the moun- tain peaks. From the foot of the mountains there stretches a vast plain, or rolling prairie, or the broken foothills, likely the latter, for " A lone lodge tops the windy hill " — which of these depends upon the speaker's conception of the picture. The following will be for the other side of the picture. Down the mountains and flowing out across the plain is the rapid, boiling mountain river. The speaker's view point must be taken where he can see all this, and pre- sent it in front of himself to his audience so they can see it. The speaker's position will be nearly identical with that of the Indian girl, which is on the bank of the river. To his right will be the mountains (they could just as well be to the left). Opposite the mountains,, to the speaker's left, will be the plain. The river will be pictured as flowing down from the mountains out across the plain ; that is, from the right of the speaker to his left. I have a number of times seen the speaker picture the river as flowing from left to right, up the mountain. Kneeling to the girl, on her right, will be the burly chief. Why ? Because Idaho comes down from the mountains, and the chief at first does not see him come. If he knelt on the girl's left, as we started GESTURE STUDY 25 I our picture with the view point, putting the mountains on the right, he would have his face to the mountains, and so could see Idaho approach, which he did not; because he sprang in the air ready for fight, as shown by the speech of the girl, " He comes." When Idaho comes, the girl places him on her left, and commands the burly chief to take her right. She stands facing the river, and points out across it to the other side, where hang the berries. Now the contest is about to begin, and it all must be in the mind of the speaker. This is a brief outline, or skeleton, which is necessary for an interesting presentation of this word picture. Others may be made, but they will proceed along simi- lar lines. This work is most essential in all effective speaking. If the speaker is using his own arrangement of language, he must still have a plan of his own created picture, or he will fail to present his thoughts to the audience in an interesting way and successful manner. It is bodily gesture that is the strongest factor in pre- senting accurately a plan. Thus it will often be that a speaker will have many more gestures at the begin- ning of his speech or selection than later in the pro- duction. When the plan has once been well presented, many references do not need gesture of the body. So it is that young speakers will use more gesticulation than they will when they are more skilled in the work. Gesture is very difficult, and the student must make up his mind to work hard at it if he will succeed. 2 52 GESTURE STUDY Recognition of the Audience When a reader or speaker is introduced to an audi- ence, it is proper and courteous to acknowledge such introduction by a slight bow when the person intro- duced is a gentleman, and a courtesy if a lady. The same is true on finishing a reading. And especially must this be done if the audience greets this introduction with applause. How to Bow In bowing, gentlemen stand with heels together and feet at right angles, as shown in Cut 1 1 a. Then bend the body gracefully and symmetrically, not a nod of the head merely. The body should not be bent so much that the eyes of the person bowing must be taken from the audience. Both arms hang at the sides, as does the right arm in the cut. How to Courtesy Ladies do not bow, but courtesy. The act of cour- tesying is difficult. To courtesy, the lady stands before the audience with one foot in advance, as shown in Cut 1 8. Either foot may be forward. Now with this front foot describe a circular movement. Bring this foot back so that the line passing lengthwise through this foot and the line passing lengthwise through the foot held station- ary shall intersect at right angles under the ankle of the foot moved back. As the foot is describing this circular GESTURE STUDY 253 movement let the body bend gracefully forward, and when the foot that was moving is planted firmly on the floor, as above directed, bend the knee of this leg and depress the body as low as you desire to make the cour- tesy. To straighten the body, draw the foot that is forward back to the back foot, and at the same time straighten the back knee and raise the body. Occasionally persons discourage these acts of courtesy. If you will study the disposition of such persons, com- ment will not be necessary. Great men and women are polite always. They are the examples to follow. A truly great personage is never stiffnecked. " What boots it thy virtue, What profit thy parts, While one thing thou lackest, — The art of all arts ? " The only credentials, Passport to success ; Opens castle and parlor, Address, man, address." — Emerson. CHAPTER XXIII Personation or Character Sketching In this chapter we shall again tread upon disputed ground, the question being when to Personate and when not to Personate. The difference of opinion on this subject is largely due, as I see it, to the forms of litera- ture and the expressional attitude concerning the same. We have the Narrative, the Indirect, and the Direct forms of discourse. For example : I heard the man say Caesar's death was caused by Brutus, and Charles the First's by Cromwell, and George the Third should profit by their example. This is the narrative form. Again : The man said that " Caesar was killed by Brutus, Charles the First had his Cromwell, and George the Third can profit by their example." This is indirect discourse and is stronger language than the mere narrative. Again, he cried, " Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third may profit by their example." This is direct discourse and the strongest expression. The question is, When shall I Personate ? Let us first determine what Personation, or Impersona- tion as it is also called, is. Second, where does Per- sonation belong in the realm of Elocution ? This will help us to establish one theory. 254 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 255 Personate (from Latin, personatus, from per, by or through, and sonare, to sound) is to represent another individual by sound or voice as well as by mask (from persona, a mask). The dictionary definition of Person- ate is, " To assume the character of ; to act the part of ; pass for; to typify." Assume (Latin as or ad, to, and sumere, from sub, under, or below, and sumo, take to oneself) is to take upon oneself, formally and demonstratively, to outwardly seem. From the origin of the word Personate, it seems to me our work is plain. Our only guide to follow is the literature itself. This contains the thoughts of the author, and since all expressive reading is to portray to the listeners the thoughts and word pictures of the author, the first effort is to determine from the language used what the writer intended to convey. When refer- ence merely to what was done is intended, the narrative form of discourse is used. It is the weakest form, and the speaker does not have in mind the idea of conveying to the listener an exact counterfeit of what took place. He is content to say such an affair happened. There is no desire to enact the scene. This narrative style some- times is so keen that the listeners almost feel themselves in the very presence of the act. But this is due more to the activities of the listener's own mind than what the speaker has said. To be moved by mere narrative or description, the listener must have a vivid imagination. When the narrative assumes this intense form, it is then 256 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING in the border land of Indirect Discourse, and may be properly called Dramatic Narrative or Description ; and in the presentation it will have some of the elements of Personation. In Narrative or Description, Objective Gestures will prevail. The following extract is a good example : — THE LAST CHARGE OF NEY The whole continental struggle exhibited no sublimer spec- tacle than the last great effort of Napoleon to save his sinking empire. Europe had been put upon the plains of Waterloo to be battled for. The greatest military energy and skill the world possessed had been tasked to the utmost during the day. Thrones were tottering on the ensanguined field, and the shadows of fugitive kings flitted through the smoke of battle. Bonaparte's star trembled in the zenith, now blazing out in its ancient splendor, now suddenly paling before his anxious eye. At length, when the Prussians appeared on the field, he re- solved to stake Europe on one bold throw. He committed himself and France to Ney, and saw his empire rest on a single charge. The intense anxiety with which he watched the ad- vance of the column, the terrible suspense he suffered when the smoke of battle concealed it from sight, and the utter despair of his great heart when the curtain lifted over a fugitive army and the despairing shriek rang out on every side, " La garde recule, La garde recule" make us, for the moment, forget all the carnage, in sympathy with his distress. Ney felt the pressure of the immense responsibility on his great heart, and resolved not to prove unworthy of the great trust committed to his care. Nothing could be more imposing than the movement of the grand column to the assault. That PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 257 guard had never yet recoiled before a human foe ; and the allied forces beheld with awe its firm and terrible advance to the final charge. For a moment the batteries stopped playing and the firing ceased along the British lines, as, without the beating of a drum or the blast of a bugle, they moved in dead silence over the plain. The next moment the artillery opened, and the head of a gallant column seemed to sink down ; yet they neither stopped nor faltered. Resolving squadrons and whole battal- ions disappearing one after another in the destructive fire affected not their courage. The ranks closed up as before, and each, treading over his fallen comrade, pressed firmly on. The horse which Ney rode fell under him ; he had scarcely mounted another before it also sank to the earth. Again and again did that unflinching man feel his steed sink down, till five had been shot under him. Then, with his uniform riddled with bullets, and his face singed and blackened with powder, he marched on foot, with drawn saber, at the head of his men. In vain did the artillery hurl its storm of fire and lead into that living mass ; up to the very muzzles they pressed, and, driving the artillerymen from their places, pushed on to the English lines. But at that moment a file of soldiers, who had lain flat on the ground behind a low ridge of earth, suddenly rose and poured a volley into their faces. And another fol- lowed, till one broad sheet of flame rolled on their bosoms, and in such a fierce and unexpected flow, that human courage could not withstand it. They reeled, shook, staggered back, then turned and fled. The fate of Napoleon was writ. The star that had blazed so brightly over the world went down in blood, and the Bravest of the Brave had fought his last battle. — /. T. Headlcy. 258 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING Description. Dark and stern, in their weird beauty, lower the sad brows of the Queen of Hell. Dear to her are the pomp and power, the shadowy vastness, and the terrible splendor of the nether world. Dear to her the pride of her unbending consort ; and doubly dear the wide imperial sway, that rules the immortal destinies of souls. But dearer far than these — dearer than flashing crown and fiery scepter, and throne of blazing gold — are the memories that glimmer bright as sunbeams athwart those vistas of gloomy grandeur, and seem to fan her weary spirit like a fresh breeze from the realms of upper earth. She has not forgotten, she never can forget, the dewy flowers, the blooming fragrance, of lavish Sicily, nor the sparkling sea, and the summer haze, and the golden harvests that wave and whis- per in the garden and granary of the world. Then a sad smile steals over the haughty face ; the stern beauty softens in the gleam, and, for a while, the daughter of Ceres is a laughing girl once more. So the Ivory Gate swings back, and gentle doves come forth on snowy wings, flying upward through the gloom, to bear balm and consolation to the weary and the wounded and the lost. Now this was the dream the birds of Peace brought with them, to soothe the broken spirit of a sleeping slave. ******* — G. J. Whyte-Melville. Humorous Description. THE THREAD JOKE You've heard of folks (my wife is one) Who like to make, but not take fun ; PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 259 These always say, none can devise A joke on them to their surprise. So wife and I to service went, On widely different things intent. We sat alone, just she and I ; And soon a raveling caught her eye Upon my Sunday coat of blue. At once she picked and pulled it through. She whispered, " John, you did not brush ! " She pulled, and then began to blush. " Your underwear is raveling, dear." I turned and said " That's very queer ; The tailor is to fault, I think," And gave a sanctimonious blink. Again she pulled and pulled the thread With twisted frame and bobbing head, Just like a spider with a fly She pulled her thread upon the sly. When ten or twenty yards, or more, Were lying on the seat and floor, I turned and said in solemn tone, " Dear wife, don't worry, let it alone." Again she bit it off so close I felt the impress of her nose. The time was short when Squire Lee Entered the pew, just back of me. 'Twas very soon to my delight, I felt I had another bite. The squire pulled a yard or two Of raveling through my coat of blue. He'd pull awhile, then wait results, 26o PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING He knew I wouldn't take insults. But, when I did not turn my head, He pulled and pulled the raveled thread. Just like a deacon, there I sat ; My bait was what they both jumped at. When wife turned round and said to me, " Oh ! John, just look at Squire Lee, Your shirt will all be raveled out ; Dear, don't you know what he's about? If you don't tell him, let it be, There'll be no patchin' more by me ; Enough's unraveled now I say To keep me darnin' one whole day ! " Lee pulled awhile, but all at once 'Twas done. I turned and said, " You dunce ! You and my wife have played the fool; You've got the thread, now take the spool." And from my pocket it I drew, How Katy looked I'll leave to you. — T. B. Weaver. Pathetic Description with Semipersonation and Personation. A SECOND TRIAL It was Commencement at one of our colleges. The people were pouring into the church as I entered it, rather tardy. Finding the choice seats in the center of the audience room already taken, I pressed forward, looking to the right and to the left for a vacancy. On the very front row of seats I found one. Here a little girl moved along to make room for me, looking into my face with large gray eyes, whose brightness was softened by very long lashes. Her face was open and PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 26 1 fresh as a newly blown rose before sunrise. Again and again I found my eyes turning toward the roselike face, and each time the gray eyes moved, half smiling, to meet mine. Evidently the child was ready to " make up " with me. And when, with a bright smile, she returned my dropped handkerchief, and I said "Thank you," we seemed fairly introduced. Other per- sons now coming into the seat crowded me quite close up against the little girl, so that we soon felt very well acquainted. "There's going to be a great crowd," she said to me. " Yes," I replied ; " people always like to see how school- boys are made into men." Her face beamed with pleasure and pride as she said : " My brother's going to graduate ; he's going to speak ; I've brought these flowers to throw to him." They were not greenhouse favorites, just old-fashioned domestic flowers, such as we asso- ciate with the dear grandmothers ; " but," I thought, " they will seem sweet and beautiful to him for little sister's sake." "That is my brother," she said, smiling and shaking her head in innocent reproof; "not that homely one; that handsome one, with brown, wavy hair. His eyes look brown, too ; but they are not — they are dark blue. There, he's got his hand up to his head now. You see him, don't you?" In an eager way she looked from him to me and from me to him, as if some important fate depended upon my identifying her brother. " I see him," I said. " He's a very good-looking brother." "Yes, he is beautiful," she said, with artless delight; "and he's so good, and he studies so hard. He has taken care of me ever since mamma died. Here is his name on the pro- gramme. He is not the valedictorian, but he has an honor, for all that." I saw in the little creature's familiarity with these technical college terms that she had closely identified herself 262 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING with her brother's studies, hopes, and successes. " His oration is a real good one, and he says it beautifully. He has said it to me a great many times. I 'most know it by heart. Oh ! it begins so pretty and so grand. This is the way it begins," she added, encouraged by the interest she must have seen in my face : " ' Amid the permutations and combinations of the actors and the forces which make up the great kaleidoscope of history, we often find that a turn of Destiny's hand — ' " " Why, bless the baby ! " I thought, looking down into her bright, proud face. I can't describe how very odd and elfish it did seem to have those sonorous words rolling out of the smiling infantile mouth. ' As the exercises progressed, and approached nearer and nearer the effort on which all her interest was concentrated, my little friend became excited and restless. Her eyes grew larger and brighter, two deep-red spots glowed on her cheeks. " Now it's his turn," she said, turning to me a face in which pride and delight and anxiety seemed about equally mingled. But when the overture was played through, and his name was called, the child seemed, in her eagerness, to forget me and all the earth beside him. She rose to her feet and leaned forward for a better view of her beloved, as he mounted to the speaker's" stand. I knew by her deep breathing that her heart was throb- bing in her throat. I knew, too, by the way her brother came up the steps and to the front that he was trembling. The hands hung limp ; his face was pallid, and the lips blue, as with cold. I felt anxious. The child, too, seemed to discern that things were not well with him. Something like fear showed in her face. He made an automatic bow. Then a bewildered, struggling look came into his face, then a helpless look, and then he stood PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 263 staring vacantly, like a somnambulist, at the waiting audience. The moments of painful suspense went by, and still he stood as if struck dumb. I saw how it was ; he had been seized with stage fright. Alas ! little sister ! She turned her large, dismayed eyes upon him. " He's forgotten it," she said. Then a swift change came into her face, — a strong, determined look ; and on the funeral-like silence of the room broke the sweet, brave, child voice : — " * Amid the permutations and combinations of the actors and the forces which make up the great kaleidoscope of his- tory, we often find that a turn of Destiny's hand — ' " Everybody about us turned and looked. The breathless silence, the sweet, childish voice, the childish face, the long, unchildlike words, produced a weird effect. But the help had come too late ; the unhappy brother was already staggering in humiliation from the stage. The band quickly struck up, and waves of lively music rolled out to cover the defeat. I gave the little sister a glance in which I meant to show the intense sympathy I felt; but she did not see me. Her eyes, swimming with tears, were on her brother's face. I put my arm around her, but she was too absorbed to heed the caress, and before I could appreciate her purpose she was on her way to the shame-stricken young man sitting with a face like a statue's. When he saw her by his side, the set face relaxed, and a quick mist came into his eyes. The young men got closer together to make room for her. She sat down beside him, laid her flowers on his knee, and slipped her hand in his. I could not keep my eyes from her sweet, pitying face. 264 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING I saw her whisper to him, he bending a little to catch her words. Later, I found out that she was asking him if he knew his "piece " now, and that he answered "yes." When the next young man on the list had spoken, and while the band was playing, the child, to the brother's great surprise, made her way up the stage steps and pressed through the throng of professors and trustees and distinguished visitors, up to the college president. " If you please, sir," she said, with a little courtesy, " will you and the trustees let my brother try again ? He knows that piece now." For a moment the president stared at her through his gold- bowed spectacles, and then, appreciating the child's petition, he smiled on her, and went down and spoke to the young man who had failed. So it happened that when the band again ceased playing, it was briefly announced that Mr. would now deliver his oration, "Historical Parallels." A ripple of heightened and expectant interest passed over the audience, and then all sat stone still, as though fearing to breathe lest the speaker might again take fright. No danger ! The hero in the youth was aroused. He went at his " piece " with a set purpose to conquer, to redeem himself, and to bring the smile back into the tear-stained face. I watched the face during the speaking. The wide eyes, the parted lips, the whole rapt being said that the breathless audience was for- gotten, but her spirit was moving with his. And when the address was ended, with the ardent abandon of one who catches enthusiasm in the realization that he is fighting down a wrong judgment and conquering a sympathy, the effect was really thrilling. That dignified audience broke PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 265 into rapturous applause ; bouquets intended for the valedictorian rained like a tempest. And the little child who had helped to save the day — that one beaming little face, in its pride and gladness, is something to be forever remembered. — Sarah Wi?iter Kellogg. Direct and Indirect Discourse- When a speaker or writer wishes to be more intense in the presentation of his picture he then combines Narrative with elements of the actual occurrence. This will be Indirect Discourse. It will be evident at once that all things cannot come under this kind of language nor under Direct Discourse. But on the other hand all things may be described. Narrative or description is broader in its application, but has less power. To come under Indirect or Direct Discourse there must be something of animate life in the picture presented. Since in Indirect Discourse the object of the speaker is to vivify the scene more than in the Narrative, or Descriptive, he must use stronger ele- ments of expression to impress this on the mind of the auditor. This strength of presentation lies in Semi- personation. In this we assume some of the attributes of the original actor of the scene ; for example, some of his facial expressions, attitudes of body, movements, and tones of voice. But none of these will be as vital as in Direct Discourse. A study of literature will show what a variety of style is used. The student wall see that a production is seldom all Direct or all Indirect Discourse, 266 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING but that these elements are interspersed throughout the selection. "The Raven," by Edgar A. Poe, is an excellent example of semipersonation. In the selection, " Marmion and Douglas," the In- direct Discourse and the Direct Discourse are pointed out. In preparing the Indirect Discourse, the student will be more successful if a Semipersonation, or Semi- dramatization, is used in the delivery. Direct Discourse is the strongest style of speech. The speaker endeavors to give an exact reproduction of the occasion, or scene. He reproduces the exact language, and in such a way that the speaker is looked upon by the auditor as the same person that took part in the drama. It is the intention of the writer that the attitudes of body, gestures, facial expression, and voice, all shall combine to picture to the auditor the person's mental state as well as physical. It may be a picture of pathos, or of some form of anger or humor, or of some striking personage, old or young. As the mental states give birth to distinctive language forms, as well as bodily attitude, the student must study carefully the author's forms of language so as to de- termine the mental condition of the person pictured. The expression of this language form should be full dramatization, or personation. Some of the following selections are examples of complete personation, or character sketching. It must be remembered that the average or normal individual is not a character. A character for per- PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 267 sonation is some eccentric person, some one out of the ordinary walk of life, possessing some peculiarity, odd. Complete Personation. Indirect Discourse. Semi- personation. Direct Discourse. Complete Personation. Direct Discourse. Anger. Complete Personation. QUARREL OF MARMION AND DOUGLAS The train from out the castle drew, But Marmion stopped to bid adieu : — " Though something I might plain" he said, " Of cold respect to stranger guest, Sent thither by your king's behest, While in Tantallon's towers I stayed, Part we in friendship from your land, . And, noble Earl, receive my handy But Douglas round him drew his cloak, Folded his arms, and thus he spoke : — \ " My manors, halls, and bowers shall still Be open, at my sovereign's anil, To each one whom he lists, hozae'er Unmeet to be the owner } s peer ; \ My castles are my king's alone, From tin-ret to foundation stone, — The hand of Douglas is his own, And never shall in friendly grasp [ The hand of such as Marmion clasp." Burned Marmion's swarthy cheek like fire, And shook his very frame for ire, f And — " This to me ! " he said, — "An 'tivere not for thy hoary beard J Such hand as Marmion's had not spared To cleave the Douglas' head ! And, first, I tell thee, haughty peer, 268 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING Direct Discourse. Anger. Complete Personation. Anger. Complete Personation. He who does England 's message here, Although the meanest in her state, May well, proud Angus, be thy mate / And, Douglas, more I tell thee here, Even in thy pitch of pride, Here in thy hold, thy vassals near, (Nay, never look upon your lord, And lay your hand upon your sword,) I tell thee, thou'rt defied 7 And if thou saidst I am not peer To any lord in Scotland here, Loiuland or Highland, far or near, Lord Angus, thou hast lied / " On the Earl's cheek the flush of rage O'ercame the ashen hue of age : f Fierce he broke forth, — " And dar'st thou then To beard the lion in his den, The Douglas in his hall? - And hofst thou hence unscathed to go ? No, by St. Bride of Bothwell, no ! Up drawbridge, grooms ! — What, warder, ho ! Let the portcullis fall" Lord Marmion turned, — well was his need ! — And dashed the rowels in his steed, Like arrow through the archway sprung ; The pondrous grate behind him rung : To pass there was such scanty room, The bars descending, grazed his plume. The steed along the drawbridge flies, Just as it trembled on the rise ; PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 269 Complete Personation. Not lighter does the swallow skim Along the smooth lake's level brim ; And when Lord Marmion reached his band, He halts and turns with clenched hand, And shout of loud defiance pours, And shook his gauntlet at the towers. "Horse! horse ! " the Douglas cried, "and chase!" But soon he reigned his fury's pace : " A royal messenger he came, Though most unworthy of the name. ***** " St. Mary, mend my fiery mood ! Old age ne'er cools the Douglas blood, I thought to slay him where he stood. 'Tis pity of him, too" he cried ; " Bold can he speak, and fairly ride, . I warrant him a warrior tried." With this his mandate he recalls, And slowly seeks his castle walls. — Sir Walter Scott. RIZPAH The long, bright day of harvest toil is past, The fragrant sheaves are bound, the reapers gone, Slowly from out the west the yellow rays of Ripening sunshine die, hushed are song and jest; Down cloudy pathway walks the coming night, Casting mysterious shadows in her way, Shadows that fill each sense with vague alarm, More frightful for their very nothingness. 270 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING The atmos- phere here is Indirect Discourse. The Expres- sion is Semi- personation. f Look, how the shrinking moon creeps up the skies, Holding with trembling hand her silver lamp, Hiding her face behind a filmy vail, As if she dared not look upon the sight Of the dread something which her light reveals. See, see ! On Gibbeah's hill, what phantoms rise, Swinging and swaying idly to and fro, Against the mantle of the startled night, Like nameless terrors creeping through a dream. Great Heaven ; those shapes are men / See how they hang within the shadows of the shivering trees, Like haunting ghosts, between fair earth and heaven, Men, with stony eyeballs looking down, Soulless and lifeless into other eyes — Eyes full of mother love gone mad with tvoe. Sure earth below, or pitying heaven above, { Saw never sight so strangely pitiful. Rizpah, her poor, gray tresses all unbound, Each nerve and muscle held by mighty will, Fearless in all her agony of love, Guarding her precious dead against the vultures, Tossing her thin, bare arms with gestures wild, To fright them as they whirl and circle low, With flapping wings and harsh, discordant cries, Eager to taste the horrid feast of death. Hark ! how the frenzied voice disturbs the night, And look how grief and dread have marked her face With awful lines of passionate despair. PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 27 1 The atmos- phere here is Direct Discourse. The Expres- sion is full Personation. " Back ! Back ! ye shall not touch one shining hair, Or fan the poor, dead cheeks with poisonous wings. What can ye do with aught so fair ? Go ! find your prey amid u?iho/ier things. Back ! let your sickening greed elsewhere be fed, A mother watches o'er this precious child ; Mine own, mine only ! Why, alas ! do I, I, in whose sluggish veins the life moves slow, Still cumber earth 's fair ways, while ye must die In all the strength of manhood's lusty glow ? Why might not I for broken vows atone, And give this life for thine, mine own, mine own ? patient God ! was ever sight like this ? My sons, my sons ! Are those the love-lit eyes Whose merry glances warmed my heart like wine ? Are those the cheeks once bright with life's rich dyes ? Those the red lips whose sweetness clung to mine ? Is it a dream ? Still I wake, erewhile Wake to their living glance and touch and smile, They were my babes once ; they used to lie With soft lips murmuring at my love-warm breast, Cooing sweet answers to the lullaby 1 sang to put them to their cradle rest. Listen ! upon the night winds, clear and low, Come fragments of that song of long ago. 'Twas thus I sung — a foolish little strain — 272 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING The atmo- sphere here is Direct Discourse. The Expres- sion is full Personation. Yet babes and mothers love such music well, E'en now its cadence soothes my restless brain, Listen : ' Sleep, sleep, the south wind softly blows, Rocking the bee in the thornless rose, The baby birds have gone to bed, The drowsy bluebell hangs its head ; Bluebell and baby, bee and rose, Sleep, the south wind softly blows, The tide ebbs, the tide flows, Night comes, but night goes, Sleep ! Sleep ! ' " Thus night and day, her wild, sad watch went on, And none could win her from her loving task. At length the barley sheaves were gathered home, And once again the dry skies rained soft tears, As if in sorrow for her tearless woe, And pitying heaven made man more pitiful. King David's heart grew tender at the sight, And, filled with wonder at her mighty love, He took her precious dead with reverent hands, Enfolded them with costly cerements, Wet with the baptism of her grateful tears, More fragrant than all the balms and spices fine, And gave them sepulcher with kindred dust. Then Rizpah's work was finished. She arose, Folded her sackcloth tent, and went her way, Down through the valley to her childless home. Poor, waiting Rizpah ! After many days death came to her. 'Twas twilight in the harvest time again ; She seemed to slumber, Full Personation. PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 273 When she clasped her arms, As if she held a baby at her breast, And sung this fragment of a cradle song : Sleep ! the south wind softly blows, The tide ebbs, the tide flows, Night comes, but night goes, Sleep! Sleep!" Then Rizpah slept. — Lucy Blinn. Humorous Characterization . ARGUMENT PRO Why should a body " bellar " if a body get a kiss? There's no harm done in committing such a simple theft as this. And 'tis wrong to dim the luster of a body's eyes with tears ; If a body feels indignant, let her box a body's ears. That would haunt a body's memory and make a body sigh, When he thought of stealing kisses coming through a field of rye. If a body meet a body coming through a field of rye, With lips as red as cherries, and a glad and laughing eye, How can a body help it if a body kiss her there, Though he knows 'twill call the blushes to her face so young and fair, And 'twould ruin all the pleasure of the stolen kiss (oh, fie), If a body kiss a body, sure a body shouldn't cry. If a body kiss a body and a body turn about, With lips drawn up so haughty in a pretty little pout, And a face where, spite of anger, lovely crimson blushes play, And she glances at a fellow in a scornful, haughty way, 274 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING And bids him, " Mind his business," with a proud and flashing eye, How he longs to steal another in that field of blooming rye. Those lips were made so ruby, I am very sure of this, Just to tempt a simple body to indulge a stolen kiss, As the floweret tempts the humming bird, the clover tempts the bee, Sure they never were intended just to sip a body's tea, And I know by sweet experience, the very reason why, If a body kiss a body, that a body shouldn't cry. Now suppose a body tripping through a field of blooming rye, In the lovely summer weather, 'neath the azure summer sky, And her voice in song is swelling, like a merry, happy bird, And she meets her happy lover, and she listens to his word, And he press the lips that sweetly ope to breathe a sweet reply, Oh, how foolish, very foolish, for a body then to cry. If a body kiss a body, and she takes the thing amiss, She can just invite a body to replace the stolen kiss, And a body can replace it, and 'twill make the matter right, And the trouble that existed will be settled (honor bright), 'Twould be better, vastly better, than to have a useless cry, If a body kiss a body coming through a field of rye. Oh, to meet a body tripping through the rye some summer day, While around the rye is waving in the zephyr's wanton play, And to see her fight and struggle to defend her hoarded store, One would bet a goose and trimmings she was never kissed before. But kiss her at your leisure while she looks so sweet and sly, Oh, it makes one think that heaven is a field of blooming rye» PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 2?$ If a body kissed a body several thousand years ago, How does that affect the question, I would surely like to know ; 'Tis no reason why a body, at this later modern day, Should be as big a ninny or as great a fool as they ; And in this present century, why should a body cry If a body meet a body coming through a field of rye ? But I think that ancient body were most wonderful precise, If a kiss could call the tear-drops to their good old pious eyes, But I have no doubt that kissing must have shocked them awful bad, Or a kiss would not have made them so very, very sad. But to all the numerous instances I have but one reply, Not one of them e'er happened coming through a field of rye. Then I think the matter settled that 'tis foolish and unwise, If a body kiss a body, thus to dim a body's eyes ; And I know a body wouldn't could a body only guess That all the stolen kisses didn't make them any less ; And I think our pretty maidens would not have a useless cry, If a body chanced to kiss them coming through a field of rye. — Edwin Randell. Old Man Character. AN EARLY MORNING CALL Bee-ull ! Bee-ull ! O Bee-ull ! my gracious, Air you still sleepin'? Th' hour hand's creepin' Nearder five. 276 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING (Wal', durned ef this 'ere ain't vexatious !) Don't ye hyar them cattle callin' ? An' th' ole red steer a-bawlin'? Come, look alive ! Git up ! Git up ! Mar' Ann ! Mar' Ann ! (Jist hyar her snorin' !) Mar' Ann ! it's behoovin' Thet you be a-movin' ! Brisk, I say ! Hyar the kitchen stove a-roarin' ? The kittle's a-spilin' To git hisse'f bilin'. It's comin' day. Git up ! Git up ! Jule ! O Jule ! Now whut is ailin' ? You want ter rest? Wal', I'll be blest ! S'pose them cows 'LI give down 'ithout you pailin'? You must be goin' crazy ; Er, more like, gittin' lazy. Come, now, rouse ! Git up ! Git up ! Jake ! you lazy varmint ! Jake ! Hey, Jake ! What you layin' theer fer? You know the stock's ter keer fer ; So, hop out ! PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 2JJ (Thet boy is wusser'n a rock to wake !) Don't stop to shiver, But jist unkiver An' pop out ! Git up ! Git up ! Young uns ! Bee-ull ! Jake ! Mar' Ann ! Jule ! (WaF, durn my orn'ry skin ! They've gone ter sleep agin, Fer all my tellin' !) See hyar, I hain't no time ter fool ! It's the las' warnin' I'll give this mornin'. I'm done yellin' ! Git up ! Git up ! Wal', whut's th' odds — an hour, more or less? Believe it makes 'em stronger Ter sleep a leetle longer Thar in bed. The time is comin' fas' enough, I guess, When I'll wish, and wish 'ith weepin', They was back up yender sleepin', Overhead, Ter git up. — John Boss. ME AND SALLY ANN More than forty years of sorrow, and of sunshine, and of gloom, H've sauntered through our kitchen and our settin' room, Leavin' tokens of their comin' with each particular year, Until I've grown baldheaded, 'ceptin' jest 'bove each ear 278 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING Theie remains a lock of hair — sort of final scout ; It's grown old with watchin' while the rest was droppin' out. Though I've had my trials, bet there ain't a man That enjoyed his livin' better than just me and Sally Ann. I recollect it all yet, the way I used to go And 'scort her to the meetin', for I was Sally's beau, And take my place beside her ; and then I'd turn and smile, From my seat among the angels, at the boys across the aisle. One day the sermon opened by reading the command 'At we all love one another ; and I reached for Sally's hand, And I axed her for to have me, and forgittin' of the crowd, I didn't think to whisper, — I axed her right out loud ! Well, the congregation sniggered, and the preacher said, " Hem ! hem ! " But I was after Sally, I didn't care for them. I kept right on a-axen, and Sally saw the bes' An' only way to choke me off was just to answer, "Yes." An' I'll bet there ain't a couple this side the golden stran' That lives the old days over more'n me and Sally Ann. The other day while musen, I happened just to think The way our courtship started, it started with a wink ; 'An it seemed too tarnel silly, but law it didn't then, For life was all before me, and so was Sally Ann. An' oft I git to thinkin' 'bout the things I did and sed When I was courtin' Sally, an' lookin' far ahead 'An plannin' for the future, as only lovers can, An' paintin' scenes of glory for me an' Sally Ann. PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 279 It's more 'n forty years now, since me an' Sally Ann Had agreed to live together, an' I told the preachen man, Who stood up there before us an' axed us all the questions, Just like they always do, " You bet I'll care for Sally, I'll see that she gets thro'." An' then the preacher stopped awhile, and spozen he was done I sez, sez I to Sally, " He has only 'zamined one" 'An turnin' round, I faced him, an' motioned with my han', " I say, now you are done with me, just 'zamin Sally Ann." Well, you ought to of heard them laughin' in the galleries and the aisle, An' Sal she took to grinnin', an' I had to sorter smile ; An' all the people sniggered, an' the female women laughed, An' the preacher sez, sez he to me, " You're most uncommon saft." 'An' I sez, " I knows it, 'tain't no news to me ; I was born in thet condition, an' s'pose I'll always be." An' an old hard-heeren deacon sez, " What causes this, my man?" I bowed, and sez in thunder tones, " Jes' me an' Sally Ann." Pathos, Child Character. DAILY NEWS Buy a paper ? My, it's cold. Thank 'ee, sir : the first I've sold. What's my name, sir? Tom Green. Age? I'm goin' on sixteen. 280 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING Live, sir? Down in Mulberry street. No, we don't get much to eat. Takes such heaps to pay the rent. Daily News, one cent? Father? Well, he's mighty queer : won't touch nothin', ale or beer, Straight along for three whole days : works at any job that pays. Then on a suddent, home he'll come, staggerin' ; full o' rum, Swearin' to his heart's content. Daily News, one cent? Mother? She don't drink just now. Her'n the old man's had a row. Met down stairs one night, you see, both as drunk as drunk could be. Pat Flinn got 'em apart that night. — Oh, but, murder, — they did fight. Such things ain't seen by a gent. — Daily News, one cent? Brothers? No, I ain't got none. Sisters? Yes, I onct had one. Mag's been gone three years in May. Poor old Mag ! She run away. Starvin' she could bear, but oh, how that girl did hate a blow. Then her patience all got spent. — Daily News, one cent? Fond o' Mag? I'd orter a been. We was friends through thick and thin. Some girls wouldn't 'a' staid so long, doin' right in bearin' wrong. My, she stood it fine till when father knocked her down, and then — Oh, don't ask me where she went. — Daily News, one cent? PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING 28 1 Boy's Character Sketch. SINCE PA SHAVED OFF HIS WHISKERS I haven't had sich jolly fun fur forty thousand years, Jes' laughed until I thought my eyes was runnin' out in tears, An' ma she slapped me on the back to help me ketch my breath, An' said she couldn't blame me if I laughed myself to death ! My ribs got sore like they was biles, my head got achin', and My inside fixin's hurt like they had more than they could stand. An' ev'ry time I see him yit I have to fetch a grin, Because he looks so orful queer with nothin' on his chin ! There never was a father's son That's had sich jolly roarin' fun As me since children was begun, Since pa shaved off his whiskers ! He blushed jes' like a giggly girl when he come home that night, An' ma she met him at the door an' nodded real polite, An' asked him if he'd not come in, a-lookin' of him o'er Jes' like she was a-wonderin' where she'd seed them clothes afore. She offered him the rockin' cheer an' asked him fur his hat, An' when she hung it up she looked suspiciously at that, An' him a-grinnin' all the time, an' her a-lookin' skeered, An' me a-sizin' of him up an' honestly afeared ! But when he looked almighty shy At me, an' winked his other eye, I yelled to bust : " Why, ma, the guy, It's pa shaved off his whiskers ! " 282 PERSONATION OR CHARACTER SKETCHING Pa heaved back in the rockin' cheer an' fetched a big " Haw- haw ! " I had a real hysterics fit an' roared an' squealed, an' ma, She stood like she was paralyzed an' stared in stupid way, Jes' like to save her life, she couldn't think of what to say ! An' then she reached her fingers out and rubbed 'em on his chin, An' blamed if either one of 'em could do a thing but grin ! An' then she stooped and tuk a kiss, an' say, I'll jes' be blamed ! That orful naked mouth o' pa's looked like it was ashamed ! 'Twas orful mean of me, I know, But I jes' had to laugh or go Insane, it paralyzed me so, When pa shaved off his whiskers ! When ma regained her consciousness I heerd her softly say : " Why, Willy um, you hain't looked so young fur many an' many a day ! Look somethin' like you useter look them times when me an' you Was courtin' up to married life, indeed, indeed you do ! " An' there she sot upon his knee a-feelin' of his chin, Jes' like they was a lovin' pair that wasn't any kin, An' me a-rollin' on the floor jes' like a dyin' calf, Fur every time I'd take a peek at pa I'd have to laugh ! But now he doesn't look so bad, An' never was a prouder lad Than me to have so young a dad, Since pa shaved off his whiskers ! PART TWO FOXONIAN SELECTIONS NIAGARA A study in Modulation and Melody. I stood on the bridge o'er the rapids And watched the mad waters flow, Dashing, smashing, splashing, On the rocks above, below. I watched them in their movements, As ceaselessly they swept ; Curling, purling, whirling, As from rock to rock they leapt. For minutes I stood with raptures, Hearing not but the noise of the flow, Treading, eddying, spreading, On the rocks above, below. As overcome by the grandeur Of that mighty cataract, Lashing, splashing, crashing, I said God reigns here in fact. 283 284 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS I could not keep from thinking How feeble is man's might, Spanning, manning, planning, From morn until the night. I stood there silent, speechless, And waters around me fell, Moaning, groaning, foaming, As if their thoughts to tell. But not a word was spoken, Only the waters' ceaseless roar, Soaring, roaring, pouring, As they reached from shore to shore. I thought of the many thousands Who have seen the waters leap, Frisking, twisting, misting, And falling in a heap. I thought of the many mortals As they watched the wondrous sight, Creeping, meeching, sweeping, Leap into the maddening flight. I thought of the demented victim, Made mad by the waters' stride, Whirling, twirling, swirling, As he leaped into the roaring tide. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 285 Would he regain his senses Ere he should reach the ledge, Jostling, tossing, hustling, On the brink of the waters' edge ? I wondered what he thought When he touched the waters' crest, Sputtering, muttering, fluttering, And he floated on its breast. Yet life is like this river, Beginning smooth and bright, Gliding, widening, sliding, From morn until the night. We are tossed about in the journey Like a chip on the billows' wave, Bounding, floundering, sounding, Until we reach the grave. But when we reach the whirlpool, If we have withstood the test, Carefully, prayerfully, joyously, We will reach the Father's rest. — Frank S. Fox. ONLY A STEP Tis only a step from the cherub's home To the earth where sins prevail. Only a step from happiness To where despair and doubts assail. 286 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS Only a step from baby land To the realms of childish glee ; 'Tis only a step from servitude To the world where all are free. Only a step from childhood thoughts To where man's struggles begin. Only a step, a psychic step, To where doubts come straggling in. Only a step from worthlessness To the life of earnest help. Only a step from nothingness To make our influence felt. Only a step from palatial home To the cabin where want is rife. Only a step from Golconda wealth To the miserable beggar's life. Only a step from the land of life Into the valley of death. Only the length of a heart beat, Only the space of a breath. Only a step, an instant's flight ; Comprehend it, Soul, if you can. Only a step from this unstable life , To the Judgment bar of the better land. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 287 Only a step from childhood to age ; Ye cannot turn from the fateful road. Prepare you then the Journey to tread, Strap on your armor, take up the load. Only a step across fate's arc • Man's soul must take, do not dismay. There are parting paths, choose ye to-day ; To-morrow the infinite, changeless way. — Frank S. Fox. OVER THE RIVER Over the river they beckon to me, Loved ones who crossed to the other side, The gleam of their snowy robes I see, But their voices are drowned by the rushing tide. There's one with ringlets of sunny gold, And eyes the reflection of heaven's own blue, He crossed in the twilight gray and cold, And the pale mist hid him from mortal view. We saw not the angels that met him there — The gate of the city we could not see ; Over the river, over the river, My brother stands, waiting to welcome me. Over the river the boatman pale Carried another, the household pet ; Her brown curls waved in the gentle gale — Darling Minnie ! I see her yet ! 288 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS She closed on her bosom her dimpled hands, And fearlessly entered the phantom bark ; We watched it glide from the silver sands, And all our sunshine grew strangely dark. • We know she is safe on the further side, Where all the ransomed and angels be ; Over the river, the mystic river, My childhood's idol is waiting for me. For none return from those quiet shores, Who cross with the boatman cold and pale ; We hear the dip of the golden oars, And catch a glimpse of the snowy sail ; And lo ! they have passed from our yearning hearts, They cross the stream and are gone for aye. We may not sunder the vail apart That hides from our vision the gates of day. We only know that their barks no more Sail with us o'er life's stormy sea ; Yet somewhere, I know, on the unseen shore, They watch and beckon and wait for me. And I sit and think when the sunset's gold Is flushing the river and hill and shore, I shall one day stand by the waters cold And list to the sound of the boatman's oar. I shall watch for a gleam of the napping sail ; I shall hear the boat as it gains the strand ; I shall pass from sight with the boatman pale To the better shore of the spirit land. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 289 I shall know the loved who have gone before, And joyfully sweet will the meeting be, When over the river, the peaceful river, The angel of death shall carry me. — Nancy A. W. Priest. MAN'S MORTALITY This poem is a fine study in Modulation. Be sure you get it musical, but not singsong. — F. S. F. Like a damask rose you see, Or like a blossom on a tree, Or like the dainty flower in May, Or like the morning to the day, Or like the sun, or like the shade, Or like the gourd which Jonah made ; Even such is man, whose thread is spun, Drawn out and out, and so is done. The rose withers, the blossom blasteth, The flower fades, the morning hasteth, The sun sets, the shadow flies, The gourd consumes, the man — he dies. Like the grass that's newly sprung, Or like the tale that's new begun, Or like the bird that's here to-day, Or like the pearled dew in May, Or like an hour, or like a span, Or like the singing of the swan ; Even such is man, who lives by breath, Is here, now there, in life and death. 290 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS The grass withers, the tale is ended, The bird is flown, the dew's ascended, The hour is short, the span not long, The swan's near death, man's life is done. Like to the bubble in the brook, Or in a glass much like a look, Or like the shuttle in weaver's hand, Or like the writing on the sand, Or like a thought, or like a dream, Or like the gliding of the stream ; Even such is man, who lives by breath, Is here, now there, in life and death. The bubble's out, the look forgot, The shuttle's flung, the writing's blot, The thought is past, the dream is gone, The waters glide, man's life is done. Like an arrow from a bow, Or like a swift course of water flow, Or like the time 'twixt flood and ebb, Or like the spider's tender web, Or like a race, or like a goal, Or like the dealing of a dole ; Even such is man, whose brittle state Is always subject unto fate. The arrow shot, the flood soon spent, The time no time, the web soon rent, The race soon run, the goal soon won, The dole soon dealt, man's life soon done. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 29 1 Like to the lightning from the sky, Or like a post that quick doth hie, Or like a quaver in a song, Or like a journey three days long, Or like snow when summer's come, Or like a pear, or like a plum ; Even such is man, who heaps up sorrow, Lives but this day, and dies to-morrow. The lightning's past, the post must go, The song is short, the journey so, The pear doth rot, the plum doth fall, The snow dissolves, and so must all. — Translated by Dr. Donovan. BABY'S WELCOME One blustery day in October, A dear little baby came To claim a place in our household, A share of our hearts, and a name. With the welcome that we gave her She could not find a fault ; Wallace expressed his pleasure By turning a somersault. Louise stood in the corner And smiled at the little maid ; She wanted to hug and kiss her, And was just a little afraid. 292 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS " Shall we keep her ? " said papa, " Or shall we send her away ? " " Oh, since she is here," said mamma, " We had better let her stay. " 'Tis true she forgot her wardrobe, For her board she cannot pay ; But when the heart is willing We can always find a way. " The house is plenty large enough, And mamma's heart is wide ; So with the other children We'll place her side by side." So she rules us with love's scepter Held in her tiny hand ; And we're all of one opinion, That Baby Pauline's grand. And we, her willing subjects, Run at her beck and call ; And home without the baby Would not be home at all. And we'll daily thank our Father, Who sent her from above To rule our little household By the gentle power of love. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 293 And we pray He'll always keep her Gentle, kind, and mild, And when she is a woman As pure as when a child. And we, her brother and sister, Must help her on her way ; We tread the path before her, She follows every day. So we'll ask Him to help us, And teach to us the way, That we at last may gather Where it is always day. — Mrs. Beatrice A. Fox. RISE ABOVE IT Why become a slave to chance ? Why be crushed by circumstance ? Rise above it and advance Over all adversity. You're a king and can create For yourself your own estate ; You are master of your fate ; You are free. All of this is ancient lore, Often has been said before, But I'll tell it o'er and o'er, Sing it to the heart of youth. 294 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS Howsoever long 'tis told, 'Tis a lesson never old, For it bears a thread of gold — It is truth. Rise above the petty things That would bind your spirit wings ; Hear the inner voice that sings Songs of beauty all the while. Drive the demon of despair From your heart ; and, free and fair, Meet the broods of Grief and Care With a smile. Circumstances make us not ; Life is substance to be wrought In the workshop of our thought ; We can mold it as we will. All the hardships that affright, If we brave them, take their flight, They are tests to try our might And our skill. Be not buffeted about By the things that lie without ; Be not ruled by fear and doubt ; Dare to worship toward the dawn ; Dare believe in truth and right ; Dare to seek a higher light ; And the wisdom infinite Follow on. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 295 Spite of calumny and threat, Dare to have a purpose set, Keep it ; and do not forget You are monarch of your own. Dare pursue, against the stream, Your ideal and your dream. Keep your soul a king supreme On his throne. — F. A. Edgerton. PAULINE The angels all sang in Heaven And played on harps of gold, Shouted the Heavenly chorus, " We will bear to earthly fold A mite from the Heavenly Father With love and soul divine, To help the earthly children Kneel at the Holy Shrine." They took up the little midget On wings of downy white, And launched in the blue ethereal For that long earthward flight. They met in their sacred journey The stork with mouth so wide, Who took the fair little cherub From its angelic ride. 296 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS The good stork sailed and flew and sailed As far as eye could ken, And reached the home of the parents At thirty and six p.m. Then there was joy and gladness In that small earthly home, And a vow to do their duty To return the mite to the Throne. — Frank S. Fox. AN ODE TO THE FULL MOON Come, oh, come, effulgent moon, Thou canst not appear too soon, — Come, and fill the gloomy night With thy mild and radiant light, With thy sweet enchanting ray Turn the hideous night to day. Closely guard with watchful eye The lonely hours as they go by, For thine it is to vigils keep While the earth is wrapt in sleep, Safely lead thy comrade through The livelong night, to daylight new. Guard the innocent of earth, That they fall not from their worth, Frown upon the fiend that plies Unholy craft when daylight dies, — Frown upon earth's common foe, — That tyrant of dark pit below. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 297 To me art constant change, although Of changes thou dost nothing know, From crescent wax, till full again, Then back to crescent quickly wane ; Yes, wax and wane, so love does too, But true love this will never do ; Divine, immortal, sky-born flame, Never fading, burns the same. Let thy fullness much impart Gladness to my drooping heart, Cheer this fainting heart of mine With that silvery beam of thine, Attune my soul to joyful lay As the daylight fades away, Touch my life and make it be Fit for immortality. —G.G. Grunewald. LILIES OF THE VALLEY Look at the lovely lilies, Lilies so white and fair ; The valley is full of fragrance, It floats on the morning air. Lilies sweet of the valley, The first of the early spring, Kissed by the dew of May-time, What fragrant joys they bring. Gather them for sweet Pauline, Beautiful Pauline fair, 298 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS To clasp in her dainty ringers And braid in her shining hair. Can there be any purer, Anything sweeter there, Than lilies of the valley Twined in sweet Pauline's hair ? Such is the ideal beauty, Such is the artist's dream ; See how her glad eyes sparkle, And countenance sweetly beams. Gather them for sweet Pauline, Beautiful Pauline fair, To clasp in her dainty fingers. And braid in her shining hair. Children are sweetest lilies, Flowers the whole year round ; Lightening all our footsteps, Cheering us with their sound. They are the sweetest flowers, Pure as the lilies there ; Pick Pauline joys of the valley And twine in her golden hair. Gather them for sweet Pauline, Beautiful Pauline fair, To clasp in her dainty fingers And braid in her shining hair. — Frank S. Fox. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 299 THE OLD-TIME SCHOOL DAYS There stands the old schoolhouse, With chimney 'most gone ; My teacher has left it, My boyhood has flown. The bricks of the corner Are battered and broke, They mark where the ball bat Left many a stroke. Oh, for my boyhood, And the old school again ; Where we teased the good teacher And oft caused him pain ! I long for my sweetheart, Of the days that are gone ; Though now she lives with me, In a home of our own. The bell's in the tower, As it was years ago ; And days that were wintry, 'Twas pelted with snow. The windows seem smaller, The shutters are gone ; All seem to be changed, as I look here alone. 300 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS I go in the schoolroom, Lo, what do I see ! The seats are all changed, And as clean as can be. The walls are all papered, No " wads " to be seen ; I fear I am living To-day in a dream. The teacher so gentle, So kind and so neat ; Each scholar with clean face, Is found in his seat. Yes, forty years, truly, Have changed things about; But I love the old schooldays, When we put teacher out. The bright cheery faces, The glad smiles that beam, All say to me surely, Love reigns here supreme. But still I keep thinking And it makes me feel glad, Although we were sportive, We were not very bad. So, if at each Christmas We put teacher out, FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 301 Never heeding his threats To put us to rout ; Although times have so changed, That peace is supreme, We know we did study, Though now crude it may seem. — Frank S. Fox. OUR BABY SISTER This is our new baby sister. Isn't she a little pet ? She's so very young and tiny That she cannot talk as yet. When we talk, she looks and listens ; I believe she understands, For she smiles at us so sweetly, Waving her wee baby hands. When she came, I cannot tell you, With her pretty soft blue eyes; Mamma says she must have tumbled Down one evening from the skies. Pauline knows, but when we ask her, She looks wise and sucks her thumb ; Still, she's our new baby sister, And we love her, now she's come. — Beatrice A. Fox. 302 F OXONIAN SELECTIONS BE FRIENDS NOW Do not keep the alabaster boxes of your love and tenderness sealed up until your friends are dead, but fill their lives with sweetness now. Speak approving and cheering words while their ears can hear them, and their hearts be thrilled and made happy thereby. The kind things you will say after they are gone, say be- fore they go. Give me here, while the days last, faith- ful friends to cheer me on the rugged pathway. Let me go down into the dreamless dust without a requiem and my narrow house be unmarked, if I must choose between these and friends here. The flowers you would strew upon their coffins be- stow now, and so brighten and sweeten their earthly homes before they leave them. If my friends have alabaster boxes laid away, full of sweet sympathy and affection, which they intend to break over my dead body, please bring them out nozv, in my weary, troubled hours, that I may inhale their sweet fragrance and be cheered while I so much need it. Give me a plain coffin without a flower, a funeral without a eulogy, rather than a life without the sweet- ness of human love and sympathy. Let us anoint our friends while living, as post mortem kindness does not cheer the spirit of the departed ; neither do flowers strewn o'er coffins " shed their fra- grance backward over the weary pathway traveled by him who now sleeps in the silent chamber of death." FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 303 NATALIS He came unnamed, unhonored, and unsung, And the angel band the harps unstrung, As forth from the Father's realm of light They led this tiny human mite. But he's quite welcome to each heart ; May the days be many e'er we part. And when the blessed Father of love Sends again His messengers from above To call him back to His realm so great, Before he closes the pillared gate, May his work on earth be nobly done, And his crown of righteousness loyally won, By Robert. — Frank S. Fox. THE PLAY The world is but a comic play, Where each one takes a different part ; There, on the stage, in costume gay, Shine prelates, — generals show their art ; While we, vile people, sit below, A futile herd of no account ; For us the actors come and go, We pay to them a small amount, And when the farce provokes no mirth We hiss to get our money's worth. — Russell S. Taft. 304 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS LATER ON There'll be kicks about the heat — later on; There'll be growls from all we meet — later on ; Every fellow will declare, that it's mighty hard to bear And will wish for chilly air — later on. They will oft express regret — later on ; When the brows and cheeks are wet — later on ; The rude gibes they used to fling, at the backwardness of spring, And they'll yearn for winds that sting — later on. High the mercury will rise — later on ; And Old Sol blaze in the skies — later on ; And electric fans will whiz, and the soda founts will fizz, And the heat will fairly sizz — later on. They'll be sorry that they growled — later on ; And at fuel dealers scowled — later on ; For the man that sells them ice will exact a heavy price For a measly little slice — later on. Bear in mind it will be hot — later on ; Comfort vainly will be sought — later on; So when springtime days are cold, don't about the weather scold, For there'll be heat uncontrolled — later on. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 305 IN MEMORIAM OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY As monuments reared by grateful hands to the memory of heroes testify to the virtues of the living as to the services of the dead, so the sorrow that has over- whelmed our nation, obliterating the distinctions of party, race, and religion, is as complimentary to the patriotism of our people as to our departed chief magistrate. But it is not strange that the people bow as one over the bier of their illustrious fellow-citizen ; not strange that the solemn stillness is broken only by the sacred hymns which he was wont to sing, notwithstanding that all hearts turn in sympathy to the husbandless home at Canton. The President's position made him part of the life of all his countrymen, and the circumstances which at- tended his taking off added indignation to grief — indig- nation that even one murderous heart could be found in all the land, and grief that the wicked purpose of that heart has been consummated against one so gentle in spirit and so kind in word and deed. This is neither the time nor the place for a discus- sion of remedies for anarchy. It can have no defenders in the United States. Government is a necessity, and the delusion that society can exist without it is harmful, even when no violence is advocated. For it is the duty of every citizen of our republic to strive to make his government perfect in every detail, and this purpose is not only weakened entirely, but destroyed by the doc- 306 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS trine that all governments are bad and should be over- thrown. It is unfortunate that in the best of political contro- versy, partisanship sometimes becomes so strong as to cause injustice to be done the lives of political oppo- nents, and it should be our constant aim to place our campaigns on so high a political standard that the per- son will be eliminated and the turn made upon the principles involved. Let us hope that the national affliction which unites all factions in a common sorrow will result in a broader charity and a more liberal spirit among those who, by different policies and different parties, seek to provide the welfare and increase the glory of our common country. — William J. Bryan. TRUE PATRIOTISM What is patriotism ? Judging from the expression of many persons, it consists in standing around and with great determination saying, " what I would do if it were me." The expression, take notice, is always in the sub- junctive. With some other persons it seems to consist of rushing into print and parading before the eye of the reading public in full-faced type, "what I would do"; and with the most of them there it ends. The true patriot waits until the opportune time, and then acts without any boasting. True patriotism with some is innate ; with others it is acquired by actual expe- rience. Patriotism is the greatest bulwark of American FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 307 institutions, and should be rightly stimulated. The methods of imparting the principles of patriotism in our schools are not always the best. The pictures are too bloody. The pupil is led to think that patriotism is to be found only in war. They have confused in their minds patriotism and bravery and daring. Patriotism means self-sacrifice, dying for things they believe to be right in order to leave, untrammeled, untarnished, and unsullied to posterity, principles that are good and uplifting ; or it is defending a cause in order to protect others. A person may be brave and daring, but unpatriotic, because he is selfish. Many of the heroes of battles have been brave, have been daring, but have not always been patriotic. Napoleon Bonaparte was a brave man, a daring man ; but I ques- tion very much whether it can be truly said that he was a patriotic man. On the contrary, Frederick the Great was certainly patriotic as well as brave, because he fought for a principle that was right. He fought not for selfish ends as did Napoleon, but he fought for a belief that would be handed down to posterity and would help to revolutionize the world. Alexander the Great was a brave man, but certainly not very patriotic. Philip of Macedonia was brave and daring, but Demos- thenes was patriotic. One stood for principle ; the other fought for power, which was selfish. Washington of our own country was a patriotic man in the true sense of the word, because he was willing to lay down his life, he was willing to sacrifice his all, in defense of principles 308 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS he believed to be right, and which were necessary to protect his own country. His after life proved that he was unselfish, because it was evident that he might have been king, but he spurned the very thought of such a thing. Benedict Arnold was brave and daring, but un- patriotic. When he fought he fought for glory, that his name might go down the centuries, but his after life proved that he was selfish, and not a true patriot. When Israel Putnam entered the wolf's den and shot him by the glare of his eye, that was daring ; when he crossed the path of the British and had to flee for his life down the precipitous stony way, that was bravery ; when he went on the battlefield, willing to pour out his blood for his fellow-countrymen regardless of honor, but in defense of the great principle of freedom, that was patriotism. We hear in these days of a great many people ready to go to war, but you talk to them about it, and there is uppermost in their minds that they wish to do something or see something that will bring glory to their names. That is not patriotism, that is selfishness. Such men as these are always willing to escape from the conflict, if there is an opportunity to do so unscathed. The act of the three hundred Spartans in holding the Persian army in check, and dying rather than surrender, thus filling the narrow pass so the enemy could scarcely get through, if at all, this was patriotism ; because they fought, not for self, not for glory, but for the protection of their homes, their people, their country. When Galileo was FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 309 about to be banished because he said the world was round and that it did move, and he was willing to endure torture and banishment for the truth that he believed, rather than deny the truth, he was an example of a patriot. In order to teach patriotism, then, the child must have ingrafted into his mind that which is right. To implant within him the leading and strong desire to do right, to be right, and never vary from what he knows to be true, is the real object of teaching patriotism. — Frank S. Fox. WHAT IMPERIALISM MEANS Imperialism has come to be a word of great signifi- cance, and I am asked to state concisely and exactly what it means for American labor. I cannot do better than refer to a speech delivered to the students of the University of Michigan, before imperialism had become, as it is to-day, the dominant issue of our politics, and the gravest danger, in my judgment, that has ever threatened our republican form of government. As I said then, it is necessary to distinguish between "expansion" and "imperialism." Expansion has always signified the extension of our institutions through the enlargement of our frontiers. Imperialism is not the diffusion of American constitutionalism over new lands, but the establishment in conquered territory by this government of another government, radically irreconcil- able to the spirit of our own constitution and essentially 310 F0X0NIAN SELECTIONS hostile to it. Expansion, then, may be defined as the peaceful development of our political system through an increase in the area of the United States, and impe- rialism as the forcible exercise by our government in other countries of powers denied to it at home. The marvelous growth of commerce between the States of the Union is due to its absolute freedom from artificial restrictions. The inclusion of Canada in this free-trade area would stimulate production beyond our powers to conceive. Exactly opposite results would be produced by impe- rialistic conquest. The forcible annexation of Canada would be an act of imperialism, as unprofitable as it would be unjustifiable, and as calamitous as it would be criminal. A conquered country is always discontented and, therefore, disloyal. It would be impossible to intrust the rights of statehood to a disaffected people. Our authority over them could be maintained only by force, that is to say, by a standing army and military rule. Aside from its inherent hostility to free institutions, a standing army is a crushing burden on the neck of the laborer. The first essential of high wages is abundance of commodities, and a standing army is an insuperable obstacle to extensive production. Every dollar of sur- plus product or capital invested in implements, in machinery, in buildings, is a fruitful dollar. Commodi- ties used in production multiply themselves even while FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 311 they perish. Every dollar expended for munitions of war is a sterile dollar. It is not used for the purpose of production, but for the purpose of destruction. It is wasted as completely as if it were thrown into the sea. I oppose this novel, un-American policy of imperialism because the grounds on which its advocates support it are puerile, inconsistent, and dishonest ; because it involves the existence of a standing army to menace liberty and to oppress labor by diminishing wages ; because it is cowardly to invade the rights of the weak while respect- ing those of the strong ; because it would divorce the American flag and the American Constitution by send- ing the one where the other cannot go ; because it is a policy of inconceivable folly from a material point of view, and a policy of unspeakable infamy from a mora) point of view. I favor the traditional American policy of expansion which leads to higher achievements of peace and prog- ress, because I want this country to remain the land where the patriotic workingman who produces is more honored than the paid fighting man who destroys ; where the laborer's overalls enjoy equal dignity with the soldier's uniform ; where a dinner pail is more highly esteemed than a knapsack ; where a spade is deemed more valuable than a musket, a hospital than a battery, a school than a fortress ; where the enduring glory of justice is pursued and the vainglory of conquest de- spised ; where the flag which typifies liberty and the constitution which secures it, enshrined in the hearts, 3T2 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS sustained by the arms, glorified by the memories of a free people, shall remain invincible, indestructible, in- separable, forever and forever. —Bourke Cochran. WHY DO WE VOTE Let us ask ourselves the question, What is the object of citizens' voting on election day ? From the stand- point of civics there is but one reason, and that is his right to say what he, as a citizen of the United States, desires shall be the governing element in this country. The right to vote is the most sacred of all privileges granted to a free American citizen. It is possibly safe to say that no other right of the American citizen is so little regarded and studied and acted upon properly, as should be done by true, moral citizens of these United States. What is the object of voting ? To express that which I want as a citizen in the government of this country. It then follows that the man who votes for what he wants, never loses his vote; If I am a Republican, and the Republican party stands for things in the gov- ernment that I do not want, and I vote that ticket, knowing this to be true, and that ticket wins, I have lost my vote as a citizen. If I belong to the Democratic party, and they indorse principles of government that I cannot conscientiously justify, and they win, I have lost my vote. If I should vote with a party whose prin- ciples are those which I want applied in this govern- ment, although they may lose in the election of their FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 313 candidates, / have not lost my vote ; on the contrary, I have done that thing which is expected of me as a citizen of this country, and which every one should care- fully consider when exercising the right of franchise. It is in voting that all citizens stand upon an equal footing ; the poorest financially, the humblest in influ- ence, has just as much power in his individual ballot as does the richest millionaire or the most potent political boss. The thing that is causing the thoughtful student of this government's affairs to look with some trepida- tion upon its future is the fact that there are so many citizens in this country who vote, not as citizens, but as hirelings. If there is one thing that ought to dis- franchise a man, it is the selling of his vote ; and not until the citizens of this country are thoroughly alive to their privileges and possess backbone enough to vote for principle rather than party, will we ever attain the ideal for which our forefathers laid the foundation. — Frank S. Fox. THE AMERICAN LIFE It is perfectly safe to say that ninety-nine men out of a hundred in civilized countries are opposed to war. Savages like to go to war ; we do not. We are farmers, mechanics, merchants, manufactur- ers, teachers, and all we ask is the privilege of attend- ing to our own business. We own our homes, love our friends, are devoted to our families, and do not inter- fere with our neighbors any more than is necessary ; 314 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS we have work to do, and wish to work while it is called the day. We recognize that life is short and the night cometh. Leave us alone. But they will not — these demagogues, politicians, and rogues intent on the Strenuous Life. We wish to be peaceful and want to be kind, but they say this life is warfare, and we must fight. But they will not leave us alone, these men who insist on governing us and living off our labor. They tax us, eat our substance, conscript us, draft our boys into the wars to fight farmers, whose chief offenses are that they wear trousers that bag at the knee and cul- tivate an objectionable style of whiskers. They call themselves the Superior Class. They live off the labor of our hands. They essay the task of governing us for a consideration. They deceive us, this Superior Class ; they hoodwink us ; they betray us ; they bulldoze us by the plea of Patriotism. They deceive us, and, oh, the infamy and the shame of it ! They deceive us in the name of the gentle Christ whose love embraced a world, and who dis- tinctly taught that war was wrong and that the only rule of life should be to do unto others as we would be done by. In order to establish a reason for their domination, this self-appointed Superior Class pretend to follow in the footsteps of Christ — they call themselves Christians. The Bible is the book we all talk about, but seldom read. We pay pew rent, and let other men explain the FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 315 Bible to us ; or if we read, we read with our eyes shut. The men in the pulpit claim to belong to the Superior Class, and they explain things to us on our agreement to grant them immunity from work. We supply them broadcloth suits, kid gloves, and high hats, and they teach us what they call truth, thus saving us the trouble of thinking for ourselves. They call themselves Christians, but Christ opposed war, never took up a collection, accepted no salary, founded no church, had no ritual, wore no miter nor robe of office. He did not belong to the Superior Class — did not ever take pains to associate with respectable people. He was a carpenter, who felt certain truths so intensely that he left his bench for a time, and went forth speaking to men in the streets, the market places, and by the seashore. And now this Superior Class, intent on taxing us, declare war and maintain standing armies in the name of this Man who had no fellowship with either armies, war, or the Superior Class. All the myriads of men who live off the government depend upon the govern- ment to tax us, and in order to tax us successfully, standing armies are maintained. The plea that the army is needed for the protection of the country is pure fraud and pretense. The French government affrights the people by telling them the Germans are ready and anxious to fall upon them ; the Russians fear the Brit- ish ; the British fear everybody ; and now in America we are told that we must increase our navy and add to 316 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS our army, because Europe may at any moment combine against us. This is fraud and untruth. The plain people in France, Germany, England, and America are opposed to war. We only wish to be let alone. Men with wives, children, sweethearts, homes, aged parents, do not want to go off and fight some one. We are peace- able and wish to be kind ; we fear war ; we hate it. We would like to obey the Golden Rule. But the Superior Class will not have it so ; they pass conscription laws, and use the army thus conscripted to conscript other men. War is the sure result of the existence of armed men. That country which maintains a large standing army will sooner or later have a war on hand. The man who prides himself on fisticuffs is going some day to meet a man who considers himself a better man, and they will fight. Germany and France have no issue save a desire to see which is the better man. They have fought once — more than that, many times — and they will fight again. Not that the people want to fight, but the Superior Class can fright into fury, and make men think they must fight to protect their homes. The question is, how are we to relieve ourselves of these cormorants, who toil not, but who are clothed in broadcloth and blue with brass buttons and many costly accouterments ; who feed upon our substance, and for whom we delve and dig. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 317 They have the money and the guns, and can hold out longer than we. But who composes this army that they would order to fire upon us ? Why, our neighbors — deceived into the idea that they are doing God's service by protecting their coun- try from its enemies, when the fact is, our country has no enemies save the Superior Class, that pretends to look out for our interests if we will only obey and con- sent to be taxed. Thus do they siphon our resources, and turn our true brothers upon us to subdue and humiliate us. You cannot send a telegram to your wife nor an express package to your friend nor draw a check for your gro- cer until you first pay the tax to maintain armed men, who can quickly be used to kill you, and who surely will imprison you if you do not pay. An army is a menace. America can never become the ideal republic — the home and refuge of all that is best in art and science, the fulfillment of the dreams of seers and prophets — unless we cease modeling our political policy after the rotting monarchies of Europe. Force expends itself and is gone ; every army is marching to its death ; nothing but a skull and skeleton fill helmet and cuirass ; the aggressor is overcome by the poison of his pride ; victory is only another name for defeat ; but the Spirit of Gentleness and Truth is eternal. Only by building on that can we hope as a nation to live. — Elbert Hubbard. 318 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS OUR NATIONAL PATRIOTISM We are distinctively a patriotic nation. Its bones, sinews, veins, and arteries are patriotic, and support and protect and enrich a liberty-loving heart. The great corner stone of the republic was union, right, and patriotism, on which was built the column which sup- ports the most powerful Goddess of Liberty. Our past and present history proves these facts. The Revolu- tion laid the foundation of liberty, independence, and patriotism. The War of 1812 established and com- pleted them, and the Mexican War asserted our sacred rights before the world ; the Civil War confirmed, proved, and established them. The present conflict with Spain is proclaiming them to the uttermost parts of the earth. Let us push the war in behalf of the dark island and downtrodden people of Cuba, from Havana to Manila, and prove to the monarchs that we are what we profess to be. With Dewey at Manila and Gomez in Cuba, and our magnificent fleet under Sampson and Schley on the American sea and our powerful army pressing the conflict on the land, we will write this proclamation of truth ; proclaiming it to the world, with bayonets and swords for pens, dipped, if need be, in patriotic blood ; writing in letters that blaze from the musket's muzzle and the cannon's mouth, punctuating our sentences with solid shot, shell, and canister; with Cuba Liber as the headlines, the ocean as the parchment, and the nations for a witness, we will FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 319 complete this struggle, and confirm the truth to the most skeptical of the world that America is a country for the people, by the people, and of the people, and the most glorious of all the nations that has ever swayed an influence in tlie onward progress of the world 's civilization. — Frank S. Fox. THE NATION'S SECURITY Intelligent free laborers are working out the great problem of civilizing this continent. Intelligent fight- ing men are consolidating its government, and underly- ing all, the public schools are silently forming a sound national character. Free as air, vital as electricity, and vivifying as the sunlight, they act on the organic forces of the nation as these three physical agents build up the life of the globe out of inorganic matter. The insurrec- tion will be put down by the sword and the bayonet, treason will be rooted out by armed men, but then the only strength of the Union will be in a public opinion based on an intelligent comprehension of national affairs by the people of the whole nation. Unless the laws of the several states are administered by rulers chosen by electors whose ballots fall vitalized by intelligence, no standing armies, no constitutions, can hold them in harmonious spheres around the central sun of a repre- sentative government. They will shoot off in eccentric orbits into the unfathomable darkness of dissolution and chaos, never to return. It is a Prussian maxim, "What- 320 FOX ON I AN SELECTIONS ever you would have appear in the life of the nation you must put into the schools." If the schools inculcate, with intellectual training, love of country, cordial sub- mission to lawful authority, moral rectitude, some knowledge of the theory and organic structure of our government, and a true spirit of patriotism, then shall our citizens be truly men, and our electors princes indeed. When I consider the power of the public schools, how they have disseminated intelligence in every village and hamlet and log house in the nation, how they are molding the plastic elements of the new generation into the symmetry of modern civilization, I cannot think that our country is to be included in the long list " Of nations scattered like the chaff Blown from the threshing floor of God." I hold nothing in common with those faint-hearted patriots who are beginning to despair of the future of our country. The latent powers of the nation are just coming into healthful and energetic action and, in spite of treason, are moving the republic onward and upward to a higher standpoint of liberty. What though it comes to us amid the storms of battle, and the shock of con- tending armies ! " Not as we hope ! — but what we are ! Above our feeble dreams and plans God lays with wiser hand than man's, The corner stone of liberty." FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 321 The Anglo-Saxon race, even in ruder years, always possessed an inherent power of independence and self- government. Tell me not that now, when this stubborn vitality and surplus energy, expended so long in over- running the world, are guided by intelligence and refined by Christianity, this same race is to be stricken with palsy, because of a few years' war. The sixteen millions of boys and girls in the public schools, who constitute a great " league " electrified by intelligence, cemented by the ties of one blood, one language, one course of instruc- tion, strong in its power to perpetuate the Union, are the nation's sure defense. Long before the completion of the Pacific railroad, these new recruits, drilled in the public school, pushed their way across the continent, as the Saxons swarmed out from their northern hives, a vast army of occupation, cultivating these " national home- steads," and fortifying the whole line of communication by a cordon of schoolhouses that shall hold it forever as the heritage of free labor, free men, and a free nation. So shall the nation's pioneer go joyful on his way, To wed Penobscot's waters to San Francisco's bay ; To make the rugged places smooth, to sow the vales with grain, And bear, with liberty and law, the Bible in his train ; The mighty West shall bless the East, and sea shall answer sea, And mountain unto mountain call, Praise God, for we are free ! 322 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS ETERNAL CLOCKWORK OF THE SKIES This is the longest sentence in American literature. — F. S. F. For all the kindreds and tribes and tongues of men, — each upon their own meridian, — from the Arctic pole to the equator, from the equator to the Antarctic pole, the eternal sun strikes twelve at noon, and the glorious constellations, far up in the everlasting belfries of the skies, chime twelve at midnight — twelve for the pale student over his nickering lamp — twelve amid the flaming wonders of Orion's belt, if he crosses the meridian at that fated hour — twelve by the weary couch of languishing humanity, twelve in the star- paved courts of the Empyrean — twelve for the heav- ing tides of the ocean ; twelve for the weary arm of labor, twelve for the toiling brain, twelve for the watch- ing, waiting, broken heart ; twelve for the meteor which blazes for a moment and expires ; twelve for the comet whose period is measured by centuries ; twelve for every substantial, for every imaginary thing, which exists in the sense, the intellect, or the fancy, and which the speech or thought of man, at the given meridian, refers to the lapse of time. — Edward Everett. THE ENGINEERS' MAKING LOVE It's noon when " Thirty-five " is due, An' she comes on time, like a flash of light, An' you hear her whistle, " Toot-tee-too ! " Long 'fore the pilot swings in sight. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 323 Bill Maddon's drivin' her in to-day, An' he's callin' his sweetheart, far away — Gertrude Hurd — lives down by the mill — You might see her blushin' ; she knows it's Bill, " Tu-die ! Toot-ee ! Tu-die ! Tu ! " Six-five a.m. there's a local comes — Makes up at Bristol, runnin' east; An' the way her whistle sings an' hums Is a livin' caution to man an' beast. Every one knows who Jack White calls — Little Lou Woodbury, down by the Falls ; Summer or winter, always the same, She hears her lover callin' her name — " Lou-ie ! Lou-ie ! Lou-iee ! " At six-fifty-eight you can hear " Twenty-one " Go thunderin' west, and of all the screams That ever startled the rising sun, Jehu Davis sends into your dreams ; But I don't mind it ; it makes me grin — For just down here, where the creek lets in, His wife, Jerusha, can hear him call, Loud as a throat of brass can bawl — " Jeee-rooo-shee ! Jehoo ! " But at one-fifty-one old " Sixty-four " — Boston Express runs east, clear through — Drowns her rattle and rumble and roar With the softest whistle that ever blew ; 324 E OXONIAN SELECTIONS An' away on the furthest edge of the town, Sweet Sue Winthrop's eyes of brown Shine like the starlight, bright an' clear, When she hears the whistle of Abel Gear — " You-ou-ou, Su-u-u-u-e ! " An' long at midnight a freight comes in, Leaves Berlin sometime — I don't know when But it rumbles along with a fearful din, Till it reaches the Y-switch there, and then The clearest notes of the softest bell That out of a brazen goblet fell, Wake Nellie Minton out of her dreams — To her like a wedding bell it seems — "Nell, Nell, Nell! Nell, Nell, Nell!" An' somewhere late in the afternoon, You'll see "Thirty-seven" go streakin' west; It's local from Hartford ; same old tune Now set for the girl that loves him best. Tom Wilson rides on the right-hand side, Givin' her steam at every stride ; An' he touches the whistle, low an' clear, For Lulu Gray, on the hill, to hear — "Lu-lu! Loo-Loo!" So it goes on all day an' all night, Till the old folk have voted the thing a bore ; Old maids and bachelors say it ain't right For folks to do courtin' with such a roar. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 325 But the engineers their kisses will blow From the whistle valve to the girls they know, An' the stokers the name of their sweethearts tell With the Belle ! Nell ! Dell ! of the swaying bell ! — Robert J. Burdette. THE CARPET-BEATIN' FEVER Has your woman got the fever? Does it threaten ne'er to leave her — Beatin' — carpet-beatin' fever ? Is your house all topsy-turvy Just as if you had the scurvy ? It's the carpet-beatin' fever ; 'Tis a wonderful reliev-(h)er ; Let her keep it till it's over ; — Think she's in the deepest clover ; — Let her 'lone and play the rover. Husbands, warning, heed the rumor ; Steals upon 'em like a tumor ; Finds 'em in an awful humor ; — Ne'er can know when it will take 'em ; So get out and let 'em shake 'em. Noises of the beaters' bangin' ; Awful sounds of back yard swangin', Swishes, brooms, and carpets rusty, — All the men are sour and crusty, Each and every woman dusty. 326 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS Hark ! the craze is comin' nearer And the sound is growin' clearer ; — Don't you hear the awful clangin' Of that never-endin' whangin' ; Tis the carpet-beaters' bangin'. ' Fly ! man ! hide from wrath of women. Loaf, or bum, or go a-swimmin', — Anything to leave the women In the glory of this fever, Which so soon must surely leave her. Man, don't cut such foolish prances, — Don't you see those awful glances ? Leave your woman in her glory, Leave her rulin' every story ; — Dare say aught derogatory. Short the fever's fleet duration ; Then why not, in all the nation, Go away, — desert your station ; Leave your woman in the fever, — Awful, carpet-beatin' fever. - Let her beat 'em to her fancy ; — Don't be foolin', — don't get prancy ; — Give her time to do the clangin', Give her room to do the whangin', — Nasty, carpet-beatin' bangin'. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 327 Then return and meet your woman In the mansion where you're roomin', And you'll find her just a-bloomin' ; — Best of women, — never leave her, Foolish man to e'er deceive her, — Blessed, carpet-beatin' fever ! — Charles Manning Swingle. MICHAEL CASEY'S DESCRIPTION OF HIS FIGHT WITH ONEY GEIGEN " Well ! well ! well ! Casey, what's the matter again ? " "Oh, me boy, me boy, I was just licken' Oney Geigen." "What, little Oney Geigen ?" " Little ? Well, he's — he's little, but he's not small — that man." " Oh, he's a sick man." " Eh ? is he ? he's the wellest sick man you ever saw in your life. Why, that man there — his name is Oney Corbctt Geigen." " Well, say, how did you do it ? " " You know Geigen and I have always been friends together; now we are enemies apart." "Yes." " You know I went down to the wharf to take a fish in the water for fish." "Yes." " When me fish line was too short, I wanted to cut it 328 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS longer. I felt in me pocket to found me knife and it was gone out of me pocket." " It was ? " " It was that. Well, then I had me suspicions and expectations towards Geigen right away." " Ye did ? " " I did. Says I to Geigen, ' You have me knife/ says I." " Says you ? " " Yes, ' Indeed you got it yourself,' says he." " Says he ? " " * You're another,' says I." " Says he ? " " No ! No ! No ! Says I ! Says I ! " "Oh." " ' It's no such thing,' says he. * You go down to the undertaker,' says I, ' and give him the date of your birth, and I'll take care of the other date meself and give him a job at the same time.' " " Says you ? " " Yes, sir. Well, then he says a sassy thing to me." " What did he say ? " " Says he, ' There'll be a funeral to-morrow, Casey, and you'll be in the front orchestra choir, and you'll know nothing about it.' " " Oh, that was sassy ? " "Yes. Then I got mad, and when I get mad, I get angry, and when I get angry, I lose me temper and I can't find it." FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 329 "Yes." "Well, I grabbed hold of him. I grabbed hold of him and wouldn't leave go of him, and I wrastled around like Billy Muldoon with him." "Ye did?" " Yes. Well, I pulled him down on top of me on the ground and I — I — I — I got up again. I got up again and I put my ear in his mouth and wouldn't leave go, and I gave him another thump with me face against his fist, and I — well I got up again and then says I, 1 1 know where Fitzsimmons licked Corbett,' and I gave him a jab in the abdomen, and then, by golly, he gave me a kick in the eye, and that was contrary to the markins of Gooseberry rules, and so I told him to come over, be golly, to England, and I'd show him how to fight ; so I started and run around and run around and run around, him behind, and when I got him all tired out, then I licked him, but when I see him again I'll kill him." " Here he comes now, Mike." " Where ? Oh, where ? Let's get away. Let's get away." TO , WITH APOLOGIES TO BRYANT The melancholy days are come, The saddest of the year ; Of scrubbing pails and mops and brooms, And floors all damp and drear ; 330 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS Of saddened men and wailing babes, And pleasant wives gone mad ; Of tacks and pins on every step, And paint that smelleth bad. Of sniffling nose and weeping eyes, And throats all raw and sore ; Of boots upon the parlor floor, And coats behind each door. Of scolding maids and bustling dames, And Peter strong and true, Who poundeth carpets on the grass, And maketh bright as new. Of feathers damp and mattress torn, And rag-bags gone astray ; Of naphtha soap and elbow grease, — You see it all to-day. But still, when comes that calm, mild day — As still such days must come — To thrill our hearts with merry lays And thoughts of " Home, Sweet Home," We'll all be glad the siege is past, No more we need to mourn. House cleaning now is o'er; Things assume their usual way, That cleanliness and order now Our modest home adorn. But to pick the fairest roses, We must also pluck a thorn. — Compliments of the Little Foxes. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 33 1 THE WAYWARD SON I've got a letter, parson, from my son away out West, An' my old heart is heavy as an anvil in my breast, To think the boy whose future I once had proudly planned, Should wander through the path o' right an' come to sich an end ! I til' him when he left us, only three short years ago, He would find himself a-plowing in a mighty crooked row, He'd miss his father's counsel an' his mother's prayers, too ; But he said the farm was hateful an' he guessed he'd haf to go. I know thar's big temptation for a youngster in the West, But I believed our Billy had the courage to resist ; An' when he left I warned him of the ever waitin' snares, That lies like hidden sarpints in life's pathway ever- wheres ; But Billy promised faithful to be keerful, and allowed He would build up a reputation that would make us mighty proud. But it seems as though my counsel has faded from his mind, An' now he's got in trouble in the very worstest kind. 332 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS His letters come so suldom that I somewhat sort o' knowd That Billy was a tramping in a mighty rocky road, I never once emagined he would bow my head in shame, An' in the dust he'd wallow his daddy's honored name. He writ from out in Denver, the story might be short; I just can't tell his mother, it will crush her poor old heart. An' so I reckoned, parson, you might break the news to her, An' tell her Billy is in the legislature, but doesn't say what fur ! THE DACHSHUND The dockshound is a dorg notwithstandin' appeer- encis. He has fore legs, two in front an' two behind, an' they ain't on speekin' terms. I wunst made a dockshound out of a cowcumber an' fore matchis, an' it lookt as nacheral as life. Dockshounds is farely in- telligent considerin' thare shaip. Thare brains bein' so far away frum thare tales it bothers them sum to wag the lattur. I wunst noo a dockshound who wuz too impashunt to wait till he cood signal the hole length of his boddy when he wanted to wag his tale, so he maid it up with his tale thet when he wanted it to wag he would shake his rite ear, an' when the tale seen it shake it wood wag. But as fer me, gimme a bull pup with a peddygree. — Seventh Grade Boy. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 333 DAD'S OLD BREECHES When dad has worn his trousers out, They pass to brother John ; Then mother trims them round about, And William puts them on. When William's legs too long have grown, The trousers fail to hide 'em ; So Walter claims them for his own And stows himself inside 'em. Next Sam's fat legs they close invest, And when they won't stretch tighter, They're turned and shortened, washed and pressed, And fixed on me — the writer. Ma works them into rugs and caps When I have burst the stitches — At Doomsday we shall see (perhaps) The last of dad's old breeches. RAILROAD GRAMMAR " What was the next station ? " " You mean what is the next station." " No. What was is, isn't it ? " " That doesn't make any difference. Is is was, but was is not necessarily is." " Look here ; what was, is, and what is, is. Is was is or is is was ? " 334 F OXONIAN SELECTIONS " Nonsense. What may be is, but is is not was. It was was, but if was was is, then is isn't is or was wasn't was. If was is, was is was, isn't it ? But if is is was then — " " Listen. Is is, was was, and is was and was is ; therefore, is was is and was is was, and if was was is, is is is, and was was was and is is was." " Shut up, will you ! I've got by my station already." — Life. A MOTHER'S ADVICE If you want to please the men, Daughter mine ; Learn a little bit of art, Some good poetry by heart, Languages to wit impart, Music fine. Know the proper way to dress, How to comfort and caress, Dance a little, gossip less. Daughter mine. If you want to please the men, Daughter mine ; Study how to mix a cake, Learn to sew and boil and bake, Say you cook for cooking's sake, How divine ! FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 335 Be a housewife, all the rest Counts but little ; truth confessed, Such girls always marry best, Daughter mine. — Lalia Mitchell. MAYBE YOU DO, BUT I DOUBT IT An encore selection, on our bachelor friends. You may talk of the doings of women and men, Of the way they comment about it, But do you practice all that you preach ? Well, maybe you do, but I doubt it. Have you ever been young and full of true life ; And if Cupid's dart came, did you rout it ? You answer, yes, with significant smile ; Well, maybe you did, but I doubt it. Have you sat by a maiden angelic and fair, And not at all a gallant about it, Have you always been trim, said not a love word? Well, maybe you have, but I doubt it. Has your lot been cast with a beautiful maid, Though your age be two score or about it ; Did you forget the ways of your young days ? Well, maybe you did, but I doubt it. Have you ladies been walking with nice young men, Though your hair showed white or about it, Did you forget you were forty, and glad you were so ? Well, maybe you did, but I doubt it. 336 FOX ON IAN SELECTIONS Have you seen eyes reflecting heaven's own blue, And you never looked askance about it ; Did your heart not flutter as she glanced at you ? Well, maybe it didn't, but I doubt it. Did you sit alone by cherry-red lip And betwixt nature's own pearl to adorn it, Did you leave them alone with never a ? Well, maybe you did, but I doubt it. Were you ever left with a plump, slender waist, Inviting protection about it; With thinking no harm did you keep down your arm ? Well, maybe you did, but I doubt it. You that are old, say past twenty-eight, Just leaving your youth or about it, Do you never enjoy the ruse of young days ? Well, maybe you don't, but I doubt it. You may boast all you please about being prim, And you never are young — all about it. You assert you are frigid and proof against charm, Well, maybe you are, but I doubt it. Don't think in this jingle we say you're unkind, But before you are married, don't shout it, And boast that you're different from another mind, If you do, we shall certainly doubt it. — Frank S. Fox. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 337 TWO CONFIDENCES His Story You never saw her ? — well, old boy, you have Something to live for yet, as you will see. Blond and eighteen and — mashed ? well, I should say so! I must confess she is quite gone on me. You see I met her at Thompson's ball, Then called ; then asked and took her to the play. It was Modjeska ; " Juliet," the piece. Of course those love scenes give a man a show, And I don't throw a chance like that aside, As you, old boy, have cause enough to know. So I made love, and she, poor innocent (Though I confess the game was rather thin), Swallowed the whole for truth, I swear she did, Took the whole sentimental business in. Meet her ? Of course you must, because you are A judge of beauty, gait, and style. Flirting ? You ask me that with sober face ? Flirting ? Why, man, of course, or I should smile. Her Story Handsome ? Oh, yes ; but an awful goose ! Why, you never heard such talk. And, girls, if you had seen him smile, And seen him try to walk, With pipestem pants and pointed shoes, You simply would have died. 338 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS I kept my face straight till he went, Then, girls, I nearly cried. He talked about his lonely life ; I dropped my eyes and sighed ; He said he ought to have a wife ; I vow, I never tried So hard to keep a sober face and sympathetic air. Then he went on to tell his taste ; Blue eyes and golden hair, A figure not petite or tall, A form not plump or spare, A mind — just think, he wants a mind ! — Well stored, but fit to wear A heart — this creature wants a heart — Which, always fancy free, Should find in him — that walking shop — Its first affinity. Just fancy, girls, my playing that — " Heart whole and fancy free." No other beau would think, I'm sure, Of such a role from me. Engaged ten times, in love a score ; And flirted — let me see, Some thousand times if I recall, " Heart whole and fancy free! " Handsome ? Oh, yes, and dead in love, Too much for any use — I might engage myself to him — But then, he's such a goose. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 339 AU REVOIR While strolling down the street one day, Methought I heard some person say, "I'm sure it would not be a sin, So, nice young man, come in, come in ; So, nice young man, I say, come in." An open door I then looked in, There was Poll in her cage of tin ; She looked at me without a frown, Then plainly said, " Sit down, sit down." Now I am sure she said, " Sit down." I sat down in a cushioned chair, 'Twas built for one with manly air ; Just then a maid walked slowly in, She stared at me without a grin, She stared at me and never grinned. A great surprise was in her eyes, She blushed a bit at Poll's replies ; And looked so nice and modest there, I looked at her with vacant stare, I know I looked with vacant stare. As I admired her raven tress, While she posed there in gingham dress, Oh, I thought I would not miss her. Polly said, " Why don't you kiss her ? " " Quick," she said, " why don't you kiss her ? " 340 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS I thought myself, by Jove, I will ; And went to her, she stood quite still ; I prepared for osculation ; She cried aloud, " Oh, murderation," My angel cried, " Murderation." I heard her father coming in, I knew he wore a fiendish grin, And was coming there without a doubt. Then Polly said, " Sneak out, sneak out." Poll said to me, " Quick, now, sneak out." I stayed a bit, then thought to go, But then, alas, I was so slow ; I thought to run, he kicked away, Sent me so fast Poll said, " Good day." Polly said to me, " Hey-day ! good day ; " And that's the how I went away. — Frank S. Fox. GOOSES OR GEESE? There's a bow-legged tailor who sits day by day With his legs doubled up in a curious way, While his fat little fingers and flat, stubby thumb Make signs on the cloth like a man deaf and dumb. His digits are nimble — 'Tis easy to note How needle and thimble Oft race round a coat ; And his neighbors all say as they see him at work, " Oh, that bow-legged tailor's a thrifty old Turk." FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 34 1 There's a high-headed pedagogue, wondrously wise, Who looks at the world through a pair o' glass eyes; Who teaches by day and who studies by night, And gives out that he's solving all problems on sight When he wrinkles his brows And puckers his lips, And most solemnly vows He's giving straight tips — Then the neighbors all say, as they list to his lore, "Oh, there never was such a great master before." Now, this bow-legged tailor and pedagogue great Would begin in the morn and keep at it till late, Each doing the best in his power to adduce The correct plural term for a tailor-made goose. And the pedagogue said, By no rule nor book, — : As he shook his high head, — By ne'er hook nor crook, Could you prove to a man of the least common wit That goose could be gooses more than not could be nit. But the bow-legged tailor was really abstruse In his claim of the plural of gooses for goose. While he swore by the yardstick and other like stuff, That he knew he was right — it was merely a bluff — For all of his clatter Was meant to conceal A doubt in the matter He couldn't help feel; 342 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS So while pounding away, like a man at a wedge, In his mind all the time he was ready to hedge. Yes, this bow-legged tailor when sending away For some things in his business was thus led to say — To be sure that he should not make improper use Of the pure English tongue in the plural of goose — " My dear sir : Send right through A goose, if you please. 1 ' He had need for just two, But note with what ease He beat round the bush as he reached for the other, By adding : " P.S. Make it two — send another." THE NEW PSALM OF LIFE By Chick Tell me not in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream ! Chickens in their oval slumbers Are by no means what they seem. Life is real, life is earnest, And the shell is not its den ; Egg thou art and egg remainest, Was not spoken of the hen. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow Is our destined end or way, But to scratch that each to-morrow Finds us fatter than to-day. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 343 Art is long and time is fleeting, Be our bills then sharpened well, Not like muffled drums be beating On the inside of the shell. In the world's broad field of battle, In the great barnyard of life, Be not like the lazy cattle, Be a rooster in the strife. Trust no hawk, however pleasant ; And yet never be it said, When the birds of prey are present, You were skulking in the shed. Lives of older cocks remind us We can make our lives sublime ; And when roasted leave behind us Bird tracks in the sands of time. Bird tracks that perhaps another Chicken drooping in the rain, A forlorn and hen-pecked brother, When he sees, shall crow again. Let us then be after hatching, With a heart for every fate, Ever crowing, ever scratching, Learn to cackle and to prate. 344 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS MY PA AND ME You know my pa, he always says, When we have company, A-pattin' me upon the head : " This is my son," says he ; " Pr-raps the future President," And then, with wink and grin, He'll give my head another pat, Or pinch my cheeks or chin. The other day my pa an' me Went out into the shed. Pa — well — he had his hick'ry switch, An' I just up an' said : " Pa," but my voice was awful weak. Says he : " Speak up, my son." "When I am President," says I, " I'll 'member what you've done, An'," here I shouted big an' loud, " I'll lock you up in jail ! " Then I just turned my back myself, Expectin' him to whale. But first I knew, I heard him laugh ; He laughed until he cried; Then he sat down on the wood An' pulled me to his side, An' talked to me a long, long while 'Bout when he was a boy, FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 345 An' all the games he used to play, " 01' cat," an' " Siege of Troy." An' now my pa an' I are chums, Pa's broke the switch in two. When I think what I said that day, I'm 'shamed, all through an' through. "SISTER'S BEST FELLER" My sister's "best feller" is 'most six-foot-three, And handsome and strong as a feller can be; And Sis, she's so little and slender and small, You never would think she could boss him at all ; But, my jing ! She don't do a thing But make him jump round like he worked with a string ; It just makes me 'shamed of him sometimes, you know, To think that he'll let a girl bully him so. He goes to walk with her and carries her muff And coats and umbrellas, and that kind of stuff; She loads him with things that must weigh 'most a ton ; And, honest, he likes it, as if it was fun. And, oh, say ! When they go to a play, He'll sit in the parlor and fidget away, And she won't come down till it's quarter past eight, And then she'll scold him 'cause they get there so late. 346 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS He spends heaps of money a-buyin' her things Like candy and flowers and presents and rings ; But all he's got for 'em's a handkerchief case — A fussed-up concern made of ribbons and lace — But, my land ! He thinks it's just grand, 'Cause she made it, he says, "with her own little hand.' He calls her an " angel" — I heard him — and " saint,' And " beautif ulest bein' on earth " ; — but she ain't. 'Fore I go an errand for her any time I just make her coax me and give me a dime ; But that great, big silly — why, honest and true! — He'd run forty miles if she wanted him to. Oh, gee-whiz ! I tell you what 'tis ! I just think it's awful — those actions of his. I won't fall in love when I'm grown — no, sir-ee ! My sister's "best feller's" a warnin' to me! — Puck. [By special arrangement with the publishers.] MEMORIAL DAY — WHAT MEANS IT? What means this tread so solemn and slow That we hear in our land to-day ? What means the roll of the muffled drum, And the minor strains the musicians play ? Why this parade with heavy tread, With banners draped and the drooping head ? FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 347 What mean these women with tearful eye, These children with garlands of flowers ? What mean these daughters with dimmed eyes, These lines of men with the battle scars ? Why sing they songs making sad the soul ? Why ring the bells with mournful toll ? What mean these groups in the village street, The town's highway, the city's mart ? Why deck they graves with flowers of spring, And linger there, being loath to part ? They mean that Liberty was bought with blood, Lives sacrificed, souls sent to God. They mean that men both true and brave Were willing to bear the battle brunt And to give up wealth, and home, and friends, And march away to the battle front. And there to suffer, to do, to die, Feel the saber's cut, the bullet's cry. These mean they braved disease and want, The toilsome march in the enemy's land, The pangs of hunger, the horror of thirst, Ay ! they endured more than we understand. These mean they did all for you, for me, That our country might be forever free. The tears they shed are of sorrow and joy, Swelling each from a sincere heart, Sorrow because of the loved one gone, 348 F OXONIAN SELECTIONS Joy because of the noble part - These women noble deeds have done, Their sacrifice great, a loyal son. These maidens and children you see to-day, With sorrowing hearts and cheeks that are pale, Have likewise felt love's sacrifice; That loved one slain in the leaden hail. Oh ! Mars is a monster, God help us to stay. Oh ! Liberty, Liberty, turn not away. The veterans you see who march to-day With drooping shoulders and unsteady step, Are the living monuments left in the land They fought to save while justice slept. They are noblemen left of thousands more, Hail, hail to the veterans with the battle scar. The thousands that sleep 'neath Shiloh's sod, At Gettysburg, on Antietam's crest, 'Neath the Stars and Stripes, that flag of the free, Sleep on, brave men, you have earned your rest. For none are greater nor braver than thee, Unless those who come back to unite the free. We bedeck your graves with garlands to-day, To show our love, and we remember still Your deeds of valor in our country's cause ; God can reward you as he surely will. Sleep on, brave soldiers, in your narrow bed, Your work still lives, you are not dead. F OXONIAN SELECTIONS 349 Dead is he, who when the nation called, Turned away, and gave naught to assist ; It is he we forget ; his name detest ; He played the coward ; he is not missed. Cheers, cheers, for the loyal, the brave, the true : He wears the bronze button, he wears the blue. — Fra7ik S. Fox. VETERANS DEAD Plant beautiful flowers By the tombs of the brave ; Strew lilies in showers O'er each veteran's grave, While the muffled drum rolls, And the fife gives its note, And the flag's gaudy folds On the breeze flow and float. That our hands may attest To our love and respect, Let the place where they rest With azaleas be decked. No longer they march To the tune of the fife, For, alas ! they have marched From the battle of life Into death's solitude, Which vibrates with the tread Of the valorous army Of veterans dead. 350 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS The roses may bloom As they blossomed of yore ; But the clay in the tomb Can behold them no more. The vines trail and creep O'er each moldering spot, Where the brave lie asleep, But they notice it not. From them death has parted Eternity's pall, Which shrouds the mysterious Future of all, And all that is sealed In silence eternal To them is revealed In regions supernal. While calmly they rest In the soil that they freed, Oh, let us recount Every valorous deed And moisten their tombs With the flow of our tears, While sadly we gaze Down the vista of years And see them in battle Unclothed and unfed — The valorous army Of veterans dead. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 35 I The flag that they bore ! Oh, the deeds it recalls Of the men that went down, Their hearts pierced with balls ! Of the men who would die Before they'd retreat, Though death is so sad And life is so sweet. The flag ! How it tells Of the price that was paid ; The flag ! How it tells, As it waves overhead, Of the lives that were lost And the blood that was shed By the valorous army Of veterans dead. The roll call of death Still is heard among men, And they answer it now As they answered it when They waded in slaughter's Red, turbulent waves — As they went, still they go Calmly into their graves ; And the road that they tread Must be trod by each soul, When his name has been read From that terrible roll. 352 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS But ever and ever Plead Glory and Fame, At Oblivion's bar For the veteran's name, And reviewing their ranks, They will place at the head The valorous army Of veterans dead. — William Scott. THE HIDDEN MENACE " I have arranged the following arena conflict for a reading. It is taken from G. J. Whyte-Melville's book, The Gladiator. I have arranged it so as to give the reader an idea of the entertainments enjoyed by a degraded populace. It is a portrayal of what results to a people who devote their whole time and attention to athletic sports. It will be observed that the desire for this kind of enter- tainment grows upon a people so that, finally, they have the heart to endure anything. The degrading influence acts even more upon the spectator than upon the actor. The selection will admit of a careful study in expression. It is as thrilling as any arena scene to be found in literature." — Frank S. Fox. A hundred thousand tongues, whispering and mur- muring with Italian volubility, send up a busy hum, like that of an enormous beehive, into the sunny air. The Flavian Amphitheater, Vespasian's gigantic concession to the odious tastes of his people, has not yet been con- structed ; and Rome must crowd and jostle in the great Circus, if she would behold that slaughter of beasts and those mortal combats of men in which she now FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 353 takes far more delight than in the innocent trials of speed and skill, for which the inclosure was originally designed. That her luxurious citizens are dissatisfied even with this roomy edifice, is sufficiently obvious from the many complaints that accompany the struggling and pushing of those who are anxious to obtain a good place. To-day's bill of fare is, indeed, tempting to the morbid appetites of high and low. A rhinoceros and tiger are to be pitted against each other ; and it is to be hoped that, notwithstanding many recent failures in such com- bats, these two beasts may be savage enough to afford the desired sport Several pairs of gladiators, at least, are to fight to the death, besides those upon whom the populace may show mercy, or from whom they may withhold it at will. In addition to all this, it has been whispered that one well-known patrician intends to exhibit his prowess upon the deadly stage. Much curi- osity is expressed, and many a wager has already been laid on his name, his skill, the nature of his conflict, and the chances of his success. Though the Circus be large enough to contain the population of a thriving city, no wonder that it is to-day full to the very brim. As usual in such assemblages, the hours of waiting are lightened by eating and drinking, by jests, practical and otherwise, by remarks, complimentary, sarcastic, or derisive, on the several notabilities who enter at short intervals and take their places with no small stir and assumption of impor- tance. The nobility and distinguished citizens are better known than respected by their plebeian fellow-citizens. 354 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS There is, however, one exception. Though Valeria's Liburnians lay themselves open to no small amount of insolence, by the emphatic manner in which they make way for their mistress, as she proceeds with her usual haughty bearing to her place near the patrician benches — it is no sooner observed that she is accompanied by her kinsman, Licinius, than a change comes over the demeanor, even of those who feel themselves most aggrieved by being elbowed out of their places, and pushed violently against their neighbors, while admiring glances and respectful silence denote the esteem in which the Roman general is held by high and low. While Valeria, in common with many ladies of dis- tinction, had encroached upon the space originally al- lotted to the vestal virgins, and established, by constant attendance in the amphitheater, a prescriptive right to a cushioned seat for herself and her friends, women of lower rank were compelled to station themselves in an upper gallery allotted to them, or to mingle on suffer- ance with the crowd in the lower tier of places, where the presence of a male companion was indispensable for protection from annoyance, and even insult. Within speaking distance of the haughty Roman lady stood Miriamne, the Jewess, accompanied by Calchas, her father's brother, trembling with fear and excitement in every limb, yet turning her large dark eyes upon Valeria, with an expression of curiosity and interest that could only have been aroused by an instinctive FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 355 consciousness of feelings common to both. Valeria seemed to be fascinated by the gaze of the Jewish maiden, now bending on her a haughty and inquiring glance, anon turning away with a gesture of affected disdain ; but never unobservant, for many seconds to- gether, of the dark pale beauty and her venerable companion. It wanted a few minutes yet of noon, but a shout was ringing through the amphitheater. It had begun in some far-off corner with a mere whispered muttering, and had been taken up by spectator after specta- tor, till it swelled into a wild and deafening roar. " A patrician, a patrician ! " vociferated the crowd, thirsting fiercely for fresh excitement and palled with vulgar carnage, yearning to see the red blood flow from some scion of an illustrious house. The tumult soon reached such a height as to compel the attention of Vitellius, the Roman, who summoned Hippias, the fenc- ing master, to his chair, and whispered a few sentences in his ear. This somewhat calmed the excitement ; and while the fencing master's exertions cleared the arena of the dead and wounded with whom it was encumbered, a general stir might have been observed throughout the assemblage, while each individual changed his position, and disposed himself more comfortably for sight-seeing, as is the custom of a crowd when anything of especial interest is about to take place. Licinius had looked upon carnage in many forms, yet a sad, grave disap- proval sat on the general's noble features. Once, after 356 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS a glance at his kinswoman's eager face, he turned from her with a gesture of anger and disgust ; but Valeria was too intent upon the scene enacted within a few short paces to spare attention for anything besides, except, perhaps, the vague foreboding of evil that was gnawing at her heart, and to which such a moment of suspense as the present afforded a temporary relief. Rufus and Manlius had been pitted against each other by lot. The taller frame and greater strength of the former were supposed to be balanced by the latter's exquisite skill. Collars and bracelets were freely offered at even value amongst the senators and equestrians on each. While the other pairs were waging their strife with varying success in different parts of the amphi- theater, these had found themselves struggling near the barrier close under the seat occupied by Valeria. She could hear distinctly their hard-drawn breath, could read on each man's face the stern, set expression of one who has no hope save in victory, for whom defeat is inevi- table and instant death. No wonder she sat so still and spellbound, with her pale lips parted and her cold hands clenched. The blood was pouring from more than one gash on the giant's naked body, yet Rufus seemed to have lost neither coolness nor strength. He continued to ply his adversary with blow on blow, pressing him, and fol- lowing him up, till he drove him nearly against the barrier. It was obvious that Manlius, though still un- wounded, was overmatched and overpowered. Rufus FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 357 could scarcely believe that he had succeeded in foiling his adversary's defense, and driving it deftly home, so unmoved was the familiar eye looking over its shield into his own — so steady and skillful was the return which instantaneously succeeded the attack. But that face was growing paler and paler with every pulsation, and Manlius reeled and fell where he stood, breaking his sword as he went down, and burying it beneath his body on the sand. The other strode over him in act to strike. A natural impulse of habit or self-preservation bade the fallen man half raise his arm, with the gesture by which a gladiator was accustomed to implore the clemency of the populace, but he recollected himself, and let it drop proudly by his side. Then he looked kindly up in his victor's face and said quietly, " Through the heart, com- rade, for old friendship's sake ; " and he never winced nor quailed when the giant drove the blow home with all the strength that he could muster. They had fed at the same board and drunk from the same wine cup for years; and this was all he had to bestow upon his friend. The people applauded loudly ; but Valeria, who had heard the dead man's last appeal, felt her eyes fill with tears ; and Miriamne, who had raised her head to look at this unlucky moment, buried it once more in her kinsman's cloak, sick and trembling, ready to faint with pity, and dismay, and fear. Amid the cheers, Julius Placidus now stepped grace- fully into the center of the arena, and made his obeisance 358 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS to the crowd. The Tribune's appearance was well cal- culated to excite the admiration of the spectators, — no mean judges of the human form, accustomed as they were to scan and criticise it in its highest state of per- fection. His graceful figure was naked and unarmed, save for a white linen tunic reaching to his knee, and although he wore rings of gold round his ankles, his feet were bare, to insure the necessary speed and activ- ity demanded by this mode of attack. His long, dark locks, carefully curled and perfumed for the occasion, and bound by a single golden fillet, floated carelessly over his neck, while his left shoulder was tastefully draped, as it were, by the folds of the dangling net, sprinkled and weighted with small, leaden beads, and so disposed as to be whirled away at once without entanglement or delay upon its deadly errand. His right hand grasped the trident, a three-pronged lance, some seven feet in length, capable of inflicting a fatal wound ; and the flourish with which he made it quiver round his head displayed a practiced arm and a perfect knowledge of the offensive weapon. To the shouts which greeted him — " Placidus ! Placidus!" " Hail to the Tribune ! " " Well done, the Patrician Order ! " and other such demonstrations of welcome — he replied by bowing repeatedly, especially directing his courtesies to that portion of the amphitheater in which Valeria was placed. With all his acuteness, little did the Tribune guess how hateful he was at that moment to the very woman on whose behalf he was pledged to engage in FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 359 mortal strife, little did he dream how earnest were her vows for his speedy humiliation and defeat. Valeria, sitting there with the red spots burning a deeper crim- son in her cheeks, and her features set in a mask of stone, would have asked nothing better than to have leaped down from her seat, snatched up a sword and buckler, and done battle with him then and there to the death. The Tribune now walked proudly round the arena, nodding familiarly to his friends, a proceeding which called forth raptures of applause. He halted under the chair of Caesar and saluted the Emperor with marked deference ; then, taking up his position in the center, and leaning on his trident, seemed to await the arrival of his antagonist. He was not kept long in suspense ; turning round, he beheld his enemy, marshaled into the lists by Hippias and Hirpinus the gladiator ; the latter, who had slain his man, thus finding himself at liberty to afford counsel and countenance to his young friend. The shouts which greeted the newcomer were neither so long nor so lasting as those that did honor to the Tribune ; nevertheless, if the interest excited by each were to be calculated by intensity rather than amount, then Esca's, the Briton slave, suffrages would have far exceeded those of his adversary. Miriamne's whole heart was in her eyes as she wel- comed the glance of recognition he directed exclusively to her ; and Valeria, turning from one to the other, felt a bitter pang shoot to her very marrow, as she instinc- 360 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS tively acknowledged the existence of a rival. A host of maddened feelings rushed through the Roman lady's brain, while Miriamne, in her singleness of heart, had but one great and deadly fear — that he should fail. Unprejudiced and uninterested spectators, however, had but one opinion as to the chances of the Briton's suc- cess. If anything could have added to the enthusiasm called forth by the appearance of Placidus, it was the patrician's selection of so formidable an antagonist. Esca, making his obeisance to Caesar, in the pride of his powerful form and the bloom of his youth and beauty, armed, moreover, with helmet and shield and sword, which he carried with the ease of one habitu- ated to their use, appeared as invincible a champion as could have been chosen from the whole Roman Empire. Even Hirpinus, albeit a man experienced in the un- certainties of such contests, and cautious, if not in giving, at least in backing, his opinion, whispered to Hippias that the patrician looked like a mere child by the side of their pupil, and offered to wager a flagon of the best Falernian " that he was carried out of the arena, feet foremost, within five minutes after the first attack, if he missed his throw." To which the fencing master, true to his habits of reticence and assumed superiority, vouchsafed no reply save a con- temptuous smile. The adversaries took up their ground with exceeding caution. No advantage of wind or sun was allowed to FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 36 1 either, and having been placed by Hippias at a distance of ten yards apart in the middle of the arena, neither moved a limb for several seconds, as they stood intently watching each other, themselves the center on which all eyes were fixed. It was remarked that while Esca's open brow bore only a look of calm, resolute attention, there was an evil smile of malice stamped, as it were, upon the Tribune's face ; the one seemed an apt repre- sentation of courage and strength, the other of hatred and skill. " He carries the front of a conqueror," whis- pered Licinius to his kinswoman, regarding his slave with looks of anxious approval. " Trust me, Valeria, we shall win the day. Esca will gain his freedom ; the gilded chariot and the white horses shall bring him and me to your door to-morrow morning, and the gaudy Tribune will have had a lesson, that I, for one, shall not be sorry to have been the means of bestowing on him." A bright smile lighted up Valeria's face, but she looked from the speaker to a dark-haired girl in the crowd below, and the expression of her countenance changed till it grew as forbidding as the Tribune's, while she replied, with a careless laugh : " I care not who wins, Licinius, since they are both in the lists. To tell the truth, I did but fear the courage of this Titan of yours might fail him at the last moment, and the match would not be fought out after all. Hippias tells me the Tribune is the best netsman he ever trained." He looked at her with a vague surprise, but following 362 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS the direction of his kinswoman's eyes, he could not but remark the obvious distress and agitation of the cloaked figure on which they were bent. Miriamne, when she saw the Briton, Esca, fairly placed front to front with his adversary, had neither strength nor courage for more. Leaning against Cal- chas, the poor girl hid her face in her hands and wept as if her heart would break. Myrrhina, Valeria!s favor- ite slave, standing within a few paces of the Jewess, expatiated loudly on the appearance of the combatants, and her careless jests and sarcasms cut Miriamne to the quick. It was painful to hear her lover's personal quali- ties canvassed as though he were some handsome beast of prey, and his chance of life and death balanced with heartless nicety by the flippant tongue of the waiting maid, as she said: "I'm sure whichever way the match goes I don't know what my mistress will do. As for the Tribune, he would get out of the chariot any day on the bare stones to kiss the very ground she walks on ; and yet, if he dares so much as to leave a scratch upon that handsome youth's skin, he need never come to our doors again. Why, time after time have I hunted that boy all over the city to briiig him home with me. And it's no light matter for a slave and a barbarian to have won the favor of the proudest lady in Rome. See how he looks up at her now, before they begin ! " The light words wounded very sore ; and Miriamne raised her head for one glance at the Briton, half in fond appeal, half in protest, as it were, against the slander she had FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 363 heard. What she saw, however, left no room in her loving heart for any feeling save intense horror and suspense. With his eyes fixed on his adversary, Esca was ad- vancing, inch by inch, like a tiger about to spring. Covering the lower part of his face and most of his body with his buckler, and holding his short, two-edged sword with bended arm and threatening point, he crouched to at least a foot lower than his natural stature, and seemed to have every sinew and muscle braced, to dash in like lightning when the opportunity offered. A false movement, he well knew, would be fatal, and the difficulty was to come to close quarters, as, directly he was within a certain distance, the deadly cast was sure to be made. Placidus, on the other hand, stood perfectly motionless. His eye was unusually ac- curate, and he could trust his practiced arm to whirl the net abroad at the exact moment when its sweep would be irresistible, so he remained in the same collected atti- tude, his trident shifted into the left hand, his right foot advanced, his right arm wrapped in the gathered folds of the net which hung across his body, and covered the whole of his left side and shoulder. Once he tried a scornful gibe and smile to draw his enemy from his guard, but in vain ; and though Esca, in return, made a feint with the same object, the former's attitude re- mained immovable, and the latter's snakelike advance continued with increasing caution and vigilance. An inch beyond the fatal distance Esca halted once 364 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS more. For several seconds the combatants stood at bay, and the hundred thousand spectators crowded into that spacious amphitheater held their breath, and watched them like one man. At length the Briton niade a false attack, prepared to spring back immediately and foil the netsman's throw ; but the wily Tribune was not to be deceived, and the only result was that, without appearing to shift his ground, he moved an arm's length nearer his adversary. Then the Briton dashed in, and this time in fierce earnest, foot, hand, and eye, all together, and so rapidly that the Tribune's throw flew harmless over his assailant's head, Placidus only avoiding his deadly thrust by the catlike activity with which he leaped aside, then, turning round, he scoured across the arena for life, gath- ering his net for a fresh cast, as he flew. " Coward!" hissed Valeria between her set teeth; while Miriamne breathed once more — nay, her bosom panted, and her eye sparkled with something like triumph at the ap- proaching climax. She was premature, however, in her satisfaction, and Valeria's disdain was also undeserved. Though apparently flying for his life, Placidus was as cool and as brave at that moment as when he entered the arena. Ear and eye were alike on the watch for the slightest false movement on the part of his pursuer ; and ere he had half crossed the lists, his net was gathered up, and folded with deadly precision once more. The Tribune especially prided himself on his speed FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 365 of foot. It was on this quality that he chiefly depended for safety in a contest which at first sight appeared so unequal. He argued from the great strength of his adversary, that the latter would not be so preeminent in activity as himself; but he omitted to calculate the effects of a youth spent in the daily labors of the chase amongst the woods and mountains of Britain. Those following feet had many a time run down the wild goat over its native rocks. Faster and faster fly the combatants, to the intense delight of the crowd, who especially affect this kind of combat for the pastime it thus affords. Speedy as is the Tribune, his foe draws nearer and nearer, and now, close to where Miriamne stands with Calchas, he is within a stride of his antagonist. His arm is up to strike, when a woman's shriek rings through the amphi- theater, startling Vitellius on his throne, and the sword flies aimlessly from the Briton's grasp as he falls for- ward on his face, and the impetus rolls him over and over in the sand. There is no chance for him now. He is scarcely down ere the net whirls over him, and he is fatally and helplessly entangled in its folds. Miriamne gazes stupe- fied on the prostrate form, with stony face, forgetting for the moment where she is. Placidus, striding over his fallen enemy, with his trident raised, and the old sneering smile deepening and hardening on his face, observed the cause of his down- fall, and inwardly congratulated himself on the lucky 366 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS chance which had alone prevented their positions being reversed. The blood was streaming from a wound in Esca's foot. It will be remembered that where Manlius fell, his sword was buried under him in the sand. On removing his dead body, the weapon escaped observa- tion, and the Briton, treading in hot haste on the very spot where it lay concealed, had not only been severely lacerated, but tripped up and brought to the ground by the snare. Esca, expecting nothing less than immediate death, had his eyes fixed on the drooping figure of Miriamne ; but the poor girl had seen nothing since his fall. Her last moment of consciousness showed her a cloud of dust, a confused mass of twine, and an ominous figure with arm raised in act to strike ; then barriers and arena and eager faces and white garments, and the whole amphitheater, pillars, sand, and sky, reeled ere they faded into darkness ; sense and sight failed .her at the last moment, and she fainted helplessly in her kins- man's arms. All this flashed through the conqueror's mind as he stood erect, prepared to deal a blow that should close all accounts, and looked up to Valeria for the fatal sign. Maddened with rage and jealousy, sick, bewildered, and scarcely conscious of her actions, the Roman lady was about to give it, when Licinius seized her arms and held them down by force. Then, with a numerous party of friends and clients, he made a strong demonstration in favor of mercy. The speed of foot displayed by the FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 367 vanquished, and the obvious cause of his discomfiture, acted favorably on the majority of the spectators. Such an array of hands turned outwards and pointing to the earth met the Tribune's eye, that he could not but for- bear his cruel purpose ; so he gave his weapon to one of the attendants who had now entered the arena, took his cloak from the hands of another, and, with a graceful bow to the spectators, turned scornfully away from his fallen foe. A SCENE OF RUIN Arranged for Reading by Frank S. Fox. The fire was first discovered at 2.25 in the morning, by Patrolman H. A. Moore, who first saw the flames issuing from the base of the manhole in the Brunson Building, and by eight o'clock the whole west side of High Street, from Elm to La Fayette streets, presented a scene of smoking ruin. It was not until nearly noon, however, that Chief Lauer felt justified in announcing that the fire was under control. At the outset the fire was found to be difficult to fight, as it seemed equally inaccessible from the front and the rear entrances. Within five minutes after the arrival of the fire depart- ment, the floor of the building was ablaze, and the fire- men were compelled to turn all their energies toward confining the flames to the one room in the Brunson Building. This was done with apparent success at first. The firemen, directed in person by Chief Lauer, kept streams 368 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS of water playing on the walls and the roof of the build- ing, apparently checking its progress. At three o'clock the tenants of the surrounding build- ings breathed easier, for it was thought that the danger was practically over. "We'll keep the fire confined to the building all right," said the chief, in answer to the impatient questions. But a few moments later the situation was suddenly and violently reversed. Huge volumes of smoke, more than could be accounted for by the brisk fire in the room, rolled through the Brunson Building and escaped in clouds blacker than the enshrouding night, through ventilators and air shafts. The fire was steadily waning in the room, but the stifling wood smoke was growing thicker and thicker. A moment the fire took control of the situation. A red tongue of smoke-tipped flame suddenly leaped twenty feet into the air from the Brunson Building. Sheets of fire burst simultaneously through a score oi windows and fiery lips lapped with ease the cornices of the two buildings. Both structures seemed to break into flames, and at every conceivable point at once. The fire demon had now awakened with vengeance. With the knowledge now that the fire in the Brunson Building was more deep-seated than it appeared, the chief ordered additional fire apparatus to the spot, and now the affrighted tenants of the doomed building were FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 369 aroused by the rattle and the clanging of the fire engines, to find themselves lost in a fog of smoke, with the red tongues of flame leaping at them wherever they turned. Ill-clad, upon the flame-lit city streets they rushed, the houseless tenants of a fire-girt house. Some wore coats and some wore robes. One appeared on the stairway wrapped in a blanket, with his hat and shoes in his hand. He was excited, and instead of try- ing to lose himself amid the solitudes of the alley, as did many of his more diffident friends, this man blocked the egress of the firemen, while he sat on the stairs to put on his shoes. He then ran off in the direction of the nearest hotel, forgetting to put on his hat. One young woman dragged her trunk as far as the sidewalk and then kept it company for nearly an hour. She was in mortal fear of the flames, but dared not leave her trunk, lest it be burned. But while this comedy or tragedy of exit, according to the point of view, was being enacted, the brightening flames leaped higher and higher, calling the people from the farthest suburbs to witness the awful spectacle. A stiff north wind arose suddenly, just when the flames of the burning block were at their highest. The Thomas Block was next doomed. A gust of wind blew a long, angry-red pillar of flame against the building. The windows gave way, and the flames entered. One of the most stirring and thrilling sights a Colum- bus public has ever helplessly witnessed followed. The 370 F0X0NIAN SELECTIONS Thomas Block was five stories in height, each floor piled full of the inflammable stock of the Union Clothing Company. Better food the fire god could not crave, and the roar of its thanksgiving rose above the rumble and shriek of the fire engines, and made the buildings tremble for blocks distant. Not a pillar, but a mountain of flame, its height im- measurable to the blinded eye, rose from the top of the building, with a volcano of black smoke crowning its heights. Again the north wind breathed, and a rain of torches clear to Broad Street followed. Awnings a block away caught fire and were torn down by the firemen and spectators. The large awning in the rear of Kirby's store in the Nicholas Block caught fire, and to this is attributed the blaze which destroyed the store later. For blocks and blocks, during an hour's time, the burning hail continued, while the hundreds of street spectators gazed in excited silence. But now occurred a bit of real life drama of the kind which always puts to shamed oblivion the product of the stage. The Brunson Building was burning fiercely, all of its five stories alight with flame. While there was yet safety, policemen had run from door to door in the doomed building, warning the inmates, most of whom needed no warning, and the building was thought to have been emptied an hour before. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 37 1 But suddenly a man appeared in one of the fire-rimmed windows on the fourth floor. With a blow he shattered the window pane and shouted and beckoned for rescue. The excitement of the crowd below knew no bounds. They crowded by the hundreds under the window, despite the exertions of the police, and called to him, exhorted him, promised him, and urged him to be calm. Then to the horror of the watchers the man dis- appeared. But only for a moment. He reappeared, and the crowd howled for joy. The man threw some clothing to the street and again disappeared. Two firemen by this time pushed their way to the front with ladders, and after another moment, in which it seemed certain that the man had perished, he reap- peared, reached the ladder safely, and met the climbing firemen halfway. His appearance on terra firma was the signal for a demonstration. The crowd gathered about him and cheered itself hoarse. Onlookers struggled for the honor of shaking his hand. He was half carried and half urged by the overjoyed crowd to Long and High streets, where a driver took him in his cab to a hotel. But while this rescue was being enacted in High Street, scenes of a very different sort excited the risi- bilities of the spectators in Long Street, where the fire had attacked the Courtright Block, which contained the Hotel Whatshire. 372 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS This hotel contained son\e fifty guests, all of whom were exceedingly anxious to depart at once. They departed, but not all in a conventional manner. They dropped their trunks out of the windows, and in some cases followed the trunks. In various degrees of dishabille most of them gathered in lamenting groups in the Front Street school yard, and watched the destruction of their property. Some few rushed back into the burning building, and dragged frantically forth chests, tables, parlor organs, and stoves, which they piled in promiscuous heaps upon the highway. Daylight came, and with it tragedy. The Imperial shop in North High Street was burned out completely, and Chief Lauer deemed it advisable to send a company inside for better advantage. Engine Company No. 2 first went in, but was called elsewhere, and the chief ordered Company No. 11, in charge of Captain Lewis, to go in instead. Dragging their hose after them, the captain and his subordinates reached a point directly under the tottering- north wall of the now ruined Thomas Block. A hitch occurred. The hose became entangled out- side, and Captain Lewis bade his men go and straighten it out. The two men obeyed, and they had barely cleared the charred door of the shop when the tottering wall collapsed, with the brave captain among the ruins. And just as the first slanting rays of the sun fell FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 373 upon the ruined building, now wreathed in smoke, and lurid in its own dying flames, the entire north wall, sixty- five feet in height, trembled and fell with a resounding crash upon the ruins of the shop and made a fire-girt hecatomb over the remains of brave Captain Lewis. The shock of the tragedy was so great that though Chief Lauer, with many spectators, had helplessly watched the fire demon's sacrifice, none could for the instant realize what had happened. From mouth to mouth flew the rumor, " Captain Lewis is killed," but firemen and gossip alike refused to be- lieve it. But the moments passed, and the leader of Company No. 1 1 did not return; and with numbed senses and heavy hearts the firemen pursued their work, while the spectators, whom the daylight had swelled from hundreds to thousands, fell to discussing the tragedy, without further regard to the exciting scenes around them: One by one the sullen stone walls fell. With every crash a cloud of dust ascended. The Brunson Building had long since changed from a giant furnace to a gaunt skeleton of blackened window frames and half-fallen walls, whose own dust hid their bases. The Brunson Building was a ruin, so was the Court- right Block, with the swiftly vacated hotel. The Mithoff Block remained, its walls intact, but the interior badly charred. The first fires had wreaked its worst vengeance on these, at any rate. But the fire was still spreading. Shortly before day- 374 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS light the flames leaped across Long Street and seared the Sheldon Building on the opposite corner. It was extinguished without serious loss, but a little later flames suddenly burst from the basement in the rear of Kirby's store, in the Nicholas Block. Like the initial blaze in the Bott room, the fire was exceedingly difficult to control on account of its inac- cessibility. Until nine o'clock in the morning it gained steadily upon the firemen. It depleted the store and attacked the rooms adjoining. Denizens of the Nicholas Block and the Wesley Block, adjoining it, moved their belongings out into the streets and waited for the worst to happen. But it didn't happen. By the most skillful work, under the greatest difficulties, the fire department suc- ceeded in checking the flames, with damage only to Kirby's store, and to the stores adjoining on either side. At eleven o'clock Chief Lauer announced the fire well under control, and at noon only smoking ruins adorned the former sites of six of the city's most important business blocks. The Nicholas Block fire subdued, the department turned its attention to the ruins of the Brunson Build- ing, where the remains of Captain Lewis still lay entombed. The ruins were drenched all the afternoon, but it was probable that they would not be cool enough to commence a search before to-morrow. The news of the great fire, though it spread rapidly, did not show its real effect until late in the afternoon, FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 375 when the people flocked to the ruins by thousands, and for hours the crowds stood watching the engines pump- ing water on the ruins which marked the end of the drama and the irreparable tragedy of the morning. — Ohio State Journal. THE WRITING ON THE WALL Lo ! the sounds of mirth rise loud, From a city in the East, And a thousand gleaming chariots Gather to a royal feast ; And a mellow, mystic radiance, Hangs upon the perfumed air, While the sound of soft, sweet music Drives away all thought of care. E'en this city's proudest children Look with rapture on the sight, While the throng of giddy dancers Glide beneath the tinted light. On the throne of dazzling splendor Now Chaldea's king reclines, While the goblets, gemmed and golden, Glow with rich and ruddy wines. And to still increase the splendor Of this glorious gala night, Glitter Judah's sacred vessels, Trophies of a heathen's might. 376 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS Round the walls of this grand city Now the Persian army slept, While their stern and gloomy sentries Long and weary vigils kept. But what care the gay Chaldeans With their walls of wondrous height ? What to them was haughty Cyrus In his silent, sullen might? While perchance some sleepless veteran In the darkened foeman camps Looked with eyes of wistful wonder On the many glimmering lamps; With their countless scintillations From the windows tall and wide, And their meteor-like reflections On the dark Euphrates' tide ; Or perchance some drowsy watcher Paused upon his lonely beat And in silence marked the timing Of the dainty tinkling fleet : Then resumed his measured pacing As a nigJit bird rustled by, Thinking on the mighty changes That must meet the morning's eye, — How the broad Euphrates River, Wakened from his stony bed, Would move on in frightful grandeur Through a city of the dead. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS tfj But what recks the king Assyrian On his gorgeous golden throne, 'Mid the sound of music swelling With its rich, voluptuous tone ; 'Mid the fairest of earth's daughters, Decked with gems from land and sea ; With his throngs of glittering satraps Ever prompt to bend the knee ? Lightly laughs the Assyrian ruler, Little doth he dream of harm ; Sweetly smiles yon lovely maiden, Leaning on her lover's arm. Hark ! How silent are the minstrels ! See! This proud assemblage quail! And the godlike King, Belshazzar, Turneth strangely, ghastly pale. For along those walls palatial There a ghostly hand doth write In a dark and unknown language Words that freeze the very sight. Many a deeply skilled magician, With his weary, restless eyes, And, in turn, each wise old seer, Now the spectral problem tries. But in vain their conjurations ; Still those flaming letters stand, On the grand old walls emblazoned, Written by God's own right hand. 378 FOX ON IAN SELECTIONS " Bring the Hebrew captive hither," Then the trembling monarch cried, " Since the wise of all Chaldea By these letters are defied." See ! Judea's prophet enters 'Mid that pale and trembling throng, 'Mid those walls that late reechoed With the sound of dance and song. " Hebrew captive," spake the monarch, " If this writing thou canst read, Costly robe and kingly honors Will I give to thee as meed." " I ask no honors, trembling monarch ; What to me this heathen land, One of many children chastened By a father's loving hand ? But, Belshazzar, king Assyrian, With thy broad and rich domains, With thy countless heathen altars And thy strange unholy fanes, " 'Tis to thee that this comes greeting, Penned by high Jehovah's hand, At whose throne the angels worship In full many a white-robed band. Lo ! thy days of might are numbered, And ere morning dawns again Thou with many a loyal subject Wilt be counted with the slain. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 379 " In the balance of High Heaven Hath thy wanting soul been weighed By great Alpha and Omega, By the Maker of all made* Lo ! thy kingdom shall be given To the Persian and the Mede ; Thus, O haughty heathen monarch, Doth this dreadful writing read." Dreary silence holds dominion Through those grandly lighted halls, And the noise of trampling horsemen On the drowsy night air falls. Loudly wake the sounds of conflict As the pale stars softly wane ; Medes and Persians hold Chaldea, And Belshazzar's with the slain. Canst thou tell me, smiling skeptic, Why no longer as of yore Doth the weary Arab rest him On the dark Euphrates shore ? Yes ! A pool of stagnant blackness Sleeps where Babylon once stood, And the raven and foul lapwing Lave their pinions in its flood. For the sailors hold their revels Where once lordly feasts were held, And the slimy adder hisses In the place where music swelled. 380 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS List, and thou wilt hear the angels As they worship, one by one Say, " O God, in earth and heaven May .Thy holy will be done." THE STRIKE OF ST. NICHOLAS 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through our flat, Not a soul was asleep, save the night-watchman, Pat. The children sat up in their small folding beds, With grave intellectual doubts in their heads ; For though, half-ashamed, they had hung up their hose On the steam radiator — "Why, nobody knows," Said the dear little cynics, " if that old, ridic- ulous person exists, whom we christened St. Nick ! " So mamma, in her bloomers, was lurking in wait To fill up the socks, if St. Nick, who seemed late, Should fail to appear, when — heavens, the clatter! We flung up the sash to look into the matter. The arc light that streamed on the asphalt below (The careful contractors had cleaned off the snow) Showed — who but St. Nicholas, struggling to check An automobile, in its pathway of wreck ! He whistled and shouted, in what I deemed Dutch, Then dropped into English : "Yes, this is too much!" As the automobile, with a curve and a crash, Struck a telegraph pole, in a grand, final smash ; And the sleepy Pat Kelly was summoned to pick Up the wide-scattered toys of the wrathful St. Nick ! FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 38 1 His eyes, how they flashed ! He looked far from merry ; His dimples were gone, and his lips, like a cherry, Looked more like persimmons — the odd little elf ! I laughed at his anger, in spite of myself. His heaving form shook like a bowlful of jelly, As he viewed the poor toys gathered up by Pat Kelly. " 'Tis my final appearance ! " he cried, while, aghast, The children looked on ; "positively, the last ! For the sake of the youngsters, I've kept well abreast With the march of the times, as your science progressed. First, new-fangled heaters, that forced me to diet, Down tortuous stovepipes to crawl on the quiet ; Then, roofs so unsafe, with their angles and slopes, I hauled up my reindeer with derricks and ropes ; And when you put steam pipes in place of the stove, — A tax on my saintly endurance, by Jove ! — My old legs, lest the children their Christmas should lack, Toiled up all your stairs with this huge peddler's pack ! I won't say a word of your spirit of doubt, Though it's spoiled half my pleasure in going about ; For your twentieth-century world spins so fast, My faith in myself is not fitted to last ; — But you clean off my snow ! And when I endeavor By automobile to arrive, as prompt as ever, I'm ravaged and ruined, and routed and wrecked By your telegraph poles, and, for once, / object /" He shouldered his pack, whilst the children shed tears, 382 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS And called, in retreating : " Can't help it, my dears ! Go, publish the news in the press, if you like : St. Nick has gone — on a permanent strike ! " He vanished, his finger aside of his nose, Unheeding a townful of ready-hung hose ; With sarcastic salute, as he faded from sight, " Merry Christmas to all, and forever, good night ! " — Louise Betts Edwards, in Truth. [By special permission of the publishers.] KING CHRISTMAS AND MASTER NEW YEAR King Christmas sat in his house of ice And looked across the snow. " Hallo, my little man ! " he cried, " Now whither dost thou go ? " " I go, my Lord, along the way That all my kin have gone, Where thou, my Lord, shalt follow me Before another dawn." " Right gayly," cried the Christmas King. " Who rides to-night with thee ? " "The days of grief, the days of joy, Are they who ride with me." " God keep thee, merry little man ; Go whisper them that mourn How surely comes again the day When Christ the Lord was born. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 383 " And be not sad, my little man, But when thou too art old And o'er the wintry wastes you come, A weary man and cold, " Right cheerily I pray thee then To keep this gracious tryst, And leave thy weary burden here Where cares grow light, with Christ. " Now bid thy gallant company Ride onward without fear, For I, the King of Christmas, Have blessed the glad New Year." — S. Weir Mitchell A DAY OF SORROW FOR SANTA CLAUS The snowbirds carried a message to old Santa Claus in his den, That the world was to hold a convention, an assembly of truth-loving men, To depose the dear old Santa Claus his place in the chil- dren's hearts, To block the wheels in his workshop, whence came dolls, toy horses, and carts. Poor old Santa's face changed sadly, the smile that we all love so well Gave place to deep lines of sorrow, and big tears on his fur coat fell, — 384 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS " Could it be that these people, once children, as you and I to-day, Had forgotten their love for Santa Claus, their delight at his pranks so gay ? "Could he nevermore harness his reindeer and speed o'er the housetops high ? No slipping down blackened chimneys, the little folks' wants to supply ? Is this the result of love's labor in their happy youthful days ? Have they buried the memory of childhood 'neath the weight of worldly ways ? " Is there no one on earth to champion the cause of the children's friend ? Must the boys and girls I love so well no more dear letters send ? What is the use of chimneys if down them I cannot climb ? Shall the fairies, brownies, and goblins be heard of no more in rhyme ? " Those people must be dyspeptics — their digestion most certainly bad, To take joy away from their children and make them so lonely and sad." But hark ! He hears flutter of wings at the door of his den — There is joy in the song of the snowbirds, and he gladly lets them in. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 385 The fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, and grandmas said, "No! We all love dear old Santa Claus, we cannot let him go." As he hears the joyful verdict his face is one broad smile, And he calls for his sleigh and reindeer, and speeds away mile after mile. So, children, whatever he leaves you, is bestowed with a happier heart, For he knows it is death to his jolly old self if from you he ever should part. And when you are men and women, remember his sorrow that day, And don't attend any convention that would banish dear Santa away. ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO The Christmas bells were pealing thro' the frosty mid- night air, The great Yule logs were burning, and the hearty Christmas cheer On the ample board was ready for the Squire and his guests, While the lackeys, laced and powdered, waited for their lord's behests. In the brilliant, crowded ballroom — where a thousand tapers shone — The Squire and his partner danced a measure all alone. 386 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS Holly leaves and ivy garlands glistened in the candle- light, Silks and satins and fair faces made a gay and goodly sight; But the Squire thought, of all the fair, the very fairest yet, Was Margery, the dainty maid who danced the min- uet. To the stately, graceful music — on the polished oaken floor — The Squire and his sweetheart danced the measure o'er and o'er, Till he led his blushing partner just beneath the mistle- toe And — stole a kiss that Christmas Eve, a hundred years ago. True love is like the lavender, whose perfume, faint and rare, Will linger in its blossoms even when they're dry and sear ; And the memory of that courtship and the kiss so fairly won, Wake in hearts a chord of kinship, though so many years have gone. For now sweet Mistress Margery, " the toast" at every ball, And the gay and gallant Squire are but — pictures on the wall. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 387 The Margerys of our day are every whit as fair As those that danced the minuet in puffed and pow- dered hair ; And though the Squires of days gone by were brave and fine to see, In this dear land to-day we find no lack of chivalry. Though buckled shoes and 'broidered coats are " in the mode " no more, And days of courtly compliment, and powdered hair, are o'er — True knighthood and nobility are not yet obsolete, And even in these busy days our hearts have time to beat, And tongues, at Cupid's prompting, tell their tales of tender passion — You'll find in every century that Love is still the fashion ! Then ring the Christmas bells again, with holly deck the walls, Let happy faces crowd the board and fill the festive halls ! The mistletoe is out of date, and kisses are forbidden, — A modern Squire for such a theft would be severely chidden, — But then the sweetest roses always bloom just out of reach ; 'Tis ever on the topmost bough you spy the rarest peach. 388 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS The fiddle plays a merry tune, light feet are keeping time, And gayly goes the two-step waltz until the midnight chime. Ah ! hearts are young and gay but once — so come when Pleasure calls ! For by and by we too shall be but — pictures on the walls. THAT LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE It was a little Christmas tree, with candles all aglow, And golden balls and silver stars, a bright and shining row. The children danced around it, and clapped their hands with glee ; And not a child was happier than the little Christmas tree. But next week, stripped of all its gifts and cast into the yard, It murmured with a little sigh : " Now, surely this is hard! To give delight for but that night, and then to be forgot, Would seem to be for any tree a most unhappy lot ! " But Ned and Ted and little Fred soon spied it where it lay. "Hurrah!" they cried, "A mast! A mast! We'll sail and sail away, F OXONIAN SELECTIONS 389 And far across the Arctic seas our gallant ship shall go, To find the seals, and polar bears, and jolly Eskimo." A plank their ship, a sheet their sail, the happy tree their mast, These bold explorers northward turned, and sailed away so fast, That soon o'er unknown lands there waved the banner of the free ; The staff that proudly bore it was the little Christmas tree. What afterward befell it would take me long to tell : It once became a fairy wood, where elves and dryads dwell ; And once a prancing, coal-black steed, with a noble knight astride ; And once a dark and gloomy cave, where bears and lions hide. But when, one day, there wandered by a ragged, shiver- ing boy, He saw the little Christmas tree and dragged it home with joy. A merry blaze he kindled, with its welcome warmth and shine, And the cold bare room was fragrant with the odor of the pine. — Helen S. Perkins. 390 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS CHRISTMAS GREETING Stop ! Look, my brothers, see that brilliant star ; Low in the heavens, how it shines afar ! Look how it sparkles like a diadem, It tells — " Christ is born away in Bethlehem." Glory to God in the highest ; On earth peace, good will toward men, For Christ is born for us to-day In the city of Bethlehem. Come, let us journey to that far-off land And search out the Christ sent by God's own hand. Quick ! Let us hasten, and soon we shall see The Christ born to-day in far-off Judea. See ! See ! my brother, the star moves before ; True, God is with us in life's sinful war. Now comes a Saviour who the way will show ; We will the battle win, so onward go. Now here's the city, and where is our Lord ? See the star, it moves, it shows us the road, Here in this manger, cradled in Mother's arms, The Christ Child Saviour shielded from all harm. Here is salvation. Oh ! shout the glad song ; Pour out the incense on the little form ; Tell to the people that the Saviour's come ; Shout, shout Hosanna ! Christ the Saviour's born. — Frank S. Fox. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 39 1 THE MARRIAGE OF SANTA CLAUS Once Santa Claus sobered and said, with a sigh, While a tear added luster to each twinkling eye, " Oh ! I'm getting so lonely and weary of life, I need a companion, or, better, a wife ; But where could I find one to share my joy, And love, as I love, every girl and each boy." He thought and he pondered, this jolly recluse, Then he shouted, " I have it ; 'tis Old Mother Goose." He was off in a jiffy, he whistled, his sled O'er the snow like the flight of a sky-rocket sped, And his reindeers snorted, with heads high and haughty, And trotted along at the rate of two-forty. So he found the old lady, of course, very soon — She had just returned from a trip to the moon, And was fixing her cap, slightly mussed by the ride, While the cobwebs were thick in the broom by her side. She was old, she was weazened, she had a great nose, Yet her eyes were as bright as the plumage of crows, And her voice, tho' 'twas cracked, had a ring very sweet, And her dress, tho' 'twas queer, was most awfully neat. And Santa Claus blushed as he said, " How d'ye do ? " The dame courtesied low, and replied, " Sir, to you." " Will you have me ? " he prays ; " my darling, confess." She hesitates, murmurs, and then whispers, " Yes — But my children ! " she cries, with the usual pause, " Why, children, I love 'em," said bluff Santa Claus. 392 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS " Bring 'em out — where are they ? I want 'em ! " cries he, So forth troop they all in a great company, First comes a fair maiden, and know her we should, By the wolf and her granny — 'tis Red Riding Hood; While after them, fearfully blowing his horn, Is little Boy Blue on his way from the corn; And the notes of the music he sweetly doth play Brings the piper's son Tom, from the hills far away. And then with a jump and a roll down the hill, With pails and with water bounce poor Jack and Jill ; Their crowns were both broken and help they implore From Old Mother Hubbard and Margery Daw. And forth from her garden in a way quite contrary, With fruits and with flowers, comes sweet Mistress Mary. Then Simon the Simple returns from the fair With the pie-man, most cautious in selling his ware ; While dragging their tails behind them flock in the sheep Of the wandering shepherdess, Little Bo-Peep. A very old woman lugs up a great shoe, And out jump her children, a boisterous crew ; Some sing and some dance and some of them play "The Mulberry Bush" and " Rain, Rain, go away." But one little boy slinks off in a corner And munches a pie — 'tis greedy Jack Horner ; While poor Tommy Tucker expects some in vain, And bewails his fate with Tom Grace, who's in pain. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 393 But music hath charms, and they list to the song Of that jolly musician, the young Richard Long; Then Old King Cole and his fiddlers three Bring up the rear of this vast company. " They are just what I want," shouts Old Santa Claus, Mother Goose and her children ring out their applause ; " Now all jump aboard — our new home to explore, On my sled there has ever been room for one more." With shouts and with laughter they tumbled within And wrapped buffalo robes close beneath every chin. The reindeer they galloped, the moon shone out bright, As they hurried along in its soft silver light, And the fat, jolly driver chuckled often in glee, At the sight of his wife and his vast family. And the songs of the children rang out in the air, As they journeyed along, disregarding all care, Till they reached the great palace and through it they roam, And forever are happy within their new home. THE FATAL ROAD Dark was the night ; the snow and blinding sleet Rode on the shrieking hurricane down the street Of a Yorkshire hamlet. 'Twas Christmas tide — Who cared for the tempest ? The glad fireside Seemed all the brighter because of its roar ; Sung were old songs again, old stories told once more. 394 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS Bright picture ! yes, but look if you please again, — A low thatched cottage — just peep through that pane. I see a woman, a child, a flickering fire — Listen, the little one cries — but louder, higher Shouted the storm fiend. " I thought," said the child, " I heard papa's step — oh, it's awful wild. Why don't he come home ? " Shivering, she sighed, As the gale drove the snow that Christmas tide. " Don't take on so, don't cry, mamma dear ; I'll bring him home, if he's there, never fear." And where was her father that Christmas night ? At the village inn, and his heart was light. No sad thoughts of home, of his child or wife, Came to annoy him. How jolly his life ! " Drink up, lads," he shouted, " old Christmas is here, And Christmas, you know, only comes once a year." A knock at the door — " Who's there ? " " Only me. Is my papa here, please ? " "Aye," he shouted in glee. " That's my Bessie — Come in, lass, thou'lt be blown away ; A rum night is this, for a Christmas day." They laughed as they joked, then the child on his knee Whispered, " Papa, I've come for you, come home with me. The fire's going out, and we have no wood." He set the child down and then staggering stood While he quaffed his last glass. " Right, Bessie, all right ; I'm coming, my pretty. Good night, lads, good night." FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 395 He reeled through the doorway, and took the child's hand — His brain was on fire, he fancied a band Of wild yelling demons were fast drawing near. He caught up the child and fled, trembling with fear ; Down the street, past his home, o'er the common's wild track, Stumbling he panted, then paused and looked back. " On, on they come." He dashed through a stream, Then mounting a hillock, turned, uttered a scream — " Come on, devils all, you may run, jump, or fly ; I'll cheat you. We'll die, lass ; my Bessie, good-by." He picked up a bowlder and beat the child's head — "I've done it," he shouted. "She's dead — look, fair dead." A torpor then seized him — he sank in the snow. The wind whistled wildly — the brook down below Flowed on to the river. All through the dark night The villagers searched, but in vain. Morning's light Revealed a child's hat. A track was soon found Which led to the father, his arms clasped 'round The corpse of his child, with face to the sky. Was it better to wake him, or leave him to die ? " Why, wake him, of course," stern justice replies, " Can I see murder done here before my own eyes ? 'Tis true he will die if we leave him alone, But that's not our method — no, let him atone For his crime in the full light of day, And hang till he's dead in the regular way. 396 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS That's justice's justice I'd have you all know. Now shake him, he's shamming. Hello, sir, hello. He coughs, ah, he's broken a blood vessel. Good, He'll waken up now — there, I told you he would." The father glared wildly — " Kind folk, where am I ? I've been dreaming, I fancied my Bessie came by." Then turning his eyes to where the child lay ; " Oh, God, why she's here, I must take her away." He raised himself slowly, then upright he stood And saw the pale forehead all spattered with blood. "Am I waking or dreaming, good people," he said, " That can't be my Bessie, my Bessie, there — dead ! Ah, you're playing some lark, you, I know, That's a dummy you've dressed up and stuck in the snow. How you stare at me, what is that lying down there ? " He knelt by her side, pushed back the bright hair — "Why, it is thee, why, Bessie, what's this, what dost ail, This blood on thy forehead, thy cheek cold and pale ? Oh, thou cannot be dead, lass, 'tis all my poor brain, Speak — speak to me, tell me you love me again." He kissed the lips fondly. " God help thee, thou'rt cold." He took off his jacket the corpse to enfold, The truth flashed upon him. " I killed her," he said. "I was mad, God forgive me." — He fell — he was dead. FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS 397 SANTA CLAUS IN THE MINES In a small cabin in a California mining town, away up amid the snow-clad, rock-bound peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, sat a woman in widow's weeds, holding upon her knee a bright-eyed, sunny-faced little girl about five years old, while a little cherub of a boy lay upon a bearskin before the open fireplace. It was Christmas Eve, and the woman sat gazing abstract- edly into the fireplace. She was yet young, and as the glowing flames lit up her sad face they invested it with a weird beauty. Mary Stewart was the widow of Aleck Stewart, and but two years before they had lived comfortably and happy, in a camp on the American River. Aleck was a brawny miner, but the premature explosion of a blast in an underground tunnel had blotted out his life in an instant, leaving his family without a protector, and in straitened circumstances. His daily wages had been their sole support, and now that he was gone, what could they do? With her little family, Mrs. Stewart had emigrated to the camp in which we find them, and there she earned a precarious livelihood by washing clothes for the miners. Hers was a hard lot, but the brave little woman toiled on, cheered by the thought that her daily labors stood between her darling little ones and the gaunt wolf of starvation. Jack Dawson, a strong, honest miner, was passing 398 FOXONIAN SELECTIONS the cabin this Christmas Eve, when the voice of the little girl within attracted his attention. Jack possessed an inordinate love for children, and although his manly spirit would abhor the sneaking practice of eaves- dropping, he could not resist the temptation to steal up to the window just a moment, to listen to the sweet, prattling voice. The first words he caught were : — " Before papa died we always had Christmas, didn't we, mamma ? " " Yes, Totty, darling; but papa earned money enough to afford to make his little pets happy, at least once a year. You must remember, Totty, that we are very poor, and although mamma works very, very hard, she can scarcely earn enough to supply us with food and clothes." Jack Dawson still lingered upon the outside. He could not leave, although he felt ashamed of himself for listening. " We hung up our stockings last Christmas, didn't we, mamma ? " continued the little girl. " Yes, Totty ; but we were poor then, and Santa Claus never notices real poor people. He gave you a little candy, then, just because you were such good children." " Is we any poorer now, mamma ? " " Oh, yes, much poorer. He would never notice us at all now." Jack Dawson detected a tremor of sadness in the widow's voice as she uttered the last words, and he wiped a suspicious dampness from his eyes. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 399 " Where's our clean stockings, mamma ? I'm going to hang mine up, anyhow. Maybe he will come like he did before, just because we try to be good children," said Totty. " It will be no use, my darling, I am sure he will not come," and tears gathered in the mother's eyes as she thought of her empty purse. " I don't care, I'm going to try, anyhow. Please get one of my stockings, mamma." Jack Dawson's generous heart swelled until it seemed bursting from his bosom. He heard the patter of little bare feet upon the cabin floor as Totty ran about, hunt- ing hers and Benny's stockings, and after she had hung them up, heard her sweet voice again as she wondered over and over if Santa really would forget them. He heard the mother, in a choking voice, tell her treasures to get ready for bed, heard them lisp their childish prayers, the little girl concluding, " And, O Lord ! please tell good Santa Claus that we are very poor, but that we love him as much as rich children do, for dear Jesus' sake — Amen ! " After they were in bed, through a small rent in the plain white curtain he saw the widow sitting before the fire, her face buried in her hands, and weeping bitterly. On a peg, just over the fireplace, hung two little patched and faded stockings, — and then he could stand it no longer. He softly moved away from the window to the rear of the cabin, where some objects fluttering to the wind met his eye. Among these he searched until he 400 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS found a little blue stocking which he removed from the line, folded it tenderly, and placed it in his overcoat pocket, and then set out for the main street of the camp. He entered Harry Hawk's gambling hall, the largest in the place, where a host of miners and gamblers were at play. Jack was well known in the camp, and when he got up on a chair and called for attention, the hum of voices and clicking of ivory checks suddenly ceased. Then, in an earnest voice, he told what he had seen and heard, repeating every word of the conversation be- tween the mother and her children. In conclusion, he said : — " Boys, I think I know you — every one of you — an' I know jist what kind o' metal yer made of. I've an idee that Santa Claus knows jist whar that cabin's siti- wated, an' I've an idee he'll find it afore mornin.' Hyar's one of the little gal's stock'n's thet I hooked off'n the line. The daddy o' them little ones was a good, hard-working miner, an' he crossed the range in the line o' duty, jist as any one of us is liable to do in our dangerous business. Hyar goes a twenty-dollar piece right down in the toe, and hyar I lay the stockin* on this card table. Now chip in, much or little, as ye kin afford." Brocky Clark, a gambler, left the table, picked the little stocking up carefully, looked at it tenderly, and when he laid it down another twenty had gone into the toe to keep company with the one placed there by Dawson. FOXONIAN SELECTIONS . 401 Another and another came up until the foot of the stocking was well filled, and then came the cry from the gambling tables : — " Pass her around, Jack." At the word he lifted it from the table and started around the hall. Before he had circulated it at half a dozen tables it showed signs of bursting beneath the weight of gold and silver coin, and a strong coin bag, such as he used for sending treasure by express, was procured and the stocking placed inside of it. The round of the large hall was made, and in the meantime the story had spread all over the camp. From the various saloons came messages, saying : — " Send the stockin' 'round the camp. Boys are a-waitin' for it ! " With a party at his heels, Jack went from saloon to saloon. Games ceased and tipplers left the bars as they entered each place, and miners, gamblers, speculators — everybody — crowded up to tender their Christmas gifts to the miner's widow and orphans. Any one who has lived in the far Western camps and is acquainted with the generosity of Western men will feel no sur- prise or doubt of my truthfulness, when I say that, after the round had been made, the little blue stocking and the heavy canvas bag contained over eight thousand dollars in gold and silver coin. Horses were procured, and a party dispatched to the larger town down on the Consumnes, from which they returned near daybreak with toys, clothing, provisions, 402 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS etc., in almost endless variety. Arranging their gifts in proper shape, and securely tying the mouth of the bag of coin, the party noiselessly repaired to the widow's humble cabin. The bag was first laid on the step, and the other articles piled in a heap over it. On the top was laid the lid of a large pasteboard box, on which was written, with a piece of charcoal : — " Santa Clause doesn't always Giv poor Folks The Cold Shoulder in This camp." Christmas dawned bright and beautiful. Mrs. Stewart arose, and a shade of pain crossed her handsome face as the empty little stockings caught her maternal eye. She cast a hurried glance toward the bed where her darlings lay sleeping, and whispered : — ; " O God ! how dreadful is poverty ! " She built a glowing fire, set about preparing the frugal breakfast, and when it was almost ready she approached the bed, kissed the little ones until they were wide awake, and lifted them to the floor. With eager haste Totty ran to the stockings, only to turn away, sobbing as though her heart would break. Tears blinded the mother, and clasping her little girl to her heart, she said, in a choking voice : — " Never mind, my darling, next Christmas I am sure mamma will be richer, and then Santa Claus will bring us lots of nice things." " O mamma ! " The exclamation came from little Benny, who had FOXONIAN SELECTIONS 403 opened the door and was standing gazing in amazement upon the wealth of gifts there displayed. Mrs. Stewart sprang to his side and looked in speech- less astonishment. She read the card, and then, caus- ing her little ones to kneel down with her in the open doorway, she poured out her soul in a torrent of praise and thanksgiving to God. Jack Dawson's burly form moved from behind a tree a short distance away, and sneaked off up the gulch, great crystal tears chasing each other down his face. The family arose from their knees, and began to move the stores into the room. There were several sacks of flour, hams, canned fruits, pounds and pounds of coffee, tea, and sugar ; new dress goods, and a handsome, warm woolen shawl for the widow ; shoes, stockings, hats, mittens, and clothing for the children ; a great big wax doll, that could cry and move its eyes, for Totty, and a beautiful red sled for Benny. All were carried inside amidst alternate laughs and tears. "Bring in the sack of salt, Totty, and that is all," said the mother. " Is not God good to us ? " " I can't lift it, mamma, it's frozen to the step ! " The mother stooped and took hold of it and lifted harder and harder, until she raised it from the step. Her cheek blanched as she noted its great weight, and breathlessly she carried it in and laid it upon the break- fast table. With trembling fingers she loosened the string and emptied the contents upon the table. Gold and silver — more than she had ever thought of in her 404 FOX ONI AN SELECTIONS wildest dreams of comfort and almost buried in the pile of treasure lay Totty's little blue stocking. We will not intrude longer upon such happiness, but leave the joyful family sounding praises to Heaven and Santa Claus. — Anon. A DREAM SONG Lullaby, hushaby, hasten away, Little pink pilgrim, till dawn of the day ; Slow swings the cradle, but swift is the flight Lullaby, hushaby, baby, good-night. Over the bridges of Slumberland's streams, Lies the most wonderful Garden of Dreams ; Short is the journey, and soft is the sod, Down by the valleys of Drowsy and Nod. Daisies and violets peep through the grass, Buttercups beckon and bow as you pass ; Tiny dream fairies in tunics of blue Bring sweetest dreams in the garden for you. Lullaby, hushaby, hasten away Over the bridges till dawn of the day ; Short is the journey to hours of delight — Lullaby, hushaby, baby, good-night. INDEX TO THEORY PAGE Accent . c ■ . . . . 153 Articulation 76 Breathing 16 Climax and Cadence . . . . . . . . .186 Emphasis . 65 Enunciation . . . . . . . . . . 175 Gesture Study 202 Inflection . . . . c . . . . . .115 Melody 193 Modulation 108 Movement . . . . . . . . . . .145 Pauses 49 Personation or Character Sketching ....... 254 Pitch of the Elementary Sounds . . . . . . .104 Pitch of Voice in Speaking . . . . . . . .120 Pronunciation « I 7 I Quantity or Time . .178 Rate 131 Rhythm 160 Stammering and Stuttering 97 Standing Position • . . . • 37 405 406 INDEX TO THEORY PAGE Stress and Force 167 Syllabication 199 Thought Center, The 5 Thought Sentence, The ......... 3 Thought Word, The ..." 5 Voice Culture ...•'.. 31 INDEX TO SELECTIONS PAGE Alps, The , 137 American Life, The . . . . . . . . . 313 Argument Pro 273 Athens and Jerusalem 61 Au Revoir „ 339 Baby's Welcome 291 Be Friends Now c 302 Beautiful Snow, The . 152 Brook, The 147 Burial of Sir John Moore, The ....... 146 Carpet-beatin' Fever 325 Cato's Soliloquy on Immortality 128 Christmas Greeting .......... 390 Creeping up the Stairs 113 Dachshund, The 332 Dad's Old Breeches . 333 Daily News 279 Day of Sorrow for Santa Claus, A 383 Dream Song, A 404 Early Morning Call, An 275 Engineers making Love 322 Eternal Clockwork of the Skies 322 Fatal Road, The 393 Flitting 138 Give us Men s .... • * .... 6 Glory 12 God's Wonders 124 Gooses or Geese . 340 407 408 INDEX TO SELECTIONS PAGE Hidden Menace, The 352 Industry Necessary to the Attainment of Eloquence xi In Memoriam of President McKinley 305 King Christmas and Master New Year ...... 382 Last Charge of Ney, The . . 256 Later On 304 Lilies of the Valley 297 Little Christmas Tree, That 388 Man's Mortality 289 Marriage of Santa Claus, The 391 Maybe You Do, But I Doubt It 335 Me and Sally Ann 277 Memorial Day, What Means It? 346 Michael Casey's Description of the Fight with Oney Geigen . . 327 Military Steeple Chase, The 140 Mother's Advice, A 334 My Fa and Me 344 Natalis 303 Nation's Security, The 319 New Psalm of Life, The . . 342 Niagara 283 Ode to the Full Moon, An 296 Old-time School Days . . . . 299 One Hundred Years Ago 385 Only a Step 285 Opportunity 61 Othello's Apology 149 Our Baby Sister 3 QI Our National Patriotism 318 Over the River 287 Pauline 295 Play, The . 303 INDEX TO SELECTIONS 409 PAGE Quarrel of Marmion and Douglas ....... 267 Railroad Grammar 333 Regret 59 Rise above It 293 Rizpah 269 Sam's Letter 132 Santa Claus in the Mines . . . 397 Scene of Ruin, A 367 Second Trial, A 260 Since Pa shaved off His Whiskers . . . . . .281 Sister's Best Feller 345 Soul of a Butterfly, The 198 Sparticus to the Gladiators 182 Strike of St. Nicholas, The 380 These Come Not Back 64 Thread Joke, The 258 To , with Apologies to Bryant ....... 329 True Patriotism 306 Two Confidences 337 Veteran's Dead . 349 Village Blacksmith, The 10 Vocations 67 Wayward Son, The 33 l What Imperialism Means ........ 309 What Oratory Has Done . . . - . . . . .52 When the Leaves are off the Trees 197 Why Do We Vote 3 12 Wonderin' of Home Folks, A 5^ Writing on the Wall, The . . . ' 375 ELOCUTION, READING AND SPEAKING Pieces for Prize Speaking Contests . . $1.25 Compiled by A. II. Craig and Binnev Gunnison. Very few books of declamations and recitations contain selections especially suited for Prize Speaking Contests The compilers spent nearly three years in collecting the pieces contained in this volume, nearly every one of which has taken a prize in some contest. Pieces for Every Occasion .... $1.25 Compiled by Caroline B. Le Row. A collection of new and popular pieces suitable for Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Arbor Day, Flag Day, Easter, May Day, Decoration Day, Graduation and Closing Days, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and every other public occasion. Three-Minute Declamations for College Men $1.00 Compiled by Harry Cassell Davis, A. M. Ph. D. and John C. Bridgman, A. B. A collection of the best speeches and addresses of all the well known orators and writers, among the number being Chauncey M. Depew, Gen. 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