----- -- - - - - - - -~_-i~~~: ~ _~ i ~ _~ it~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i m~~:1 I- liti!Inte [1l1 il~~~~~~~~~~~i i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~; r~~~~~~~~~i JM i.:~iltTHE CHOOL EXHIITION-PLAN F STAGI,, THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER: CONTAINING FARCES, DIALOGUES, AND TABLEAUX, WITH EXERCISES FOR DECLA-MATION IN PROSE AND VERSE. ALSO, A TREATISE ON ORATORY AND ELOCUTION, HINTS ON DRAMATIC CHARACTERS, COSTUMES, POSITION ON THE STAGE, MAKING UP, ETC., ETC., WI IH ILLUSTRATIONS. CAREFULLY COMPILED AND ARRANGED FOR SCHOOL EXHIBITIONS~ BY P. A. FITZGERALD, ESQ. TO WHICII IS ADDED A CO3MPLETE SYSTEM OF CALISTHENICS AND GYMNASTICS, WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEACIIERS AND PUPILS, ILLUSTRATED WITH FIFTY ENGRAVINGS. NEW YORK: SHELDON, L MIPORT & BLAKEMIAN. ROCtIESTER, D M. DEWEY. PEIILADELPHIA, LIPPINCOTT, GRAIBO & CO. BOSTON, JOHIN P. JEWErT & CO. BUFFALO.PHINNEY & CO. DETROIT, IERR, MORLEY & CO CLEVELAND, S. KING & CO. CINCINNATI, APLEGATE & CO. CIRCLEVILLE, A. BEACH & CO. CHIICJGO, KEEN & BO,. ST. LOUIS, E. K, WOODWYARD, AND KEITH & lWOODS. 1856. Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1855, BY D. M. DEWEY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern District of New York. STEREOTYPED BY J. & C. E. FELTON, BUFFALO. PREFACE. THERE have been, during the last quarter of a century, many books printed for the use of schools, academies, and literary associations, containing addresses, dialogues, etc., proper to be spoken on, as they are commonly called, exhibition days, by tyros in oratory, and embryo statesmen, to the edification of strangers, and the delight of relatives and friends, which have been justly popular with those for whose use they were intended, and productive of good equal to the highest expectations of all interested in their adoption and success. Believing, however, that there yet remains room for the introduction of other volumes, devoted to similar purposes, yet differing somewhat from those that have preceded them, in that they contain several entire farces, dramas, etc., easily represented, and capable of furnishing much amusement when produced, the compiler of the present volume offers the result of his labors to the consideration of the public, in the sanguine expectation that a candid judgment will allow him the benefit of that approval, without which all efforts tending to advance the cause of general education must be rendered entirely futile. To make the rough way smooth, to scatter flowers along and upon the track which, well followed, guides the weary yet hopeful student to the portals of that great temple from whence the light of knowledge shineth ever, is the first duty of all who feel a proper interest in the high and holy cause of popular education — that education, without which, Progress must stay her advance, and fdll nerveless beneath the blight of Error, the poison of that deadly moral sirocco, Ignorance. The materials of which the compiler has availed himself in furtherance of his design, have long been in the possession of the public; but this fact can not injure their worth, if the selections prove to have been LrAde with judgment. The plan of the volume will, he thinks, commend itself to approbation; of this,- however, success must be the sole criterion. VI PREFA CE. The remarks on Elocution, if well studied, can hardly fail to assist. Accompanying each farce, and some of the other selections, including the tableaux, will be found explanatory remarks. These, as they may tend to assist the student to a proper understanding of the sentiments uttered, the characters represented, will, it is believed, be found worthy of, and receive their due share of attention. The fair hope and honorable ambition to be thought worthy to rank with those whose time and labor have been devoted to the encouragement and development of our native eloquence have urged the compiler to proceed in his undertaking, hopeful that it may be blessed to the benefit of some, who study that they may become worthy citizens; men in intellect, as well as form; men who, while living, will do honor to their country, their kind, and themselves; dying, leave to their children the inheritance of a legacy worth treasuring for aye, in the fame that grows in radiance as the light of time beams brightly over their oft visited, their quiet resting place, beneath the green turf, that on'" The heroes breast lies soft, as though In reverence for the dust, sepulchred where Was from all time decreed its final home." CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION,............... 11 CHAPTER I. THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE,.... 15 Table of Elements,............ 16 Table of the Analysis of Words.......... 17 CHAPTER II. OF THE VOICE,..................19 The Perfections,............... 20 The Imperfections,............... 20 Of the Quality of the Voice,......... 20 Articulation,.............. 21 Impediments, Stammering, etc., with Infallible Rules for Cure, 22 Pronunciation and Accent,.... 24 Emphasis,................. 25 Pauses and Breathing,..... 25 Pitch,................... 26 Quantity,................. 27 Modulation, Variety, and Rate of Utterance...... 27 Tones,..........27 CHAPTER III. GENERAL PRECEPTS,........ 29 The Preservation of the Voice,....... 29 Improvement of the Voice,........ 0... 30 Management of the Voice,......... 30 Estimation of the Powers of the Voice,..... 81 8 CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. OF THE COUNTENANCE............ 32 CHAPTER V. ON GESTURE.............. 34 Exercise in Simple Gestures,.......... 36 Exercise in Complex Gestures,....... 36 Tell's Address to the Mountains,......... 39 CHAPTER VI. DESCRIPTION OF STAGE,.............. 43 Exit and Entrances,............. 43 Relative Positions,............. 43 Hints as to Position and Action upon the Stage, "Making up" for Characters, etc.,......... 43 PART I. DRAMATIC - A Race for a Dinner............. 49 Hob and Nob,................ 6 Love in Humble Life,............. 90 Three Eras in the Life of a Farmer's Son,...... 114 SCENES FROM SHAKSPEARE AND OTHER STANDARD AUTHORS Hamlet and the Ghost,............ 131 Hamlet's Advice to the Players,...... 135 Scene from Richard III., Murder of King Henry,.... 138 Scene from the play of Love,.......... 142 Scene from the comedy of Money,......... 14 8 Scene from Love's Martyr,.......... 156 Dialogue on the subject of Exhibition Day,..... 160 Catiline to his Friends,.......... 164 Catiline's Defiance,........... 166 Remorse,............... 167 CONTENTS. 9 PART II. TABLEAUX VIVANTS - No. 2. Washington's Dream of Liberty,..... 71 No. 2. Marion and the Pritish Officer,...... 178 No. 3. Young America,....... 175 No. 4. A Classical Tableru of Deities famous in ancient Mythology; designed for young ladies.... 1'78 No. 5. A Classical Tableau adverse to No. 4, and designed to be represented by boys,........ 82 No. 6. The Reward of Merit,........... 184 PART III. SENATORIAL - Liberty aud Union,......... 191 Peaceable Secession,............. 192 On Recognizing the Independence of Greece,. 194 Extent of Country no bar to Union,........ 196 The Birthday of Washington,....... 197 PART IV: CoMic - "Young America" on Progress,.......... 201 Independence,............... 203 Early Retiring and Rising,........ 205 The Cold Water Man,......... 207 PART V. MISCELLAxNEOUS - On the Death Jf General Taylor,..... 213 Peace and War,.............. 214 Degeneracy of Greece,... 216 PART VI. GYMNASTICS AND CILLISTHENIC'Gymnastics,...........228 10 CONTENTS. General Directions,............. 224 Walking,............... 225 Running,.......... 226 The Long Leap,............. 227 Vaulting,....... 227 The High Leap,... ~ ~....228 The Deep Leap,.......229 Climbing the Upright and Slant Poles,...... 230 Climbing the Rope,.......... 230 Climbilg the Wooden Ladder,......... 230 Climbing thlle Rope Ladder,........ 231 The Inclined Board,........... 231 The Parallel Bars,..... 0..232 The Horizontal Bars,...........233 The Balancing Bar,.......... 234 The High Leap with the Pole,......... 235 The Long Leap with the Pole,. 0..... 236 -Walkingi on Stilts,............. 237 The Flying Steps, or Giant Strides,......... 237 Throwing the Javelin,............. 238 Climbing Trees,.... o 0 0 238 Ling's System of Gymnastics,........... 239 CALISTHENICS. Use of Calisthenics,. -........ 247 The Dumb-bell Practice,.... 252 Long Backboard Exercises,.... 254 Short Backboard Exercises,. 255 The Club Practice,....2......... 256 Wand orPole Exercises,......... 258 Walking,... 260 The Elastic Cord,............. 260 The Balance Step,............ 261 Exercises with the Triangle......... 264 INTRODUCTION. As the work here submitted to the judgment of tile public is some. what novel in its design, a few remarks in reference to the plan adopted may not be inappropriate. It has long been held by the enlightened friends of education, that, while the mind is being prepared by a gradual development of its powers to exert, when matured, all the faculties wherewith it was endowed, it should not be forced in its growth, or subjected to influences which must impair its strength, and render that weak and languid which should be strong and active. Each recurring day brings, with it, to the young, as they emerge from infancy, the experience of something new, something calculated to excite the reflective faculties, to force the exercise of the reasoning powers. To be curious as to causes and effects, is a characteristic of the human mind, as well in infancy as in maturity. As reason dawns, as the morn of life with its unclouded sky, giving goodly promise of a glorious future, opens to youth, the process whereby its meridian may be rendered. glorious, its closing blessed, begins to unfold itself. The imagination, free from the curb of practical knowledge, bounds away into the distant future, regardless of naught save the brilliancy of the panoramic illusion that unrolls -before its advance. The stern realities of life present themselves not to the unpracticed eye; it needs that years should roll away, ere the dreams indulged can be forgotten; or if remembered, thought of but as the whisperings of the infantile soul in communion with itself. Each man's destiny crouches abjectly to his command; he may make or mar his fortune as he pleases. If, recreant to his high calling, he devotes his time to pursuits foreign to virtue, opposed to his well-being, the result must be a melancholy one. Instead of standing before the world a model in his career, for all to emulate, all to admire, he grovels in deserved ignominy, companionless, despised. Education, to be entirely beneficial, should be as far as possible practical, su b as will enable its ppssesser to go out among X1i INTROD U CTI 0 1o. his fellows, and dispute with them for supremacy. In this age, no man, if his acquirements warrant him worthy of such high vassalage, is safe from being made the public's servant; and, acting in that capacity, he may often be called upon to explain to his masters the plans by which he intends to advance their interests. If he would do this well, he must be taught how, and for such tuition he must look to the school-room. Practice in reciting the written thoughts of others will give him confidence to speak his own when needful. Subject to the criticism of rival school-fellows and the strictures of his teachers, he can not fail to acquire that ease of action so indispensable to a public speaker, a command of voice not otherwise to be obtained, and a fluency of speech which will set stammering at defiance. Every man is liable to be called upon, perhaps at a few moments' notice, to explain his opinions on certain matters, important or otherwise, and to do so with ease is most requisite. Ease implies knowledge, and "knowledge is power." To offer the young student facilities by which to acquire confidence in expressing his thoughts in public, is the object of this work. Should this be gained, much will have been accomplished worthy of commendation. Elocution, as a branch of education, deserves great consideration, from the fact that it can be applied advantageously nearly every moment. Speech being a faculty common to all mankind, the most expeditious method by which to convey ideas, it follows that it should be cultivated, its scope enlarged, its system perfected. Civilized nations have always been aware of the great importance of a study pertaining to this design, though they have in many respects failed in giving it its due share of attention. The ancients, particularly the Greeks and Romans, seem to have been fully conscious of the great benefits resulting from a close attention to, and practice of such rules as are fitted to advance the orator in his profession. Their schools for the study of eloquence were frequented by students from all parts of the known world. They established prizes to be awarded to those who, contesting for the palm of excellence, were the victors. Nor were their greatest orators ashamed to acknowledge, that, apart from the mere influence of genius, to the external part of oratory -the management of the voice, expression of the countenance, and the gestures of the head, body, etc. -were They indebted for a large portion of their success. They found that to work systematically was to insure them expeditious progress; that the art of delivery must be studied with particular diligence. Pronunciation, or delivery, as we call it, Demosthenes considered to be the charm ol I N TR O DU CT ION. Xiii oratory; without which it must fail in its effect upon those sought to be convinced or moved. A composition teeming with defects, false in its reasoning, viciou: in its moral, if delivered by an accomplished orator will take precedence in most minds over one noble in sentiments, profound in object, spoken by one incapable of investing it with the charm of delivery. Can it be wondered at, in view of this fact, that to the art of deliverj the ancients attached an importance almost equal to that of composition? The failure of Demosthenes before he cultivated this art with sufficient care, and his extraordinary success afterward, induced him to value delivery in preference to every other requisite which goes to form the perfect orator. We would not have our students emulate the ancients so far as to render themselves liable to the'charge made by Cesar against some of his cotemporaries, who, he averred, in their practice went so far as to take to themselves the drudgery of the theater; but we would impress upon the understanding of all, that, without giving to the external part of oratory the important consideration it demands, they will signally fail in their desire for eminence. We would say to the young man, study. You may be called upon to occupy a seat in those legislative halls whose walls yet echo with the speeches of a Clay or a Webster,-those mighty dead, the thunder of whose eloquence, reverberating through all time, shall monument their memory in the hearts of all. You may chance to stand, in the exercise of your vocation, before a jury on whose decision rests the life of a human being, the happiness of anxious friends; then, versed in your profession, if you call to your aid the magic charm of that oratory which convinces and s'-bdues by its exercise, moving to mercy the stern law, rescuing from its grasp an innocent victim and restoring him to the bosom of his friends, you will find a sweet reward for all your toil. Perhaps you may, as a preacher of the gospel, become an expounder of its lessons. To you will then belong the task of winning from the pursuit of error your fellow-man; and to do this requires in you the exercise of every persuasive art; you must be competent to lead, whom you would persuade. No matter if your compositions do " smell of the lamp," they will be the better for it; for it is in the opinion of weak intellects alone, that sound logic, correct rhetorical ornament, lucid order, and laborious research, are fit only for the drudgery of dullness. Allow such prejudices to pre vail, and though possessed of all the learning, all the genius that Heo ven has lavished upon man, our public speakers will ever fall short of the orators of antiquity, whom they must be content to ad;mire at an aumble distance. EXHIBITION SPEAKEtR. CHAPTER 1. THE ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. Elocution has been defined " the art of reading and speaking well;" therefore,to acquire this art the reader or speaker must have a perfect knowledge of the elementary sounds of the English language. Without this knowledge he will be unable to articulate correctly, and errors in articulation deprive a language of all its force and beauty. No matter how correct and worthy of attention a speaker's sentiments may be, if the words used in delivering them are hurried over precipitately, drawled, or allowed to slip out carelessly, their effect will be dissipated and entirely lost. There has been too little attention bestowed upon the study of the elements, and to this cause may be attributed the fact that there are so few really good readers or speakers among those whose profession does not imperatively demand that they acquaint themselves perfectly with the elementary sounds of our language..To cultivate the voice by exercise upon the elements, will give it a melodious fullness that can not perhaps be acquired by any other process; when thus cultivated, it will take such inflections and intonations as the speaker may desire to give it, without effort on his part. The number of elements in our language is thirty-ei',lt[. 16 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. They are divided into vowels, subvowels, and aspirates; or, as classified by Dr. Rush in his " Philosophy of the Human Voice," into tonics, subtonics, and atonics. There are fifteen vowels, fourteen subvowels, and nine aspirates. Table of the Elements. VOWELS. A as heard in ale, fate, may. A "l " " (armn, farm, harm. A " " " all, fall, orb. A " " " an, idea, pan. E " " 4" easy, imitate, me. E " " " end, let, mend. I " 6" "1 isle, ice, fly, mine. I " " " in, pin, England. O " " " old, more, oats. O " " " ooze, lose, to, fool. o " " " on, lock, not. U " " " mew, few, tube, pupil. U " " " up, tub, her, hurt. U " " " full, puell, wolf. OU' " C" " our, flour, power. SUBVOWELS. B as heard in bow, boat, barb. D " " day, bid, dare. G " " " gay, fig, gilt. L " " " light, liberty, all. M " " " mind, storm, mate. N "' " no, on, nine. NG " " " sing, finger, long. R "'' " roe, rare, orb. TH " " then, with, beneath. ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 17 V as heard in vice, vile, salve. W s" " "4 woe, wave, world. y 4" " "11 yoke, ye, yonder. Z c" " " zone, his, Zenophon. ZH " " " azure, enclosure. ASPIRATES. F as heard in fame, if, lift. H " " " he, hut. K " " " kite, cake. P " " " pit, up, apt. S " " " sin, cell, yes. SH Ea " "hade, shine, flushed. T " " " take, oats, it. TH " " " thin, truth, months. WH" " " when, which, what. There are many words in which there are difficult combinations of the elements; they, as well as those in which the combinations are easy, should be practiced upon until the pupil is able to articulate each element correctly. The following is a table of the analysis of words, in which there are easy and difficult combinations of elements. Let the pupil spell the words, uttering separately each element, and not the name of the word, as is the practice which generally obtains in our schools. Table of the Analysis of Words. WORDS. ELEMENTS. WORDS. ELEMENTS. ale, a-l. sky, s-k-i. day, d-a. lamb 1-a-m. fame, f-a-m. oak, o-k. crew, k-r-u. eve, e-v. call, k-a-l. once, w-un-a, 18 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. WORDS. ELEMENTS. WORDS. ELEMENTS. deeds, d-e-d-z. mulcts, m-u-l-k-t-s. wool, w-u-1. John, d-gh-a-n. isle, i-I. exchequer,; e-k-s-t-sh-e-k-e-r. dare, d-a-r. objects, o-b-d-zh-e-k-t-s. ink, i-ng-k. George, d-gh-a-r-d-gh. pause, p-a-z. projects, p-r-o-d-d-gh-e-k-t-s. mow, m-o. thousandth, th-ou-z-a-n-d-th. nature, n-a-t-sh-y-u-r. wives, w-i-v-z. lose, l-o-z. noise, n-a-e-z. pray, p-r-a. nostril, n-o-s-t-r-i-l. spell, s-p-e-l. softness, s-o-ft-n-e-s. breadths, b-r-e-d-th-s. shrugged, sh-r-u-g-d. twists, t-w-i-s-t-s. themselves, th-e-nm-s-e-l-v-z. waste, w-a-s-t. dredged, d-r-e-d-zh-d. awful, a-f-u-1. church, t-sh-u-r-t-sh. up, U-p. betrothed, b-e-t-r-o-th-t. flirt, f-l-u-r-t. vanquished, v-a-ng-k-w-i-sh-t. awe, a. mouths, m-ou-th-z. power, p-ou-u-r. OF THE VOICE. 19 CHAPTER II, OF THE VOICE. The voice is the organ of eloquence, and has the entire dominion over one sense. The necessity for its proper management must be obvious to even the least reflective mind; for no one can fail to perceive that the understanding is more vividly impressed and influenced by language and tones, than by the countenance or gesture, as the ear is more easily interested than the eye. The qualities and management of the voice are therefore of the greatest advantage to the public speaker, as upon them depends his success in the practice of eloquence. The qualities of the voice being the gift of nature, are, as are all of nature's gifts, bestowed to be improved, subjected to the training of art. The majority of our public speakers pay too little attention to the cultivation of the voice. Often when we look to hear their sentiments delivered in a blold, sonorous tone, we are, instead, stunned by vociferation, or compelled to tax our hearing in order to comprehend their whispers. Vociferation often carries the day, for all men are not judges of fine composition, nor are all capable of estimating the just weight of argument; therefore it is that superficial speakers make up in loudness of voice for lack of matter in the compositions they utter. Like the Roman Novius, they bawl themselves into credit. The sound of a powerful human voice carries with it an imperiousness that often terrifies as well as convinces. Homer in speaking of Achilles, attributes to the voice of his hero an irresistible effect: "Hle stood and shouted: Pallas also raised A dreadful shout, and tumult infinite Excited throughout all the host of Troy." 20V THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. But the shout of Milton's rebel angels is still more magnificent than that of all Homer's heroes and gods: "At which the universal host up sent A shout, that tore hell's concave, and beyond Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night." The voice is considered first, as to its nature; secondly, as to the management of it. The nature of the voice is again divided into quantity and quality. In the quantity of the voice are considered The Petfections. The body or volume. The compass. The soundness and durability. The opposite - Imperfections. Smallness, feebleness. The narrow scale. Weakness, liable to fail by exertion. In the Quality of the Voice. Clearness, Flexibility, Monotony, Sweetness, Indistinctness, Rigidity. Evenness, Harshness, Variety, Broken, That a voice decidedly imperfect can, by any art, be improved so as to answer every effort of oratory, is altogether hopeless; but if the ear be not wholly depraved, the power and qualities of the voice, if they be moderately good, may be much improved. Though there are some methods by which the nature of the voice itself may be improved, yet it is to the management of the voice, such as it may be, which he possesses, that the orator should chiefly direct his attention. By due exertions in this way, though he may not absolutely improve the natural qualities of his voice, he will give them the OF THE VOICE. 21 highest effect of whic a they are capable. With certain management, few voices are so bad as not to be rendered capable of discharging tolerably well the functions of public speaking in our assemblies; and few, perhaps, are to be found so perfect as not to require some alteration; or which may not derive benefit fiom the observation of some of the general rules for the management of that organ. These rules, in the order of their importance, may be considered under the following heads: 1. Articulation. 5. Pitch. 2. Pronunciation and accent. 6. Quantity. 3. Emphasis. 7. Modulation and variety. 4. Pauses. 8. Tones. Articulation. The first point in the management of the voice, and that e f the most indispensable necessity, is articulation; because imperfection in this respect, would obscure every other talent in a public speaker. According to Sheridan, "good articulation consists in giving every letter in a syllable its due proportion of sound, according to the most approved custom of pronouncing it, and in making such a distinction between the syllables of which words are composed, that the ear shall, without difficulty, acknowledge their number, and perceive at once to which syllable each letter belongs. Where these points are not observed, the articulation is proportionally defective." The importance of a correct articulation will be recognized, when we consider that a public speaker, possessed of only a moderate voice, if he articulates correctly, will be better understood, and heard with greater pleasure, than one who vociferates without judgment. The voice of the latter may, indeed, extend to a considerable distance, but the sound is 22 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. dissipated in confusion: of the former voice, not the smallest vibration is wasted, every stroke is perceived even at the utmost distance to which it reaches;.,d hence it often has the appearance of penetrating even further than one which is loud, but badly articulated. Good articulation is not only conducive to the improvement of the voice in clearness and strength, but it is the criterion of a speaker's knowledge of his language; hence the almost unconquerable imperfections in the utterance of those who, in their infancy, have been given up to the care of vulgar speakers. As the difficulty of acquiring a correct articulation is unusually great in the English language, the foundation must be laid at that age when the organs are most tractable. Would parents and instructors direct their attention to this matter, a manifest improvement would quickly follow; yet to acquire a correct articulation, is not so difficult as to defy the assaults of labor, where nature has not placed a barrier in the form of an impediment, such as lisping or stammering. Impediments, Stammer ing, etc., with infallible Rules for Cure. As connected with the subject of articulation, it appears necessary to say a few words concerning impediment of speech. In cases where a small degree of hesitation breaks the fluent tenor of discourse, much may be done by due attention. In seeking for a remedy, it must be considered that as persons of delicate habits are more generally subject to it, it no doubt proceeds from a constitutional trepidation. Care of the health, then, is the foundation of every hope of cure. All excesses should be avoided; all irregularities guarded against. All the powers of the mind should be enlisted in the combat with the defect. A young person should, therefore, speak with deliberation, and when alone, practice frequently those words or letters which he finds it most difficult to enounce. He should also furnish his mind OF THE VOICE. 23 with a copious vocabulary of synonyms, so that if he finds himself unable to utter a particular word, he may substitute some other in its place, and above all, he should be encouraged to exert the energy of his own mind, and assume a courageous command over himself. Let him do this, and if the evil be not entirely eradicated, it will at least be palliated in a considerable degree. To avoid stammering or stuttering, a person should always speak with an expiring breath. To do this, he must speak deliberately, and with the mouth sufficiently open to prevent the suppression of those sounds which are made by the proper exercise of the organs of speech. By strictly following this rule, namely, to speak with an expiring breath, the most inveterate cases of stammering may be effectually cured. Why is it that persons afflicted with stammering, always avoid it in singing? It is because they utter the words deliberately, with a full supply of breath, and with the mouth open. Whenever one reads or speaks, he should commence with a sufficient supply of breath, which he should renew at the intervals of all the pauses. Persons are not so apt to stammer in reading poetry as prose, because they are under a kind of necessity of taking breath both at the csesural pause and the pause at the end of the line. One very disagreeable imperfection of articulation is the guttural sound of the letter r. This imperfection is best overcome by removing the articulation from the throat to the proper organs, the tongue and the palate; and by practicing to continue the sound in its proper place, or rather nearer the teeth. This may be effected by forcing the breath between the palate and the tip of the tongue, and by causing the tongue to vibrate rapidly. The hissing of the letter s, that reproach to our language, is, as far as possible, to be moderated, both by attention to 24 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. composition and enunciation, and should not be exaggerated as some are found to do. The letters m and n are also subject to be imperfectly sounded. Instead of passing the sound of m, when produced by closing the lips, entirely through the nose, it is stopped or resisted, apparently between the bony and cartilaginous part of the nose, and does not issue freely: This defect is called by a contradictory appellation, speaking through the nose, and is seldom difficult to remove.' The sound of the letter n, when formed by pressing the upper part of the tongue against the palate, should also pass entirely through the nose, but more gently than that of m. In its general combinations, imperfect articulation is not so disagreeable as when combined with the letter g. The words'ringing, singing, sound as if the n was omitted, and are uttered most disagreeably, as if they were riggig, siygig. The defective articulation of both these letters nmay be successfully got over by attention and practice, except in cases where nature or accident may have denied the sounds a passage through the proper organ. Pronunciation and Accent. Pronunciation is the mode of enouncing certain words and syllables. By accent is understood the stress laid on particular syllables, or in a more extended sense, the tone or expression of voice with which sentences are delivered. As pronunciation varies with the modes and fashions of the times, it is sometimes so fluctuating in particular words, and high authorities are often so much at variance, that the most correct mode is hard to be determined: hence to acquire a correct pronunciation, this irregularity, whatever be the cause, must be submitted to. Accent is also subject to the caprice of fashion. Its effect on our syllables is either to lengthen or shorten their qluantity. When the accent is placed on the OF THE VOICE. 25 vowel, the syllable is uniformly long, as glory, father: when placed on the consonant, if it be a mute, the syllable will be short, as battle, habit; if it be a liquid, the syllable will be long. -Emphasis. Emphasis discharges, in sentences, the same kind of office that accent does in words, ennobling the word to which it belongs, and presenting it in a stronger light to the understanding. The necessity of observing propriety of emphasis is so great, that the true meaning of words can not be conveyed without it. Great attention should therefore be paid by the student or speaker in the discrimination of those sentences which, referring to some predominant idea, require to be emphatically rendered. Pauses and Breathing. The common pauses necessary to be made according to the rules of punctuation are so obvious, that a reader or speaker must be very careless, who offends against them. The ordinary pauses which are marked in writing serve principally for grammatical discrimination; but in public speaking, pauses somewhat different are introducecd. These are termed rhetorical pauses, and require to be adjusted by correct judgment and feeling. They are placed either before or after important matter, in order to introduce or leave it impressed upon the memory with stronger effect. The reading of verse requires certain pauses, which differ, in some measure, from the pauses used in reading prose. The first has been named the pause of suspension, or final pause, which takes place at the end of each line; in this pause there is not to be any inflection of the voice. The second is the ccesural pause, which divides the verse into equal or unequal portions; upon the right management of which the melody and harmony of versification in a great measure o 26 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. depend. Mr. Sheridan's rules for reciting verse are the following: 1. All words should be pronounced exactly in the same way as in prose. 2. The movement of the voice should be from accent to accent, laying no stress on the intermediate syllables. 3. There should be the same observation of emphasis, and the same change of notes on the emphatic syllables as in prose. 4. The pauses relative to the sense only, are to be observed in the same manner as in prose. The usual fault of introducing sing-song notes, or a species of chanting, is disagreeable to every eart and should be studiously avoided. Pitch. The voice in speaking, as in singing, is observed to move within a limited compass, above or below which it can not move without disagreeable straining. But the mode of moving within this compass is different in each: the musical tones are placed at considerable intervals, which are' passed by complete leaps; the speaking tones are at very small intervals, through which the voice slides by ascending or descending inflections. Certain favorable stations within the limits of the excursions of both are preferred for the pitch or key note; from whence the intervals are calculated, and to which the modulations are referred. The middle tones are most advantageous for this purpose, as well because the voice has the command of the tones both above and below, as that these tones are generally used in common discourse; and the organs must therefore be strengthened in them by habitual exercise. Upon the prlper pitching of the voice depends much of the ease of the speaker. He who shouts at the top of his voice is almost sure to break it, become a mere brawler. and OF THE VOICE. 27 stun his audience; he who mutters below, soon wearies himself, becomes inaudible, and altogether oppresses his hearers. In order that a speaker may succeed in choosing the proper key or pitch of his voice, he should begin low, and ascend gradually till he reaches the pitch that suits the place and his own power best. Quantity. Loud and soft tones are altogether different from high and low. Piano and forte have no relation to pitch or key, but to Jbrce and quantity, and when applied to the voice, they relate to the body or volume which the speaker or singer can give out. This depends upon the power of the lungs, and not upon the adjustment of the organs of articulation. A voice is powerful according to the quantity it is able to issue, and is soft or loud according to the quantity which it actually does issue. MfModulation, Variety, and Rate of Utterance. The modulation of the voice is the proper management of its tones, so as to produce grateful melodies to the ear. Upon the modulation of the voice depends that variety which is so pleasing, and so necessary to relieve and refresh the ear. The opposite fault is monotony. To the variety, so grateful to the ear, not only change of tones is requisite, but also change of delivery.' According to the subject the rapidity of the utterance varies, as the time of the different movements in music. Narration proceeds equably; the pathetic, slowly; instruction, authoritatively; determination, with vigor; and passion, with rapidity. Tones. The vital principle of the voice consists in those tones which express the emotions of the mind. Without this 28 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. language of the passions as an addition, the language of ideas, however correctly delivered, will prove cold and uninteresting. As there are other things which pass in the mind of man besides ideas, and he is not wholly made up of intellect, but; on the contrary, the passions, and the fancy compose a great part of his complicated frame —as the operations of these are attended with an infinite variety of emotions in the mind, both in kind and degree, it is clear, that unless some means be found of manifesting those emotions, all that passes in the mind of one man can not be communicated to another. To feel what another feels, the emotions which are in the mind of one man must be communicated to that of another by sensible marks. These can not be words, which are merely signs of things and ideas, perhaps exciting emotions, but not of emotions themselves. Anger, fear, love, hatred, pity, grief, are terms that will not excite in man the sensation of those passions, and make him angry, afraid, compassionate, or grieved. The true signs of the passions are tones, looks, and gestures. These are understood by all mankind, however cliffering in language. When the force of these passions is extreme, words give place to inarticulate sounds; sighs, murmurings, in love; sobs, groans, and cries, in grief; half-choked sounds, in rage' and shrieks, in terror. GENERAL PRECEPTS. 29 CHAPTER III. GENERAL PRECEPTS. The general precepts which relate to the voice may be classed under the following heads: 1. The Preservation, 2. The Improvement, 3. The Management of the Voice. The Preservation of the Voice. 1. The first rule for the preservation of the voice is, that the public speaker should be habitually "temperate in all things;" not given to any personal excess. 2. The voice should not be exerted after a full meal. 3. The voice should not be urged beyond its strength, nor strained to its utmost pitch without intermission. Frequent change of pitch is the best preservative. 4. At that period of youth when the voice begins to break, and to assume the manly tone, no violent exertion should be made; neither should the voice, when hoarse, be exerted at any time, if it can be avoided. 5. Certain things are found injurious to the voice, and therefore to be avoided. Butter and nuts are so accounted; also oranges and acid liquors. The use of cold drinks, and dry fruits, was considered injurious by the ancients, 6. In case of hoarseness, warm, mucilaginous, and diluting drinks, sugar candy, barley sugar, and the various sorts of lozenges, which modern ingenuity prepares so elegantly, may be used; a raw egg, beat up, is considered the best substance for clearing the voice. Onions and garlic are excellent, but their offensive odor is apt, to injure their use. 30 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. Improvement of the Voice. 1. The great means of improving the voice is constant and daily practice. 2. The second rule has been anticipated, which is bodily exercise. Walking about a mile before breakfast is recomumended. 3. In order to strengthen the voice, it is advised that a person that has weak utterance should daily practice to read or recite, in the presence of a friend. His friend should be placed at first, at such a distance as he may be able to reach in his usual manner; the distance is then graduallv to be increased, till he shall be so far from him that he can not be heard beyond him without straining. Through this practice, he should proceed step by step daily; by which he may be ebabled to unfold his organs, and regularly increase the quantity and strength of his voice. iManagemnent of the Voice. 1. The first principles of the proper management of the voice depend on due attention to articulation, pronunciation, accent, emphasis, pauses, and tones. These have already oeen treated of in a former chapter. 2. The actual practice of the various inflections and pauses, of the pitch and tones to be adopted, should take place previous to the public delivery of a written oration. When time or opportunity does not permit this practice, the manner in which the voice should be managed in the different parts of the oration should be considered and determined. This practice has been called the silent preparation of the voice. 3. The speaker should begin rather under the ordinary pitch of his voice than above it. 4. Every speaker should endeavor to deliver the principal part of his discourse in the middle pitch of his voice; or, GENERAL PRECEPTS. 31 using an appellation more intelligible to the inexperienced speaker, the ordinary pitch. The tones of the speaking voice, ascending from the lowest to the highest, may be considered in the following series. 1. A whisper, a idible only by the nearest person. 2. The low speaking tone or murmur, suited to close conversation. 3. The ordinary pitch or middle, suited to general conversation. 4. The elevated pitch, used only in earnest argument. 5. The extreme, used in violent passion. The lungs are to be kept always, to a certain degree, inflated, so that the voice shall not, at any time, be run out of breath; and the air which is necessarily expended must be gradually and insensibly recovered, at the proper times and in the proper places. Estimation of the Powers of the Voice. 1. The speaker discovers that his voice has filled the room by the return of its sound to his. own ear. 2. He will judge of the ability of his voice by the degree of exertion necessary to enable him to fill a room of any particular size. 3. And he may form a judgment concerning the opinion of his audience by the degree of their attention. 32 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. CHAPTER IV. OF THE COUNTENANCE. it may be considered as an established point, that a public speaker should attend to the expression of his countenance, as well as to that of his voice. Every public address should bespeak the favor and attention of the audience by due respect; and as the looks of the speaker precede his words, so it should be an established maxim, that an orator should temper, with becoming modesty, that persuasion and confidence, which his countenance should express of the justice and truth of what he recommends. Every circumstance that can indicate respect for an audience should be studied. The speaker should rise up in his place with modesty, and without bustle or affectation; he should not begin at once abruptly, but delay a short time before he utters a word, as if to collect himself in the presence of those he respects. He should not stare about, but cast down his eyes, and compose his countenance; nor should he at once discharge the whole volume of his voice, but begin at almost the lowest pitch, and issue the smallest quantity, if he desires to silence every murmur, and to arrest all attention. These are precepts long established, and held in respect by the greatest critics of ancient and modern times. The art of feeling is the true art which leads to a just expression of the features. "To this one standard make your just appeal, Here lies the golden secret, learn to feel." The tarue expression of the countenance is well described by the poet: OF TIHE COUNTENANCE, 33 "A single look more marks th' internal woe, Than all the windings of the lengthened oh! Up to the face the quick sensation flies, And darts its meaning from the speaking eyes; Love, transport, madness, anger, scorn, despair, And all the passions, all thu soul is there." To the expression of the countenance all the features contribute a share, but by far the greatest is derived from the eyes. The management of the eyes, therefore, is important. To them, among their other powerful expression, belongs the affecting effusion of tears; and though some have doubted whether an orator should at any time give way to this proof of his feelings, his so doing should not be considered as a mark of weakness, but rather of that sensibility which is the test of his sincerity in what he utters. The mouth is, next to the eyes, the most important part of the countenance. "The mouth," says Cresallius, "is the vestibule of the soul, the door of eloquence, and the place in which the thoughts hold their high debates." It is the seat of grace and sweetness; smiles and good temper play around it; composure calms it; and discretion keeps the door of its lips. Every bad habit defaces the soft beauty of the mouth, and leaves indelible on it the traces of their injury. The speaker should never thrust out the lips, stretch them and expose the teeth, draw them aside almost to the ears, fold them over each other with a sort of self-sufficiency, let them hang down, o' make the voice issue from one side of the mouth. To bite or lick the lips is also disgusting; and even in articulation their motion should be moderate; for we should speak with the mouth m )re than with the lips. a* 34 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. CHAPTER V. ON GESTURE. The t.lird division of the external part of oratory, or of delivery, is gesture. Under gesture is comprehended the action and positions of all parts of the body; of the head, the shoulders, the body or trunk; of the arms, hands, and fingers; of the lower limbs, and of the feet. The gracefulness of rhetorical action depends partly on the person, and partly, on the mind. Most forms of the human figure are capable, in a considerable degree, of graceful motions; but, if not trained and educated in the nmost pe-feet manner, are apt to imitate the awkward and the vulgar. The grace of oratorical action consists chiefly in the facility, the freedomrn, the vraiety, and the simplicity of those gestures which illustrate the discourse. To the gracefulness of action, facility and freedom'are necessary; for if a man were obliged to address an audience from a narrow window, through which he could not extend his arms and his head, it would be in vain for him to attempt graceful gesture. C(onfinement, in every lesser degree, must be proportionably injurious. In standing, the speaker should place the foot which, at any instant, sustains the principal weight, so that a perpendicular line let fall fiom the hole of the neck, shall pass through the heel of that foot. By so doing, he has a change of position always at command. To present to the mind correct ideas of the manner in which important matter has been delivered, ordinary lang sage is almost inadequate. We say of a speaker, "He used the gestures of a graceful orator, of a dignified hero;" yet these expresssions no more convey to the mind an idea what ON GESTURE. 3 5 particular gestures were used by him, than could the description of an oration, said to have been well and elegantly composed, be comprehended as to its arguments and ornaments. The young man who would acquire the art of action, must note the manner of accomplished orators; being careful, as no one can be considered perfect in this art, to avoid the practice of what may, to him, seem faulty, while, to all that is excellent and proper, he gives his closest attention. If the public speaker desires to give to the composition which he delivers more interest than it can derive from mere reading; or rather desires to give it the highest interest of which it is capable, he must commit it to memory, and adorn and enforce it with all the aids of the various modulations of the voice, expression of the countenance, and suitable gesture; so that, even though he should deliver the sentiments of another person, he must appear altogether to adopt, and feel, and recomm~end them as his own. When the composition thus delivered is poetical, this mode of public speaking is called recitation. When it is argumentative, and pronounced or composed on an imaginary occasion, for the purpose of exercising the speaker's rhetorical talents, it is called declamation. And when the speaker delivers, in this manner, a composition of his own on a real occasion, it is oratory; for the acquiring of the external art of which recitation and declamation are chiefly practiced. As a rhetorical exercise, recitation should receive the attention-of the young; as by no other, excepting the practice of declamation, can they so expeditiously fit themselves in those appointments, which, in the lists of oratory, may earn them the approbation and respect of their opponents. Let our American youth, conscious of their high destiny, lose no opportunity that may advance them on their way; let them, while carving out their way to fame and fortune, remember that however great they may become in the estimati n of their fellows, the approbation of their own 36 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. hearts, speaking to them always in pleasant dreams by night, or during the busy turmoil of their daily duties, is the sweetest, noblest reward that man can claim, or his Great Protector grant. Exercise in Simple Gestures, FOR A CLASS OF FROM FIVE TO TWELVE BOYS, IN WHICH THE GESTURES SHOULD BE MADE AS REPRESENTED IN THE ACCOMPANYING CHART. The numbers 1, 2, 3, etc., refer to the proper gestures; the letters a, b, C, etc., to that word in the sentence upon which the hand.or hands, in making them, should pause for an instant, to prepare for the one that is to follow. (1) Know ye this, my friends, that He who reigneth in a Heaven, (2) whose footstool is the solid bglobe, (3) who.at a glance taketh in all c things, (4) whose essence filleth all dspace, (5) the immensity of the euniverse, (6) regarldeth fus, (7) the creatures of his creation, his g bounty, (8) not as objects to be cast h away (9) or repelled from his I presence, (10) but as beings to whom his kheart is ever open, (11) his hand ever lextended. (12) He will take us to his m arms, as a mother taketh her child! Exercise in Complex Gestures. A PIECE TO BE SPOKEN IN CONCERT BY A CLASS OF FROM FIVE TO TWELVE BOYS. The teacher should see that the gestures are made firmly, at the same time, and in the same manner; and that the tones of the voice are kept in concert. He must be careful not to allow his pupils to indulge in the sing-song tone so common not only with young and inexperienced speakers, but with many of mature age, who have not, as they ought, studied the rules pertaining to elocution and oratory. Though this exercise is intended to be used as a key by No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 5. No. 6. No. 7. No. 8. No. 9. No. 10. No. 11. No. 12. ON GESTURE. 39 which the pupil may be enabled to judge of the appropriateness to the sentiments he is delivering of any gesture he may wish to adopt, he must remember that there are no fixed laws governing the art of oratory, as far as gestures are concerned; and that it is only by strict attention to his subject, and an analysis of its sentiments, that he can hope to succeed in so calling to the aid of his language "the eloquence of motion" as to entitle him to the designation of a. "perfect speaker." Tell's Address to the Mountains. (1) Ye crags and peaks! I'm with you once a again! (2) I hold to you the hands you first b beheld, (3) To show they still are c free! (4) Methinks I hear A spirit in your echoes answering d me, (5) And bid your tenant welcome to his home eAgain! (6) 0 sacred forms, how proud you look! (7) How high ye lift your heads into the fsky! (8) How huge you g are, (9) how hmighty, (10) and how free! (1) Ye are the things that a tower, (2) that b shine; (3) whose smile Makes c glad, (4) whose frown is d terrible -(5) whose forms, Robed or e unrobed, do all the impress wear (6) Of awe fdivine. (7) Ye guards of gliberty, (8) I'm with you once h again. (9) I call to you With all my i voice! (10) I hold my hands to kyou (11) To show they still are I free! (12) I m rush to you (13) As though I could nembrace you! KEY TO FIRST VERSE OF TELL S ADDRESS. 1. Raise both arms, extending them in front; as the sentence progresses, drop, and fold them across the breast upon 40 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. the word marked a, at the same time throwing the body into a proud, perfectly erect position. 2. Unfold and extend the arms, keeping the hands about eighteen inches apart, and allow them to remain thus until the sentence is completed to the word marked b. 3. Elevate the hands slightly, and, describing a half circle right and left, suffer them to rest a moment on the word marked c; then allow them to resume their natural position. 4. Draw both hands up toward the face, keeping the palms outward. The right alm should be a little more extended than the left. Finish the gesture on the word marked d. 5. Extend the arms, and, dropping them, make a slight sweep to right and left; then finish the gesture on the word marked e 6. Raise both hands as high as the head, keeping the palms in front. 7. Extend the right aim and drop the left, at the same time, completing the gesture on the word marked f, by a sweep of the hand upward. 8. Elevate the left hand, at the same time dropping the right a few inches; then, without any cessation in the motion, raise them both higher than the head, describe a half circle to the right and left, and stop on the word marked g. 9. Bring the hands in toward each other, at the same time raising them till, on the word marked hi, they acquire their complete elevation. 10. From the last position let the arms be thrown out, describing a circle right and left. Finish the gesture with emphasis on the word marked i, and suffer the arms to fall easily to their proper position. NOTE. The teacher and pupil will observe that the gestures in the last three lines of the address, as marked above, are continuous, with the exception of some few pauses that should be made so as to be scarcely perceptible, running one into the other. ON GESTURE. 41 KEY TO SECOND VERSE. 1. Raise the right hand about as high as the face, pausing for an instant on the word marked a. 2. Continue the gesture in the same direction, turning the hand, meanwhile, until the palm is up; finish the motion on the word marked b. 3. Raise the left hand and drop the right, completing the gesture by placing the arms across the breast on the word marked c. 4. Extend both arms a little, keeping the palms of the hands turned outward, at the same time avert the face from the right shoulder. Finish gesture on word marked d. 5. Elevate the right arm and drop the left, until they are brought into a line, on word marked e. 6. Raise the left arm and depress the right, at the same time drawing the hands in toward the face with the palms outward. In connection with this gesture, the body should be bent slightly forward, and the eyes raised. Complete the gesture on the word marked f, and after a slight pause suffer the arms to resume their natural position. 7. Extend and spread both arms, pausing on word marked g. 8. Draw the hands in, and, folding the arms across the breast, throw the body into a proud, erect position. 9. Continue in the same position to the end of the sentence marked i. 10. Extend both arms, and, keeping them about eighteen inches apart, finish the motion on the word marked k. 11. Bring the hands together, with the palms turned downward; then raise the arms, and, describing a half circle, finish the gesture on the word marked 1. 12. Raise, spread, and extend the arms, on the word marked m. 13. Draw the hands in toward the shoulders, keeping the 42 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. palms toward each other; then extend the arms, and, at the same time dropping them, finish the gesture on the word marked n. NOTE. Every part of the human framen contributes to express the passions and emotions of the mind, and to show in general its present state. The head is sometimes erected, sometimes hung down, sometimes drawn suddenly back with an air of disdain, sometimes shows by a nod a particular person or object; gives assent or denial by different motions; threatens by one sort of movement, approves by another, and expresses suspicion by a third. The legs advance or retreat, to express desire or aversion, love or hatred, courage or fear, and produce exultation or leaping in sudden joy; and the stamping of the foot expresses earnestness, anger, and threatening.-Sheridan. DESCRIPTION OF STAGE. 43 CHAPTER VI. DESCRIPTION OF STAGE. The stage should be elevated some two or three feet above the level of the floor, so that the audience may have a full view of all that occurs upon it. Common pine boards, placed upon trestles of the height required, should be firmly held in their places by nails or otherwise. To conceal the front of the stage, some drapery may be tacked along, and allowed to fall as low as the floor. At each corner of the stage, should be placed an upright piece, of some six or eight feet in length, to support another, the length of the front of the stage, from which is to depend the curtain. The curtain should be made in two pieces, closing in the center, and so arranged, by means of rings running on a thick wire, fastened to the horizontal bar from which it hangs, as to admit of its being drawn asunder, and closed again when required. The drawing of a stage accompanying this work will enable the reader to understand the description more perfectly. Exit and Entrances. R. means r ight; L., left. Relative Positions. R. means right; L., left; C., center; R. C., right of center; L. C., left of center. flints as to position and action uqpon the stage. Also, as to "'Makicng u"p " for characters. A constrained attitude must, on all occasions, be studiously avoided. Let the speaker endeavor to act as if there were 44- THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. none present to observe his gestures or appearance: his positions will then be natural ones, and such ever are the most graceful. In gesturing, all angular movements must be discarded: whatever the movement, it should be made in a curved line. Be careful not to make too many gestures, and, above all, learn to stand still. (The pupil, on reference to the piece entitled "Tell's Address to the Mountains," will find a description of the gestures in most common use.) There are a few articles necessary for the toilet of one who is dressing and "making up" for a character, of which tl-' following is a list, as complete as can be desired on ordinary occasions. A box of Chinese vermillion; a rabbit or hare's foot, dried-used to put the paint on with; prepared chalk; India ink, and a small camel's hair pencil; a piece of cork, with one end charred; a little gum Arabic, dissolved in a small bottle; and some crimped hair, white and black. Having the above named articles, you are prepared to "make up" for the character you desire to represent, as far the face is concerned. By "nzmaking up " is meant painting and marking the face, so as to give it the appearance of age, or any other that may be wished. To make the face appear wrinkled, mix some Indian ink with vermillion, —a dark brown is the color requisite,- dip your pencil in the mixture, and draw a line wherever you wish to have a wrinkle. By observing the face of an aged person, you will be able to see where the lines should be drawil to produce a proper effect. Hollow cheeks, red and sunken eyes, and pinched lips, give a person's face an emaciated appearance. To produce this effect, proceed thus: rub a little burnt cork on each cheek, being careful to blend it in well with the color of the skin, so as to present no abrupt edges. This causes the cheeks to appear hollow. To heighten the effect of the cork, the other portions of the face, those about the cheek-bones especially, may be thrown into relief DESCRIPTION OF STAGE. 4 5 by the application of the chalk. Painting the outer corners, and under lids of the eyes with red, gives them a swollen appearance, as if caused by weeping. To sink the eye, tinge the under lid with burnt cork. Now apply a few wrinkles, and the face is " made up." In representing old mein, whiten the eyebrows and beard. A cropped, light-colored wig, a red nose, and eyebrows heightened by a dash of red above them, give the face a comic appearance. Much artistic skill may be shown in " making up" the face; therefore, practice is the only means by which the pupil can learn all that is necessary. Let him remember that, to look like the character he would represent, attention must be paid as much to the externals which would mark the character, if it really existed, as to the language it is supposed to utter; and that to identify himself with it in all respects is the only way by which he can produce a proper effect upon those before whom he is playing. When a piece is ended, the persons remaining upon the stage should so dispose themselves as to produce a picturesque effect, if a tableau is needed; if no tableau is necessary, they should range themselves at equal distances apart,- those in the centre being a little further back than the ones at the side, so that a slight curve may be formed in the line upon which they are standing. In studying dialogue pieces, such as farces, dramatic extracts, etc., it is not necessary, nor indeed expedient, for the scholar to whom any one part may be assigned to study all the others. He should study the sentence, or a portion of it, consisting of four or five words, immediately preceding each speech or exit and entrance of his own. The sentence to be so learned is called the cue, or hint to what follows it. To make our meaning perfectly plain, we will illustrate it by an example. 46 TIlE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. In the play of William Tell, in reply to a speech of Tell's, Gesler answers: Gesler. Darest thou question me? Tell. Darest thou answer? Ges. Beware my vengeance! Tell. Can it more than kill? Ges. And is not that enough? Tell. No, that is not enough! Tells cues, or hints for his speeches would be as follows: Ges. (cue,) - question me? Tell. Darest thou answer? Ges. (cue,) --- my vengeance Tell. Can it more than kill? Ges. (cue,) -- that enough. Tell. No, not enough! The pupil will see that by following our directions in that matter, he will save himself a great amount of study. PA3IR T I. A RACE FOR A D)INNER. A FARCE, IN ONE ACT. DRAMATIS PERSONE. DoRIe, A lover of architecture. LOVELL, His friend. MEASURETON, An architect. FRANK, Servant to Dalton. SPONGE, A gentleman in want of a FEEDWELT, A landlord. dinner. GAMMON, A fictitious character. DALTON, A merchant. WAITERS, etc. COSTUMES. DoRIc, Dress coat, black pants, FRANK, Jacket, buttoned up, white and vest. pants, hat with gold lace band. MEASURETON, Frock coat, light FEEDWELL, Vest, pants, etc., white pants, and vest. apron. SPONGE, Shabby black suit. GAMMON, White hat, overcoat, DALTON, Frock coat, black pants, black belt. etc. WAITERS, Pants, vests, and white LOVELL, same as Dalton. aprons. SCENE 1. 2Representatiori of an arbor in the center of the stage at the back; on the R., a post with a board, on wlhich is written "Dinners Dressed on the Shortest Notice-Robert Feedwell." On the rising of the curtain, FEEDWELL and Waiters enter from R. H. Fee. Take care, there, take care! Mind you don't break the dishes or spill the gravy: this is the most particular dinner I ever had to provide in all my life. Wai. We shall be careful, sir. (Waiters exeunt R. H.) Fee. This is the long-looked for day, on which my former master, and now my near neighbor, Mr. Doric, gives his 3 50 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. daughter in marriage to Mr. Measureton, the architect; and purely, as it would seem to me, because he has been seized himself with a mania for building. That house, which he seems almost to adore, is the first fruit of his sublime imagination; but here he comes. Enter DoaIC, L. H..Doic. (L.) Well, Robert, how proceeds the dinner? Fee. (R.) Charmingly, your honor. Doric. That is right. Here comes my son-in-law. Enter MEASURETON, L. H. Heas. (L.) My dear father-in-law, the company are waiting: your presence is expected. Doric. (c.) I'm coming; but do you know the news? Mr. Dalton has bought the manor-house, upon the hill. Fee. (R.) What! Mr. Dalton, the rich merchant, who never dines with less than forty or fifty covers? Mea. What i The rich merchant, who is always building? I wish I were his architect; but as I was saying, the guests will arrive, andDor. And if they should arrive ten minutes too soon, you can show them over the house; let them see the grand saloon, and my new designs. But come, neighbor, I will just pop into the kitchen, take a glance at the eatables,- and then for the guests. Fee. This way your honor. (Feedwell and.Doric exeunt R. H., Xeasureton L. i.) -Enter SPONGE, cautiously from back of the stage, L. H. Sponge. No dinner yet! and nearly ten miles from London. Alas! tired of admiring, with an empty stomach, its parks, museums, streets, and cook-shop windows, I have come to try my fortune in the country; but the hour of dinner approaches, and not one invitation yet. Hallo! (Looking off L.) I believe there is to be a wedding in that house; a wedding, and I not in it? They always have good dinners at A RACE FOR A DINNER. 51 weddings!'Tis there (pointing of L.) that Hymen lights his mighty torch, and there (smelling and pointing R.) the cook lights his mighty torch. I must have a dinner; but how am I to get it? (Feeling his pocket.s Nothing there! (Feeling his stomach.) Nothing there, and in fact nothing everywhere! and, unfortunately, this is a country in which nothing is to be had for nothing. But who comes here? Enter DoRI, from R. H. What a fine figure to work upon; yes, yes, we'll dine together. Dor. There, there, not yet ready! I'm sure the guests must be quite impatient. (Looking of L.) It's astonishing what an effect my building produces at this distance; never was such a piece of architecture in this world. How beautiful the coach gates, and the two posts; then, the coach-house, the pump, the laundry, and the larder, all in the fore-court. It's really a little palace. Sponge, (aside.) Oh, you're there, are you? This is the proprietor. Dor. Provided that coaches don't lose their wheels in going in: that gate is delightfully narrow. I shall never leave off admiring it. Eh! what's that fellow about? (Sponge looks off'L, and appears, every now and then, to write with a pencil in a small pocket-book.) Sponge. (L.) Suppose we say twenty-three feet?- twenty-three-that will bring us there; we put the dining-room into the kitchen,Dor. What! Sponge. The laundry into the pantry, and the nursery into the cellar! Dor. Why, he's turning my house out of the window. Sponge. We put that back some ten feet, and we shall have a straight line. Dor. (interrupting him.) Sir, sir, might I take the liberty of inquiring what you're about with that house? fj 2 ZTHE EXHIBITION SPEAKgJR. Sponge. A thousand pardons, sir; I had not the pleasure of seeing you before,- I am the surveyor general of the county, employed at present in conducting the works of the new road. Dor. (n.) And pray what has the new road to do with that house? Sponge. (L.) Ah! I see you're not acquainted with the new plan. It is now determined to continue the new road, in a line with the Thames, up to that point; we then cut horizontally, you see, in that direction. (Pointing toward the house, L.) Dor. Hey! why, that will take away one side of my house. Sponge. What, sir! does that house belong to you? I'm quite distressed. However, it's not the intention of Parliament to injure any private person, and there is certainly one comfort, we only want about twenty-three feet, for which you will be paid, and all the remainder of the house is your own, which you will then find in the middle of the great road; the dust may be rather inconvenient at first, perhaps; but I've no doubt you'll consider it an improvement on the whole. Dor. An improvement? nonsense! Why, you'll leave my house without either doors or windows. Sponge. By which you will save the taxes. Dor. What! cut away that beautiful front, that triumph of the art! What an event! and in such a time — on my daughter's wedding-day. Sponge, (aside.) How! the father of the bride! happy rencounter! (Aloud.) I'm really grieved that my duty compels me to intrude upon you, and on a wedding-day, too! perhaps at the very moment you were going to sit down to dinner. D)or. It's distressing! but tell me, Mr. Surveyor General, are there no means by which it might be avoided? A RACE FOR A DINNER. 53 Sponge, (musing.) Hem! it's a very delicate affair. I don't say, however, but that with some exertion, and the uncommon appetite - I mean interest, with which you have inspired me — Mea. (outside, L.) Mr. Doric! Mr. Doric! Dor. I'm called; they wait for me; and really it's the most distressing thing in the world to keep people waiting for their dinner, when, perhaps, their appetites are as keen as the carving-knife. Sponge, (aside.) I know mine is. (Aloud.) My dear sir, make no apology: I know the horror of having to wait for a dinner as well as any man who ever swallowed one. Dor. I dare say you do. - But, my dear sir, you have the appearance of a gentleman. (Aside and looking at his dress.) A little out at elbows, or so; but never mind that — and if you would be so condescendingSponge. Now he's coming to it. (Aside.).Dor. As to take a bit of dinner with us, in a friendly way, and without ceremony. Sponge. Really, you overpower me, -I- I-I can't refuse, but_Dor. Now, no buts, I know what you're going to say; you wish to step home to change your coat; but there's only my own family present, and this will do very well, so let's in! My son-in-law is an architect, and he'11 be delighted to have the surveyor general at table, whom, indeed, I have heard him say, he is perfectly acquainted with. Sponge. Hey! (Aside.) I'm done for! Dor. And fortunately here he comes. Sponge. Yes, (aside,) fortunately for your dinner. Enter MEASURETON, L. D)or. (c.) Come, come, son-in-law, we shall have a host of friends. Here's the surveyor general, Mr. Wideacre, will do us the honor of sitting at our tableo 54 THE EXHIBITION SPEAKER. /ea. Nonsense, father-in-law; he sent me an apology an hour ago, to say he could not come. D~or. Well, well, judge for yourself; there he is. Mea. How, Mr. Wideacre! [No, no, that's not he — you're deceived, father-in-law. I know Mr. Granite, who has the superintendence of the new road, as well as I know you. Sponge, (aside.) Hang the fellow! he knows every body. Dor. You're really wrong, son-in-law; for I'm certain that Mr. Granite never said any thing to you of the last plan adopted for the new road, by which I shall lose half my mansion. Mfea. Depend on my information, father-in-law, the new road runs half a mile the other way. Dor. (to Sponge.) What, then, have you been telling me? Sponge. Wait for one moment, and I shall be able to explain.Mea. Don't listen to him, father-in-law; that fellow's some impostor. Sponge. Seriously, you are deceived; but I'm no impostor. What, Mr. Measureton! have you not the least recollection of me?:.ea. Not the least in the world! Sponge, (aside.) Considering we never saw each other before, that do n't astonish me. To say the truth, I have an affair of importance to communicate to you, (crosses to ileasureton,) and wishing to find out some new, sharp, clever way of introducing myself to you, I thought the manner I adopted quite original. Ha, ha, ha! (Aside.) He won't laugh. 2Mea. Well, sir, may I have the honor of knowing to whom I am speaking. Sponge. I wish to be alone with you a moment; I have a most important affair to mention. A RACE FOR A DINNER. 55 2Mea. (crosses to Doric.) Father-in-law, will you excuse us for a moment?2 Dor. Certainly. (Crosses,.to L.) This fellow, with his twenty-three feet, has put me quite in a flurry. IHowever, with all his new roads, he shan't find his way to my dinnertable. (Exit L.) Sponge, (aside.) Hang his dinner-table! However, there's no time to be lost. Sir, sir, you are Mr. Measureton, an architect of distinguished talent, to whom my worthy friend, Mr. Doric, has at last. obtained me the honor of an introduction..i/iea. (L.) Sir, I reallySponge. (R.) How strange you don't know me; but I know you, there's the difference: you're established; you're a husband; you've married a beautiful and charming w 01oman;Jfea,. Not very beautiful -merely decent, to say the most of her. Sponge. You're too modest! you have prepared every thing to celebrate the wedding. The invitations, the bridecakes, the bridemaids, fiddles, flutes, horns,.fea. Horns! Sponge. Yes, yes, horns, you know, French horns — you understand me, (imitates blowing a horn,) and in fact you fancy you have thought of every thing, but there is one thing you have forgotten..fea. Not that I remember. Sponge. I dare say not; no, you don't recollect that you have forgotten,- where is the occasional ode, the song of love, in which the soul is to pour forth its heaven-felt raptures in soft poetic strains? (Looking at a rent ins his dress.) ilfea. Right, I have no occasional verses yet, though I've been poring over the Little Warbler full two hours, in hopes of finding: some 5`6- THE EXHIBITION SP>EAKERA Sponge. A wedding without a song! that will never do. No sir, you must have an amatory poem written on gilt-edged vellum paper, filled with grace, energy, and tenderness. Mea. But where am I to find such a poem? Sponge. There is the occasion of my visit —I have thought seriously of your embarrassment, and without letting you know a word about it, I have written the said verses, which I now bring to you. 2lea. Hem! you have taken the trouble, and without even knowing me! Sponge. Oh, I'm much more your friend than you think me; but I reckoned on coming without ceremony, and announcing myself, perhaps, just at the moment dinner was on the table. Ah! it is in those moments that a man finds out his real friends. Mea. I must confess to you, I never met with such attention in my life. Sponge. Do n't be astonished —it's a recreation — it's meat and drink to me. I'm delighted with the wedding of love, anid the sight of a wedding- (aside,) dinner —is enough to set me on fire: Oh it's a day of love and pleasure! how delightful the bustle of the mnoning, the coming of the bridegroom, the arrival of friends, the welcoming of the parson, the hugging of relations whom you never saw before, the kissing of the bride, the call to dinner, the dinner itself the dessert, the tea, the ball; but that's not all! then the delights of the bridegroom, the modesty of the bride; then comes the supper, —no one can eat excepting me. (Aside.) Then the nods and winks of the gentlemen, and the blushing of the ladies, and, and,- (aside,) but I musn't go any further, or he'll forget the dinner. - (Crosses to L.) You see I understand my subject, and there are some few of the ideas I have attempted to throw into the verses-I have written for the occasion, and here they are. (Gives him a paper.) A RACE FOR A DINNER. 57 there it is — it's set to a beautiful air; but that need not embarrass you, for I shall be by your side to encourage and give you the key-note. Niea. And you have written them expressly flif me! I'm delighted! though I really believe it's the first time that verses were written expressly for the marriage of an architect. Sponge. Listen,- it begins thus: "On Richmond hill, there lives a lass More bright than May-day morn, Whose charms all other maids surpass, A rose without a thorn. "This lass so neat, with smiles so sweet, Has won my right good will. I'd crowns resign to call her mine, Sweet lass of Richmond hill.".fMea. (R.) Do you know, I'm afraid I've heard something like that before. Sponge. (L.) Oh no, never - you're mistaken - I wrote it expressly for the occasion. You see the locality struck me, andMea. Well it's a singular coincidence. (