, STATE NORMAL SCHOOL VOICE CULTURE ELOCUTION BY WM. T. ROSS, A.M. "True Art is to Conceal Art." f-OF DEPARIHI OF -DRAMATIC - NEW YORK : THE BAKER & TAYLOR CO. SAN FRANCISCO : PAYOT, UPHAM & CO. 1890. ART COPYRIGHT, 1886, BY WM. T. ROSS. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT, 1887, BY WM. T. ROSS. COPYRIGHT, 1889, BY WM. T. ROSSe COPYRIGHT, 1890, BY WM. T. ROSS. Press of J. J. Little & Co. Astor Place, New York. PREFACE. VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION is a text-book combining in a practical form the following featured : 1. Clear and concise statements and explanations of principles ; 2. Explicit and full directions for exercise under the rules ; and 3. A liberal supply of carefully selected sentences and paragraphs for study and practice. The exercises in Calisthenics and in Gesture will be found ample for physical culture, and for the develop- ment of ease, grace and versatility in gesture. The chapter on the Organs of Speech, with the ac- companying illustrative cuts, may be made valuable as an auxiliary to the mechanics of elocution. The pages devoted specially to Voice Culture con- tain many valuable hints and exercises for the develop- ment of clearness, quality, compass, volume, strength, resonancy, flexibility and control of voice, and will be found as valuable to the student of Singing as to the student of Elocution. Articulation receives the attention its importance merits, and the exercises and directions are particu- larly full and explicit. Under the head of Modulation and Expression, the arrangement of topics is made as logical as is possible with a subject that covers so much ground, and in iv PREFACE. which the subdivisions are so interdependent. The sentences and paragraphs designed for the exemplin- cation of rules and principles have been selected as much for their literary worth, as for their adaptation to the purposes of illustration. Though not a large collection, a marked feature of the book is the choice list of Selections for parlor and public recitals. Many of the pieces are new and of the, highest order of merit. While VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION is particu- larly adapted to the work in Schools of Elocution, and is specially arranged for use as a text-book in the Higher Schools and Colleges, its explicit directions make it equally valuable as a guide for self-instruction. An important feature of the book is the progressive arrangement of its lessons, adapting it to the needs of pupils of different grades. An Author's edition published in 1886 was so favorably received by teachers of elocution and other educators, that a second edition was imperatively de- manded. The present book is the result of a most careful revision of the former work, after the experi- ence of actual use in the class-room, and is besides enlarged and otherwise improved. Among the new features will be found the following : 1. Plates illustrating the Organs of Speech ; 2. Additional exercises and illustrative "cuts" in Voice Culture ; 3. Authority references that will enable the student to learn the " context " of the passages quoted ; 4. A list of the Emotions and Passions of the mind, with an appropriate sentence or paragraph for the ex- emplification of each ; PREFACE. V 5. A more carefully edited list of Selections, com- prising among their number several new and rare poems ; and, 6. In addition to the full Table of Contents, a com- plete Index to the longer quotations, and to the selec- tions for readings and recitations. It has been the aim of the author to embody in this work the course of instruction which has resulted from an experience of more than twenty-five years in the profession, a course that has stood the test of practi- cal experiment. To his early instructors among them distinguished voice-culturists and teachers of elocution the author would gratefully acknowledge his obligations. In the hands of the intelligent student and the faith- ful teacher, it is confidently believed that this text- book will be a valuable aid toward the acquisition of the Art of Elocution. Besides original copyrighted selections, permission for the use of certain extracts and selections has been kindly granted by the authors or publishers of the same. Among the latter are Houghton, Miffiin & Co., S. C. Griggs & Co., and the Baltimore Publishing Co. To HIS PUPILS, and to all others interested in the noble Art of Expression, the author would beg leave tO DEDICATE THIS VOLUME. W. T. R. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., 1887. PREFATORY NOTE TO THE THIRD EDITION. THE very general adoption of " Voice Culture and Elocution " as a text-book, since the publication of the Revised Edition, has induced the author, in the hope of still further increasing its usefulness, to add in the present issue about thirty-eight pages more of such selections as are best adapted to the elocutionary work of the higher schools and colleges. W. T. R. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., 1889. PROPERTY OF DEPARTMENT OF DRAMATIC ART CONTENTS. PREFACE iii CONTENTS vii INTRODUCTORY : Province of Elocution xiii Benefits to be Derived from its Study xiv ELOCUTION : Voice Action Gesture I Voice Qualifications I CALISTHENICS : Exercises Chest Arm Body Head Instep 3 " for Wrist and Arm Relaxation 7 Indian Dance 8 GESTURE : Province and Aim 9 Position Steps Arms at Rest 10 Initial Movement Unfoldment " Ictus " 15 Intellectual Basis and Scope 17 Notation Directions How to Practice 18 Exercises [Hand] Supine Prone Vertical Index. . . 22 Clinched Clasped Folded Wringing 28 Grossed on Breast Applied 30 Preparation for the Gesture 31 Miscellaneous Examples 33 SIGNIFICANT GESTURES : Pantomime Language 38 Head Eyes Arms Hands Body 39 ORGANS OF SPEECH : Breathing Voice Articulation Illustrative Cuts 45 Viii CONTENTS. BREATHING EXERCISES : PAGB Abdominal Blowing and Sipping the Breath 55 Full and Deep Audible Expulsion 56 Deep Breathing while Walking 57 Effusive Expulsive Explosive .... 58 VOICE CULTURE : Necessity for a Good Voice Free Throat 61 Definitions, Time, Quantity, Quality, etc 63 Exercises, Production of Tone Pure Glottis Stroke . . 64 Projecting the Tone Flexibility of Voice Illustrated. . . 70 \ Exercises for Mouth Tongue Lips Illustrated 72 ARTICULATION : How to Improve the Articulation 78 Classification and Formation of the Elements 79 Elementary Sounds, (Phonetic Arrangement) 81 Exercise in Combinations [Tables] 83 Difficult Combinations with Words and Sentences 90 Table of Vowels with Diacritical Marks 109 Analysis of Words ill Vowel Sound Practice in Sentences 113 Reading by Vowel Sounds 130 Sentences of Difficult Articulation 130 An Alphabetical Alliteration 133 Pronunciation, A Habit How to Practice 134 Exercise of Difficult Pronunciations 135 MODULATION AND EXPRESSION : Definitions, Pitch Force Stress 138 PITCH : Exercises for Increase of Compass 140 Middle High Very High Low Very Low 143 FORCE : Loud and Abrupt Smooth and Subdued 148 General Rules for Emphasis with Exercises 149 STRESS : Monotone Median Intermittent Expulsive and Ex- plosive Radical 151 Terminal Compound Thorough 160 Laughter, Exercises for Practice of Different Kinds. . . . 163 CONTENTS. ix INFLECTION : PAGE General Rules for the Rising and Falling Slides 167 Cadence 170 TIME : Quantity and Movement 1 72 PAUSE : Rhetorical 177 Cesural 179 Before and after rrierit and control of the Breath- ing Organs, and the correct use of the breath in the production of tone, are the first and most essential conditions to success in the study and practice of Elocution. No substantial progress can be assured the student who does not give early and special attention to the exercises in Breathing. Breath is the chief source of power. It is the " lum- ber-yard of the orator" the rough material out of which speech is manufactured. But it is not so much the amount of breath that is de- sirable, as the manner in which it is used. Here, econ- omy is better than quantity. Nothing will so soon bankrupt a voice as prodigality of breath. CALISTHENIC BREATHINGS. Success in the control of breath depends largely upon the strength and flexibility of the muscles of the waist, particularly the abdominal muscles. What is known as Abdominal or Waist Breathing is regarded by the best voice culturists and physiologists as the only correct and normal method. The canary in its cage, the cat on the rug, the babe in the cradle, and the red-man in his native wilds, all teach us that the abdom- inal breathing is nature s method. If you are uncer- tain what this is, practice the following breathing ex- 56 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. ercises, and notice what takes place at the waist in front : See cuts on page 60. First, empty the lungs. Then slowly and continu- ously sip in the air between the partially compressed lips, until the lungs are well filled. You will observe an expansion or pressing forward at the waist. Then let out the breath through the compressed lips as slowly and gently as it was taken in. You will now notice the abdominal muscles relaxing and gradually giving way. This action is essential to correct breathing. The diaphragm or floor of the lung cavity is lowered during the process of the inhalation of the breath, and raised in the exhalation. The exercise given above may be practiced with great benefit in the following manner : BLOWING AND SIPPING THE BREATH. With the hands on the hips, elbows and shoulders well back, and fingers placed upon the abdominal muscles, first empty the lungs by blowing the air steadily and forcibly through a quill tooth-pick, or any other small tube, held tightly between the lips. Then fill the lungs by sipping the air in through the quill with as much force as you can. This is one of the very best exercises for strength- ening the diaphragm and abdominal muscles. Avoid raising the shoulders while breathing ; keep them well back and down. FULL AND DEEP BREATHING. With hands in the same position, first exhaust the lungs, pressing the fingers tightly upon the waist in front, and stooping for- ward a little ; then, while straightening up, fill the lungs slowly, taking in the breath through the nostrils, until every air cell is filled. Retain the breath a short time, and as slowly exhale it. This may be repeated BREATHING EXERCISES. 57 several times. While retaining the breath, it is a good practice to pat the chest, waist, and sides, by a quick and flexible stroke with the flat of the fingers. If any of the breathing exercises produce dizziness, stop and rest, and then try again. THE SAME WITH AUDIBLE EXPULSION. A good variation of the above exercise is to expel the breath audibly, allowing it to impinge on the walls of the throat, or, more particularly, on the rim of the glottis. Practice with different degrees of force. DEEP BREATHING WHILE WALKING may be practiced with great profit in the following manner : With the hands resting on the muscles of the waist, expel the breath while walking, say, five steps ; keep the lungs empty during another five ; inflate them during five more, and retain the breath while walking another five steps ; making one inhalation and one exhalation for every twenty steps. This exercise may be repeated several times daily. Many other calisthenic breathing exercises might be given, but these will be found sufficient Great impor- tance is attached to emptying the lungs first in all of the foregoing exercises, that the waist muscles may take their proper action in the inhalation. Remember that the muscles at the waist contract in expelling the breath, and expand in taking it in. The breathing organs may be compared to the old- fashioned fire-bellows. The windpipe is the nozzle, the chest, the body of the bellows, and the abdominal and other muscles of the waist, the handles. Now, in working the fire-bellows, you would not take hold of the body, but the handles. So the human bellows should 58 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. be worked, not by the muscles of the upper chest, but by those of the waist the handles. If the habit of breathing through the nostrils be not already formed, establish it at once. Nothing is so det- rimental to the throat and lungs as habitual breathing through the mouth. The nose is nature's filter. In it the atmosphere is warmed, and the dust and other im- purities strained from the air in its passage to the lungs, thus preventing many throat and lung troubles. Pro- fessor Tyndall says that if he could leave the world a legacy, he would embody it in the words, " Keep your mouth shut." Catlin, the great English physiologist, says, "Shut your mouth and save your life." If you find that you sleep with your mouth open, practice clos- ing it tightly upon retiring, and keep it closed as long as consciousness remains. This will soon break up one of the worst habits of which you can be guilty. ELOCUTIONARY BREATHINGS. In speech the breath is utilized in its passage from the lungs. However important the correct inhalation of the breath may be in elocution, its exhalation is of still greater concern, as quality and control of voice de- pend most largely upon the manner in which the breath is managed in its passage from the lungs. Particular attention should therefore be given to the following exercises. There are three ways of letting out the breath in speech the effusive, the expulsive, and the explosive. EFFUSIVE BREATHING. Inflate the lungs as directed in the calisthenic breathing exercises. Then, with the hands on the hips and fingers pressing gently on the BREATHING EXERCISES. 59 muscles of the waist at the sides in front, and with mouth well but gently opened, slowly let out the breath, as soft and as long as possible, making such sound as is heard in a seashell held to the ear. When this sound flows out smoothly, it shows that the student has full control of the breathing. But if the breath be rough or jerky, careful and continued practice will be neces- sary to correct the fault. Vary the exercise by intoning o on the notes of the musical scale, as soft, smooth, and long as possible. This is good practice for the develop- ment of purity of tone. EXPULSIVE BREATHING. Inflate the lungs, then by a forcible but steady contraction of the abdominal mus- cles, shove out the breath, giving the sound of the aspi- rate //. Practice this several times, but discontinue if it makes you dizzy. Vary the exercise by giving " who," in a forcible whisper (taking breath after each word), thus : who, who, who. Then whisper the first two, and voice the last thus : who, who, WHO. Next whis- per the first and speak the last two thus : who, WHO, WHO. Lastly speak all three with the same action as that used in giving the whisper : WHO, WHO, WHO. Do not try to give the words in a pure tone of voice ; let them be "breathy." It is not a vocal, but a breathing exercise. Next give the long vowels / and o each several times, in a full, resonant, and affirmative tone. As an application of Expulsive Breathing in speech, practice the following sentence with the same reso- nance and fullness of voice with which the vowels were given. " Rise, fathers, RISE! 'tis ROME demands your help." 6o VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. EXPLOSIVE BREATHING. Take a full deep breath, and with a strong and sudden contraction of the ab- dominal muscles, give the aspirate h in an explosive whisper. Then in the same manner whisper the sylla- ble hoo (oo short) thus : hoo, hoo, hoo. Vary this prac- tice as with " Who " in the preceding exercise, thus : hoo, hoo, HOO ; hoo, HOO, HOO ; HOO, HOO, HOO. The following, given in a forcible whisper, is a good prac- tice, and one of the best for strengthening the lungs : " How far ! how sad ! " exhausting the lungs on far and sad. It is tiresome and should not be practiced long at a time. Then give the same words in a forcible half whisper, or aspirated tone. Next give the vowels, a, e, and ow with great force and abruptness. Then embody them in the following words, giving the words with the proper degree of force, and with the required expression, thus : " Thou slave ! thou WRETCH ! thou COWARD ! " The following cuts, true to life, illustrate correct breathing : FIG. I. Shows the position of the abdomen and the diaphragm when the breath is expelled. FlG. II. Shows their position when the lungs are properly filled. The dotted lines represent the positions of the diaphragm the floor of the lung cavity. As shown, the upward bulge of the diaphragm is greater when the lungs are empty [FiG. I.], than when filled [FiG. II.] FIG. I. FIG. II. VOICE CULTURE. Give me its varying music, the flow of its free modulation. *** # * ###* Our organ can speak with its many and wonderful voices. Play on the soft lute of love, blow the loud trumpet of war, Sing with the high sesquialtro, or, drawing its full diapason, Shake all the air with the grand storm of its pedals and stops. W. W. Story. A GOOD voice is essential to good elocution. A poor voice may be made good, and a good voice still better, or even excellent, by proper culture. Were the pos- sibilities of voice improvement adequately appreciated, more attention would be given to this department by students and teachers of elocution. Instead of being the most neglected branch, it would come to be the most important. James E. Murdoch, teacher, author, and actor, says : " In an experience extending over forty years, I have been brought to the conviction that voice culture is what is most needed in the study of elocution." And it is the experience of every other teacher and student who has given the subject that close and careful atten- tion which it deserves. No substantial progress in the cultivation of the voice can be made, until a practical knowledge of the production of tone be acquired. This presumes a proper degree of strength, flexibility, and control of the muscles of the waist. What is known as the abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing is Nature's method for the inhalation and exhalation of the breath, and is the one 62 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. in which the air-column is best sustained and controlled in its passage through the larynx. The first and most essential requirement for the cor- rect production of tone is a condition of relaxation and freedom about the throat. All effort must be trans- ferred from the throat to the muscles of breathing. The controlling consciousness should be to speak through the throat and not with it. By doing so, the sound will then "lay hold of the throat," and not the throat hold of the sound, as is too often the case. The relaxation of the muscles about the throat especially those of the jaw and epiglottis will render impossible that "throaty voice," so disastrous to good speaking, and which is as painful to the hearer as it is hurtful to the speaker. This, as well as most of the other faults in the pro- duction of tone, may be corrected, and a pure, reso- nant, and agreeable voice developed by an intelligent and patient practice in right methods. While all the exercises given under articulation, modulation, and expression will be helpful for the cul- ture and development of the voice, the following are specially adapted to that purpose, and will be found particularly beneficial for correcting the worst faults in the production of tone. The suggestions and directions here given are as important to the student of singing as to the student of elocution, and the exercises which follow will be found as valuable to the one as to the other. A short practice in full, deep breathing should pre- cede each vocal exercise. Since the use of certain terms cannot be avoided in VOICE CULTURE. 63 the explanation of exercises in voice culture, it becomes necessary to define them here. TIME relates to duration. Its elements are Quantity, Movement, and Pause. QUANTITY relates to the duration of voice upon an element, syllable, or word. MOVEMENT, to the degree of rapidity with which the words are uttered. It includes PAUSE, which refers to the suspension of the voice between words, sentences, and paragraphs. QUALITY relates to kind of voice. There are two kinds : Pure and impure. In PURE quality, all the breath emitted in the pro- duction of tone is vocalized. In IMPURE quality, the tone is more or less mixed with unvocalized breath. Pure quality may be subdivided into, 1. SIMPLE PURE, used in cheerful conversation and in light styles of reading and speaking ; and, 2. OROTUND, a full, round, and resonant tone em- ployed in expressing grand thoughts, deep feelings, and holy emotions, such as sublimity, courage, veneration reverence, and awe. Impure quality comprises, 1. The ASPIRATE or WHISPER, in which there is little or no vocality. It is used to denote secrecy and caution, and is employed in horror and fear. 2. The PECTORAL or " CHEST TONE," which rever- berates in the larynx and trachea. It is given on the lower notes of the voice, and is employed in solemnity and to denote the supernatural. Anger, scorn, and de- 64 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. spair, in their milder forms, also employ this kind of voice. And, 3. The GUTTURAL quality, which is a very harsh and throaty tone. It is most significant in revenge, and is employed in intense anger, scorn, and rage. Various combinations of the above are employed in 'mixed emotions, and are frequently designated by such names as aspirated pectoral, asp. orotund, asp. guttural, pectoral orotund, etc., but their designation is generally more perplexing than useful, and their consideration should be relegated to the larger treatises on elocution. PITCH relates to the degree of elevation or depression of the voice. In music, it refers to the particular place in the scale on which tone is sounded. In elocution, it relates to the general or prevailing pitch in speech. In voice, pitch depends upon the number of vibrations made by the vocal ligaments in their production of tone ; the number, in a given time, increasing with the pitch, doubling with each octave. An OCTAVE comprises five whole and two half tones, and includes seven notes known by the syllables, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, and the repetition of the first (do), completing the octave. PRODUCTION OF TONE. PURE TONE. i. Prolong o in the musical voice in as soft and pure a tone as possible. Commence on " C," or on any note in about the middle pitch, prolonging the sound with the same degree of loudness on each note within an easy compass of the voice, and at the same time intently listening to the tone produced, that VOICE CULTURE. 65 you may detect any imperfection in its quality. This will educate the ear as well as the voice, an important matter, as that organ gives us the highest standard, and at the same time is the only practical guide as to quality, pitch, and movement. In this exercise, never force the voice into a higher or lower pitch than it can easily reach, and always keep the tone pure, smooth, and agreeable. Whenever the voice breaks into a rough, aspirated, throaty, or other disagreeable quality, stop at once ; then let go the muscles of the throat, drop the jaw, let the tongue lie flat and perfectly re- laxed, take a comfortable breath and begin again. 2. In a pure and resonant voice, give ah on the same notes as in the above exercise. Let each tone be pre- ceded by a full breath taken in by the expansion of the abdominal muscles. Commence gently, gradually in- crease the sound to the middle, and as gradually di- minish it to a delicate finish. Remember to control the voice by the muscles of breathing, and not with the throat, and have the increase and diminish of the tone equal. In this practice, the student should aim to get a large and free opening of the throat. To do so, it is neces- sary that the tongue be relaxed, and trained to lie flat in the lower jaw. One of the best means to accom- plish this is to think the gape while intoning the vowel or syllable, and at the same time be conscious of a proper relaxation of all the parts about the throat. The gape depresses the base of the tongue and ele- vates the uvula and the soft palate, thus giving the widest passage possible from the mouth to fo$ pharynx or "back mouth." By thinking the gape, these results will be obtained to a sufficient degree without the ex- 5 66 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. treme contraction of the parts necessary for the actual gape conditions which would interfere with the pro- duction of pure tone. Considerable practice may be required before the trick of " making the tongue lie down " can be properly performed, and still more before the tongue can be taught to habitually lie down. But the above exercises, if properly and faithfully practiced, will best aid the student of music and of elocution in the attainment of these desirable results. In all exercises for the improvement of the voice, it should be the aim of the student to transfer the effort from the throat to the waist from the organs of vocal- ity to the organs of breathing.^ If possible, let him for- get, at times, that he has a throat, thinking only of the correct action of the abdominal muscles and of the quality of the tone to be produced. The tone should always be pure and resonant, and the action of the waist-muscles gentle and yet firm, gradually increasing in their contraction with the demand for increased full- ness and loudness. 3. Vary the foregoing exercises by shoving out the voice with energy on the first part of the sound, and letting it gradually diminish to a close. Observe the same conditions as to breathing, to relaxing the mus- cles of the throat and tongue, and to the " trick " of thinking the gape (not gaping), as in the preceding ex- ercise. Then, instead of "ah" give the seven monoph- thong vowel sounds, in the order found in the Table of Elementary Sounds. Commence on middle "C," as in the exercises just given, and run to the " C " above, giving each succeeding vowel on a higher pitch, thus : e, a, a (as in air), ah, aw, o, oo, e. A repetition of "e" VOICE CULTURE. 67 is necessary to complete the octave. Then run from middle " C " down to " G," as e, a, a, ah and return on the other vowels (aw, o, oo], back to " C." 4. From " C " (or from any note about the middle pitch) down, chant on each note in a full and resonant voice, and with as distinct an articulation as possible, the following sentence : HOW HOLLOW GROANS THE EARTH BENEATH MY TREAD ! The following is also a good sentence for similar practice : HOW THE WILD WAVES ROLL ! 5. From " C " up, chant the following two stanzas from the " Psalm of Life," giving the lines on successive notes in a very distinct and recitative manner : Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream ! V For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem. Life is real ! Life is earnest ! And the grave is not its goal : " Dust thou art, to dust returnest," Was not spoken of the soul. 6. Tennyson's " Bugle Song " makes an interesting and profitable exercise when practiced in the following manner : Give the first four lines of each stanza on the same notes and in the same way in which the first stanza of the " Psalm of Life " was given. Use only these words of the chorus " Blow, bugle, blow ! " giving them as follows : Blow (G), bu (E) -gle (C), blow (G) prolong^ 68 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. ing the " ow " on the slide down the octave to " G " below, and then back to " C," in one continuous sound and breath. In the second stanza, the first few words should be given short (staccato), and the whole in a more or less subdued voice : THE BUGLE SONG. I. The splendor falls on castle walls And snowy summits old in story ; The long light shakes across the lakes, And the wild cataract leaps in glory. Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying, Blow, bugle ; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying. II. O hark, O hear ! how thin and clear, And thinner, clearer, farther going ! O sweet and far from cliff and scar The horns of Elf-land faintly blowing ! Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying : Blow, bugle ; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying. III. O love, they die in yon rich sky, They faint on hill or field or river : Our echoes roll from soul to soul, And grow forever and forever. Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying, And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying. 7. Exercises in the "glottis stroke" will be found the very best for developing clearness, vivacity, and strength of voice. Though the term "glottis stroke " be a mis- nomer, it is understood to mean that strong and abrupt action of the vocal ligaments, produced by the quick VOICE CULTURE. 69 and sudden breaking through of the compressed air- column. It is this that gives to speaking and singing a sprightliness and sparkle that is best appreciated by contrasting it with its opposite the drawl. Let the vocal exercises in the "glottis stroke" be preceded by a short and abrupt whisper of the syllable " hu " "#," as in "up." This breathing exercise is called "puffing the breath." Puff the syllable hu three times, then pause and replenish the lungs ; again, three times, pause and replenish the lungs, and so continue. If dizziness ensues, rest awhile. Practice until the lungs can be replenished in the shortest possible time. Then vocalize the same syllable in a clear, ringing, and abrupt tone, with the least expenditure of breath and with as short quantity as possible, on each note of the octave from " middle C " up, and then down to " G below," giving it "three times three," as follows : (Breathe) hu, hu, hu, (breathe) hu, hu, hu, (breathe) hu, hu, hu u u u, prolonging the tone on the last syllable in a full and resonant voice. Other syllables may be used as well as hu. 8. After practicing the above for some time, the fol- lowing is a good variation. Instead of giving the last syllable in the repetition in a continuous or a gradually diminishing tone, give it with three prolonged impulses that is, in "the swell/' using the syllable ho, (the long o shortened}, instead of hu, thus : Ho, ho, ho ; ho, ho, ho j ho, ho, ho O o O o O o. It may be found necessary to take a short breath just before the last syllable. As in all the vocal exer- cises, keep the throat free, and control the voice by the action of the diaphragm and the abdominal muscles. 70 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 9. " Projecting the tone " is an exercise that will help increase the penetrating and carrying capacity of the voice. It may be practiced as follows : In giving the syllables in the "glottis stroke," as in the preceding exercises, aim at some object in the most distant part of a room or hall, and at a point on a level with the head, and imagine the tone being sent directly to the object aimed at, being sure to hit the mark every time. 10. Calling or 'hailing to some one at a distance in the open air, on a high pitch and in a free and pure tone, is also an excellent practice. For example, give the fol- lowing " nautical hail " in as high a pitch and with as much force as can be maintained in a clear, untram- meled voice, taking a good breath just before the word ahoy, and holding the last syllable (hoy) as long and in as pure a tone as possible, thus : BOAT AHO-O-O-O-O-O- o-o- o- o- OY- Y closing with an octave slide, as indicated. 11. For the development of flexibility of voice, the exercise given below will be found one of the best. Give the syllable ah*m a full, pure, and resonant tone on the musical scale, running the voice in " circles," as follows : Commence on a moderately low note anywhere from "middle C " down to "G " and slide the voice up to the second note and down again, and up and down sev- eral times, in a continuous tone. Then slide to the third VOICE CULTURE. 71 note up and around in the same way, and so on until the eighth note in the octave is reached. A good variation is to sing the whole octave with one breath, running to each of the notes up and down once, in a continuous tone, until the eighth note is reached, and always keeping the key-note as the commencing and ending of each circle or double slide. The following cut will assist the student in practicing the foregoing exercises. The added notes may be taken into the practice when the vocal compass of the student will permit doing so with safety. \ 72 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 12. A good opening of the mouth, flexibility of the tongue and lips, and the correct manipulation of all the parts necessary for the formation of the elements of speech, are requirements so essential that their lack will forestall the progress of the student, however favorable to success the other conditions may be. Good Tongue Exercises are the following : First, protrude the tongue, endeavoring to touch the chin with its tip, and then draw it well back, as if try- ing to swallow it. Next, slowly sweep the tip of the tongue (with pres- sure) up and back, over the roof of the mouth to the "soft palate." Stretching and rolling the tongue from side to side is also a good tongue practice. For acquiring control of the " unruly member " in rapid movement, the following musical exercise will be found one of the best. la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la ' la la la la la la etc. VOICE CULTURE. 73 Practice as follows : First, sing the syllable "la " very distinctly and with great precision on the notes of the octave, up and down the scale in moderate time. Next, give the syllable twice on each note in the same time as it was given once. Then three times, and so on to six or seven syllables to the note, or, as often and as fast as the tongue can give the syllable "la" separately and with distinct succession in a given time. Other syllables may be practiced in the same way. 13. The first essential to good reading and speaking, is to be heard and understood. This presumes a free exit of the voice, the proper formation of the elements, and a correct combination of them into syllables and words. The vowel exercise given in the triangle below is an excellent practice for the manipulation of the mouth and lips. It is better than any artificial means, such as the prop or " gag," to get a good opening of the mouth. With a little exaggeration, the three vocals in the tri- angle are made to represent the three extreme positions of the mouth and lips ; " e" with the corners of the mouth drawn well back (as in laughter); "ah" with the mouth thrown wide open and the lips drawn over the teeth ; and " oo" with the lips thrown well forward protruded as much as possible. Practice as follows : e Give the vowels twice in each direction and in the different series, thus : ist, e, ah, oo, e, ah, oo ; e, oo, ah, e, oo, ah. 2d, ah, e, oo, ah, e, oo; ah, oo, e, ah, oo, e. 3d, , / \ oo, e, ah, oo, e., ah; oo, ah, e, oo, ah, e. Give the extreme positions of the mouth and lips, as directed above. Practice slowly at 74 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. first, and increase the rapidity from day to day as you increase in skill. For a rapid manipulation of the "buccal " apparatus, the following arrangement of vowels will be found ex- cellent. Repeat the elements or syllables from left to right, as arranged in the table below, with accuracy and precision. Give them slowly at first, then more and more rapidly, and always emphasizing the last vowel in each line. e ah oo ah i e E e ah oo ah i e A e ah 00 ah i e A [as in air\ e ah oo ah i e AH e ah oo ah i e AW e ah oo ah i e o e ah 00 ah i e oo 14. The "/," "/" and " k" represent very important manipulations of the tongue and lips. Give the syllables as arranged in the second triangle in the same order as the vowel elements in the preced- ing triangle. Be careful to get the percussive force or snap that belongs to these aspirate elements. They should be given with the utmost force without the waste of breath. A good test is to hold the hand at arms- length in front of the face, and then give these elements with the required force, without feeling a current of air strike the hand. After a little practice, drop the short vocal "/," giving the aspi- rates alone. From time to time increase the rapidity when you can do so with the same degree of accuracy as when practicing them more slowly. VOICE CULTURE. 75 The/, /, and /, more than any of the other elements, are the vehicles of contempt and hate. When given with great force and precision in certain words that fre- quently occur in impassioned utterance, they become a mighty power in expression. The following sen- tences, given with energy, and with the proper emo- tions, may serve as illustrations, and also be used as examples for practice. 1. BACK to fay punishment, false fugitive ! 2. Go from my sight ! I HATE and DESPISE thee ! 3. Do not hate, do not despise ! But///y, O PITY me ! 15. The following makes a good blackboard exercise for a class. The vocals are arranged in their phonetic order, as found in the Chart of Elementary Sounds, Table I. The "key " to the vowel markings will be found in Table VI., which - U A A 76 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Commence with " oj oj oj oJ O O ._ O S3 ._ o >> ^ o "Saaaalall 'a a a a 'aaaaaaaa ^ o J^^ ^CrGrC^jH^Cjj^l 2^^d ^ O cj oj oj rj O O .^H NNNNNNNN O '-slllllll .* .^ U) U) U) PQ H .^ o o -^ O i ^> - ._r o o S3 ctf OJ O ^3 O ARTICULATION. 87 .'8 O 3 .t! cd ^-H "o _. rs 3 , cj o o r^3 o o bJO Cs J J N SJ N N gS rj p .S s S .S o o 3 1 S-3..11 S3 N .ti ^ N rt rt o ^ o N) ^: -M --J O .T- bJO.S :-i TO ^ O w 88 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. O .-H 3 O (L> oj ctf o3 oj O O .,-< O O 3 ._ c3 o3 o3 ctf O Q .-* O O ! 42 42 42 , I t 8. O ._ S3 f^. D c^3 oj ctf cd O O i O O S3 Vj ** ^C/3C/3(/3C/3C/2CC/3C/3 *OOC/3C/3C/3 55c/3C/JC/3C/5C/2O!C/2 i ^_,^_^^Q .^ S3 ( o 42424242 4242424242424242 O .^ S3 O (-S /-S^ Q^ Q^ Q^ Q^ *p ( p 1 p t p t S3 ^(u^^bns^o ?3 a ,1 ttt S ^ 9* ti r* f-t C3 rt Cw rH O t>s. *-" >^ CX 1 " **"^ OJ Co rrt O 13 r-r1>H^-\Tr-i rH 1 ^i^_>' 'o -On p t Q^ Q OH ' ' [ lT oT c^ aT aj O O .^ O O S3 .^T aT aT of of O o CO C\ O M N ro rt- to O rr> ^* 52 Q^ cd ctf c3 ctf O O T-H O O 13 4> QJ cd ctl c3 ^ O O ."tii O O _L. l M-< <*-! O O O 13 o 3 p -si-si ctfctfctfoJOO !3 O O C3 _, .ti o o +J 4-> 4-> O PQ H O,aJc3rtrtOO .?? O O 4-> .1-^ CJ D cj rt O 3 O 90 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. DIFFICULT COMBINATIONS. The following comprise the greater part of the more difficult combinations of elements occurring in the Eng- lish language. The " faced letters " represent the combinations, and should be practiced as follows : Give each element with special distinctness three times, separately in succession three times, and then in combination three times. Then pronounce each word in the line three times, giving prominence to the elements of the difficult com- bination. The words may be given, first in the mono- tone, then with the falling slide. The italicized words in the sentences should be given very distinctly, but not necessarily with greater loud- ness. The italics are not used in this exercise to denote emphasis, but to call attention to the words containing the difficult combinations. In the analysis of the consonant combinations, the pupil should be particular to notice the exact juncture of the organs producing the several elements ; and, in passing from one to the other in their union, he should endeavor to join them as closely, smoothly, and accu- rately as possible. No exercise in articulation is more profitable than this if properly and faithfully practiced. bd. orb'd, sobb'd, ebb'd, prob'd. The child moaned and sobbed itself to a gentle sleep. bdst. prob'dst, stabb'dst, fib'dst, snubb'dst, Thou snubb'dst and stabb'dst him to the * quick. ARTICULATION. 91 bl z . pebbles, gabbles, roubles, stubbles. His troubles followed fast in the footsteps of his foibles. 51st. humbl'st, nibbl'st, babbl'st, troubl'st. Hence ! thou troubl'st me with vain requests. bid. disabl'd, trembl'd, doubl'd, dissembl'd. 'Tis but the fabld landscape of a lay. bldst. stumbl'dst, disabl'dst, nibbl'dst, gabbl'dst. Trembfdst thou at what was but the shadow of a ghost ? br. breeze, brought, bridge, breath, bride. Break, break, break, At the foot of thy crags, O Sea ! bz. robs, webs, fibs, rubs, robes, sobs. Beneath the cypress boughs the wind sobs a sad requiem o'er his grave. bst. rob'st, snubb'st, bobb'st, fibb'st. ProVst thou the wound of a broken heart ? did. saddl'd, coddl'd, riddl'd, muddl'd. A single look, his -smoldering hate kindVd to a rage. didst, addl'dst, peddl'dst, fiddl'dst, waddl'dst. Thou fondl'dst the viper which stings thee to death. dlz. bundles, handles, trundles, meddles. What a great fire a little blaze kindles. dlst saddl'st, peddl'st, fiddl'st, kindl'st. Bird of the sun, in thy upward flight thou dwindl'st to a speck. dnd. sadd'n'd, wid'n'd, broad'n'd, madd'n'd. Madd'rid with drink, he did a deed a life of love could not undo. 92 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. dnz. burd'ns, hard'ns, sadd'ns, ward'ns, madd'ns. Bear ye one another's burd'ns. dr. dread, dream, drink, drawl, meand'ring. Hear ye the deep dreadful thunder, peal on peal, afar ! dst. didst, hadst, mad'st, add'st, couldst. When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovdst him better Than ever thou lov'dst Cassius. dth. breadth, width. The width or breadth equals the length. dths. widths, breadths. Three 'widths of one made four breadths of the other. dz. adz, buds, wads, leads, loads. Buds, birds, fields, and woods, are country charms that cheer the heart. dzh. wedge, badge, judge, pledge, fudge. " Pledge with, wine -pledge with wine ! " cried the thoughtless Harvey Wood. dzhd. pledg'd, forg'd, manag'd, smudg'd, gaug'd. Evil habits forg'd the fetters he could never break. fld. rifl'd, baffl'd, shuffl'd, sniffl'd, waffl'd. The muffl'd drum told the time had come For the hero to lay down his life. fldst. stifl'dst, baffl'dst, ruffl'dst, trifl'dst. Thou baffl'dst in vain; the cause we'll main- tain, For our country, for truth and for God. ARTICULATION. 93 flz. raffl's, muffl's, waffl's, truffl's, whiffl's. Trifl's trouble more than double What we greater griefs can bear. flst trifl'st, baffl'st, shuffl'st, ruffl'st. If thou stifi'st thy conscience, the whip of remorse will lash thee back to obedience. fn. soft'n, stiff'n, rough'n, oft'n. Kind words will oft'n pluck the barb from envy's arrow, and soft'n the obdurate heart. fnd. deaf n'd, stiff'n'd, soft'n'd, rough'n'd. The loud winds soft'n'd to a whisper low. fnz. soft'ns, deaf ns, stiffns, rough'ns. Prosperity deafns the ear to pity's call. fr. free, fright, from, freckle, fresh. Francis French was too much frightened to offer assistance. fst. scoff st, puff st, miff st, cough'st, stuff st. Laugh 'st thou, Lochiel, my vision to scorn ? fths. fifths, twelfths. Two-fifths and three-twelfths make thirty-nine sixtieths. fts. lifts,- wafts, shifts, crafts, tufts. Death lifts the veil that hides a brighter sphere. ftst. lift'st, waft'st. O'er the desert drear thou waft'st thy waste perfume. gd. rigg'd, leagu'd, begg'd, flogg'd. The little ant lugg' d and tugg'd its tiny load o'er many a straw and stone. gdst fagg'dst, flogg'dst, begg'dst, lugg'dst. Laggard, why lugg'dst thou thy load, and why lagg'dst thou behind ? 94 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. gl. gleam, glide, eagle, glove, bugle. 'Midst the glisten and glamour of glory Rejoice if thou humble canst keep. gld. juggl'd, haggl'd, struggl'd. He was inveigl'd into a trap baited with a bribe. gldst. mingl'dst, strangl'dst, singl'dst. Why smuggl ' dst thou that which was thy bane ? glz. eagl's, struggl's, haggl's, juggl's. At the bugl's shrill blast the eagl's took flight. gist. struggl'st, haggl'st, mingl'st. Thou haggl'st over a penny as if it were a pound. gr. great, grow, growl, grizzly, grub. The Grey Riesling is a grape grown for wine. gz. gigs, flogs, dregs, bugs, logs. In rags he tugs and lugs the bags, nor lags till he has filled the brig's hold. gst wagg'st, begg'st, digg'st, flogg'st. Thou begg'st in vain ; no pity melts his heart. kid. circl'd, twinkl'd, buckl'd, sparkl'd. He buckl'd them fast to his shoulder and hip. kldst. twinkl'dst, sparkl'dst, sprinkl'dst. Thou shackldst the arm that would strike the blow for freedom. ARTICULATION. 95 klz. knuckl's, circl's, sparkl's, truckl's. The eye twinkl's the joy that thrills the soul, and it flashes the hate that holds the heart in thrall. klst. buckl'st, freckl'st, encircl'st. Thou tackVst more than thy match when thou //V//'j-/ me. knd. black'n'd, wak'n'd, dark'n'd. He awak'rid from a delusive dream that drove him to despair, kndst. heark'n'dst, lik'n'dst, black'n'dst. Thou beck'ridst me the way I should go. knz. dark'ns, thick'ns, falc'ns, tok'ns. He left me tok'ns of lasting friendship. knst. wak'n'st, heark'n'st, beck'n'st. Thou awafcrist within me a warmer sym- pathy. kr. chromo, chronicle, crank, crisp. Why crouch and crawl like a crafty ser- pent ? kst. shak'st, look'st, wak'st, next. And many a holy text around she strews. kt. sect, walk'd, rock'd, work'd. He track V the game to the cavern lair, But lack'd the courage to enter there. kts. respects, acts, sects, subjects, facts. It gilds all objects, but it alters none. ktst. work'dst, thank'dst, lik'dst, act'st, mock'dst. Thou act'st the manly part when thou mock'dst not at facts. Ibz. Albs, bulbs. The gladiolus bulbs root and bloom with the warmth of early spring. 96 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Idz. wilds, folds, fields, builds, molds. The rising sun gilds the mountain tops. Idst wield'st, fill'dst, hold'st, shield'st, told'st. Wield 'st thou thy sword for liberty ? Ifs. sylphs, elfs, gulfs, Guelphs, delphs. The sylph's cavern and the wolfs cave are side by side. 1ft. engulf d, ingulf d. The fated ship is engulf d by the angry waves. Ifth. twelfth, twelfths. Twelve twelfths and a twelfth equal one and one twelfth. Idzh'd. bilg'd, indulg'd, bulg'd. He indulg'd his wit and lost his friend. Iks. silks, elks, whelks, bilks. He was whipped till whelks rose criss-crossed upon his ebony back. Ikst. sulk'st, milk'st. Thou milk'st the kine at early dawn. Ikts. mulcts. The hard hand of fate mulcts us of many a heart's idol. 1m. elm, film, helm, realm. Up with the helm, and pull for your lives. Imd. whelm'd, film'd. He overwhelmed me with his kindness. Imz. films, elms, realms, overwhelms. He sought for rest in realms beyond the skies. Imst. overwhelm'st, filtn'st. Thou overwhelm 'st them with the whirlwind. Ips. Alps, pulps, whelps, helps. The fearless, faithful guide helps the trav- eler up the Alps. ARTICULATION. 97 / Ipst. scalp'st, help'st. Thou help'st me now in vain. Iptst. help'dst, scalp'dst. Thou scalp 'dst the scalper of his ill-gotten gains. 1st. fill'st, rul'st, fall'st, dwell'st. Thou fill'st existence with thyself alone. It. wilt, dwelt, moult, guilt. We try this quarrel hilt to hilt. 1th. stealth, filth, wealth. Wealth does not always bring happiness and health. Iths. tilths, healths. He drank our healths from the crystal spring. Its. halts, melts, faults, bolts. A friendly eye could never see such/au/ts. Itst. bolt'st, melt'st, halt'st, stilt'st. Thou melt'st with pity at another's woes. Ivd. involv'd, shelv'd, resolv'd. He resold d to live a life that would not shame his friends. Ivst. dissolv'st, involv'st, solv'st. Thou involv'st the firm, and then dissolv'st the partnership. Ivz. elves, wolves, valves, shelves. Man resolves and re-resolves, then dies the same. lz. pulls, steals, palls, tolls, calls. Old age steals upon us unawares. mdst. flam'dst, bloom'dst, illum'dst, nam'dst. Thou doomd'st thy lover to a life of misery. 7 98 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. mfs. lymphs, triumphs, nymphs. The nymphs in triumph dance in festive glee. mps. dumps, damps, lamps, bumps, limps. He stamps his mind upon the lettered page. mpst. Hmp'st, thump'st, stamp'st. Thou damp'st their zeal and stamp'st defeat upon their cause. mz. seems, psalms, gems, comes, tomes. Seems, madam ! nay 'tis ; I know not seems. mst. dream'st, tam'st, seem'st, doom'st. Thou seem'st to be an angel of light, mtst. tempt'st, prompt'st, stamp'd'st. Thou prompt'st the warrior to a deed of fame. x ndz. bonds, blends, sands, finds, bounds. Fate binds him with iron bands. ndst. send'st, ground'st, moan'd'st. Thou found 'st me an enemy, thou leavest me a friend, ng. singing, longing, swinging, ringing. Ding-dong dell ! exulting^ trembling swell the bells. ngdst. wing'dst, hang'dst, twang'dst, wrong'dst. Thou wrong'dst me to think I had aught against thee. ngz. sings, songs, wings, lungs, fangs. The Angel of Peace scatters blessings from her dewy wings. ngst. hang'st, long'st, bring'st, bang'st. Thou bring'st me good tidings from over the sea. ARTICULATION. 99 ngths. lengths, strengths. Short views we take, nor see the lengths behind. ngks. links, franks, sinks, danks, bunks. My father ! met/links I see my father. ngkst. think'st, thank'st, wink'st. Oh, deeper than thou think 'sf, I have read thy heart. ngkts, adjuncts, precincts. He left the warm predncis of the cheerful day. ndzh. plunge, hinge, flange, range. Possessions vanish and opinions change. ndzhd.-plung'd, chang'd, reveng'd, fring'd. If you would be reveng'd on your enemies, let your life be blameless. , ns. dance, bounce, mince, tense, lance. In search of wit^ some lose all common sense. nst. against, canst, fenc'd, winc'd. Thou canst not ? and a king I ntsht. blanch'd, lunch'd, trench'd, stanch'd. He wrenched the chain, tho' all in vain, For the firm links held him fast. nt. plant, tent, fount, blunt He went to the mint to see money made, not spent. nths. months, tenths, hyacinths, plinths. Hyacinths bloom in the months of spring. nts. plants, flints, tents. Man wants but little here below, nor wants that little long. *00 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. ntst. hunt'st, taunt'st. Hunt'st thou the wild gazelle ? nz. plains, moons, moans, lens, vanes. Though slow of reward, merit wins in the end. pld. tramp'ld, tippl'd, toppPd, dappl'd. The dimpled cheek of the child wore an angel's smile. pldst. rippl'dst, peopl'dst, rumpl'dst. Thou trampl'dst the worm that harmed thee not. plz. mapl's, appl's, toppl's, stippl's, stapl's. Age on their temples shed her silver frost. plst. trampl'st, rippFst, sampl'st, toppl'st, tippl'st. Thou samprst the tap, and then toppl'st to thy miserable home. pnd. rip'n'd, op'n'd, deep'n'd, happ'n'd, sharp'n'd. The golden ripples of the rip'n'd grain make glad the heart of the peasant. pnz. op'ns, happ'ns, rip'ns, cheap'ns. The combat deep'ns on, ye brave ! pr. pride, proper, prune, print, prey. Prompt to relieve, the prisoner sings his praise. pS. tips, tops, props, tapes, mops. Thought droops and stops as the eyes grow heavy with sleep. pst. top'st, prop'st, heap'st, shap'st, hoop'st. Thou slapp'st the child thou shouldst have kissed. pt. wept, slipp'd, supp'd, stopp'd. The little one wept itself to sleep. ARTICULATION. IOI pts. intercepts, accepts, precepts. The father 's precepts the dutiful son obeyed. ptst. hop'd'st, accept'st, intercept'st. Accept 'st thou the commission offered thee ? pths. depths. From the depths of despair, the sorrowing soul is lifted on the wings of love. rb. herb, verb, orb, curb, garb. Curb thy tongue, for its barVd words stick where they strike. rbd. orb'd, curb'd, garb'd, disturb'd. No reveille disturbed his slumbers ; for he slept the sleep of death. rbdst. barb'dst, orb'dst, curb'dst, disturb'dst. Thou curb'dst well the gallant steed thou strod'st. rbz. barbs, verbs, orbs, disturbs. The orbs of night in the winter's sky shine clear and bright. rbst. absorb'st, barb'st, curb'st, disturb'st. Thou absorb 'st our precious time by trivial talk. rdz. words, birds, cards, chords, herds. The silver cords of friendship may unite many hearts which the golden cords of love dare not entwine. rdst. reward'st, herd'st, guard'st. Thou regard 'st whom thou reward'st. rfs. serfs, dwarfs, turfs, scarfs. Dwarfs and pygmies shall to giants rise. rgz. bergs, icebergs, burgs. The icebergs float from the Arctic seas. 102 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. rdzh. surge, forge, enlarge, gorge, emerge. From out the gorge sweeps the wild torrent to the verge of the precipice. rdzhd. urg'd, charg'd, merg'd, forg'd. So they beat against the State House, So they surged against the door. rks. barks, corks, works, larks, storks. He marks the tracks of the wounded by the crimson trails in the snow. rkst. mark'st, work'st, bark'st, cork'st. Mark'st thou the spot where the hero died ? rkt. work'd, mark'd, lurk'd, fork'd, jerk'd. He work'd his way to the topmost round of the ladder of fame. rktst. bark'dst, work'dst, fork'dst, lurk'dst. Thou lurk'dst round our haunts like a mer- cenary spy. rid. curl'd, snaiTd, whirl'd, furl'd, world. Round the chieftain's head the war-cloud curl'd. rldst. hurl'dst, snarl'dst, furl'dst, whirl'dst. Thou furl'dst thy sails in the harbor of bliss. rldz. worlds. Worlds unseen, the eye of faith ex- plores, rlz. hurls, pearls, snarls, twirls, churls. The glittering pearls of the sea are not to be compared with the priceless pearls of thought. rmd. arm'd, charm'd, form'd, harm'd. d) say you ? " " Arm'd, my lord." ARTICULATION. 103 rmdst. form'dst, storm'dst, charm'dst, worm'dst. Thou charm'dst the maid whose ear was not proof against flattery's wiles. rmz. charms, forms, storms, terms. Truth storms the citadel of falsehood, and accepts no terms but unconditional surrender. rmst. form'st, charm'st, storm'st, alarm'st. Thou charm'st me with thy silver-tongued speech. rmth. warmth. What warmth of feeling is in thy golden words. rnd. scorn'd, earn'd, burn'd, warn'd. We were warn'd of our danger in time to escape. rndst. burn'dst, turn'dst, scorn'dst, warn'dst, learn'dst. Thou learn'dst thy lesson well, though thou scorn' dst to confess it. rnz. spurns, darns, mourns, urns. As the sun sets, the leaden cloud turns to burnished gold. rps. carps, warps, sharps, thorps, harps. We hanged our harps upon the willows. rpt. warp'd, usurp'd, harp'd. Wealth usurped the throne where intellect long had ruled. rs. scarce, purse, fierce, source, farce. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy. rsh. marsh, Kershaw, harsh. Kershaw island is in San Francisco Bay. 104 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. rsts. versts, bursts, thirsts. The Russian treads his weary versts o'er glittering fields of snow. rtst. smart'st, hurt'st, part'st, girt'st, report'st. O jealousy ! thou part'st the hearts that should be ours. rths. earths, worths, hearths, births, fourths. The earth's productiveness is in excess of possible consumption. rtsht. march'd, search'd, parch'd, perch'd. Pygmies are pygmies still, though perch'd on Alps. rvd. preserved, nerv'd, starv'd, carv'd. He never swerv'd from the line of duty. rvdst. curv'dst, swerv'dst, carv'dst, preserv'dst. Thou preserv'dst me from mine enemies. rvz. nerves, starves, swerves. The fool serves his body, but starves his mind. rvst. curv'st, carv'st, preserv'st. Thou serv'st me well, thou nerv'st my arm for the fight. rz. stars, wars, bars, tears, stores. His fears were the children of a violated conscience. sf. Sphinx, sphere. Within my sphere, I am as secret as the Sphinx. shr. shrill, shriek, shrine, shrink, shrunk, shrank. He shrank from the shrill shriek of the un- shriven, who wildly wailed and wept before the shrine. ARTICULATION. 105 sk. skill, scald, scold, scamp, scull, scum. The scamp sculled the boat away and left me to scud home on foot. skr. scream, scratch, scrawl, screen, scringe, scribe. Across the scraggy edge he drew the screech- ing file, sks. tasks, masks, frisks, desks, asks. He basks in the sunshine of fortune, for his tasks of life are well done. skst. mask'st, frisk'st, bask'st, tusk'st. Ask'st thou to whom belongs this valley fair? skt. task'd, frisk'd, ask'd, tusk'd, bask'd. He risk'd his own, another's life to save. sld. whistl'd, wrestl'd, tussl'd, jostl'd, bustl'd. Nestl'd in a quiet valley, the peaceful ham- let looked the home of the fairies. slz. brisl's, bustl's, trestl's, thistl's, nestl's. In our tussles with Fate, she often jostles the conceit out of us, and hustles common sense in. s l s t. rustl'st, jostl'st, nestl'st, bristl'st, bustl'st. Thou wrestfst bravely with thy faults. sm . smote, smile, small, smash, smack. The smooth waters smoother grow, As the sunset smiles upon the lake. snd. glist'n'd, moist'n'd, list'n'd, less'n'd. We listen d to the mocking bird singing as the dew moisten d the grass. snz. list'ns, moist'ns, glist'ns, pers'ns. " Farewell ! " moist 'ns many an eye. 106 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. snst. less'n'st, list'n'st, hast'n'st. Thou hast'n'st homeward without delay. spl. splendid, splutter, spleen, split, splash. The full moon rides in splendor thro' the midnight sky. spr. spring, sprung, sprain, spray, sprig. The cold spray turns to ice as it touches the colder sprigs of the overhanging branches. sps. gasps, hasps, lisps, clasps, rasps. He shudders, gasps ; Jove help him ; so, he's dead. spt. lisp'd, clasp'd, grasp'd. He lisp'd the words he should have spoken. St. stay, still, stamp, list, last, lost. Hast thou a charm to stay the morning star 2 Str. strength, strut, stroll, strive, strown. They have strewn their beds with roses, but they will lie down on thorns. Sts. blasts, rusts, casts, mists, tastes, boasts. Wastes and deserts ; not waste sand deserts. Stst. last'st, list'st, boast'st, tast'st, tdast'st. Thou wast'st thy breath to no purpose. thn. strength'n, length'n. Live temperately if you would length'n your days. thnd. length'n'd, strength'n'd. Spend not thy length'n'd years in vain, thndst.-length'n'dst, strength'n'dst. Thou strength'n'dst him for the fight. thnz. strength'ns, length'ns. He lengthens the hour in vain. ARTICULATION. 107 ths. youths, faiths, truths, swaths, wreaths. He sheaths the sword that ne'er was drawn in vain. thr. thrum, thrill, throb, thrush, throttle. Soft is the thrill that memory throws across the soul. tht. betroth'd. She was early betrottid to the man she loved. thd. seeth'd, sooth'd, bath'd; loath'd, breath'd. They bathd his heated brain, and sooth'd his frantic fears. thz. breath's, bath's, tith's, scyth's, loath's. She loath's the very sight of him. thst. writh'st, smooth'st, breath'st, bath'st. O guilt ! thou bath'st the world in tears. thdst. breath'dst, writh'dst, smooth'dst. Thou smooth dst my pathway down the hill of life. tld. prattl'd, bottl'd, rattl'd, throttl'd. The child prattr d on while the mother's heart was torn with grief. tldst. startl'dst, bottl'dst, rattl'dst, throttl'dst. Thou startl'dst the sleepers from their gen- tle slumbers. tlz. battl's, titl's, bottl's, turtl's, rattl's. At the thought of her, how the blood man- tles to his cheek. tlst battl'st, throttl'st, startl'st. Thou throttl'st the demon intemperance and savest thy life, jo8 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. tnd. sweet'n'd, whit'n'd, mitt'n'd, bright'n'd. His heart light* rid at the thought of her he soon would see. tnz. whit'ns, kitt'ns, mitt'ns, light'ns. The snow whit'ns all the trees and fields. tr. truth, trim, tread. Tramp) tramp, tramp, came the troops' tri- umphant tread. tsh. church, chime, chubby, touch, wretch. He heard the chit-chat of the chubby children dear. tsht. match'd, watch'd, touch'd, fetch'd. He touched a chord that thrilled all hearts with joy. tshtst.touch'dst, parch'dst, snatch'dst. Thou touch dst his wounded heart. ts. huts, bets, lots, lights. Ten censure wrong for one who writes amiss. tst. start'st, shout'st, sitt'st, sport'st, smart'st. Thou start'st at trifles. vd. believ'd, liv'd, lov'd, brav'd, starv'd, sav'd. He liv'd the life his conscience approved. vdst. deserv'dst, liv'dst, believ'dst, deceiv'dst. Believ'dst thou what the prophets have told thee? . vld. shrivl'd, shovl'd, grovl'd. The shrivl'd heart of the miser has no place for pity. vldst. grovTdst, shovTdst. The worm that grovTdst in the earth, On fairy wings will cleave the sky. ARTICULATION. 109 vlst. drivTst, shovTst, ravTst, shriv'l'st. Thou trav'l'st a long journey to reach the Mecca of thy heart, viz. ev'ls, lev'ls, shov'ls, driv'ls, bev'ls. Love lev'ls all ranks. vnz. ov'ns, crav'ns, ev'ns, sev'ns, heav'ns. The heav'ns declare the glory of God. vnth. sev'nth, elev'nth. At the elev'nth hour you came, though called at the sev'nth. vz. sheaves, waves, gloves, groves, saves, lives. Leaves have their time to fall. vst. liv'st, sav'st, prov'st, starv'st, shov'st. Thou prov'st thyself equal to the occasion. znd. blaz'n'd, seas'n'd, reas'n'd, pris'n'd. The emblaz'n'd banners flaunted on the breeze. znz. seas'ns, pris'ns, reas'ns, impris'ns. Thou hast all seas'ns for thine own, O Death ! znst. seas'n'st, emblaz'n'st, impris'n'st. Thou emblaz'n'st his name high on the scroll of fame. TABLE VI. [Vowel sounds, with their " diacritical marks," as used in Webster's Dictionary.] 1. a, as in ale, may, fate, fame. 2. a, " add, mat, fat, back. 3. a, " air, fair, wear, tear. 4. a, " arm, aunt, palm, laugh. 110 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 5. a, as in ask, glass, ant, branch. 6. a, " all, swarthy, talk, law. 7. a, " what, wallet, was, yacht. 1. e, as in eve, eke, mete, believe. 2. e, " end, fetch, web, deck. 3. e, " ere, there, where, ne'er. 4. e, " eight, prey, feign, heinous. 5. e, " earn, terse, pert, serve. 1. I, *as in ire, bind, thrive, wise. 2. i, " ill, pity, fit, finish. 3. i, " police, marine, pique, retrieve. 4. T, " irksome, firm, bird, whirl. 1. o, as in ode, note, hold, no. 2. 6, " odd, lock, docile, rob. 3. 6, " other, won, son, brother. 4. 6, " order, storm, born, horse. 5. p, " move, prove, whom, lose. 6. o, " bosom, wolf, woman, Wolsey. 1. u, as in (y)use, lute, elude, presume. 2. u, " us, hush, bud, muddle. 3. u, " urn, furl, lurk, murmur. 4. u, " rude, prune, rural, true. 5. u, " push, put, bullet, full. 1. y, as in my, fly, gyve, try. 2. y, " nymph, lily, lyric, abyss. In the foregoing table it will be seen that the " reg- ular long," or name sounds of the vowels are marked alike. The mark is called " macron" (from the Greek makros, meaning long). The same is true with the " regular short " vowel sounds, each of which is marked with the " breve" (from the Latin brevis, ARTICULATION. Ill short}. The marks of the other vowel sounds the " occasional sounds," have no special significance, only as each is associated with the sound of the vowel represented by the marking. There are several vowel sounds not recognized by the dictionaries in the " key to pronunciation," such as " a " in many, says, again, and saith ; " e " as in pretty, and " ee " in been ; " o " in work, worth, worship, worse, etc., and "o" in women; a u" in busy, and in bury ; and " y " in myrrh, myrtle, etc. But these play such an insignificant part in pronunciation, that they are very properly regarded as exceptional sounds, and not en- titled to recognition. In the rapid enunciation of syllables and words, many of the long vowel sounds become obscure. The gliding movement, so important to the melody of speech, makes this necessary. The obscured vowel generally tends toward a corresponding short vowel sound. As, for example, a obscure tends towards e ; e, towards i ; a, towards a ; o, towards u, and do, towards ob. In Table VI. it will be seen that there are different vowels representing the same sound. The following is a list of the exact equivalents. a = e ; a=e ; a=6 ; e = i ; e T=u ; i = y ; i=:y ; 6 = u ; o u = oo ; o~u = o v b. There are also many equivalents of the vowel sounds formed by vowel combinations, but as this is not a text- book on orthography, their tabulation is purposely omitted. ANALYSIS OF WORDS. \Analysis, Syllabication, Accent, and Pronunciation^ One of the best means for correcting a faulty articu- 112 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. lation and improving a good one, is the exercise of the voice and the organs of articulation in the analysis of words, as follows : 1. Divide the word into its syllables by pronouncing each syllable separately. 2. Divide each syllable into its elements, giving each element very distinctly three times ; then combine the elements and pronounce the syllable thus formed with precision, proceeding with each syllable of the word in the same way. 3. Next, place the accent upon the syllable to which it belongs, and repeat the word several times, exagger- ating the accent in order to counteract the too common fault of pronouncing words with too little accent. If there is a " secondary " accent, give it with the degree of emphasis which its relative importance demands. Ac- cent is to the syllable in the word, what emphasis is to the word in the sentence. 4. Last, pronounce the word several times very dis- tinctly and slowly, giving to each element its due amount of sound. Then repeat the pronunciation over and over with the same degree of accuracy, but increas- ing the rapidity at each repetition. Whenever the student finds a word difficult to articu- late or to pronounce, it should be analyzed and practiced as directed above. The best readers will come across such words now and then, so that no one gets beyond the necessity at least the possibility of benefit of such thorough-going practices in articulation. To the list given below, the student can add for him- self such words as he may find most difficult to articu- late or pronounce correctly. A good practice is to write the word on the black- ARTICULATION. 1 13 board or on paper, and then write it underneath sep- arated into its syllables. The sounds of the vowels should then be indicated according to the markings given in Table VI. An " obscure " vowel sound, (and there are many found in words,) may be marked with the sign of the vowel to which it most nearly corresponds in sound. The'st'lent letters may be canceled by drawing a line diagonally across them. Where necessary, the conso- nants may also be marked. The following analyses will serve as models for black- board practice : Personification Boundary. Per-son'-i-fi-ca'-ti(sh)6n Boun'd-a-ry Though Company Phthisic. though com'-pa-ny //zt^is'-ic bade wire vehemence which history solicitously been contempt . gradually wrestled really etymologically glass hospitable recapitulation again mischievous superciliousness truly accuracy allegorically laugh ignorant particularly evening anemone accompaniment iron regularly unintelligibility VOWEL SOUND PRACTICE. The following sentences, embodying words contain- ing each of the vowel sounds, should be carefully studied, that they may be read with the significance and expression intended by the language. The words 114 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. printed in italics and containing the vowel under con- sideration should be given with special accuracy and distinctness, but not, necessarily, with greater emphasis : a 1. The spangled heavens, a shining frame, Their great original proclaim. 2. The strong-felt passion bolts into \hzfacej . The mind untouched, what is it but grimace ? 3. Follow, brave hearts ! This pile remains, Our refuge still from life and chains. 4. The cot may for the palace change The palace for the cot. 5. From Hell Gate to Gold Gate, And the Sabbath unbroken, A sweep continental, And the Saxon yet spoken ! 6. No matter how well the track is laid, No matter how strong the engine is made, When you find you are running the downward grade, Put down the brakes. 7. Whatever day makes man a slave, takes half his worth away. a 1. Cosmopolitan rivers, Mississippi, Missouri, That travel ft\& planet like Jordan thro' Jewry, 2. It rests with me, here, brand to brand, Worn as thou art, to bid thee stand. 3. We hold our greyhound in our hand, Our falcon on our glove ; But where shall we find leash or band For dame that loves to rove ? ARTICULATION. 115 4. E'en in our ashes live their wonted fires. 5. None but himself can be his parallel. 6. Small feet VJQXZ pattering, Wooden shoes clattering, Little hands clapping, And little tongues chattering Like fowls in a farmyard when barley is scattering. 1. He dares not touch a to> of Catiline ! 2. Comrade, enough ! sit down and share A soldier's couch, a soldier's fare. 3. Tumultuous grandeur crowds the blazing square, The rattling chariots clash, the torches glare. 4. The fashion wears out more apparel than the man. 5. The monk, with unavailing cares Exhausted all the Church's prayers. 6. " Fair, fair, and golden hair," Sang a lone mother while weeping ; " Fair, fair, with golden hair, My little one's quietly sleeping." 1. Better be Where the extinguished Spartans still are free, In their proud charnel of Thermopylae, Than stagnate in our marsh. 2. Hark! I hear the bugles of the enemy. They are on their march along the bank of the river. Il6 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 3. With fruitless labor, Clara bound And strove to staunch the gushing wound. 4 Where deserts lie down in the prairies' broad calms, Where lake links to lake like the music of psalms. 5. Hearts, like apples, are hard and sour, Till crushed by Pain's resistless power. 6. False wizard, a vaunt ! I have marshaled my clan, Their swords are a thousand, their bosoms are one. a 1. Then the poor exiles, every pleasure/^/, Hung round the bowers, and fondly looked their last. 2. The besieged city was at its last gasp. 3. The oak-tree struggling with the blast Devours its father tree, And sheds its leaves and drops its mast, That more may be. 4. The milk-haired heifer's life mustflass That it may fill your own, As passed the sweet life of the grass She fed upon. 5. From hand to hand life's cup is passed Up Being's piled gradation, Till men to angels yield at last The rich collation. 6. His shield is rent and his lance is broken. 7. Forth from \k& pass in tumult driven Like chaff before the winds of heaven, The archery appear. ARTICULATION. 1. The falcon preys upon the finch, The finch upon the fly. 2. Aurora, now, fair daughter of the dawn, Sprinkles with rosy light the upland lawn. 3. How small, of all that human hearts endure, That part which laws or kings can cause or cure. 4. The Universal cause Acts not by partial but by general laws. 5. To where the stage, the poor, degraded stage, Holds its warped mirror to a gaping age. 6. These taught us how to live ; and (oh ! too high The price for knowledge) taught us how to die. 7. Where the warbling waters flow. 1. What ! has the yacht sunk ? 2. Into Hiawatha's wigwam Came two other guests. 3. True hope is swift and flies with swallow's wings ; Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings. 4. Oh ! what a rogue and peasant slave am I ! 5. The providence that's in a watchful state Knows almost every grain of Plutus' gold. The best laid schemes o' mice and men, Gang aft a-gley, And lea'e us naught but grief and pain For promised joy. Il8 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 2. " Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend ! " I shrieked, upstarting. 3. O what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive ! 4. When shall I, frail man, be pleading ? Who for me be interceding, When the just are mercy needing ? 5. Oh, Thou that driest the mourner's tear, How dark this world would be, If, when deceived and wounded here. We could not fly to Thee. 6. Clean is a slave to grandeur Free as thought am I ; Clean fees a score of doctors Need of none have I. 7 . When she had passed it seemed like the ceasing of exquisite music. 8. " Sleep soft, beloved," we sometimes say : But have no power to charm away Sad dreams that through the eyelids creep. 1. Lest men suspect your tale untrue, Keep probability in view. 2. It was like a message from the dead. Mr. Owen took the letter, but could not break the envelope on ac- count of his trembling fingers. He held it towards Mr. Allen. 3. The chest contriv'd a double debt to pay, A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day. ARTICULATION. 119 4. Let us then with ourselves solemn conference hold, Ere sleep's silken fetters our senses enfold. 5. My conscience is my crown, Contented thoughts my rest ; My heart is happy in itself y My bliss is in my breast. 6. The next night It came again, with a great wakening light, And showed the names whom love of God had blessed, And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. 1. A form more fair, a face more sweet, Ne'er hath it been my lot to meet. 2. Howe'er it be, it seems to me, Tis only noble to be good ; Kind hearts are more than coronets, And simple faith than Norman blood. 3. And no man knows that sepulcher, And no man saw it e'er, For the angels of God upturned the sod, And laid the dead man there. 4. Mad from life's history, Glad to death's mystery Swift to be hurl'd Anywhere, anywhere, Out of the world. i. The snow-white signals, fluttering, blending, Round her like a veil descending. 120 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 2. They fell a prey, that unlucky day, to the eighth Wisconsin regiment. 3. How, scanning each living temple, For the place where the veil is thin, We may gather, by beautiful glimpses, Some form of the God within. 4. The undaunted but baffled troops fell an easy prey to the enemy. 1. The quality of mercy is not strained. 2. Truth crushed to earth shall rise again ; The eternal years of God are hers : But Error, wounded, writhes with pain, And dies among his worshipers. 3. To err is human ; to forgive, divine. 4. And she thinks through its swerve By the telegraph nerve. 5. Bertha bought herself a serge dress. 6. Doomed for a certain term to walk the night. 7. Sir, I know the uncertainty of human affairs. I 1. Conscript Fathers, / do not rise to waste the night in words. 2. And he has never written line, Nor sent you word, nor made you sign To say he was alive ? 3. He once was kind ! And I believed 'twould last how mad ! how blind! ARTICULATION. 121 4. There's a thrill in the air Like the tingle of wine, Like a bugle-blown blast When the scimiters shine, And the sky-line is broken By the Mountains Divine ! 5. Idleness is a fruitful cause of vice and crime. 6. Of all the vices that conspire to blind Man's erring judgment, and misguide his mind, What the weak head with strongest bias rules Is pride, the never-failing vice of fools. 7. He that by the plow would thrive Must either hold the plow or drive. 8. While life's dark maze / tread, Be Thou my guide. i i. The sailor's eyes were dim with dew, " Your little lad, your Elihu ? ' He said with trembling lip, What little lad ? What 2. Ay, and that tongue of his, that bade the Romans Mark him, and write his speeches in their books, ** Alas ! " // cried "Give me some drink, Titinius" 3. Still it whispered promised pleasure, And bade the lovely scenes at distance hail 4. I found it in his closet , 'tis his will. 5. Around us are vineyards With their jewels and gems, Living trinkets of wine Blushing warm on the stems. 122 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 6. /' the name of truth, Are ye fantastical, or that indeed Which outwardly ye show ? 7. If it were done, when 'tis done, then t' were well // were done quickly. 1. The police caught the marine just before he reached the boat. 2. With inward arms, the dire machine they load. 3. A deep ravine divided the opposing forces. 4. Piqued by Protogenes' fame, From Cos to Rhodes Apelles came. 5. Coming from an infected port, the vessel was quarantined. 6. I hear the Florentine, who from his palace Wheels out his battle-bell with dreadful din. 1. His mirth was the joy of the mirthful, His firmness the pride of the firm. 2. Sir, before God, I believe the hour is come. 3. The broadest mirth unfeeling folly wears, Less pleasing far than virtue s very tears. 4. " He does not love me for my birth, Nor for my lands so broad and fair : He loves me for my own true worth, And that is well," said Lady Clare. 5. The raven croaked, and hollow shrieks of owls Sung dirges at her funeral. ARTICULATION. 123 1. Thou hast no shore, fair ocean, Thou hast no time, bright day. 2. We were as merry as crickets, and as warm as toast, all but our noses, toes and finger-ends. 3. The mind that broods o'er guilty woes Is like the scorpion girt by fire ; In circles narrowing as it glows, The flames around the captive close, Till inly searched by thousand throes, And maddening in her ire, One sad and sole relief she knows, The sting she nourished for her foes. 4. How fell he with his face to the foe, Upholding the flag he bore ? 5. To die or conquer proves a hero's heart, And knowing this, I know a soldier s part. 1. He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stolen, Let him not know it, and he's not robtf d at all. 2. Vainly the fowler's eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, As, darkly painted on the crimson sky, Thy figure floats along. 3. Absence of occupation is not rest. 4. On their own merits modest men are dumb. 5. Give lettered pomp to teeth of time, So Bonny Doon but tarry ; Blot out the epic's stately rhyme, But spare his Highland Mary. 124 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 6. The mossy marbles rest On the lips that he has pressed In their bloom. 1. So much one man can do That does but act and know. 2. Who dares do one thing, and another tell, My heart detests him as the gates of hell. 3. When other lips and other hearts Their tales of love shall tell. 4. The prize was won by the son of the governor s cousin. 5. Their blood ^ on their heads. 6. Hark, 'tis his knock ! he comes ! he comes once more ! 6 1. California is justly called the Golden State. 2. I trow they did not part in scorn. 3. For fools rush in where angels fear to tread. 4. Stormed at with shot and shell While horse and hero fell. 5. All men think all men mortal but themselves. 6. A horse / a horse ! my kingdom for a horse. p 1. Move not, or I shall move / 2. Softly sweet in Lydian measures, Soon he soothed his soul to pleasures. ARTICULATION. 125 3. There's an old maxim in the schools, That flattery's \h& food si fools. 4. Sleep and death two twins of winged race, Of matchless swiftness, but of silent pace. 5. The water oozed out from between the rocks, prov- ing the truth of the old miner's statement. 6. Prove all things ; hold fast that which is good. 1. Happy he With such a mother ! faith in womankind Beats with his blood. 2. But on the hill the golden-rod, and the aster in the wood, And the yellow sunflower by the brook in autumn beauty stood. 3. I would 'that I could be A hermit in the crowd like thee. 4. Love, like Death, Levels all ranks, and lays the shepherd's crook Beside the sceptre. 5. The stroke of the woodman s ax resounds Through forest, hill and vale. 1. But since my oath was taken for public use, I broke the letter of it to keep the sense. 2. O for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade. 3. His very foot has music in't As he comes up the stairs. 126 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 4. What constitutes a state ? Men who their duties know, but know their rights. 5. Do not presume too much upon my love, I may do that I shall be sorry for. 6. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion. 7. Strange ! that a harp of a thousand strings Should keep in tune so long. 8. 'Tis the same with common natures : Use 'em kindly, they rebel. u 1. The trumpet sounded, " Up ! and to horse." 2. Minutes and mercies multiplied Have made up all this day. 3. War, he sung, is toil and trouble, Honor, but an empty bubble. 4. The sweet remembrance of the just Shall flourish when he sleeps in dust. 5. Now shouts and tumults wake the tardy sun 9 And with the light the warrior's toils begun. 6. In arms the glittering squadron round Rush sudden. 7. And once, but once she lifted her eyes, And suddenly, sweetly, strangely blushed. 1. Hushed by the murmurs of the rolling deep. At length he sinks in the arms of sleep. 2. Rest ! rest ! perturbed spirit. ARTICULATION. 127 3. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy. 4. Domestic happiness ! thou only bliss Of Paradise that has survived the fall. 5. Through the ages, one increasing purpose runs. 6. For murder, tho' it have no tongue, will speak. 7. The sepulchre Wherein we saw thee quietly inurned Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws. 1. Here at school we gather daily, And we learn the golden rule. 2. Rude am I in speech, And little blessed with the set phrase of peace. 3. Not rural sights alone, but rural sounds exhila* rate the spirit. 4. Prudes are over prudent. 5. Atoms or systems into ruin hurled, And now a bubble burst, and now a world. 6. And you, brave Cobham, to the latest breath, Shall feel your ruling passion strong in death. 7. You must wear your rue with a difference. u 1. The air \sfull of farewells to the dying, And mournings for the dead. 2. l&z putteth down one and setteth up another. 3. Pulling off his cap, he ascended the pulpiL 4. Put some sugar in my tea. 128 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 5. Britannia needs no bulwarks, No towers along the steep. 6. Poor pussy was afraid of the big bull-dog. 7. We ttt fearfully and wonderfully made. y 1. Swifter than thought the wheels instinctive^, Flame through the vast of air, and reach the sky. 2. Love is a boy by poets styl'd, Then spare the rod and spoil the child. 3. Ay, sweet Rosalind. 4. Why, cousin ! why, Rosalind ! thy words are too precious to be cast away upon curs. 5. I could shake them off my coat ; these burrs are in my heart. 6. I would try, if I could cry " hem ! " and have him 7. Come, come, wrestle with thy affections. 8. Whoe'er I woo, myself would be the wife. y 1. Myriads of daisies have shone forth in flower, That none but the lark hath seen. 2. Have you seen the pyramids of Egypt? 3. Pygmies are pygmies still, though perched on Alps, And pyramids are pyramids in vales. 4. This life of mortal breath Is but the suburb of the life elysian. 5. Can you give the etymological analysis of the word " symphony " ? ARTICULATION. 129 6. The dove symbolizes purity. 7. I knew that bounding grace of step, That symmetry of mould. oy 1. Heard ye the voice of Jove ? Success and fame Await on Troy on Greece, eternal shame. 2. In every joy that crowns my days, Thy ruling hand I see. 3. Shall we clap into 't roundly, without hawking or spitting, or saying we are hoarse, which are the only prologues to a bad voice ? 4. My voice is ragged : I cannot please you. 5. He left a name at which the world grew pale, To point a moral or adorn a tale. 6. O woman ! in our hours of ease, Uncertain, coy, and hard to please. When pain and anguish wring the brow, A ministering angel thou. ou 1. Loud sounds the ax, redoubling strokes on strokes. 2. The plowman homeward plods his weary way. 3. Not heaven itself upon the past has power, But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour. 4. Ring out old shapes of foul disease, Ring out the narrowing lust of gold ; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. 9 130 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 5. Who is this that darkeneth counsel\^j words with- out knowledge ? 6. Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn. 7. Cold is thy brow, my son, and I am chill, As to my bosom I have tried to press thee. READING BY VOWEL SOUNDS, Is an excellent practice. The exercise may be given as follows : Take some poem in which the accent is very pro- nounced the " Psalm of Life/' for example. Read the first line distinctly and with the required modula- tion and expression. Then drop the consonants, giv- ing the vowels alone, as they were heard in the first reading, and with the same expression. " Tell me not in mournful numbers." e e 6 i 6 u u ef Thus proceed with the other lines. After a little practice whole poems as well as prose selections may be read thus, with almost as much facil- ity and expression as when the consonants are sound- ed. There is no better exercise for training the ear to catch the exact sounds of the vowels, and the voice to the habit of bringing out their full value in the words. It is also an excellent practice for modulation. SENTENCES OF DIFFICULT ARTICULATION. In the following sentences, give the difficult words slowly and very precisely at first ; then more rapidly, but always with accuracy and distinctness : i. It fitteth for happiness and leadeth us thither. ARTICULATION. 13! 2. It was indubitably an abominable eccentricity. 3. The invincible duplicity of inquisitive men. 4. The listlessness and laziness of the frivolous. 5. The consul should counsel with the counselors. 6. Every government has its history. 7. The incomprehensibility of the article, etymolog- ically considered, is evident. 8. Truly rural, truly rural rationalist. [Repeat.] 9. A big black bug bit a big black bear. " 10. February and June, February and June. " 11. The miserable accompaniment is unnecessary and intolerable. 12. Black babbling brooks break brawling o'er their bounds. 13. Shoes and socks shock Susan. [Repeat.] 14. Sheep soup, shoat soup. " 15. Some shun sunshine. " 1 6. She sells sea-shells. " 17. Five wives weave withes. " 1 8. Tie tight Dick's kite. " 19. Geese cackle, cattle low, crows caw, cocks crow. 20. She stood at the gate welcoming them in. 21. A great big brig's freight. 22. Three gray geese in a green field grazing, gray were the geese, green was the grazing. 23. Execrable Xantippe exhibited extraordinary and excessive irritability. 24. Bob beat Ben Brindle's bramble bushes. 25. Ducks, dogs, dandies and donkeys are depreda- tors. 132 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 26. Grandmother's giggling girls have golden gog- gles got. 27. Wanton wags with woful words the winds bewail. 28. Mr. YeW) did you say what Mr. Yew Yaw said you said? 29. I was charmed with the chit-chat of the chubby children dear. 30. Thrilling thunder thriftless throngs the Frith of Forth. 31. Whim-whams, whirligigs and whimpering whirl- winds whirled by. 32. He sweats and boasts, and twists his texts, to suit the several sects. 33. It was a positively and a provokingly pecuniary predicament. 34. Theophilus Thistle, the successful thistle-sifter, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles, thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb ; see that thou, in sifting a sieve full of unsifted thistles, thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thy tongue. Success to the successful thistle-sifter. 35. It is a shame, Sam ; these are the same, Sam ; 'tis all a sham, Sam ; and a shame it is to sham so, Sam. 36. Like the bugle-blown blast where the scimiters shine. 37. They are confusing weak men's ideas, and mak- ing weak women's minds weaker. 38. Good blood, bad blood. [Repeat] ARTICULATION. 133 39. And the columns that were scattered round the colors that were tattered, Toward the sullen, silent fortress, turned their belted breasts again. 40. I must decline To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock, In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock, Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock, From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big, black block. 41. Amidst the mists and frosts the coldest, With wrists the barest and heart the boldest, Thou thrust'st thy fists 'gainst posts the oldest, And yet insist'st thou still beholdest The ghastly ghosts in Sixth street. 42. Xeuxis hath fooled birds, but Parrhasius hath fooled Xeuxis. AN ALPHABETICAL ALLITERATION. An Austrian army awfully arrayed Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade. Cossack commanders cannonading come, Dealing destruction's devastating doom ; Every endeavor engineers essay For fame, for fortune fighting furious fray ! Generals 'gainst generals grapple gracious God ! How honors Heaven heroic hardihood ! Infuriate, indiscriminate in ill, Kindred kill kinsmen, kinsmen kindred kill. Labor low levels longest, loftiest lines ; Men march 'mid mounds, 'mid moles, 'mid murd'rous mines. Now noxious, noisy numbers, noting naught Of outward obstacles, opposing ought ; 134 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Poor patriots, partly purchased, partly pressed, Quite quaking, quickly " Quarter ! Quarter ! " 'quest. Reason returns, religious right redounds, Suwarrow stops such sanguinary sounds. Truce to thee, Turkey ! Triumph to thy train, Unwise, unjust, unmerciful Ukraine ! Vanish, vain victory ! Vanish, victory vain ! Why wish we warfare ? Wherefore welcome were Xerxes, Ximenes, Xanthus, Xavier ? Yield, yield, ye youths ! ye yeomen, yield your yell ! Zeus', Zarpater's, Zoroaster's zeal, Attracting all arms against acts appeal. PRONUNCIATION. Pronunciation is more a matter of habit than of knowledge. The same is true of articulation. The mere knowledge of the right way will not correct a mispronunciation, or remove a faulty articulation. The frequent repetition of the correct way must form the habit that will crowd out the wrong way. Knowledge, of course, is necessary, and must always precede practice. But it is PRACTICE that effects a reformation. Standards of pronunciation are, perhaps, more de- pendent upon custom than upon etymological and accentual laws. As to a large majority of our words, the pronunciations are, no doubt, established ; but with regard to a considerable minority, an irrepressi- ble struggle seems to be going on between custom and law, with the former in the vantage ground. As uniformity is desirable, conformity to some high standard becomes necessary. And since our best dic- tionaries constitute that standard, we should appeal to them, and recognize their authority as final. ARTICULATION. 135 Every student should make a list of his own mis- pronounced words, putting down such, from time to time, as he finds that (through ignorance or habit) he mispronounces or fails to articulate with sufficient dis- tinctness. The teacher, too, should note such words as the pupil may fail to give correctly in his readings and recitations, not only criticising the pupil at the time, but giving him a list of the words, with the vowels and accentuations carefully marked. The student should practice his list of words daily, giving each word aloud three times with great distinct- ness, and increasing the rapidity at each pronuncia- tion. A thorough analysis of the hardest words, ac- cording to the directions already given, would be an excellent and a profitable practice. That no student may lay claim to infallibility, and that all may fully appreciate the difficulties in pronun- ciation, and the necessity of frequent appeals to the dictionary, the following literary curiosity is inserted for study and practice : EXERCISE IN PRONUNCIATION. One enervating morning, just after the rise of the sun, a youth, bearing the cognomen of Galileo, glided in his gondola over the legendary waters of the lethean Thames. He was accompanied by his allies and coadju- tors, the dolorous Pepys and the erudite Cholmondeley, the most combative aristocrat extant, and an epicurean who, for learned vagaries and revolting discrepancies of character, would take precedence of the most eru- dite of Areopagitic literati. These sacrilegious dramatis persona were discussing 136 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. in detail a suggestive address, delivered from the pro- scenium box of the Calisthenic Lyceum by a notable financier, on obligatory hydropathy as accessory to the irrevocable and irreparable doctrine of evolution, which has been vehemently panegyrized by a splenetic pro- fessor of acoustics, and simultaneously denounced by a complaisant opponent as an undemonstrated ro- mance of the last decade, amenable to no reasoning, however allopathic, outside of its own lamentable environs. These peremptory tripartite brethren arrived at Greenwich, to aggrandize themselves by indulging in exemplary relaxation, indicatory of implacable detesta- tion of integral tergiversation and exoteric intrigue. They fraternized with a phrenological harlequin who was a connoisseur in mezzotint and falconry. This piquant person was heaping contumely and scathing raillery on an amateur in jugular recitative, who held that the Pharaohs of Asia were conversant with his theory that morphine and quinine were exorcists of bronchitis. Meanwhile, the leisurely Augustine of Cockburn drank from a tortoise shell wassail cup to the health of an apotheosized recusant, who was his supererogatory patron, and an assistant recognizance in the immobile nomenclature of interstitial molecular phonics. The contents of the vase proving soporific, a stolid plebeian took from its cerements an heraldic violoncello, and assisted by a plethoric diocesan from Pall Mall, who performed on a sonorous piano-forte, proceeded to wake the clangorous echoes of the Empyrean. They bade the prolix Caucasian gentleman not to miscon- strue their inexorable demands, whilst they dined on ARTICULATION. 137 acclimated anchovies and apricot truffles, and had for dessert a wiseacre's pharmacopoeia. Thus the truculent Pythagoreans had a novel repast fit for the gods. On the subsidence of the feast they alternated between soft languor and isolated scenes of squalor, which followed a mechanic's reconnoissance of the imagery of Uranus, the legend of whose incog- nito related to a poniard wound in the abdomen, re- ceived while cutting a swath in the interests of teleg- raphy and posthumous photography. Meantime, an unctuous orthoepist applied an homeopathic restorative to the retina of an objurgatory spaniel (named Daniel), and tried to perfect the construction of a behemoth, which had got mired in a pygmean slough while listen- ing to the elegiac soughing of the prehistoric wind. MODULATION AND EXPRESSION. ""Pis not enough the voice be sound and clear 'Tis MODULATION that must charm the ear. Lloyd. Give me, of every language, first my vigorous English, Stored with imported wealth, rich in its natural mines. ********** Grandly the thought rides the words, as a good horseman his steed. W. W. Story. THE principal elements of Modulation are pitch, force, and stress ; while Expression is an inclusive term, com- prehending all physical and vocal means for the com- munication of thought and feeling. Pitch has already been defined as the elevation and depression of the voice on the musical scale. Force relates to the loudness of sound, or more prop- erly to the degree of energy ; and Stress to the different ways in which the energy is applied. It is a common fault to confound Pitch with Force. High and low imply change of key, having no refer- ence to degree of force. Loud and soft refer to the lat- ter, and denote different degrees of energy, volume, or power of voice on the same key, and correspond to forte a.r\& piano in music. The actor may give his "asides" in low pitch and in aspirated quality to indicate secrecy, yet the words are given with sufficient loudness to be heard by all. The roar of heavy artillery is very low pitch, and the sound of the ^Eolian harp very high ; but the former, though low, is loud, and the latter, though high, is soft. Yet, as a general rule, an eleva- tion in pitch calls for a corresponding increase in force. MODULATION AND EXPRESSION. 139 In the preceding pages, the " mechanics " of Elocu- tion have been given special prominence. The devel- opment and culture of Action, Voice, and Articulation have been made the chief work of the student. In the following pages, this elementary or founda- tion work should not be neglected, but should be car- ried into practical and, as soon as possible, unconscious application. In this higher department, to which the attention of the pupil is now called, the intellectual and emotional natures should be more particularly enlisted. Each example should be rendered with the required expres- sion which must be determined largely by the student himself. The authority references, in connection with the illus- trative paragraphs in Modulation and Expression, will enable the student to study the " context," which is generally necessary in order to understand the thought and feeling which the words of the passage are intend- ed to convey. In addition to the examples given in the text-book, the teacher should require advanced pupils to make selections of their.own under each rule. < < s- v PITCH. THE degrees of pitch range from the lowest to the highest note within the compass of the voice. For practice, five degrees are usually recognized in elocu- tion, namely: very low ', low y middle ', high^ and very high. These include all the intermediate degrees. After the exercises given under Voice Culture are mastered, the following will be found an excellent practice to increase the availability of the voice, for purposes of speech, throughout its compass. Give the first sentence below with a gradually ascend- ing pitch, from the lowest to the highest note within the compass of the voice, as indicated. Voices that can command two octaves may give each syllable in the sentence on a successively higher note running, say, from " G," below" midcUe C," to the sec- ond " G " above. Those having a more limited com- pass can run up by half tones, or, if that is too difficult, they may give two syllables to each note ; this will re- quire but one octave. The commencing tone (key note) may be " G," " A," " B," or " C." Practice thus : First give each syllable of the sen- tence in the singing voice ; then in the half musical ; and lastly in the speaking or colloquial voice, exagger- ating the interrogative slide on the last syllable by let- ting the voice run into a very high pitch. PITCH. 141 tion ? G ac- in- F and tion E lu- o- D res- ir- C by strength B er gath- A we Shall G The following additional sentences should be given first as in the foregoing exercise, and then in the speaking voice with the required expression. 1. Would you wrest the wreath of fame From the hand of fate ? Paddle your own Canoe. Mrs. S. T. Bolton. 2. Would you write a deathless name With the good and great ? id. id. 3. Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by ly- ing supinely upon our backs, and hugging the delusive phan- tom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot ? Patrick Henry. A similar practice on the descending scale is indicated on the next page. 142 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. All gloom all si- lence all des- pair ! ADDITIONAL SENTENCES : 1. How jocund did they drive their team afield ! 2. Alas ! for the rarity Of Christian charity Under the sun ! Bridge of Sighs. Hood 3. Oh, horrible ! horrible ! most horrible ! 4. O that this too, too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew ! Hamlet, Act /., Sc. 2. Shakespeare ASCENDING AND DESCENDING COMBINED : 1. Came I not forth upon thy pledge, my father's hand to kiss? Be still, and gaze thou on, false king, and tell me what is this. Bernardo del Carpio. Mrs. Hemans. 2. Would ye give it up to slaves ? Would ye look for greener graves ? Hope ye mercy still ? What's the mercy despots feel ? Warren's Address. Pierpont. 3. When this fiery mass Of living valor, rolling on the foe, And burning with high hope, Shall moulder cold and low ! Childe Harold, Canto III. Byrcn. PITCH. 143 In unimpassioned styles, such as ordinary conversa- tion, the didactic, the narrative, etc., the Middle Pitch predominates. In impassioned utterance, as in exultation, anxiety, joy, hailing, and in most of the livelier emotions of ex- citation, High and Very High Pitch is employed. While in solemnity, awe, reverence, and generally in doubt, dread, scorn, and sorrow, a Low, and a Very Low pitch of voice is used. The degree of pitch depends largely upon the ear- nestness with which the emotion is expressed, an in- crease in earnestness calling fpr a higher pitch and usu- ally for an increase in force. This makes many of the examples under High and Very High pitch interchange- able ; also those under Low and Very Low. MIDDLE PITCH : 1. Next to the originator of a good sentence, is the first quoter of it. 2. A Sensitive Plant in a garden grew ; And the young winds fed it with silver dew, And it opened its fan-like leaves to the light, And closed them beneath the kisses of night. The Sensitive Plant. Shelley. 3. There is a river in the ocean. In the severest drought it never fails, and in the mightiest floods it never overflows. Its banks and its bottom are of cold water, while its current is of warm. The Gulf of Mexico is its fountain, and its mouth is in the Arctic Ocean. It is the Gulf Stream. Physical Geography of the Sea. Maury. 4. More potent far may be the look, Through which the soul to soul conveys The subtler thought with import clear, Than spoken words, Which different meanings may express. 144 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 5. There is no more interesting spectacle than to see the effects of wit upon the different characters of men ; than to observe it expanding caution, relaxing dignity, unfreezing coldness, teaching age and care and pain to smile, extort- ing reluctant gleams of pleasure from melancholy, and charming even the pangs of grief. It is pleasant to observe how it penetrates through the coldness and awkwardness of society, gradually bringing men nearer together, and, like the combined force of wine and oil, giving every man a glad heart and a shining countenance. Genuine and innocent wit like this is surely the flavor of the mind. Man could direct his ways by plain reason, and support his life by tasteless food ; but God has given us wit, and flavor, and laughter, and perfumes, to enliven the days of man's pil- grimage, and to " charm his painful steps over the burning marie." Sydney Smith. HIGH : 1. Ring out, wild bells, to the wild .sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light ; The year is dying in the night, Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow ; The year is going, let him go ; Ring out the false, ring in the true. In Memoriam. Tennyson. 2. Bring flowers, young flowers, for the festal board, To wreathe the cup ere the wine is poured ! Bring flowers, they are springing in wood and vale ; Their breath floats out on the southern gale, And the touch of the sunbeam hath waked the rose To deck the hall where the bright wine flows. Bring Flowers. Mrs. Hemans. PITCH. 145 3. News of battle ! news of battle ! Hark ! 'tis ringing down the street ; And the archways and the pavements Bear the clang of hurrying feet. News of battle ! Who hath brought it ? All are thronging to the gate ; " Warder, warder ! open quickly ! Man, is this a time to wait? " Flodden Field. Aytoun. 4. Hold ! for your lives ! . . . Why, how now, ho I from whence ariseth this ? Othello, Act . //., Sc. 3. Shakespeare. VERY HIGH : 1. Boat, ahoy! Boat, ahoy! Boat, ahoy ! 2. Bursts the storm on Phocis' walls ! Rise ! or Greece forever falls. 3. Up draw-bridge, grooms ! what, warder, ho ! Let the portcullis fall. Marmion, Canto VI. Scott. 4. The Rhine ! the Rhine ! our own imperial river ! Be glory on thy track ! We left thy shores to die or to deliver We bring thee freedom back ! Go tell the seas, that chain shall bind thee never ! Sound on by hearth and shrine ! Sing through the hills that thou art free forever Lift up thy voice, O Rhine ! The Rhine Song. Mrs. Hemans* Low : i. 'Tis midnight's holy hour, and silence now Is brooding like a gentle spirit o'er The still and pulseless world. Hark ! on the winds The bell's deep tones are swelling, 'tis the knell Of the departed year. The Closing Year. Geo. D. Prentice. 10 146 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 2. Bring flowers, pale flowers, o'er the bier to shed, A crown for the brow of the early dead ! For this, through its leaves, hath the white rose burst, For this, in the woods, was the violet nursed. Though they smile in vain for what once was ours, They. are love's last gift. Bring flowers, pale flowers ! Bring Flowers. Mrs. Hemans. 3. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time ; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle ! Life's but a walking shadow ; a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more : it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Macbeth, Act V., Sc. 5. Shakespeare. 4. Hush ! the Dead March wails in the people's ears : The dark crowd moves, and there are sobs and tears ; The black earth yawns ; the mortal disappears ; Ashes to ashes ! dust to dust ! Funeral of Wellington. Tennyson, VERY Low : i. Night, sable goddess, from her ebon throne, In rayless majesty, now stretches forth Her leaden scepter o'er a slumbering world. Silence, how dead ! and darkness how profound ! Nor eye, nor listening ear, an object finds ; Creation sleeps. 'Tis as the general pulse Of life stood still, and Nature made a pause, An awful pause, prophetic of her end. Night Thoughts. Young. PITCH. 147 2. Now o'er the one half world Nature seems dead ; and wicked dreams abuse The curtained sleep : now witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings ; and withered murder, Alarumed by his* sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace, With Tarquin's ravishing strides towards his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth ! Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear The very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Macbeth, Act II. , Sc. i. Shakespeare. 3. Thou breathest, and the obedient storm is still ; Thou speakest, silent, the submissive wave : Man's shattered ship the rushing waters fill, And the hushed billows roll across his grave. Sourceless and endless God ! compared with Thee, Life is a shadowy, momentary dream, And time, when viewed through Thy eternity, Less than the mote of morning's golden beam. 4. Eternity ! thou pleasing, dreadful thought ! Through what variety of untried being, Through what new scenes and changes must we pass ! The wide, th' unbounded prospect lies before me ; But shadows, clouds, and darkness rest upon it. Addison. 5. How it roars, roars, roars, In the iron under-caverns, In the hollows of the shores ; How it roars anew and thunders As the strong hull splits and sunders, And the spent ship, tempest-driven, On reef lies rent and riven How it roars ! The Song of the Sea Wind. Austin Dobson. PROPERTY OF DEPARTMENT OF DRAMATIC ART FORCE. FORCE relates to the degree of energy, not to the manner of applying it ; the latter is the province of STRESS, under which head the principal examples will be given. The degrees of force are subdued, moderate, energetic, rmri $\<\\kimmit. These include the intermediate de- grees. LOUD AND ABRUPT FORCE : i. Dost thou come here to whine ? To outface me by leaping in her grave ? Be buried quick with her, and so will I ; And, if thou prate of mountains, let them Throw millions of acres on us, till our ground, Singeing his pate against the burning zone, Make Ossa like a wart ! Nay, an thou'lt mouth, I'll rant as well as thou* Hamlet, Act. V., Sc. i. Shakespeare. SMOOTH AND SUBDUED FORCE : i. Leaves have their time to fall, And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath, And stars to set ; but all, Thou hast all seasons for thine own, O Death ! We know when moons shall wane, When summer birds from far shall cross the sea, When autumn's hue shall tinge the golden grain ; But who shall teach us when to look for thee ? The Hour of Death . Mrs. Hemans. FORCE. 149 IN SUSTAINED FORCE, The energy is kept up, or sustained, throughout the entire sentence or paragraph. The examples under Thorough Stress will be found good practice in sus- tained force. Force is the principal element in Emphasis. And since emphasis is so important a factor in the expres- sion of thought and feeling, it will be best, before pro* * i *7 ceeding further, to give the following : GENERAL RULES FOR EMPHASIS : ^ I. NEW and SIGNIFICANT ideas should be emphasized. II. CONTRASTED ideas should be emphasized. The rules of elocution, as of all arts, are to be taken with allowance. They are honored with many excep- tions. Hence, they are to be used as general, not special or absolute guides. EXAMPLES UNDER FIRST RULE : 1. If Mr. A. is pronounced a religious man, the Cynic will reply: " Yes, on Sundays." Mr. B. has just joined the church: "Certainly, the elections are coming on." The minister of the gospel is called an example of dili- gence : " It is his trade." Such a man is generous : " Of other men's money." This man is obliging : " To lull sus- picion and cheat you." That man is upright: "Because he is green." The Cynic. H. W. Beecher. 2. The peasant, whose lot was to sow and to reap, The herdsman, who climbed with his goats up the steep. The beggar, who wandered in search of his bread, Have faded away like the grass that we tread. 150 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. The saint, who enjoyed the communion of Heaven, The sinner, who dared to remain unforgiven, The wise and thefootis/i, the guilty and /#.$/, Have quietly mingled their bones with the dust. They loved, but the story we cannot unfold ; They scorned, but the heart of the haughty is cold ; They grieved, but no wail from their slumbers will come ; They joyed, the tongue of their gladness is dumb. O Why Should the Spirit^ etc. William Knox. 3. I'm thinking just now of Nobody, And all that Nobody's done, For I've a passion for Nobody, That nobody else would own ; 1 bear the name of Nobody, For from Nobody I sprung ; And I sing the praise of Nobody, As nobody mine has sung. Nobody 's Song. EXAMPLES UNDER SECOND RULE : 1. Who dotes, yet doubts ; suspects, yet strongly loves. 2. Each morning sees some task begin, Each evening sees it close. The Village Blacksmith, Longfellow. 3. Yea ! hope and despondency, pleasure &&& pain, We mingle together in sunshine and rain ; And the smiles and the tears, the song and the dirge, Still follow each other like surge upon surge. William Knox. 4. I will exert my endeavors, at whatever hazard, to repel the aggressor, and drag the thief to justice what power soever may protect the villainy, and whoever may partake of the plunder. Wm. Pitt. STRESS. 151 MISCELLANEOUS : f . The Cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a man, and never fails to see a bad one. He is the human owl, vigilant in darkness and blind to light, mousing for vermin, and never seeing noble game. The Cynic. H. W. Beecher. 2. The meaning of an extraordinary man is, that he is eight men, not one man. That he has as much wit as if he had no sense, and as much sense as if he had no wit. That his conduct is as judicious as if he were the dullest of hu- man beings, and his imagination as brilliant as if he were irretrievably ruined. Sydney Smith. 3. Good -by to Flattery's fawning face ; To Grandeur with his wise grimace ; To upstart Wealth's averted eye ; To supple Office, low and high ; To crowded halls, to court and street ; To frozen hearts, and hasting feet ; To those who go and those who come ; Good-by, proud world, I'm going home. Good-by. Emerson. STRESS. Stress always falls upon the accented syllable of em- phatic words. When the greatest energy of voice is applied to the first part of the sound, it is called Radical Stress (from radix, root) : to the middle, the Median Stress : to the end, or terminus of the sound/ the Terminal Stress. While, practically, the different stresses gradually shade into each other, yet for purposes of explanation and practice they are treated as distinct. 152 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. MONOTONE : o In Music, the monotone means a tone in which the pitch and force remain the same from commencement to close. In Elocution, it is to be taken in a modified sense ; the pitch and force varying but slightly. The Monotone predominates in solemnity ; and is employed to a limited degree in kindred emotions, such as awe, adoration, and sublimity. Low pitch and slow time prevail in passages requir- ing the Monotone. 1. Toll ! toll ! toll ! Thou bell by billows swung. 2. When thoughts Of the last bitter hour come like a blight Over thy spirit, and sad images Of the stern agony, and shroud and pall, And breathless darkness, and the narrow house, Make thee shudder, and grow sick at heart, Go forth under the open sky, and list To Nature's teachings. Thanatopsis. Bryant. 3. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day ; The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea ; The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me. Elegy. Gray. 4. Thou shalt not bear false witness and thou hast ! Thou shalt not break thine oath and thou hast ! Thou shalt not steal and thou hast stolen my heart ! Thou shalt do no murder and thou hast killed my virgin love ! Debar. .*//, Act 77., Sc. 3. Tr. by C. S. Cheltnam. STRESS. 153 5. I am thy father's spirit : Doomed for a certain term to walk the night, And for the clay confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. Hamlet, Act I., Sc. 5. Skakespeare. MEDIAN STRESS :- In the Median stress, the tone is gradually increased to the middle, and as gradually diminished into silence. As employed in Elocution, the greatest force is nearer the close. This is the stress of sorrow. It is also used in joy and grief, if the joy be not too ecstatic nor the grief too poignant. It is also employed to a limited degree in the expression of sentiments of tenderness, and in pleasantry. In this form, it gives a rhythmical or un- dulating movement to the modulation. Middle and low pitch, and generally slow time, ac- company the median stress. We have an exceptional use of this stress in revenge, in which the guttural quality of voice is employed. 1. Cold is thy brow, my son, and I am chill, As to my bosom I have tried to press thee ! J)avicTs Lament over Absalom. Willis. 2. O the long and dreary winter ! O the cold and cruel winter ! * * #* -x- * # * O the famine and the fever ! O the wasting of the famine ! O the blasting of the fever ! Hiawatha. Longfellow. 3. Farewell, a long farewell to all my greatness ! 154 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 4. AH ! why will kings forget that they are men ! And men, that they are brethren ! 5. OH, my so^t^sjoy ! If after every tempest come such calms, May the winds blow till they have wakened death. Othello, Act //., Sc i. Shakespeare. 6. Oh, soldier ! how sweetly sounds thy lady's lute ! ho\v fragrant are the dew-sprinkled flowers that twine round the casement from which she leans ! That lute shall enchant thee, those flowers shall delight thee no more ! The Dying Knight. 7. Oh, young Lochinvar is come. out of the west ; Through all the wide border his steed was the best ; And save his good broadsword he weapons had none ; He rode all unarmed, and he rode all alone. Marmion, Canto V. Scott - 8. O the magnanimity of Rome ! INTERMITTENT. STRESS: o-vx-vx-vx-^x-^ The Intermittent Stress is a trembling of the voice caused by intense feeling. In music, it is known as the " tremor " and the " tremolo." It is used in the expres- sion of grief, pity, weakness, tenderness, ecstasy, exulta- tion, and in excessive degrees of malignant passions. Although the Intermittent Stress is employed in con- junction with all the stresses, it is generally used in combination with the Median. It intensifies vocal ex- pression when it is incited by the emotions employing it. It should not be produced mechanically, except as a vocal drill, and even then it is best that the glottic action be prompted by at least simulated feeling. In the expression of all the emotions and passions of STRESS. 155 the mind, it is better to allow the organs of speech to be controlled by the feelings, rather than by the will. 1. Ah ! life is a journey of wearisome hours, That the rose of enjoyment but seldom adorns ; And the heart that is soonest awake to the flowers Is always the first to be touched by the thorns. O Think not my Spirits. Moore. 2. Pity the sorrows of a poor old man, Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door, Whose days are dwindled to the shortest span ; Oh ! give relief, and Heav'n will bless your store. The Beggar. Thos. Moss. 3. Dear master, I can go no further : O, I die for food ! Here lie I down, and measure out my grave. Farewell, kind master. JJL As You Like It, Act //., Sc. 6. Shakespeare. 4. " Oh, master, make my father free ! "- " Him and thyself, my noble boy ! " Warmly the painter cried. The Painter of Seville. Susan Wilson. 5. " Why wouldst thou leave me, O gentle child ? Thy home on the mountain is bleak and wild." " O green is the turf where my brothers play Through the long, bright hours of the summer day ; They find the red cup-moss where they climb, And they chase the bee o'er the scented thyme, And the rocks where the heath-flower blooms they know Lady, kind lady, oh, let me go ! " The Adopted Child. Mrs. Hemans. 6. O the banks of the Lee, the banks of the Lee, And love in a cottage for Mary and me ! I know not how love is happy elsewhere, I know not how any but lovers are there. Banks but women oftener. They have lost all desire to be inde- pendent. It is how will the Priggses look at it, that deter- mines them. They must do just as the Priggses do. Out upon the Priggses and all their retinue ! Let us have done with " What'li they think ? " and bury it with the corpses of the bowing, scraping, cringing, and fawning of feudal days, and universal slave ages. Wiiafll They Think? 9. O, did you hear what Master Walter says ! Nine times in ten the town's a hollow thing, Where what things are, is naught to what they show; Where merit's name laughs merit's self to scorn ! Where friendship and esteem, that ought to be The tenants of men's hearts, lodge in their looks And tongues alone. The Hunchback, Act /., Sc. 2. ?. Sheridan Knowles. 170 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. CADENCE : Cadence is a fall of the voice in reading or speak- ing, made either by skip or slide, generally by the latter. The term is usually applied to that descent of the voice at the end of a sentence which denotes completeness of sense. The length of the skip or slide in cadence is de- termined (as with the other inflections) by the nature of the thought and the energy and earnestness of the ex- pression. The cadence or " full stop " in reading is not lim- ited to the grammatical sentence, but when the sense is sufficiently complete is often made at the end of a clause or an auxiliary sentence. 1. One, two, three, four, five. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. 2. Heaped upon the floor, to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, brawn, great joints of meat, sucking pigs, long wreaths of sausages, mince pies, plum puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy oranges, luscious pears, immense twelfth-cakes, and great bowls of punch. Christmas Carol. Dickens. 3. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 4. He shudders gasps Jove help him so, he's dead ! 5. One Country, one Constitution, one Destiny. 6. I was born an American, I live an American, I shall die an American. 7. But, oh, what damned minutes tells he o'er, Who dotes, yet doubts ; suspects, yet strongly loves ! Othello, Act III. , Sc. 3. Shakespeare. 8. He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, Without a grave, unknelled, uncofrlned', and unknown'. Child* Harold, Canto IV. Byron. INFLECTION. 17 I 9. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportion'd thought his act. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel. Hamlet, Act /., Sc. 3. Shakespeare. In a concluding series of particulars, where the last two are connected by a conjunction, the voice gener- ally takes the rising modulation on the last particular but one. This gives a better " rounding of the period." The eighth number above is a good example of such a "series." Questions that can be answered by yes or no generally take the rising inflection ; those that cannot, take the falling. 1. Will you join our party this evening' ? 2. Why did you not call for me' ? In compound questions, the first usually takes the rising, the last the falling modulation. I. Will you make your debut in San Francisco' or in New York' ? The repetition of a question with a change of em- phasis requires a change in the inflection. i. Are the people willing' ? 2. Are the people willing' ? While the inflection of the voice is greater in the more emphatic words of the sentence and upon the last word in a question, yet a corresponding modulation prevails through the entire sentence. Further directions for the employment of the slides are purposely omitted. The cultivation of the voice, the teacher's exemplifications, and the intelligent, though unconscious, guidance of the thought and feeling, are the best means for acquiring the art of modulation. TIME. As already defined, Time relates to duration. Its ele- ments are Quantity, Movement, and Pause. In solemnity and kindred emotions, in expressions in- dicating long time and great distance, and sometimes in irony and scorn, the time is long. That is, the quan- tity and pauses are long and the movement slow. In unimpassioned thought, moderate time is gener- ally used. In energetic and impassioned speech, where the ideas denote great speed, haste, or impatience, quick time is employed. QUANTITY : Quantity relates to the duration of voice upon an element, syllable, or word. As a rule, long quantity is given to the long vowels of the accented syllables of words, and short quantity to the short vowels. But for purposes of expression, the rule is sometimes reversed. For example, the long vowel " o " in " home " is given with short quantity in the sentence below, when given with the required em- phasis : " Hence, HOME ! ye idle creatures, get you HOME ! " While in the following, the short vowel "i " in " pity " is given avith long quantity : "Pity the sorrows of a poor old man ! " As an exercise in Quantity, practice the following words in different degrees of pitch and with varied force and inflection : TIME. 173 i. Long Quantity. eve tame care palm awe home prove tide poise thou new 2. Short Quantity. serene meteor nature favorite staircase parentage plaza armament always awkwardly homeward potato toothache voodooism tyro iodine jointure voyager coward outlawry future utilize it pen earth apt task fop cup foot pretty revel perfect cattle fasten folly dusty brooklet pitying fretfulness terminal canvassing craftily pottery buttercup womanly MOVEMENT : Movement relates to the degree of rapidity with which the successive words in the sentence are deliv- ered. It is dependent upon Quantity and" Pause. Slow. i. Some, o'er the tongue, the labored measures roll, Slow and deliberate as the parting toll ; Point every stop, mark every pause so strong, Their words, like stage processions, stalk along. Modulation, Lloyd. 774 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 2. Thou unrelenting Past ! Strong are the barriers round thy dark domain, And fetters, sure and fast, Hold all that enter thy unbreathing reign. The Past. Bryant. 3. 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. God. Derzhaven. 4. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all genera- tions. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from ever- lasting to everlasting, thou art God. Psalm XC, Moderate. 1. Lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber-upward turns his face ; But when he once attains the upmost round, He then unto the ladder turns his back, Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees By which he did ascend ; so Caesar may ; Then, lest he may, prevent. Julius C&sar, Act II., Sc. i. Shakespeare. 2. In the lexicon of youth, which fate reserves For a bright manhood, there is no such word As fail. Richelieu, Act //., Sc. 2. JSulwer. TIME. 17^ 3. There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune ; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. Julius Ccesar, Act IV.^ Sc. 3. Shakespeare. 4. Because half a dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their importunate chink, whilst thousands of great cattle, reposed beneath the shadow of the British oak, chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field - Burke. Quick. 1. Quick ! man the life-boat ! See yon bark That drives before the blast ! There's a rock ahead, the night is dark, And the storm comes thick and fast. Can human power, in such an hour, Avert the doom that's o'er her ? Her mainmast's gone, but she still drives on To the fatal reef before her. The life-boat ! Man the life-boat ! The Life-Boat. 2. Now you see the water foaming all around. See how fast you pass that point ! Up with the helm ! Now turn ! Pull hard ! quick ! quick ! quick ! pull for your lives ! pull till the blood starts from your nostrils, and the veins stand like whip-cords upon your brow ! Set the mast in its socket ! hoist the sail ! ah ! ah ! it is too late ! Shrieking, cursing, howling, blaspheming ; over they go. Power of Habit. Gough. 3. 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 a steed flying fearless and fleet. Paul Revere 's Ride. Longfellow. 176 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 4. Hear the sledges with the bells Silver bells What a world of merriment their melody foretells ! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night ! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight. The Bells. Poe. 5. Away ! away ! and on we dash ! Torrents less rapid and less rash. Away, away, my steed and I, Upon the pinions of the wind, All human dwellings left behind ; We speed like meteors through the sky, When with its crackling sound the night Is chequer'd with the northern light. Mazeppa. Byron. 6. Gloriously, Max ! gloriously ! There were sixty horses in the field, all mettle to the bone ; the start was a picture away we went in .a cloud pell-mell helter-skelter the fools first, as usual, using themselves up. We soon passed them first your Kitty, then my Blueskin, and Craven's colt last. Then came the tug Kitty skimmed the walls Blue- skin flew over the fences the colt neck-and-neck, and half a mile to run at last the colt baulked a leap and went wild. Kitty and I had it all to ourselves she was three lengths ahead as we breasted the last wall, six feet, if an inch, and a ditch on the other side. Now, for the first time, I gave Blue- skin his head ha ! ha ! Away he flew like a thunderbolt over went the filly I over the same spot, leaving Kitty in the ditch walked the steeple, eight miles in thirty minutes, and scarcely turned a hair. London Assurance, Act III., Sc. i. Boucicault. V PAUSE. PAUSE is the rest or cessation of voice, separating words, clauses, and sentences in reading and speaking, to render thought and feeling more intelligible and more impressive. The grammatical construction of language is indi- cated by marks of punctuation ; the rhetorical construc- tion by pauses. Between these is a correspondence which makes the punctuation marks a general, but not an absolute guide in reading. The longer pauses are usually made where these marks occur ; but pauses are often made where they do not occur, though generally of shorter duration. Since Pause and Movement are elements of Time, the length of the pause is determined by the rate of the movement : slow movement calling for long pauses, and rapid movement for short pauses. RHETORICAL PAUSE: The Rhetorical Pause is a term applied to those pauses which generally occur where there are no gram- matical separations. The more important of them are made, First, where there is a sudden interruption or change in the thought or emotion ; Second, where words are omitted to avoid repetition, to give terseness to the expression, or to shorten the line in metrical composition ; and, 178 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Third, where the pause is made before the utterance of important thought, to excite curiosity or expectancy ; or after, to give the hearer time to grasp the full mean- ing of the emphatic idea. 1. If it live in your memory, begin at this line ; let me see ; let me see : The rugged Pyrrhus, like the Hyrcanian beast, It is not so ; it begins with " Pyrrhus." Hamlet., Act 77., Sc. 2. Shakespeare. 2. Ay, sir, but while the grass grows the proverb is something" musty. Hamlet, Act III., Sc. 2. Id. 3. Some place the bliss in action, some in ease ; Those call it pleasure, and contentment, these. 4. He plunged, he crossed, and Rome was free no more ! Crossing of the Rubicon. Knowles. 5. Thou art thyself thine enemy : The great ! what better they than thou ? As theirs, is not thy will as free ? Has God with equal favors thee Neglected to endow ? True, wealth thou hast not 'tis but dust : Nor place uncertain as the wind; But that thou hast, which with thy crust And water may despise the lust Of both a noble mind. 6. Her neck is bared the blow is struck the soul is passed away ! The bright the beautiful, is now a piece of bleeding clay ! Mary Queen of Scots. Bell. PAUSE. 179 7. O God ! what emotions the speaker awoke ; A mortal he seemed yet a deity spoke ; A man yet so far from humanity riven ; On earth yet so closely connected with heaven. Mrs. Welby. 8. Put out the light, and then put out the light ? If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, Should I repent me ; but once put out thine, Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean heat That can thy light relume. Othello, Act K, Sc. 2. Shakespeare. There is a cessation or rest of the voice that some- times occurs in poetic verse called the CESURAL PAUSE : 1. Hope springs eternal | in the human breast : Man never is, but always to be blest. Essay on Man. Pope. 2. Pealed their first notes | to sound the march of time. *" - 3. On beds of green sea-flowers | thy limbs shall be laid, Around thy white bones | the red coral shall grow ; Of thy fair yellow locks | threads of amber be made, And every part suit | to thy mansion below. The Mariner's Dream. Diamond. In the reading of metrical composition, avoid a sing- song movement of the voice. While there is a rhythm in poetry that should be observed, the sense should never be sacrificed to the measure. Pauses should also be made before or after INVERTED WORDS AND PHRASES : An inverted word is one that, for poetic or rhetorical l8o VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. purpose, is set out of its usual or grammatical order. When carried forward, the pause is made before the word ; when brought back, it is made after. The same is true of inverted phrases. The following are examples : 1. His coward lips did from their color -fly. 2. Through glades and gloom the mingled measure stole, Or o'er some haunted stream with fond delay, Round a holy calm diffusing. 3. Of all crimes ingratitude is the most shameful. Besides the foregoing uses of this element of Time, Pause is the 'most important factor in " Rhetorical Analysis," and in " Rhythmus and Melody of Speech." Pauses furnish resting places for the voice in read- ing and speaking, and afford the only and requisite op- portunities for taking breath. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OR GROUPING. GROUPING of thought is a vocal analysis that holds about the same relation to spoken language as gram- matical analysis does to written. The elements with which Rhetorical Analysis is chiefly concerned are Pitch, Pause, Time, and Stress. By means of these, the leading and subordinate ideas of the sentence may be given their relative value. The principal thought or statement should be placed, as it were, in the foreground of the rhetorical perspective ; the less important in the more remote or middle-ground; and the least important or "parenthetic " ideas in the background of the rhetorical perspective. To show the value of this principle, and the import- ance of " rhetorical analysis " to correct reading and speaking, read the following sentence, first, with uni- form emphasis, pitch, and time, and without pause, and note the confusion of ideas. Then read it with the required emphasis, pause, etc., as indicated. It was the owl that shrieked the fatal bell-man Which gives the stern 'st good-night. IT WAS THE OWL THAT SHRIEKED, the fatal bell-man, Which gives the stern' st good-night. Macbeth, Act II. , Sc. 2. Shakespeare. Practice the following examples until every shade in l82 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. the expression of the thought and feeling is clearly brought out. 1. Perhaps you may have seen, some day, Roses crowding the self-same way, Out of a wilding, way-side bush. An Order for a Pic t tire. Alice Car y. 2. The oak one day addressed the reed. 3. The ocean old, centuries old, Strong as youth and as uncontrolled, Paces restless to and fro, Up and down the sands of gold. Building- of the Ship. Longfellow, 4. But knowledge to their eyes her ample page, Rich with the spoils of time, did ne'er unroll ; Chill penury repressed their noble rage, And froze the genial current of the soul. Elegy. Gray. 5. Yet, by your gracious patience, I will a round, unvarnished tale deliver Of my whole course of love. Othello \ Act /., Sc. 3. Shakespeare. 6. Yet this is Rome, That sat on her seven hills, and, from her throne Of beauty, ruled the world ! Yet we are Romans ! Why, in that elder day, to be a Roman, Was greater than a king ! Rienzi. Mitford. 7. The atrocious crime of being a young man, which, with so much spirit and decency, the honorable gentleman has charged upon me, I shall neither attempt to palliate nor deny. Pitt. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OR GROUPING. 183 8. Forth march'd the chief, and, distant from the crowd, High on the rampart raised his voice aloud. ^ ; * # ^ .#*...* As the loud trumpet's brazen mouth from far, With shrilling clangor sounds th' alarm of war ; So high his dreadful voice the hero rear'd ; Hosts dropp'd their arms, and trembled as they heard. From the Iliad. Pope's Tr. 9. She never told her love, But let concealment, like a worm F the bud, Feed on her damask cheek. Twelfth Night, Act II. , Sc. 4. Shakespeare. 10. Nature to each allots his proper sphere, But that forsaken, we like comets err ; Toss'd through the void, by some rude shock we're broke, And all our boasted fire is lost in smoke. Congreve. 11. 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 ! Marmion, Canto VI, Scott. 12. In Macbeth, for the sake of gratifying his own enor- mous and teeming faculty of creation, Shakespeare has in- troduced two murderers ; and, as usual in his hands, they are remarkably discriminated ; but though in Macbeth the strife of mind is greater than in his wife, the tiger spirit not so awake, and his feeling caught chiefly by contagion from her yet, as both are finally involved in the guilt of murder, the murderous mind of necessity is finally to be presumed in both. Essay on Shakespeare* De Quincey, 184 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 13. Care to our coffin adds a nail, no doubt ; And every laugh so merry draws one out. Expostulatory Odes. John Wolcott. 14. Go, preach to the coward, thou death-telling seer, Or, if gory Culloden so dreadful appear, Draw, dotard, around thy old wavering sight, This mantle, to cover the phantoms of fright. LochieVs Warning. Campbell. In "simile," the thing compared is more important than that to which it is likened. Hence, the latter must always be made subordinate to the former. The eighth and ninth exercises above contain good examples of the simile. EMPHASIS. EMPHASIS, in its widest signification, comprehends the various vocal means by which thought and emotion are made significant and impressive. Emphasis is given in the following three ways : I. BY FORCE : BACK to thy punishment. II. BY TIME : He gave one long lingering look behind. III. BY SLIDE : 1. I come to bu'ry' Caesar, not to prai"se him'. 2. O'\ cer'tainl/, the elec'tions* are coming on\ 3. Thou For'tuneV champion, thou dost never fight' But when her humorous lady'ship' is by To teach thee safe'ty ! King John, Act ///., Sc i. Shakespeare, The above means for giving emphasis are generally used in conjunction, and when so used, one of them usually predominates and characterizes the emphasis. FORCE predominates in impassioned thought. TIME, in the expression of solemnity, awe, sublimity, reverence, endearment, etc., and to denote long time and great distance. SLIDE predominates in contrasted ideas, in irony, rid- icule, etc., and generally in scorn. 186 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. The practical application of the foregoing rules and principles will be found in the following sentences. 1. Rouse, ye Romans ! ROUSE, ye slaves ! Rienzi. Mitford. 2. From every hill, by every sea, In shouts proclaim the great decree, " All chains are burst, all men are free ! " Hurrah, HURRAH, HURRAH ! 3. The war is inevitable, and let it come ! I repeat it, sir, LET IT COME ! Patrick Henry. 4. Come, consecrated Lictors, from your thrones ; Fling down your scepters ; take the rod and ax, And make the murder, as you make the law ! Catiline. Croly. 5. Cry " Havoc ! " and let slip the dogs of war. Julius Ccesar, Act III., Sc. i. Shakespeare. 6. Arm, gentlemen, to arms ! for I have thrown A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth. Now, by my sword, I will kill ail his coats ; I'll murder all his wardrobe piece by piece, Until I meet the king. Henry IV., Part I.^ActV., Scs. 2 and 3. Shakespeare. 7. Up and away ! Our soldiers stand full fairly for the day. 8. He loosed the steed his slack hand fell upon the silent face He cast one long deep troubled look, then turned from that sad place ! Bernardo del Carpio. Mrs. Hentans. 9. The time is long past, and the scene is afar, Yet, when my head rests on its pillow, Will memory sometimes rekindle the star That blazed on the breast of the billow. The Light-House. Moore. EMPHASIS. 187 10. Soldier, rest ! thy warfare o'er, Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking ; Dream of battle-fields no more, Days of danger, nights of waking. In our isle's enchanted hall, Hands unseen thy couch are strewing ; Fairy strains of music fall, Every sense in slumber dewing. Lady of the Lake, Canto I. Scott. 11. See how she leans her cheek upon her hand ! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek ! Romeo and Juliet^ Act //., Sc. 2. Shakespeare. 12. Thou glorious mirror ! where the Almighty's form Glasses itself in tempests ; in all time, Calm or convulsed, in breeze, or gale, or storm, Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime Dark-heaving, boundless, endless, and sublime ! Childe Harold, Canto IV. Byron. 13. And louder yet into Winchester rolled The roar of that red sea uncontrolled, Making the blood of the listener cold, As he thought of the stake in that fiery fray, And Sheridan twenty miles away! Sheridan's Ride. T. B. Read. 14. We live in deeds'", not years''; in thought", not breath' ; In feelings', not in figures on a dial' ; We should count time by heart throbs. He most lives Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best. Festus. Bailey. 1 88 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 15. They come, and to my beard they dare To tell me now, that I, Their own liege lord and master born That I ha ! ha ! must die ! Baron Rudiger. A . G. Greene, 16. For he made me mad To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet, And talk so like a waiting gentlewoman, Of guns, and drums, and wounds heaven save the mark And telling me the sovereign'st thing on earth Was spermaceti for an inward bruise. Henry IV. , Part I. , A ct I. , Sc. 3. Shakespeare. 17. "Thou art a cobbler, art thou ? " " Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl" Julius Crrow, then, the money ? Ric\elieu, Act I., Sc. 2. Buliver. Authority : Mark where she stands 1 around her form I draw The awful circle of our solemn church ! Set but a foot within that holy ground, And on the head yea, though it wore a crown I launch the curse of Rome ! Id., Act IV., Sc. 2. Id. Awe : Silence, how dead ! and darkness, how profound ! Nor eye, nor listening ear, an object finds ; Creation sleeps ! Night Thoughts. Young. Braggart : I am a rogue if I were not at half-sword with a dozen of them two hours together. I have 'scaped by a miracle. K. Henry IV. , Pt. I., Act II. , Sc. 4. Shakespeare. Boasting : Ah ! were I younger by the knightly heart That beats beneath these priestly robes, I would Have pastime with these cut-throats ! Richelieu, Act II. , Sc. 2. Bultver. Caution : Silence ; no more ; go closely in with me, Much danger do I undergo for thee. King John, Act IV., Sc. i. Shakespeare. 228 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Chagrin : Why was I raised the meteor of the world, Hung in the skies, and blazing as I travel'd, Till all my fires were spent ; and then cast downward, To be trod out by Cassar ? A II for Love, A ct I. Dry den. Cogitation : I'll have these players Play something like the murder of my father, Before mine uncle : I'll observe his looks ; I'll tent him to the quick ; if he but blench, I know my course. Hamlet, Act. II., Sc. 2. Shakespeare. Courage : " Art thou a friend to Roderick ? " " No ! " " Thou darest not call thyself a foe ? " " I dare ! to him and all the band He brings to aid his murderous hand." Lady of the Lake, Canto IV. Scott. Command : The game's afoot ; Follow your spirit : and upon this charge, Cry God for Harry ! England ! and Saint George ! Henry V., Act ///., Sc. i. Shakespeare. Contempt : Hence ! rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones Out of thy garments ! Coriolan-us, Act 111., Sc. i. Id. Defiance : Avaunt ! my name is Richelieu I defy thee ! Richelieu, A ct IV. , Sc. z. Bulwer. Defiant Address : Whence and what art thou, execrable shape ! That dar'st, though grim and terrible, advance Thy miscreated front athwart my way To yonder gates ? through them I mean to pass, That be assured, without leave ask'd of thee : Retire or taste thy folly ; and learn by proof, Hell-born ! not to contend with spirits of Heaven. Paradise Lost, Book //. Milton. LANGUAGE OF THE EMOTIONS AND PASSIONS. 229 Defiant Reply : Back to thy punishment, False fugitive ! and to thy speed add wings ; Lest with a whip of scorpions I pursue Thy lingering ; or with one stroke of this dart Strange horrors seize thee, and pangs unfelt before ! Paradise Lost, Book II, Milton. Derision : What, will the aspiring blood of Lancaster Sink in the ground ? I thought it would have mounted. See how my sword weeps for the poor king's death ! Richard III., Act /., Sc. 3. [Play Edition : Arranged by Gibbon.] Shakespeare. Despair : He is in the mighty deep. . . . Men are no more. . . . Help ! help ! he shouts incessantly. Nothing in the horizon, nothing in the sky. He implores the blue vault, the waves, the rocks ; all are deaf. He supplicates the tempest : the impenetrable tempest obeys only the Infinite. . . . He yields to despair, , . . and he is rolled away into the dismal depths of the abyss forever. Despair. Victor Hugo. Disdain : I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following ; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. Merchant of Venice, Act I., Sc. 3, Shakespeare. Ecstasy : Her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright, That birds would sing and think it were not night. Romeo and Jitliet, Act II., Sc. 2. Id. Entreaty : Oh father if you let me call you so I never came a-begging for myself, Or William, or this child ; but now I come For Dora ; take her back ; she loves thee well. Dora. Tennyson. 230 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Exclamation : Ye eagles, playmates of the mountain storm ! Ye lightnings, the dread arrows of the clouds ! Ye signs and wonders of the elements ! Utter forth God, and fill the hills with praise ! Hymn before Sunrise. Coleridge. Expectancy : But, soft ! what light through yonder window breaks ? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. ***###.* She speaks, yet she says nothing ; what of that ? Her eye discourses ; I will answer it. Romeo and Juliet, Act //., Sc. 2. Shakespeare. Exultation : Be it said in letters both bold and bright : Here is the steed that saved the day By carrying Sheridan into the fight From Winchester twenty miles away. Sheridan s Ride. T. Buchanan Read. Fear : Ah ! mercy on my soul ! What is that ? My old friend's ghost ? They say none but wicked folks walk ; I wish I were at the bottom of a coal-pit. See ! how long and pale his face has grown since his death : he never was handsome ; and death has improved him very much the wrong way. Pray do not come near me ! I wished you very well when you were alive ; but I could never abide a dead man, cheek by jowl with me. Ah, ah, mercy on us ! No nearer, pray ! Ah ! ah ! Molierc. / Gayety : Fill again to the brim ! again to the brim ! For water strengtheneth life and limb ! To the days of the aged it addeth length, To the might of the strong it addeth strength ; It freshens the heart, it brightens the sight, 'Tis like quaffing a goblet of morning light ! LANGUAGE OF THE EMOTIONS AND PASSIONS. 231 Graphic Description : And now with shouts the shocking armies closed, To lances lances, shields to shields opposed ; Host against host the shadowy legions drew, The sounding darts, an iron tempest, flew, Victors and vanquished join promiscuous cries, Triumphing shouts and dying groans arise ; With streaming blood the slippery field is dyed, And slaughtered heroes swell the dreadful tide. Iliad, V. Homer. Grief : Alas ! sir, In what have I offended you ? what cause Hath my behavior given to your displeasure, That thus you should proceed to put me off, And take your good grace from me ? Henry VI I I., Act //., Sc. 4. Shakespeare. Horror : O God ! that horrid, horrid dream Besets me now awake ! Again again, with dizzy brain, The human life I take ; And my red right hand grows raging hot, Like Cranmer's at the stake. The Dream of Eugene Aram. Thomas Hood, Imagination : Oh, who can hold a fire in his hand, By thinking on the frosty Caucasus ! Or cloy the hungry edge of Appetite, By bare imagination of a feast ? Or wallow naked in December snow, By thinking on fantastic summer's heat? Oh, no ! the apprehension of the good Gives but the greater feeling to the worse. King Richard II., Act I., Sc. 3. Shakespeare. Impatience : He said he would not ransom Mortimer : Forbade my tongue to speak of Mortimer. But I will find him when he lies asleep, And in his ear I'll holla "Mortimer ! " 232 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Nay, I'll have a starling taught to speak Nothing but " Mortimer," and give it him, To keep his anger still in motion. K. Henry IV., Pt. I., Act I., Sc. 3. Shakespeare. Ingratitude : Filial ingratitude ! Is it not, as if this mouth should tear this hand For lifting food to it ? . . . In such a night To shut me out ! King Lear, A ct III. , Sc. 4. Id. Jealousy : Why ! why is this ? Think'st thou I'd make a life of jealousy, To follow still the changes of the moon With fresh suspicions ? No : to be once in doubt, Is once to be resolved. Othello, Act III., Sc. 3. Shakespeare. Joy : Then sing, ye birds, sing, sing a joyous song ! And let the young lambs bound As to the tabor's sound ! We in thought will join your throng, Ye that pipe and ye that play, Ye that through your hearts to-day Feel the gladness of the May ! Intimations of Immortality. Wordsworth, Love : My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep ; the more I give to thee The more I have, for both are infinite. Romeo and Juliet. Act //., Sc. 2, Shakespeare. Malice : Poison be their drink ! Gall, worse than gall, the daintiest that they taste ! Their sweetest shade a grove of cypress trees ! Their chiefest prospect murd'ring basilisks ! Henry VI., Pt. II., Act III., Sc. 2. Id. LANGUAGE OF THE EMOTIONS AND PASSIONS. 233 Melancholy : With eyes upraised, as one inspired, Pale Melancholy sat retired ; And from her wild, sequestered seat, In notes by distance made more sweet, Poured through the mellow horn her pensive soul. Ode on the Passions. Collins. Mirth : Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee Jest and youthful jollity, Quips, 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, L? Allegro, I. Milton, Pathetic Appeal : Yet while my Hector still survives, I see My father, mother, brother, all in thee. Alas ! my parents, brothers, kindred, all Once more will perish, if my Hector fall ! Thy wife, thy infant, in thy danger share : Oh, prove a husband's and a father's care. Iliad, Book VI. Homer [Pope's Tr.] Perplexity : God knows I'm not myself I'm somebody else that's me yonder no that's somebody else got into my shoes. I was myself last night, but I fell asleep on the mountain, and they've changed my gun, and everything's changed, and I'm changed, and I can't tell what's my name, or who I am I Rip Van Winkle. Irving. Piteous Appeal : Pity the sorrows of a poor old man, Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door, Whose days are dwindled to the shortest span : Oh ! give relief, and Heaven will bless your store. The Beggar. Thomas Moss. 234 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Poignant Regret : O Cromwell, Cromwell, Had- 1 but served my God with half the zeal I served my King . . . He would not in mine age, Have left me naked to my enemies. K. Henry VIII., Act III., Sc. 2. Shakespeare. Power : Oh, godlike Power ! Woe, Rapture, Penury, Wealth, Marriage and Death, for one infirm old man, Through a great empire to dispense withhold As the will whispers ! Richelieu, Act I., Sc. 2. Bulwer. Pride : Ay, every inch a king ! K. Lear, Act IV., Sc. 6. Shakespeare. Remorse : I have been to blame to blame. I have killed my son ! I have killed him but I loved him my dear son ! May God forgive me ! I have been to blame ! Kiss me, my children. Dora. Tennyson. Reproach : O proper stuff ! This is the very painting of your fear : This is the air-drawn dagger, which, you said, Led you to Duncan. Macbeth , A ct III. , Sc. 4. Shakespeare. Ridicule : Rather than fail, they will defy That which they love most tenderly ; Quarrel with mince pies, and disparage Their best friend plum porridge ; Fat pig and goose itself oppose, And blaspheme custard through the nose. Hudibras. Butler. Sarcasm : Fair sir, you spat 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, Act /., Sc. 3. Shakespeare. LANGUAGE OF THE EMOTIONS AND PASSIONS. 235 Scorn : I scorn to count what feelings, withered hopes, Strong- provocations, bitter, burning wrongs, I have within my heart's hot cells shut up, To leave you in your lazy dignities. Catiline. m Crcly. Self-Denunciation : Am I a coward ? Who calls me villain ? breaks my pate across ? Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face ? Tweaks me by the nose ? gives me the lie i' the throat, As deep as to my lungs ? Who does me this ? Ha ! Why, I should take it : for it cannot be, But I am pigeon-livered, and lack gall To make oppression bitter. Hamlet, Act II. , Sc. 2. Shakespeare, Spirited Action : Now storming fury rose, And clamor such as heard in heaven till now Was never ; arms on armor clashing brayed Horrible discord, and the maddening wheels Of brazen chariots ; dire was the noise Of conflict ; overhead the dismal hiss Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew, And flying, vaulted either host with fire. Paradise Lost, Book VI. Milton. Solicitude : How earnest thou hither, tell me ? and where- fore ? The orchard walls are high, and hard to climb ; And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here. Romeo and Juliet, Act II., Sc. 2. Shakespeare. Solemnity : All that breathe Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care Plod on, and each one, as before, will chase His favorite phantom ; yet all these shall leave 236 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Their mirth and their employments, and shall come And make their bed with thee. As the long train Of ages glides away, the sons of men The youth in life's green spring, and he who goes In the full strength of years, matron, and maid, And the sweet babe, and the gray-headed man Shall one by one be gathered to thy side By those who in their turn shall follow them. Thanatopsis. Bryant. Sorrow : O, ever thus, from childhood's hour, I've seen my fondest hopes decay ; I never loved a tree or flower, But 'twas the first to fade away. I never nursed a dear gazelle, To glad me with its soft black eye, But when it came to know me well, And love me, it was sure to die. The Fire-Worshipers. Moore. Sublimity : Thou glorious mirror ! where the Almighty's form Glasses itself in tempests ; in all time, Calm or convulsed, in breeze, or gale, or storm, Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime Dark heaving ; boundless, endless, and sublime, The image of Eternity, the throne Of the Invisible ; even from out thy slime The monsters of the deep are made ; each zone Obeys thee, thou goest forth, dread, fathomless, alone! Childe Harold, Canto IV. Byron. Suspicion : Let me have men about me that are fat ; Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep o' nights : Yond-' Cassius has a lean and hungry look ; He thinks too much ; such men are dangerous. Julius Ccesar, Act /., Sc. z. Shakespeare. Terror : Angels and ministers of grace defend us ! Hamlet, Act /., Sc. 4. Id. LANGUAGE OF THE EMOTIONS AND PASSIONS. 237 Threat : Dark gamester ! . . . . Lose not a trick ! By this same hour to-morrow Thou shalt have France, or I thy head ! Richelieu, Act IV., Sc. 2. Bulwer. Tranquillity : One moment I looked from the hill's gentle slope, All hushed was the billows' commotion, And o'er them the light-house looked lovely as hope, That star of life's tremulous ocean. The Light-House. Moore. Trust : For us whatever's undergone Thou knowest, wiliest what is done. Grief may be joy misunderstood ; Only the Good discerns the good. I trust thee while my days go on. De Profundis. E. B. Bronuning- Veneration : This royal throne of kings, this sceptered isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise ; This fortress, built by nature for herself, Against infection and the hand of war ; * ****** This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England ! Richard II. , Act 77., Sc. i. Shakespeare. Vindictiveness : Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death, Vagabond exile, flaying, pent to linger But with a grain a day, I would not buy Their mercy at the price of one fair word ; Nor check my courage for what they can give, To have't with saying, Good morrow. Coriolanus, Act III., Sc, 3, 7*/. Warning : Lochiel ! Lochiel ! beware of the day When the Lowlands shall meet thee in battle array ! 238 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. For a field of the dead rushes red on my sight, And the clans of Culloden are scattered in fight : They rally ! they bleed ! for their kingdom and crown ; Woe, woe to the riders that trample them down ! Lochiers Warning. Campbell. Wit: [Chief Justice.} Well! the truth is, Sir John, you live in great infamy. \Falstaff.\ He that buckles him in my belt, cannot live in less. [Ch. Just.'} Your means are very slender and your waste great. [Fal.\ I would it were otherwise ; I would my means were greater, and my waist slenderer. K. Henry IV., Part //., Act /., Sc. 2. Shakespeare. Woe : O piteous spectacle ! O bloody times ! While lions war and battle for their dens, Poor harmless lambs abide their enmity. . . . Woe above woe ! grief more than com- mon grief ! K. Henry VI. , Pt. III., Act II., Sc. 5. Id. HINTS TO THE STUDENT OF ELOCUTION. Study the text of what you read, that you may not be confined too closely to the book. Never read to others what you do not thoroughly understand. . " Think the thought 1 ' intently and clearly when read- ing or speaking. In description, form in the mind well-defined pictures of the things or scenes described. What you would have others see, you must yourself see ; what feel, you must feel. Read f0, and not at or over the audience. HINTS TO THE STUDENT OF ELOCUTION. 239 Cultivate direct address. Speak to the individual, not to the multitude. Regulate the voice to the size of the auditorium. Commence in a low pitch, speaking slowly and dis- tinctly, and gradually elevate the voice without undue effort until conscious of being heard and understood by all in the house. Generally, the larger the audito- rium, the higher must be the pitch and the slower the time. In halls that echo badly, speak slowly, distinctly, and with moderate force, always giving the sound time to return. You can neither run away from echo nor beat it back. As your shadow, it will follow at your heels, and like a hungry wolf, howl in your ears. The experienced speaker can judge of the ability of his voice to reach the more distant points, by the de- gree of exertion required to fill the auditorium ; and he may estimate the interest of his hearers, by the degree of attention given. In the use of the voice, let the rule be, economy, con- sistent with efficiency. Endeavor to liberate as well as develop. Do not seek for power in the throat, but in the dia- phragm and the abdominal muscles, The respiratory muscles are the "handles" to the "voice-bellows/' and upon them the speaker should depend for power. The directions given in the division on " Voice Cul- ture," may be repeated with emphasis here : Speak THROUGH the throat not with it, letting the tone lay hold of the throat, and not the throat hold of the tone. Do not let u the vowels swallow up the consonants." 240 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. The vowel elements of speech are the soul of lan- guage ; the consonants, the intellect. The former are the vehicles of emotion ; the latter, of thought. " Raftered by firm-laid consonants ; windowed by open- ing vowels." Upon the vowels depend the musical and carrying qualities of the voice ; upon the consonants, distinct- ness. The voice should be allowed to " play around the middle pitch," modulating with freedom above and be- low this line as a common level. Form the tone well forward in the mouth, giving a generous separation of the teeth and lips. Control that unruly member, the tongue, by letting it lie flat in the lower jaw when not in use. Do not " mouth " the words, " as many of our play- ers " and other speakers do, but let them drop from the tongue and lips like new coin from the mint, each worth the amount stamped on the face. And, when the lan- guage or occasion calls for it, let the words roll from the tongue, like the waters down the rocky gorge, in a torrent terrible and strong, or burst from the mouth like shot from the cannon, thundering and crashing their way into the mind and heart of the hearer. Do not practice before an audience. The practice should precede the public effort. Be the master of details, not their slave. " Genius is the art of taking great pains." Have the mind occupied by the matter, not the man- ner. He who labors for words, either in recitation or in oratory, speaks at a disadvantage. Facile thought, HINTS TO THS STUDENT OF ELOCUTION. 241 facile speech. Goethe says, He only is master of his art who can do it playfully. From mental poise or self-possession, come vocal poise and physical freedom. Natural respiration, an easy and free attitude, grace of movement, and a calm, clear, and well-balanced mind, are some of the condi- tions essential to success in oratory. The province of elocution, is to clear away the ob- structions and open up the channels through which thought and feeling, by means of Voice and Action, seek to express themselves. Let your aim be to create not to imitate. " One good thought, But known to be thine own, Is better than a thousand, gleaned From fields by others sown." Do not speak the lungs empty, but keep them com- fortably filled. Acquire the habit of taking in a little breath at the short pauses, as well as at the long. Quintilian says, " It is useful to get by heart, what is designed for the exercise of the voice." Thorough memorization facilitates fluency of speech. Daily physical and vocal exercises are essential to the best and quickest results in the study of elocution. More fail from lack of study than from lack of tal- ent. The student of ordinary ability, with industry, will succeed where the indolent genius (and geniuses are proverbially lazy) will fail. Even serious impedi- ments in speech are not serious impediments to success where there is indomitable will and perseverance. De- mosthenes, Jack Curran, Canon Kingsley, and a host of others could be mentioned, who were not more dis- 16 242 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. tinguished for their attainments in oratory, than they were remarkable for the physical and vocal defects they were required to overcome. For strengthening the lungs, the following is a good exercise : Let one person whisper a sentence in abrupt stress to another person a short distance away. If heard, let the person so addressed whisper it back. From day to day, increase the distance. If the exer- cise rasps the throat or causes much fatigue, stop and rest. No exercise should be carried to excess. Do not use the voice soon after eating. Avoid vigorous vocal exercises when suffering from a cold. Hot and very cold drinks are injurious. Tobacco and alcoholic liquors are also detrimental to the voice. Let your motto be, Temperance in all things. Never force the voice beyond its normal strength. A frequent change of pitch and force in speaking is restful, to speaker and hearer alike. Avoid the more vigorous exercises of the gymna- sium. Any physical exercise that puts you u out of breath " is bad. Practice, mostly, those movements that are accompanied with grace. Such exercises, if given with energy, will develop strength as well. Avoid over-heated, damp, and dusty rooms. Bad ventilation is as ruinous to the voice as to the health. Seek fresh air, but not draughts. Take plenty of outdoor exercise, look upon the bright side of things practice the " Laughing Exer- HINTS TO THE STUDENT OF ELOCUTION. 243 else," in earnest be not annoyed at trifles work, not worry wait not for opportunity, but make it what you understand, endeavor to do well ; if you fail, " for- get the Past in the reformation of the Future," shun shams and charlatans encourage modesty and worth be self-reliant, but not conceited, remembering that others know something as well as yourself, and that none know it all, climb to position on Merit's ladder, that no adverse storms may shake you from your place and purpose pay heed to these, and many other things that were better said than printed in an " elocutionary work of dignity " (as is honestly, but facetiously sug- gested by a friend and critic), and you will be more successful as a student of elocution, and will thank the author for " making the opportunity " for giving these few homely hints, which the strait-jacket of textual composition would not permit. In conclusion, I would commend to the student, as a fitting climax of all elocutionary instruction, the study of HAMLET'S ADVICE TO THE PLAYERS. Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue : but if you mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the town-crier had spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus : but use all gently : for in the very torrent, tempest, and (as I may say) the whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance,, that may give it smoothness. O, it offends me to the soul, to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a pas- sion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings ; who, for the most part, are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise : I 244 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. would have such a fellow whipped for o'er doing Terma- gant : it out-herods Herod : pray you avoid it. Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor : suit the action to the word, the word to the action ; with this special observance, that you o'er- step not the modesty of nature ; for anything so over- done 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 ; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskillful laugh, cannot but make the judi- cious grieve ; the censure of the which one, must, in your allowance, o'erweigh a whole theater of others. O, there be players, that I have seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly, not to speak it profanely, that, neither having the accent of Christians, nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor man, have so strutted, and bellowed, that I have thought some of Nature's journeymen had made men, and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably. ADVICE TO SPEAKERS. Be brief, be pointed ; let your matter stand Lucid, in order, solid, and at hand : Spend not your words on trifles, but condense ; Strike with mass of thoughts, not drops of sense ; Press to the close with vigor, once begun, And leave (how hard the task !) leave off when done. Who draws a labored length of reasoning out, Puts straw in lines for winds to whirl about ; Who draws a tedious tale of learning o'er, Counts but the sands on ocean's boundless shore. HINTS TO THE STUDENT OF ELOCUTION. 245 Victory, if gained, is gained by battles fought ; Not by the numbers, but the forces brought. What boots success in skirmish or in fray, If rout or ruin, following, close the day ? What worth a hundred posts, maintained with skill, If, these all held, the foe is victor still ? He who would win his cause, with power must frame Points of support, and look with steady aim ; Attack the weak, defend the strong with art, Strike but few blows, but strike them to the heart : All scattered fires but end in smoke and noise, The scorn of men, the idle play of boys. Keep, then, this first great precept ever near ; Short be your speech, your matter strong and clear ; Earnest your manner, warm and rich your style, Severe in taste, yet full of grace the while ; So may you reach the loftiest heights of fame, And leave, when life is past, a deathless name. Judge Story. PROPERTY OF ' DEPABTHEHT OF DRAMATIC ART SELECTIONS. [Several of the following selections have been written and copy-righted specially for Voice Culture and Elocution, and permission has been obtained from authors and publishers for the use of others. With the exception of a few pieces intended only for class readings and recitations, the selections here given will be found a choice list for parlor, school, and public recitals.] THE KITCHEN CLOCK. JOHN VANCE CHENEY. [From u Thistle Drift."] KNITTING is the maid o' the kitchen, Milly ; Doing nothing, sits the chore boy, Billy : Seconds reckoned, Seconds reckoned; Every minute, Sixty in it. Milly, Billy, Billy, Milly, Tick-tock, tock-tick, Nick-knock, knock-nick, Knockety-nick, nickety-knock," Goes the kitchen clock. Closer to the fire is rosy Milly, Every whit as close and cozy, Billy : Time's a-flying, Worth your trying ; Pretty Milly Kiss her, Billy ! SELECTIONS. 247 Milly, Billy, Billy, Milly, Tick-tock, tock-tick, Now now, quick quick! Knockety-nick, nickety-knock, " Goes the kitchen clock. Something's happened, very red is Milly ; Billy boy is looking very silly : ' Pretty misses, Plenty kisses ; Make it twenty, Take a plenty. Billy, Milly, Milly, Billy, Right-left, left-right, That's right, all right, Knockety-nick, nickety-knock, " Goes the kitchen clock. Weeks gone, still they're sitting, Milly, Billy ; O, the winter winds are wondrous chilly ! ' Winter weather, Close together ; Wouldn't tarry, Better marry, Milly, Billy, Billy, Milly, Two one, one two, Don't wait, 'twon't do, Knockety-nick, nickety-knock," Goes the kitchen clock. Winters two have gone, and where is Milly? Spring has come again, and where is Billy ? ; Give me credit, For I did it ; 248 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Treat me kindly, Mind you wind me. Mister Billy, Mistress Milly, My O, O my ! By-by, by-by, Nickety-knock, cradle rock," Goes the kitchen clock. BARNYARD MELODIES. FRED EMERSON BROOKS. DELIGHTFUL change from the town's abode, Is a charming drive on a country road ; From the stifling air of the city's street To the perfumed air of the daisies sweet. You halt your team at the farmer's gate, He comes to open it ; while you wait, Old Rover comes bounding down the hill In spite of his master's " Rover, be still ! " His barking shakes his thick shaggy coat, While these notes roll from his deep-toned throat Bow -wow -wow -wow ! Bow -wow 'Wow -wow ! On either side the fat hens take leg, While others announce a new-laid egg, Cut-cut-cut cut-da-cut ! Cut-cul-cut cut-da-cut ! The rooster, shrill spokesman for the brood, Says one-third polite and two-thirds rude : I'm Cock-a-doodle-doo! And who the deuce are you ? SELECTIONS. 249 The ducks and drakes have the self-same quack, They're just alike, save the curl at the back; For " divers " reasons they go to the pond, For "sun-dry " reasons they strut around, And waddle off like sailors a-spreeing, And talk like doctors when disagreeing: Quack-quack-quack-quack ! Quack-quack-quack-quack / The turkey gobbler comes charging round With ruffled temper and wings aground; For fear he might his foe overtake He gives alarm, then puts on the brake : Plip-gobble-obble-obble / Plip-gobble-obble-obble / The hog in the trough with dirty feet, The more you give him the more he'll eat ; This gourmand finds nothing to desire When half asleep in the half-dried mire: R-r-r-ough-jf J r-r-r-ough-Jf 7 R-r-r-ough-jf r-r-r-ough-jf 7 The sow is teaching her litter of shoats To speak hog-latin with guttural throats : Ugh-ce / ugh-ee ! ugh-ee / ugh-ee / Ugh-ee! ugh-ee! ugh-ee J ugh- / The calf and lamb at distance dispute The right of bin with the horned brute ; Their blat and bleat the hard-headed scorns Where right and wrong's a question of horns; Bah ! bah ! Beh-eh-eh-eh-eh ! Bah ! bah / Beh-eh-eh-eh-eh / The barefoot boy, from the tender rows Of corn, is driving the " pesky crows ; " t 250 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. He stubs his toe, and they mock his pain ; He throws a stone and they're off again : Caiv-caw-caiv-caw ! Caw-caiv-caw-caw ! From out the meadow the lowing kine, Treading the buttercups, come in line ; Come with their soft tread through the grass, Answering the call of the farmer's lass: Co* boss ! co* boss / co> boss / moo ! Co' boss ! co* boss ! co* boss ! moo ! They stand there meekly chewing their cud, Whacking their sides with a sudden thud To battle the flies ; the swinging tail Meanwhile drops down in the frothing pail : So boss ! so boss / so-so-so ! Standstill, Brindle ! Heist! so! so/ The king of the herd, imprisoned a-field, Is hooking the bars, quite loth to yield! He paws up the earth with muscles tense, And then, pacing down the long line-fence, On neighboring chief, with haughty mien And challenge hoarse, he vents his spleen : Mow-ow-ush ! moiv-ow-ush ! Moiv-oo / mow-oo ! ow-ush / The mare knee deep in the clover bed Caresses her nursing thoroughbred ; The well-fed oxen in stanchions meek; The plowboy grooming his horses sleek; They whisk their tails and nip at his back, While down the curry-comb comes a-whack : " Whoa, Dan / you rascal, stand still / ! cxh ! cxh ! Gee up tkar, Bill'" SELECTIONS. 251 The barn well filled with the bursting sheaves ; The swallows twittering 'neath the eaves Their song of plenty. The farmer's heart, Like his barn, is full ! While he walks apart And chants his thankfulness as he goes By whistling the only tune he knows : " Yankee Doodle /" [Goes off whistling.] THE HERO OF LAKE ERIE. FRED EMERSON BROOKS. JOHN MAYNARD stood at the steamer's wheel; A common sailor, but true as steel. Looking for heroes, you'd pass him by Unless you happened to catch his eye, That lens of the soul where one looks through To find if, or not, a man will do To leave at a post when danger is rife, And stand there firm at the cost of his life, And then you'll agree, with Captain "Dan," That rough John Maynard was just the man. Lake Erie was calm, the sky was clear : The steamer sped, as the fallow deer Darts through the grass on the prairie old/ 'Twas life on deck, but death in the hold. Little the joyful passengers knew, As song rolled out o'er the water blue, The echo sent back from the distant shore Was grief's applaiise and death's encore. The captain stood by the engineer ; His face turned pale with a sudden fear : A burst of smoke no need to inquire, That crackling noise " The steamer's on fire ! " 252 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Full quickly now his firm orders came: " Do all you can to keep back the flame ! Give all the steam the engine will stand: Our only hope is to make for land. "John Maynard ! " "Ay, ay!" " To the nearest shore! Stand firm by the wheel as never before ! The steamer's afire ! On you I depend To save these souls! Will you stand to the end?'' " Aye, aye, sir ! " John's words were ever few 'Tis always the case with men that do. And still the captain's commands came loud. And rang out clear o'er the wailing crowd: " All passengers out on the for'a'd deck! We'll do our best to keep it in check, Shut passages up, all hatchways close : Stand by, my good men, and man the hose ! " The passengers rush to the figure-head, As if in flight from some terrible dread Close crowding up where there's little room : Clinging despair on the neck of doom. All hands have come up from down below ; Their battle short, a moment or so. " The engine runs without engineer," The captain said, " but some one must steer: Will you stand firm? " John made no reply: He would not speak without his "Ay, ay /" He thought of home that held all his joy; His fond wife holding her bright-eyed boy, With fat arms clinging to mother's neck, But ready for romps at his father's beck : Two loves outweighing the world to him ; What need to die? 'Twas an easy swim; SELECTIONS. 253 He'd not be missed in the thick, black smoke; His hand e'en slipped from the tiller spoke: ({ Shall I stand here and give up my life, And leave to want, my baby and wife, Far worse to me than to stand and burn ? " But some voice whispered : " 'Tis now your turn" Through rifts in the smoke those faces plead; He thinks of Him once willing to bleed ; The voice of the captain pleads once more : " Will you stand firm till we reach the shore ? " All, breathless, wait his final reply It comes at last, sailor-like ; "Ay, ay ! " " Be calm ! " said the captain, " wail no more ! A hero stands there yonder the shore; Have faith in him, though you can't see through The thick, black smoke, yet he'll die for you ! There's no greater faith beneath the sky Than that I place in Maynard's * ay, ay.' " Beneath the deck 'twas a fiery maze, Like some great furnace all ablaze ; While hot smoke rose in its awful gloom, As if to conceal that pilot's doom. With one spot free where passengers stand, The fiery demon rushes for land. The tiller-house like a furnace grew ; The smoke gives way, as the flames burst through The upper deck and go roaring aft, Then slowly creep up against the draft, Like unbent sails crawling up the mast, Till pilot house is enveloped at last. The wheel and engine stop at the shore, That hero's " Ay, ay ! " hushed evermore. He stood there firm at the heated wheel, He stood there firm till he felt the keel 254 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Grate in the sand of the shallow shore Till human flesh could stand it no more ; And falling down on his funeral pyre, His soul went up in chariot of fire. Jehovah, the Captain, called him on high ; John Maynard obeyed with his last " Ay, ay ! " CREEDS OF THE BELLS. GEO. W. BUNGAY. How sweet the chime of the Sabbath bells ! Each one its creed in music tells, In tones that float upon the air. As soft as song, as pure as prayer; And I will put in simple rhyme The language of the golden chime ; My happy heart with rapture swells Responsive to the bells, sweet bells. < f In deeds of love excel ! excel ! " Chimed out from ivied towers a bell; " This is the church not built on sands, Emblem of one not built with hands ; Its forms and sacred rites revere, Come worship her<*! come worship here ! In rituals and faith excel ! " Chimed out the Episcopalian bell. "Oh, heed the ancient landmarks well ! " In solemn tones exclaimed a bell; " No progress made by mortal man Can change the just eternal plan : With God there can be nothing new ; Ignore the false, embrace the true, While all is well ! is well ! is well ! " Pealed out the good old Dutch church bell. SELECTIONS. 255 " O, swell, ye purifying waters, swell," In mellow tones rang out a bell : " Though faith alone in Christ can save, Man must be plunged beneath the wave, To show the world unfaltering faith In what the sacred Scripture saith : Oh, swell, ye rising waters, swell ! " Pealed out the clear-toned Baptist bell. " Not faith alone, but works, as well, Must test the soul," said a soft bell : " Come here and cast aside your load, And work your way along the road, With faith in God, and faith in man, And hope in Christ, where hope began : Do well, do well, do well, do well ! " Rang out the Unitarian bell. " Farewell, farewell, base world, farewell," In touching tones exclaimed a bell ; " Life is a boon to mortals given, To fit the soul for bliss in heaven : Do not invoke the avenging rod, Come here and learn the way to God ; Say to the world farewell, farewell ! " Pealed forth the Presbyterian bell. " In after life there is no hell ! " In rapture rang a cheerful bell : " Look up to heaven this holy day, Where angels wait to lead the way ; There are no fires, no fiends to blight The future life : be just and right. No hell, no hell, no hell, no hell ! " Rang out the Universalist bell. " To all, the truth we tell, we tell 1 " Shouted in ecstasies a bell : 256 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION,, " Come, all ye weary wanderers, see, Our Lord has made salvation free ! Repent, believe, have faith, and then Be saved and praise the Lord, Amen. Salvation's free, we tell, we tell ! " Shouted the Methodistic bell. AN ORDER FOR A PICTURE. ALICE GARY. O GOOD painter, tell me true, Has your hand the cunning to draw Shapes of things that you never saw ? Ay ? Well, here is an order for you. Woods and corn-fields, a little brown, The picture must not be over-bright, Yet all in the golden and gracious light Of a cloud, when the summer sun is down. Alway and alway, night and morn, Woods upon woods, with fields of corn Lying between them, not quite sere, And not in the full, thick, leafy bloom, When the wind can hardly find breathing-room Under their tassels, cattle near, Biting shorter the short green grass, And a hedge of sumach and sassafras, With bluebirds twittering all around, (Ah, good painter, you can't paint sound !) These and the house where I was born, Low and little, and black and old, With children, many as it can hold, All at the windows, open wide, Heads and shoulders clear outside, SELECTIONS. 2 And fair young faces all ablush: Perhaps you may have seen, some day, Roses crowding the self-same way, Out of a wilding, wayside bush. Listen closer. When you have done With woods and corn-fields and grazing herds, A lady, the loveliest ever the sun Looked down upon, you must paint for me; Oh, if I only could make you see The clear blue eyes, the tender smile, The sovereign sweetness, the gentle grace, The woman's soul, and the angel's face That are beaming on me all the while, I need not speak these foolish words : Yet one word tells you all I would say, She is my mother : you will agree That all the rest may be thrown away. Two little urchins at her knee You must paint, sir ; one like me, The other with a clearer brow, And the light of his adventurous eyes Flashing with boldest enterprise : At ten years old he went to sea, God knoweth if he be living now ; He sailed in the good ship " Commodore," Nobody ever crossed her track To bring us news, and she never came back. Ah, 'tis twenty long years and more Since that old ship went out of the bay With my great-hearted brother on her deck: I watched him till he shrank to a speck, And his face was toward me all the way. Bright his hair was, a golden brown, The time we stood at our mother's knee : That beauteous head, if it did go down, Carried sunshine into the sea ! 17 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Out in the fields one summer night We were together, half afraid Of the corn-leaves' rustling and of the shade Of the high hills, stretching so still and fa * * * # * # Afraid to go home, sir j for one of us bore A nest full of speckled and thin-shelled eggs ; The other, a bird, held fast by the legs Not so big as a straw of wheat : The berries we gave her she wouldn't eat, But cried and cried, till we held her bill, So slim and shining, to keep her still. At last we stood at our mother's knee. Do you think, sir, if you try, You can paint the look of a lie ? If you can, pray have the grace To put it solely in the face Of the urchin that is likest me : I think 'twas solely mine^ indeed : But that's no matter, paint it so; The eyes of our mother (take good heed), Looking not on the nestful of eggs, Nor the fluttering bird, held so fast by the legs, But straight through our faces down to our lies, And, Oh, with such injured, reproachful surprise ! I felt my heart bleed where that glance went, as though A sharp blade had struck through it. You, sir, know That you on the canvas are to repeat Things that are fairest, things most sweet, Woods and corn-fields and mulberry tree, The mother, the lads, with their bird, at her knee; But, O, that look of reproachful woe ! High as the heavens your name I'll shout, If you paint me the picture, and leave that out. SELECTIONS. THE RIDE OF JENNIE M'NEAL, WILL CARLETON. PAUL REVERE was a rider bold, Well has his valorous deed been told ; Sheridan's ride was a glorious one, Often it has been dwelt upon ; But why should men do all the deeds On which the love of a patriot feeds ? Hearken to me, while I reveal The dashing ride of Jennie M'Neal. On a spot as pretty as might be found In the dangerous length of the Neutral Ground, In a cottage, cozy, and all their own, She and her mother lived alone. Safe were the two, with their frugal store, From all the many who passed their door; For Jennie's mother was strange to fears, And Jennie was large for fifteen years : With vim her eyes were glistening, Her hair was the hue of a blackbird's wing ; And, while her friends who knew her well The sweetness of her heart could tell, A gun that hung on the kitchen wall Looked solemnly quick to heed her call ; And they who were evil-minded knew Her nerve was strong and her aim was trae. So all kind words and acts did daal To generous, black-eyed Jennie M'Neal. One night, when the sun had crept to bed, And rain-clouds linger'd overhead, And sent their surly drops for proof To drum a time on the cottage roof, Close after a knock at the outer door There entered a dozen dragoons or more. Their red coats, stain'd by the muddy road. That they were British soldiers show'd : 200 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. The captain his hostess bent to greet, Saying, " Madam, please give us a bit to eat ; We will pay you well, and, if may be, This bright-eyed girl for pouring our tea ; Then we must dash ten miles ahead, To catch a rebel colonel a-bed. He is visiting home as doth appear ; We will make his pleasure cost him dear." And they fell on the hasty supper with zeal, Close-watched the while by Jennie M'Neal. For the gray-hair'd colonel they hover'd near Had been her true friend kind and dear. * * & * * * * With never a thought or a moment more, Bare-headed she slipp'd from the cottage door, Ran out where the horses were left to feed, Unhitch'd and mounted the captain's steed, And down the hilly and rock-strewn way She urged the fiery horse of gray. * # * ' * * * * Hark ! from the hills, a moment mute, Came a clatter of hoofs in hot pursuit ; And a cry from the foremost trooper said, " Halt ! or your blood be on your head ! " She heeded it not, and not in vain She lash'd the horse with the bridle rein ; So into the night the gray horse strode ; His shoes hew'd fire from the rocky road ; And theliigh-born courage that never dies Flashed from his rider's coal-black eyes : ' On, on, brave beast ! " with loud appeal, Cried eager, resolute Jennie M'Neal. " Halt I " once more came the voice of dread ; " Halt! or your blood be on your head ! '* Then, no one answering to the calls, Sped after her a volley of balls. They pass'd her in her rapid flight, They scream'd to her left, they scream'd to her right: SELECTIONS. 2 6l But, rushing still o'er the slippery track, She sent no token of answer back, Except a silvery laughter peal, Brave, merry-hearted Jennie M'Neal. ******* They were a furlong behind, or more, When the girl burst through the colonel's door, ******* And shouted, " Quick ! be quick, I say ! They come ! they come ! Away ! away ! " Then sunk on the rude white floor of deal Poor, brave, exhausted Jennie M'Neal. The startled colonel sprung and press'd The wife and children to his breast, And turn'd away from his fireside bright, And glided into the stormy night ; Then soon and safely made his way To where the patriot army lay. '*****# The girl roused up at the martial din, Just as the troopers came rushing in, And laugh'd, e'en in the midst of a moan, Saying, "Good sirs, your bird has flown : 'Tis I who have scared him from his nest ; So deal with me now as you think best." But the grand young captain bow'd, and said, " Never you hold a moment's dread : Of womankind I must crown you queen ; So brave a girl I have never seen : Wear this gold ring as your valor's due ; And when peace comes I will come for you." But Jennie's face an arch smile wore, As she said, " There's a lad in Putnam's corps, Who told me the same, long time ago ; You two would never agree, I know : I promis'd my love to be true as steel," Said good, sure-hearted Jennie M'Neal. 262 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. AN INCIDENT AT SEA. WILLIAM T. ROSS. WHILE on my return from Europe, about midway of the Atlantic, it was my good fortune to behold a sight of transcendent beauty that few persons have ever seen. Our good ship was under full sail, with a light breeze that bore her lazily along over a gentle sea. The last rays of a gorgeous sunset had faded from the sky, and darkness closed gently down upon the bosom of the deep. Leaning against the windward taffrail, my mind gradually became wrapped in a meditation born of that profound loneliness with which only night upon the ocean inspires one. The helmsman stood silent at the wheel ; the officer paced his lone and measured tread ; the lookout reclined lazily near the shrouds, anxiously longing for the "eight bells " that brings relief to a tiresome watch. No sound was heard, save now and then the creak of the cordage, or the occasional sough of the water against the vessel's prow. But the whisperings of these light waves seemed to make the silence even more profound. Slowly aroused from my reverie, I became conscious of a gentle light that overspread a portion of the eastern sky. A single spot on the horizon grew more golden, and the upper limb of the moon peered above the ocean's edge, followed by the round shield of the full orb that shot her beams across the surface of the silent deep. From our lonely ship to her smiling face lay a tempting highway, paved with shimmering gold. Just as Luna lifted herself above the horizon, a distant ship, before unseen, sailed calmly and majestically into view, and remained for a moment stamped like a silhouette upon the broad golden surface. It was too grand to be only pretty, too exquisitely beautiful to be merely sublime. For a few moments I stood like one entranced, gazing in silent rapture upon the most wonderful sight that nature ever painted for SELECTIONS. 263 mortal eyes. But while I looked, slowly and silently the vessel moved from off the golden disk, and mysteriously passed into the obscurity whence she came, like a beautiful picture of the mind that comes we know not whence, and goes we know not where. Other scenes may fade, the names of old-time friends be forgotten, but never from memory's page shall be erased that beautiful picture of the full moon, so lightly resting upon the ocean's edge, and the ship in full sail covering her disk. Nor shall the recollection ever grow dim of how my heart, in profound gratitude and joy, was lifted from that sublimely radiant sight in nature, up to nature's God. THE PETRIFIED FERN. MARY LYDIA BOLLES. IN a valley, centuries ago, Grew a little fern-leaf, green and slender, Veining delicate, and fibers tender ; Waving, when the wind crept down so low. Rushes tall, and moss, and grass grew round it, Playful sunbeams darted in and found it, Drops of dew stole in by night and crown'd it. But no foot of man e'er trod that way ; Earth was young and keeping holiday. Monster fishes swam the silent main, Stately forests waved their giant branches, Mountains hurled their snowy avalanches, Mammoth creatures stalked across the plain ; Nature reveled in grand mysteries, But the little fern was not of these, Did not number with the hills and trees; Only grew and waved its wild, sweet way, None ever came to note it day by day. 264 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Earth, one time, put on a frolic mood, Heaved the rocks, and changed the mighty motion Of the deep strong currents of the ocean, Moved the plain and shook the haughty wood, Crushed the little fern in soft, moist clay, Covered it and hid it safe away. O the long, long centuries since that day ! O the agony ! O life's bitter cost Since that useless little fern was lost ! Useless? Lost ? There came a thoughtful man, Searching Nature's secrets, far and deep; From a fissure in a rocky steep He withdrew a stone, o'er which there ran Fairy pencilings, a quaint design, Veinings, leafage, fibers clear and fine, And the fern's life lay in every line ! So, I think, God hides some souls away, Sweetly to surprise us, the last day. THE INFINITE MOTHER. JAMES G. CLARK. I AM mother of Life, and companion of God, I move in each mote from the suns to the sod, I brood in all darkness, I gleam in all light, I fathom all depth and I crown every height; Within me the globes of the universe roll, And through me all matter takes impress and soul Without me all forms into chaos would fall ; I was under, within, and around, over all, Ere the stars of the morning in harmony sung, Or the systems and suns from their grand arches swung. I loved you, O earth, in those cycles profound, When darkness unbroken encircled you round, SELECTIONS. 265 And the fruit of creation, the race of mankind, Was only a dream in the Infinite Mind. I nursed you, O earth, ere your oceans were born, Or your mountains rejoiced in the gladness of morn, When naked and helpless you came from the womb, Ere the seasons had decked you with verdure and bloom, And all that appeared of your form or your face Was a bare, lurid ball in the vast wilds of space. When your bosom was shaken and rent with alarms, I calmed and caressed you to sleep in my arms ; I sung o'er your pillow the song of the spheres, Till the hum of its melody softened your fears, And the hot flames of passion burned low in your breast As you lay on my heart like a maiden at rest. When fevered, I cooled you with mist and with shower, And kissed you with cloudlet and rainbow and flower, Till you woke in the heavens arrayed like a queen, In garments of purple, of gold, and of green, From fabrics of glory my fingers had spun For the mother of nations and bride of the sun. All creatures conceived at the Fountain of Cause Are born of my travail, controlled by my laws : I throb in their veins and I breathe in their breath, Combine them for effort, disperse them in death ; No form is too great or minute for my care, No place so remote but my presence is there. I bend in the grasses that whisper of spring, I lean o'er the spaces to hear the stars sing, I laugh with the infant, I roar with the sea, I roll in the thunder, I hum with the bee ; From the center of suns to the flowers of the sod, I am shuttle and loom in the purpose of God, The ladder of action all spirit must climb To the clear heights of Love from the lowlands of Time. 266 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. 'Tis mine to protect you, fair bride of the sun, Till the task of the bride and the bridegroom is done : Till the roses that crown you shall wither away, And the bloom on your beautiful cheek shall decay ; Till the soft golden locks of your lover turn gray, And palsy shall fall on the pulses of Day ; Till you cease to give birth to the children of men, And your forms are absorbed in my currents again ;-- But your sons and your daughters, unconquered by strife ; Shall rise on my pinions and bathe in my life While the fierce glowing splendors of suns cease to burn, And bright constellations to vapor return, And new ones shall rise from the graves of the old, Shine, fade, and dissolve like a tale that is told. SHERIFF THORNE. J. T. TROWBRIDGE. THAT I should be sheriff, and keep the jail, And that yonder stately old fellow, you see Marching across the yard, should be My prisoner, well, 'tis a curious tale, As you'll agree. For it happens, we've been here once before Together, and served our time, although Not just as you see us now, you know ; When we were younger both by a score Of years or so. When I was a wild colt, two-thirds grown, Too wild for ever a curb or rein, Playing my tricks till I needn't explain ; I got three months at breaking stone, With a ball and chain. SELECTIONS. 267 The fodder was mean, and the work was hard, And work and I could never agree ; And the discipline, well, in short, you see, 'Twas rather a roughish kind of card That curried me ! A stout steel bracelet about my leg, A cannon-shot and chain at my feet, I pounded the stones in the public street, With a heart crammed full of hate as an egg Is full of meat. The school-boys jeered at my prison rig; And me, if I moved, they used to call (For I went with a jerk, if I went at all) A gentleman dancing the Jail-bird Jig, At a county ball. But once, as I sat in the usual place, On a heap of stones, and hammered away At the rocks, with a heart as hard as they, And cursed Macadam and all his race, There chanced that way, Sir, the loveliest girl ! I don't mean pretty ; But there was that in her troubled eye, In her sweet, sad glance, as she passed me by, That seemed like an angel's gentle pity For such as I. And, sir, to my soul that pure look gave Such a thrill as a summer morning brings, With its twitter ana flutter of songs and wings, To one crouched all night long in a cave Of venomous things. Down the broad green street she passed from sight ; But all that day I was under a spell ; And all that night I remember well A pair of eyes made a kind of light That filled my cell. 268 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Women can do with us what they will : 'Twas only a village girl, but she, With the flash of a glance, had shown to me The wretch I was, and the self I still Might strive to be. And if in my misery I began To feel fresh hope and courage stir, To turn my back upon things that were, And my face to the future of a man, 'Twas all for her. And that's my story. And as for the lady ? I saw her, Oh yes, when I was free, And thanked her, and Well, just come with me ; As likely as not, when supper is ready, She'll pour your tea. She keeps my house, and I keep the jail ; And the stately old fellow who passed just now And tipped me that very peculiar bow But that is the wonderful part of the tale, As you'll allow. For he, you must know, was sheriff then, And he guarded me, as I guard him ! (The fetter I wore now fits his limb !) Just one of your high-flown, strait-laced men, Pompous and grim, The Great Mogul of our little town ! But while I was struggling to redeem My youth, he sank in the world's esteem ; My stock went up, while his went down, Like the ends of a beam. What fault ? 'Twas not one fault alone That brought him low, but a treacherous train Of vices, sapping the heart and brain. Then came his turn at breaking stone, With a ball and chain, SELECTIONS. 269 It seemed, I admit, a sort of treason, To clip him, and give him the cap and ball, And that I was his keeper seemed worst of all. And now, in a word, if you ask the reason Of this man's fall, 'Twas a woman again, is my reply. And so I said, and I say it still, That women can do with us what they will : Strong men they turn with the twirl of an eye, For good or ill. THE GOLDEN GATE. MADGE MORRIS. DOWN by the side of the Golden Gate The city stands; Grimly, and solemn, and silent, wait The walls of land. Guarding its door as a treasure fond ; And none may pass to the sea beyond, But they who trust to the king of fate, And pass through the Golden Gate. The ships go out through its narrow door, White-sailed, and laden with precious store ; White-sailed, and laden with precious freight, The ships come back through the Golden Gate. The sun comes up o'er the Eastern crest, The sun goes down in the golden West, And the East is West, and the West is East, And the sun, from his toil of day released, Shines back through the Golden Gate. Down by the side of the Golden Gate The door of life, Are resting our cities, sea-embowered, White-walled, and templed, and marble-towered- The end of strife. 270 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. The ships have sailed from the silent walls, And over their sailing the darkness falls. Oh the sea is so dark, and so deep, and wide ! Will the ships come back from the further side ? " Nay ; but there is no further side," A voice is whispering across the tide, " Time, itself, is a circle vast, Building the future out of the past ; For the new is old, and the old is new, And the true is false, and the false is true, And the West is East, and the East is West, And the sun that rose o'er the Eastern crest, Gone down in the West of his circling track, Forever and ever is shining back Through the Golden Gate of life." O soul ! thy city is standing down By its Golden Gate; Over it hangs the menacing frown Of the king of fate. The sea of knowledge so near its door, Is rolling away to the further shore The orient side, And the ocean is dark, and deep, and wide ! But thy harbor, O Soul ! is filled with sails, Freighted with messages, wonder tales, From the lands that swing in the sapphire sky, Where the gardens of God in the ether lie. If only the blinded eye could see, If only the deaf-mute heart could hear, The ocean of knowledge is open to thee, And its Golden Gate is near ! For the dead are the living the living the dead, And out of the darkness the light is shed ; And the East is West, and the West is East, And the sun, from his toil of day released, Shines back through the Golden Gate. SELECTIONS. 271 THE HUNCHBACKED SINGER. / "I AM Nicholas Tachinardi, hunchbacked, look you, and a fright. Caliban himself, 'tis likely, was not a more hideous sight ! Granted. But I come not, friends, to exhibit form or size. Look not on my shape, good people ; lend your ears and not your eyes. " I'm a singer, not a dancer : Spare me for awhile your din. Let tne try my voice to-night here ; keep your jests till I begin. Have the kindness but to listen this is all I dare to ask. See, I stand before the footlights waiting to begin my task. If I fail to please, why, curse me ; but not before you hear Thrust me out from the Odeon. Listen, and I've naught to fear." But the crowd in pit and boxes jeered the dwarf and mocked his shape, Called him "monster," " thing abhorrent," crying " off, presumptuous ape ! " "Off, unsightly, baleful creature, off and quit the insulted stage. Move aside, repulsive figure, or deplore our gathering rage ! " Bowing low, pale Tachinardi, long accustomed to such threats, Burst into a grand bravura, showering notes like diamond jets, Sang until the ringing plaudits through the wide Odeon rang, Sang as never soaring tenor e'er behind those footlights sang. And the hunchback ever after, like a god, was hailed with cries : 11 King of minstrels, live forever ! Shame on fools who have but eyes ! " 272 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. HOW LOVE CAME FLYING IN AT THE WINDOW. No, there's no use hunting for a husband. When your time has come, you'll marry. Some is marked out for it, and some isn't. Now, there was Fenella Jackson: you'd hev thought if ever a gal was cut out to make a match, she was. But there she is, an old maid. Pretty and accomplished, engaged four or five times, but 'twasn't to be. And there's Jane Jones, that went out a dress-making for a living, and she's got the richest man in the town. There's no telling; and you can't fix things, they fix themselves. My neice, Neptany Ann, she was a widder, and she wasn't left very well off, and she was sort of good-lookin' and not more'n thirty; so she says right out and out, soon as her mourning was off: " I mean to marry again." And her relations they all thought 'twas quite sensible ; but nobody proposed. "I declare, Aunt Milliken," says she, " it's just the fun- niest thing to me that I've got to set down and take care of myself, when folks that an't no better than I be anyway, step off and settle down. There's Mrs. Flint lean as a guide- post, married to Squire Becker; and Fanny Jones, she's mak- ing her wedding dress ; and here am 1. What does it mean ? " " It means your time isn't come," says I. "If he's a-com- ing he'll come, if you go and sit on top of a mountain. You may hunt the world over for your love, and just when you make up your mind you can't find him, he'll come a-flying in at the window." " He'll have to come in a hurry, if he's coming here," says Neptany, laughing; and just then smash-bang-crash ! something came flying through the big bow window: and first we jumped up and shrieked, for what had come through the big bow window was an elderly gentleman with a bald head. He'd had his hat on when he came through, and when we'd picked him up we found he wasn't as much hurt as we should have expected. Neptany was a master-hand to fix up folks that was sick of SELECTIONS. 273 anything, and she managed beautifully, and I made him a big bowl of boneset tea straight off. And Neptany says to him : "And now, sir, may I ask how it was you came flying through my window instead of knocking at my door? " "I didn't fly. I was thrown," says he; "I was riding a horse I didn't know. And the first thing I knew I was over his head." " Might have killed you," says Neptany. "Well," says he, " that wouldn't have made much dif- ference. I'm only a miserable old bachelor. What good is a bachelor lonely, unloved, uncared-for?" and then he groaned, and I gave him another swig of boneset tea. "Well," says Neptany Ann, "I've heard old bachelors complain before, but I never pity 'em. It's all their own fault. Why haven't they proposed to some nice, sensible girl, and settled down with a wife ? Any man can get married. It's all in his own hands." When she said that, the old bachelor sat up on the sofa, and brought his fist down on the table with a bang that made the new bowl of boneset I'd jest filled up, slop over. "It isn't," says he. " I know people think so, but there's many and many a man that wants to get married, and can't. There's a fate against it. Madam, I give you my word of honor that every girl I've ever proposed to has re- fused me. I'd like to know what's the matter with me." " Your time hasn't come," says I. "Such things are mysteries, as my poor dear late hus- band used to say," says Neptany Ann. She just lugged in his name for a reason she had. "Ah," says the bachelor, pricking up his ears. "You're a widow, then ? " " Yes," says Neptany. " Now be candid; if Pd said to you, 'Ma'am, here I am; will you have me ?' why would you have said no?" "May be I shouldn't have said 'no,'" said Neptany. "I'll prove you would," said the old bachelor, getting up from the lounge. " Now, ma'am, here I am. I havn't 18 274 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. known you long, but you're a very handsome woman, and a good one, I'll bet. I offer you my heart, hand, and fortune. Will you be my wife ? Now ! " " But you are only joking, you see," says Neptany. "No, I'm in earnest. I make you a serious offer. Your friends, the Pimlicoes, may have spoken of me, Mr. Jobling. Now, will you have me ? " "Yes," said Neptany Ann. "Honestly ' yes'? "says he. " Honestly ' yes,' " says Neptany. I jest sat down on a rocking-chair, and says I: " What did I say ? hunt the world over for love, and you won't find him, and just as you lock your door he comes flying in at the window." WHAT CONSTITUTES A STATE. SIR WILLIAM JONES. WHAT constitutes a state? Not high-raised battlement or labored mound, Thick wall or moated gate ; Not cities proud with spires and turrets crowned ; Not bays and broad-armed ports, Where, laughing at the storm, rich navies ride; Not starred and spangled courts, Where low-browed baseness wafts perfume to pride, - No; men, high-minded men, With powers as far above dull brutes endued In forest, brake, or den, As beasts excel cold rocks and brambles rude, Men who their duties know, But know their rights, and knowing, dare maintain, Prevent the long-aimed blow, And crush the tyrant while they rend the chain : SELECTIONS. 275 These constitute a state ; And sovereign law, that state's collected will, O'er thrones and globes elate Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill. Smit by her sacred frown, The fiend, dissension, like a vapor sinks; And e'en the all-dazzling crown Hides his faint rays, and at her bidding shrinks. HENRY V. TO THE CONSPIRATORS. SHAKESPEARE. RICHARD, Earl of Cambridge, there is your commission ; There yours, Lord Scroop of Masham ; and, sir knight, Grey of Northumberland, this same is yours: Read them ; and know, I know your worthiness. My Lord of Westmoreland and uncle Exeter, We will aboard to-night. Why, how now, gentlemen ? What see you in those papers, that you lose So much complexion ? Look ye, how they change ! . Their cheeks are paper. Why, what read you there, That hath so cowarded and chased your blood Out of appearance ? * jl :..**.. -^ : ." *- - * The mercy that was quick in us but late, By your own counsel is suppress'd and kilPd: You must not dare, for shame, to talk of mercy ; For your own reasons turn into your bosoms, As dogs upon their masters, worrying you. See you, my princes, and my noble peers, These English monsters ! My Lord of Cambridge here,- You know how apt our love was, to accord To furnish him with all appertinents 276 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Belonging to his honor ; and this man Hath, for a few light crowns, lightly conspired, And sworn unto the practices of France, To kill us here in Hampton : to the which This knight* no less for bounty bound to us Than Cambridge is, hath likewise sworn. But O! What shall I say to thee, Lord Scroop : thou cruel. In grateful savage, and inhuman creature ! Thou, that didst bear the key of all my counsels, That almost mightst have coined me into gold, Wouldst thou have practiced on me for thy use ? ***** If that same demon, that hath gull'd thee thus, Should with his lion gait walk the whole world, He might return to vasty Tartar back, And tell the legions, I can never win A soul so easy as that Englishman's. O, how hast thou with jealousy infected The sweetness of affiance ! Show men dutiful ? Why, so didst thou ; Seem they grave and learned ? Why, so didst thou: Come they of noble family? Why, so didst thou : Seem they religious? Why, so didst thou. I will weep for thee; For this revolt of thine, methinks, is like Another fall of man. Their faults are open : Arrest them to the answer of the law ; And God acquit them of their practices ! THE FUNNY STORY. JOSEPHINE POLLARD. IT was such a funny story ! how I wish you could have heard it ; For it set us all a-laughing from the little to the big; I'd really like to tell it, but I don't know how to word it, Though it travels to the music of a very lively jig. SELECTIONS. 277 If Sally just began it, then Amelia Jane would giggle, And Mehetabel and Susan try their very broadest grin ; And the infant Zachariah on his mother's lap would wriggle, And add a lusty chorus to the very merry din. It was such a funny story, with its cheery snap and crackle, And Sally always told it with such dramatic art. That the chickens in the door-yard would begin to " cackle- cackle," As if in such a frolic they were anxious to take part. It was all about a ha! ha! and a ho! ho! ho! well really, It is he! he! he ! I could never begin to tell you half Of the nonsense there was in it, for I just remember clearly It began with ha ! ha ! ha ! ha ! and it ended with a laugh. But Sally she could tell it, looking at us so demurely, With a woe-begone expression that no actress would despise; And if you'd never heard it, why, you would imagine, surely, That you'd need your pocket-handkerchief to wipe your weeping eyes." When age my hair has silvered, and my step has grown un- steady, And the nearest to my vision are the scenes of long ago, I shall see the pretty picture, and the tears will come as ready As the laugh did, when I used to ha! ha! ha! ha! and ho ! ho ! ho ! THE SPINNING-WHEEL SONG. JOHN F. WALLER. MELLOW the moonlight to shine is beginning ; Close by the window young Eileen is spinning; Bent o'er the fire, her blind grandmother, sitting, Is crooning, and moaning, and drowsily knitting,- 278 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. " Eileen, achora, I hear some one tapping." " 'Tis the ivy, dear mother, against the glass flapping." "Eileen, I surely hear somebody sighing." "'Tis the sound, mother dear, of the summer wind dying.' 1 Merrily, cheerily, noisily whirring, Swings the wheel, spins the reel, while the foot's stirring ; Sprightly, and lightly, and airily ringing, Thrills the sweet voice of the young maiden singing. " What's that noise that I hear at the window, I wonder ? " " 'Tis the little birds chirping the holly-bush under." " What makes you be shoving and moving your stool on, And singing all wrong that old song of ' The Coolun ' ? " There's a form at the casement, the form of her true-love, And he whispers, with face bent, "I'm waiting for you, love. Get up on the stool, through the lattice step lightly, We'll rove in the grove while the moon's shining brightly." Merrily, cheerily, noisily whirring, Swings the wheel, spins the reel, while the foot's stirring ; Sprightly, and lightly, and airily ringing, Thrills the sweet voice of the young maiden singing. The maid shakes her head, on her lip lays her fingers, Steals up from her seat, longs to go, and yet lingers ; A frightened glance turns to her drowsy grandmother, Puts one foot on the stool, spins the wheel with the other. Lazily, easily, swings now the wheel round ; Slowly and lowly is heard now the reel's sound ; Noiseless and light to the lattice above her The maid steps, then leaps to the arms of her lover. Slower and slower and slower the wheel swings; Lower and lower and lower the reel rings ; Ere the reel and the wheel stop their ringing and moving Through the grove the young lovers by moonlight are roving. SELECTIONS. 279 TROUBLE IN THE "AMEN CORNER.' T. C. HARBAUGH. 'TWAS a stylish congregation, that of Theophrastus Brown, And its organ was the finest and the biggest in the town, And the chorus, all the papers favorably commented on it, For 'twas said each female member had a forty-dollar bon- net. Now in the " amen corner " of the church sat Brother Eyer, Who persisted every Sabbath-day in singing with the choir ; He was poor, but genteel-looking, and his heart as snow was white, And his old face beamed with sweetness when he sang with all his might. His voice was cracked and broken, age had touched his vocal chords, And nearly every Sunday he would mispronounce the words Of the hymns, and 'twas no wonder, he was old and nearly blind, And the choir rattling onward always left him far behind. The chorus stormed and blustered, Brother Eyer sang too slow, And then he used the tunes in vogue a hundred years ago ; At last the storm-cloud burst, and the church was told, in fine, That the brother must stop singing, or the choir would re- sign. Then the pastor called together in the lecture-room one day Seven influential members who subscribe more than they pay, And having asked God's guidance in a printed prayer or two, They put their heads together to determine what to do. 280 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. They debated, thought, suggested, till at last " dear Brother York," Who last winter made a million on a sudden rise in pork, Rose and moved that a committee wait at once on Brother Ever, And proceed to rake him lively " for disturbin' of the choir." Said he : " In that 'ere organ I've invested quite a pile, And we'll sell it if we cannot worship in the latest style ; 'Our Philadelphy tenor tells me 'tis the hardest thing Fer to make God understand him when the brother tries to sing. " We've got the biggest organ and the best-dressed choir in town, We pay the steepest sal'ry to our pastor, Brother Brown ; But if we must humor ignorance because it's blind and old, If the choir's to be pestered, I will seek another fold." Of course the motion carried, and one day a coach and four, With the latest style of drivtr, rattled up to Eyer's door; And the sleek, well-dressed committee, Brothers Sharkey, York, and Lamb, As they crossed the humble portal took good care to miss the jamb. They found the choir's great trouble sitting in his old arm- chair, And the summer's golden sunbeams lay upon his thin white hair; He was singing " Rock of Ages " in a voice both cracked and low, But the angels understood him, 'twas all he cared to know. Said York : " We're here, dear brother, with the vestry's ap- probation, To discuss a little matter that affects the congregation ;" SELECTIONS. 281 " And the choir, too, " said Sharkey, giving Brother York a nudge, "And the choir, too!" he echoed with the graveness of a judge. " It was the understanding when we bargained for the chorus, That it was to relieve us, that is, do the singin' for us ; If we rupture the agreement, it is very plain, clear brother, It will leave our congregation and be gobbled by another. " We don't want any singin' except that what we've bought ! The latest tunes are all the rage ; the old ones stand for naught ; And so we have decided are you listening Brother Eyer ? That you'll have to stop your singin* for it flurrytates the choir." The old man slowly raised his head, a sign that he did hear, And on his cheek the trio caught the glitter of a tear ; His feeble hands pushed back the locks white as the silky snow, As he answered the committee in a voice both sweet and low : " I've sung the psalms of David for nearly eighty years, They've been my staff and comfort and calmed life's many fears ; I'm sorry I disturb the choir, perhaps I'm doing wrong ; But when my heart is filled with praise, I can't keep back the song. " I wonder if beyond the tide that's breaking at my feet. In the far-off heavenly temple, where the Master I shall greet, Yes, I wonder when I try to sing the songs of God up higher, If the angel band will church me for disturbing heaven's choir." 282 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. A silence filled the little room ; the old man bowed his head ; The carriage rattled on again, but Brother Eyer was dead ! Yes, dead ! his hand had raised the veil the future hangs before us, And the Master dear had called him to the everlasting chorus. The choir missed him for a while, but he was soon forgot, A few church-goers watched the door ; the old man entered not. Far away, his voice no longer cracked, he sings his heart's desires, Where there are no church committees and no fashionable choirs I MARION MOORE. JAS. G. CLARK. GONE art them, Marion, Marion Moore, Gone like the bird in the autumn that singeth, Gone like the flower by the way-side that springeth, Gone like the leaf of the ivy that clingeth Round the lo-ne rock on the storm-beaten shore. Dear wert them, Marion, Marion Moore, Dear as the tide in my broken heart throbbing, Dear as the soul o r er thy memory sobbing : Sorrow my life of its roses is robbing ; Wasting is all the glad beauty of yore. I will remember thee, Marion Moore, I shall remember, alas ! to regret thee ; I will regret when all others forget thee ; Deep in my breast will the hour that I met thee Linger and burn till life's fever is o'er. SELECTIONS. 283 Gone art thou, Marion, Marion Moore ! Gone like the breeze o'er the billow that bloweth, Gone as the rill, to the ocean that floweth, Gone as the day from the gray mountain goeth, Darkness behind thee, but glory before. Peace to thee, Marion, Marion Moore, Peace which the queens of the earth cannot borrow, Peace from a kingdom that crowned thee with sorrow ; O ! to be happy with thee on the morrow, Who'would not fly from this desolate shore ? WORLDLY WISDOM. ETHEL LYNN. " OH, ma, it is dreadful ! I've quarreled with John, And left him forever To live all alone. " He will not go with me To party or ball ; At home in the evening, He won't talk at all. " He is perfectly horrid, And stingy and queer; I don't want to see him, Or know he is near." " Well, Tillie, I told you The same long ago, When John was beginning To act like a beau. " And you might have married Old Gunnybags' heir. 'Tis very provoking For me, I declare ! 284 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. " And John is a fogy And acts like a brute, To deny you a party Or opera suit. " A mean, ugly fellow " " Why, ma, I am sure John never was stingy, Although he was poor. " He is always respectful And clever to you ; So tender and patient, Whatever I do. "And now I remember, He said he would go To the Madisons' party How can you talk so ? " Poor, patient old fellow ! Fm going right back ; I'll tell him I'm sorry, And then I'll unpack." The worldly-wise mother Looked over at me : " I know how to manage Matilda, you see." THE MIRACLE OF CANA. FRED EMERSON BROOKS. THE water-pots were filled at God's behest ; Yet in the marriage wine no grape was pressed ; No tired feet the weary wine-press trod To make this sacred vintage of our God; As nature doth confess a power divine, Each drop of moisture turned itself to wine. SELECTIONS. 285 In spite of arguments in Jesus met, The world is full of doubting skeptics yet ; Believing naught but they themselves have seen, They doubt the miracle of Palestine ; They find the Holy Bible filled with flaws, And pin their doubting faith to Nature's laws. Ye scoffers of our sacred Lord, pray tell Who tinted first the water in the well ? Who painted atmospheric moisture blue ? Or gave the ocean waves their constant hue, Whose moisture raised in clouds, all colors lack, The fleecy ones so white, the storm king's black, Save where the evening sun's bright rays incline To turn this fleecy moisture into wine, And lay a benediction on them all Like purple grapes hung on a golden wall? 'Twas thus our Lord a sacred radiance shed, Slow turning Cana's water vintage red. If lilies at His bidding from the soil Spring up, that neither know to spin nor toil, In beauty yet more gorgeously arrayed Than he of old who that great temple made, Then why may not the gentle evening dew At God's command take on a ruddy hue ? This whirling, surging world was made by One Who could have made the wine as rivers run ; Yet put a sweeter nectar in the rills Fresh rippling from the vintage of the hills. Watch nature's miracle when day is dead When blushing Helios, his good-night said, Slow dipping his hot face in cooling brine, Turns all the ocean billows into wine. The sun and rain stretch o'er the earth a bow With tints more beautiful than win-j can show, 286 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. A frescoed arch in gorgeous colors seven, A bridge, where weak belief may walk to heaven. Who hath not seen at sunset on the plain A passing storm-cloud, dropping blood-red rain ; A great libation poured at Nature's shrine, To fill Sol's golden cup with evening wine ? Since Nature doth such miracles perform, Why may not He, who makes and rules the storm, Of all His miracles the first and least, Tint a few drops for Cana's wedding feast ? The greatest marriage at the end shall be When time is wedded to eternity ! All bidden are, the greatest and the least, To taste the wine at heaven's great wedding feast ! Where all the ransomed universe shall sing : Hosanna ! to the Everlasting King ! .LUELLA. JOHN VANCE CHENEY. KATE'S at her best in an apron, Jinny's bewitching by gas, While Becky, in kitchen or parlor, Is just the ne phis of a lass ; But Katie and Jinny, With Sadie and Minnie And Becky and Bella, Are not not Luella. Deb, in the choir of a Sunday, Sings like a bird in the bough ; Brisk Nan sits a saddle superbly, And Betty's a charmer, somehow ; But Debby and Nanny, And Betty and Annie, And Edna and Stella, Are not not Luella. SELECTIONS. 287 Fan is a sylph in a bonnet, Nett has her dozens undone ; Grave Addy would madden Adonis, And Caddy is certain to stun ; But Fanny and Addy, And Netty and Caddy, And Hetty and Delia, Are not not Luella. Clara the turn of her ankle ! Dolly her eyes and her smile ! And where is the match for Samantha (Unless it be Molly) in style ? But Clara and Dolly, Samantha and Molly, And Esther and Ella, Are not not Luella. Heavens, what a reign of all graces ! Each is a queen in her way : And turning it over and over, There's only a word left to say : Give me one and another For this and the other, But, oh! fora "fellah" Luella! Luella! SMITING THE ROCK. THE stern old judge, in relentless mood, Glanced at the two who before him stood; She was bowed and haggard and old, He was young and defiant and bold,- Mother and son ; and to gaze at the pair, Their different attitudes, look, and air, One would believe, ere the truth were known, The mother convicted, and not the son. 288 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. There was the mother : the boy stood nigh With a shameless look, and his head held higho Age had come over her, sorrow and care ; These mattered but little so he was there, A prop to her years and a light to her eyes, And prized as only a mother can prize ; But what for him could a mother say, Waiting his doom on a sentence-day. Her husband had died in his shame and sin ; And she a widow, her living to win, Had toiled and struggled from morn till night, Making with want a wearisome fight, Bent over her work with resolute zeal, Till she felt her old frame totter and reel, Her weak limbs tremble, her eyes grow dim ; But she had her boy, and she toiled for him. And he, he stood in the criminal dock, With a heart as hard as a flinty rock, An impudent glance and a reckless air, Braving the scorn of the gazers there ; Dipped in crime and encompassed round With proof of his guilt by captors found, Ready to stand, as he phrased it, "game," Holding not crime, but penitence, shame. Poured in a flood o'er the mother's cheek The moistening prayers where the tongue was weak; And she saw through the rnist of those bitter tears Only the child in his innocent years; She remembered him pure r*s a child might be, The guilt of the present she could not see ; And for mercy her wistful looks made prayer To the stern old judge in his cushioned chair. " Woman," the old judge crabbecily said "Your boy is the neighborhood's plague and dread; SELECTIONS. 280 Of a gang of reprobates chosen chief ; An idler and rioter, ruffian and thief. The jury did right, for the facts were plain; Denial is idle, excuses are vain. The sentence the court imposes is one " " Your honor," she cried, tl he's my only son ! " The tipstaves grinned at the words she spoke, And a ripple of fun through the court-room broke ; But over the face of the culprit came An angry look and a shadow of shame. " Don't laugh at my mother ! " loud cries he; " You've got me fast, and can deal with me ; But she's too good for your coward jeers, And I'll " then his utterance choked with tears. The judge for a moment bent his head, And looked at him keenly, and then he said : " We suspend the sentence, the boy can go;" And the words were tremulous, forced, and low; " But say ! " and he raised his finger then " Don't let them bring you hither again. There is something good in you yet, I know; I'll give you a chance make the most of it Go ! " The twain went forth, and the old judge said; " I meant to have given him a year instead. And perhaps 'tis a difficult thing to tell If clemency here be ill or well. But a rock was struck in that callous heart, From which a fountain of good may start ; For one on the ocean of crime long tossed, Who loves his mother, is not quite lost." 19 290 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. SONG OF THE MYSTIC, FATHER RYAN. I WALK through the Valley of Silence, Down the deep, voiceless valley, alone; And I hear not the fall of a footstep Around me, save God's and my own; And the hush of my heart is as holy As hovers where angels have flown ! Long ago, was I weary of voices Whose music my heart could not win ; Long ago, I was weary of noises That fretted my soul with their din ; Long ago I was weary of places Where I met but the Human, and Sin. I walked through the world with the worldly, I craved what the world never gave, And said, " In the world, each ideal, That shines like a star on life's wave, Is thrown on the shore of the Real, And sleeps like a dream in a grave." And still did I pine for the Perfect, And still found the False with the True; I sought 'mid the Human for Heaven, But caught a mere glimpse of its blue; And I wept when the clouds of the Mortal Veiled even that glimpse from my view. And I toiled on, heart tired of the Human, And I mourned 'mid the mazes of men, Till I knelt long ago at an altar, And heard a voice call me : since then I walk down the Valley of Silence That lies far beyond mortal ken. Do you ask what I found in the Valley ? 'Tis my trysting-place with the Divine; SELECTIONS. 2pl And I fell at the feet of the Holy, And above me a voice said, "Be Mine." Then rose from the depth of my spirit An echo, " My heart shall be thine." Do you ask how I live in the Valley ? I weep, and I dream, and I pray ; But my tears are as sweet as the dew-drops That fall on the roses in May ; And my prayer like a perfume from censer, Ascendeth to God night and day. In the hush of the Valley of Silence I dream all the songs that I sing ; And the music floats down the dim valley Till each finds a word for a wing That to men, like the dove of the Deluge, The message of Peace they may bring. But far on the deep there are billows That never shall break on the beach, And I have heard songs in the silence That never shall float into speech ; And I have had dreams in the Valley Too lofty for language to reach. And I have seen thoughts in the Valley, Ah me ! how my spirit was stirred ! And they wear holy veils on their faces, Their footsteps can scarcely be heard; They pass through the valley like virgins, Too pure for the touch of a word. Do you ask me that place of the Valley, Ye hearts that are harrowed by care ? It lieth afar between mountains, And God and his Angels are there ; And one is the dark mount of Sorrow, And one the bright mountain of Prayer. 292 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. MONEY MUSK. B. F. TAYLOR. [From " The Old Barn."] AH, the buxom girls that helped the boys The nobler Helens of humbler Troys As they stripped the husks with rustling fold From eight-rowed corn as yellow as gold, By the candle-light in pumpkin bowls, And the gleams that showed fantastic holes In the quaint old lantern's tattooed tin, From the hermit glim set up within ; By the rarer light in girlish eyes As dark as wells, or as blue as skies. I hear the laugh when the ear is red, I see the blush with the forfeit paid, The cedar cakes with the ancient twist, The cider cup that the girls have kissed, And I see the fiddler through the dusk As he twangs the ghost of "Money Musk ! " The boys and girls in a double row Wait face to face till the magic bow Shall whip the tune from the violin, And the merry pulse of the feet begin. MONEY MUSK. In shirt of check and tallowed hair, The fiddler sits in the bulrush chair Like Moses' basket stranded there On the brink of Father Nile. He feels the fiddle's slender neck, Picks out the notes with thrum and check, And times the tune with nod and beck, And thinks it a weary while. SELECTIONS. 293 All ready ! Now he gives the call, Cries, "Honor to the ladies ! " All The jolly tides of laughter fall And ebb in a happy smile. D-o-w-n comes the bow on every string, "First couple join right hands and swing ! " As light as any blue-bird's wing, "Swing once and a half times round ! " Whirls Mary Martin all in blue Calico gown and stockings new, And tinted eyes that tell you true, Dance all to the dancing sound. She flits about big Moses Brown, Who holds her hands to keep her down And thinks her hair a golden crown, And his heart turns over once ! His cheek with Mary's breath is wet, It gives a second somerset ! He means to win the maiden yet, Alas, for the awkward dunce ! Your stoga boot has crushed my toe ! I'd rather dance with one-legged Joe ! You clumsy fellow ! " " Pass below ! " And the first pair dance apart. Then " Forward six /" advance, retreat, Like midges gay in sunbeam street, 'Tis Money Musk by merry feet And Money Musk by heart ! 'Three quarters round your partners swing ! " 'Across the set ! " The rafters ring, The girls and boys have taken wing And have brought their roses out ! 'Tis "Forward six /" with rustic grace, Ah, rarer far than " Swing to place /" Than golden clouds of old point-lace, They bring the dance about. 294 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Then clasping hands all "Right and left ! " All swiftly weave the measure deft Across the woof in loving weft, And the Money Musk is done ! Oh, dancers of the rustling husk, Good-night, sweethearts, 'tis growing dusk, Good-night for aye to Money Musk, For the heavy march begun ! THE ISLE OF LONG AGO. B. F. TAYLOR. OH, a wonderful stream is the river Time, As it runs through the realm of tears, With a faultless rhythm and musical rhyme, And a boundless sweep and a surge sublime, As it blends with the Ocean of Years. How the winters are drifting, like flakes of snow, And the summers like buds between ; And the year in the sheaf so they come and they go, On the river's breast, with its ebb and flow, As it glides in the shadow and sheen. There's a magical isle up the river Time, Where the softest of airs are playing; There's a cloudless sky and a tropical clime. And a song as sweet as a vesper chime, And the Junes with the roses are slaying. And the name of that Isle is the Long Ago, And we bury our treasures there ; There are brows of beauty and bosoms of snow There are heaps of dust oh ! we loved them so ! There are trinkets and tresses of hair. SELECTIONS. 295 There are fragments of song that nobody sings, And a part of an infant's prayer ; There's a lute unswept, and a harp without strings, There are broken vows and pieces of rings, And the garments our dead used to wear. There are hands that are waved, when the fairy shore By the mirage is lifted in air ; And we sometimes hear, through the turbulent roar, Sweet voices we heard in days gone before, When the wind down the river is fair. Oh, remembered for aye be the blessed Isle, All the day of our life till night When the evening comes with its beautiful smile, And our eyes are closing to slumber awhile, May that " Greenwood " of Soul be in sight ! TOM. CONSTANCE FENIMORE WOOLSON. YES, Tom's the best fellow that ever you knew. Just listen to this: When the old mill took fire, and the flooring fell through, And I with it, helpless there, full in my view What do you think my eyes saw through the fire That crept along, crept along, nigher and nigher, But Robin, my baby-boy, laughing to see The shining? He must have come there after me, Toddled alone from the cottage without Any one's missing him. Then, what a shout Oh ! how I shouted, " For Heaven's sake, men, Save little Robin ! " Again and again They tried, but the fire held them back like a wall. I could hear them go at it, and at it, and call, 296 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. " Never mind, baby, sit still like a man, We're coining to get you as fast as we can." They could not see him, but I could. He sat Still on a beam, his little straw hat Carefully placed by his side ; and his eyes Stared at the flame with a baby's surprise, Calm and unconscious, as nearer it crept. The roar of the fire up above must have kept The sound of his mother's voice, shrieking his name, From reaching the child. But I heard it. It came Again and again. Oh, God, what a cry ! The axes went faster ; I saw the sparks fly Where the men worked like tigers, nor minded the heat That scorched them when, suddenly, there at their feet, The great beams leaned in they saw him then, crash, Down came the wall ! The men made a dash, Jumped to get out of the way, and I thought, " All's up with poor little Robin ! " and brought Slowly the arm that was least hurt to hide The sight of the child there, when swift, at my side, Some one rushed by, and went right through the flame ? Straight as a dart caught the child and then came Back with him, choking and crying, but saved ! Saved safe and sound ! Oh, how the men raved, Shouted, and cried, and hurrahed ! Then they all Rushed at the work again, lest the back wall Where I was lying, away from the fire, Should fall in and bury me. Oh ! you'd admire To see Robin now ; he's as bright as a dime, Deep in some mischief, too, most of the time. Tom, it was, saved him. Now, isn't it true Tom's the best fellow that ever you knew ? There's Robin now ! See, he's strong as a log ! And there comes Tom too Yes, Tom was our dog. SELECTIONS. 297 THE FROG AND THE FRENCHMAN. FRED EMERSON BROOKS. WHEN the grass comes slowly creeping O'er the meadows, in good keeping With the spring, Then appears the early peeper, Who, to lull the wanton sleeper, 'Gins to sing. Formerly, he used to sail By the motion of his tail, When pollywog ; But he lost that institution, In the course of evolution To the frog. Such a cunning little fellow, With his breast a greenish-yellow ; He will go Tuning up that voice unfailing, As young roosters, when first tailing, "Try to crow. On a lily-pad he'll teeter, And maintain he sings much sweeter Than a bird ; A canary the last feather, Washed away by rainy weather, Take his word ; So absurd. When he grows a little sweeter, Epicurean frog-eater Always begs That his deft and agile henchman Will go catch this tender Frenchman, For his legs. 298 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. So he hies him to the pond, Or the eddy just beyond, In the creek, Where he finds the full-grown frog Basking on a cozy log; Hear him speak : " Greek meets Greek ! Chug-a-reek ! " I'm suspicious of your nation, Though I like your conversation : Parlez-vous ; But if you are not polite, sir, I'll jump quickly out of sight, sir, Entre-nous ! Chug-a-roo ! " Do you think, oh, simple sinner. You will catch a Sunday dinner With a bug ? Regardez ! begin to banter With 'red rag,' I'm gone instanter ; Chug-a-rug ! Chug-a-riig! " Shrug your shoulders well, monsieur ^ There's no use to make detour, I know your game. Pm content to parlez-vous, If my broken French will do, But I'll keep an eye on you, All the same, Chug-a-rame ! " Like the Premiere Danseuse t A fat frog is of no use, Save his limb ; SELECTIONS. 299 So like ' sprinter' on his pegs, I had better stretch my legs, Nice and trim, For a swim, Chug-a-rim ! In the brink Don't you think ? Chug-a-rink ! Ch ug- a-rink ! Chug-a-rink / Were I cooked and on a plate, You would have a tete-d-tete, ' Avec amour, ' With fair lady vis-d-vis ; Two is pleasant company, Always spoiled by number three, So, Bonjour ! " 11 Ze same to you !" " Taisez vous /" " Parbleu ! " t( Chiig-a-roo ! Hu-hu-hoo ! " THE POWER OF HABIT. J. B. GOUGH. I REMEMBER once riding from Buffalo to the Niagara Falls. I said to a gentleman, " What river is that, sir ? " "That," he said, " is Niagara River." "Well, it is a beautiful stream," said I; "bright and fair and glassy; how far off are the rapids ? " " Only a mile or two," was the reply. "Is it possible that only a mile from us we shall find the water in the turbulence which it must show near to the Falls ? " 300 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. " You will find it so, sir." And so I found it; and the first sight of Niagara I shall never forget. Now, launch your bark on that Niagara river ; it is bright, smooth, beau- tiful and glassy. There is a ripple at the bow ; the silver wake you leave behind adds to your enjoyment. Down the stream you glide, oars, sails, and helm in proper trim, and you set out on your pleasure excursion. Suddenly some one cries out from the bank, "Young men, ahoy ! " " What is it ? " "The rapids are below you." 44 Ha ! hah ! we have heard of the rapids, but we are not such fools as to get there. If we go too fast, then we shall up with the helm and steer to the shore ; we will set the mast in the socket, hoist the sail, and speed to the land. Then on, boys ; don't be alarmed there is no danger." '' Young men, ahoy there ! " " What is it ? " 44 The rapids are below you ! " 4 'Ha! hah! we will laugh and quaff; all things delight us. What care we for the future ! No man ever saw it. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. We will enjoy life while we may ; will catch pleasure as it flies. This is enjoy- ment ; time enough to steer out of danger when we are sailing swiftly with the current." " Young men, ahoy ! " " What is it ? " 44 Beware ! Beware ! The rapids are below you ! " Now you see the water foaming all around. See how fast you pass that point ! Up with the helm ! Now turn ! Pull hard ! quick ! quick ! quick ! pull for your lives ! pull till the blood starts from your nostrils and the veins stand like whip-cords upon your brows ! Set the mast in the socket ! hoist the sail ! Ah S ah ! it is too late ! Shrieking, cursing, howling, blaspheming, over they go. Thousands go over the rapids every year, through the power of habit, crying all the while, 4i When I find out that it is injuring me, I will give it up ! " SELECTIONS. 301 THE FIELD OF WATERLOO. BYRON. STOP ! for thy tread is on an empire's dust ! An earthquake's spoil is sepulchered below ! Is the spot marked with no colossal bust ? Nor column, trophied for triumphal show ? None : but the moral's truth tells simpler so. As the ground was before, thus let it be, How that red rain has made the harvest grow ! And is this all the world hath gained by thee, Thou first and last of fields ! king-making victory ? There was a sound of revelry by night, And Belgium's capital had gathered then Her Beauty and her Chivalry : and bright The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men ; A thousand hearts beat happily ; and when Music arose with its voluptuous swell, Soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again, And all went merry as a marriage bell ; But hush ! hark ! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell ! Did ye not hear it ? No ; 'twas but the wind, Or the car rattling o'er the stony street ; On with the dance ! let joy be unconfined, No sleep till morn, when youth and pleasure meet To chase the glowing hours with flying feet But hark ! that heavy sound breaks in once more, As if the clouds its echo would repeat ; And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before ! Arm ! arm ! it is ! it is the cannon's opening roar ! Within a windowed niche of that high hall Sat Brunswick's fated chieftain ; he did hear That sound the first amidst the festival, And caught its tone with Death's prophetic ear ; 302 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. And when they smiled because he deemed it near, His heart more truly knew that peal too well Which stretched his father on a bloody bier, And roused the vengeance blood alone could quell ; He rushed into the field, and, foremost fighting, fell ! Ah ! then and there was hurrying to and fro, And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress, And cheeks all pale, which but an hour ago Blushed at the praise of their own loveliness ; And there were sudden partings, such as press The life from out young hearts, and choking sighs Which ne'er might be repeated ; who could guess If ever more should meet those mutual eyes, Since upon night so sweet such awful morn could rise ? And there was mounting in hot haste ; the steed, The mustering squadron, and the clattering car, Went pouring forward with impetuous speed, And swiftly forming in the ranks of war ; And the deep thunder, peal on peal, afar; And near, the beat of the alarming drum .Roused up the soldier ere the morning star ; While thronged the citizens with terror dumb, Or whispering with white lips, "The foe ! they come, they come ! " And wild and high the "Cameron's gathering" rose ! The war-note of Lochiel, which Albin's hills Have heard and heard too have her Saxon foes : How in the noon of night that pibroch thrills, Savage and shrill ! But with the breath which fills Their mountain-pipe, so fill the mountaineers With the fierce native daring, which instills The stirring memory of a thousand years ; And Evan's, Donald's fame rings in each clansman's ears. And Ardennes waves above them her green leaves, Dewy with nature's tear-drops, as they pass, SELECTIONS. 303 Grieving if aught inanimate e'er grieves Over the unreturning brave alas ! Ere evening to be trodden like the grass, Which now beneath them, but above shall grow In its next verdure, when this fiery mass Of living valor, rolling on the foe, And burning with high hope, shall molder cold and low ! Last noon beheld them full of lusty life, Last eve in Beauty's circle proudly gay ; The midnight brought the signal sound of strife ; The morn the marshaling in arms ; the day Battle's magnificently stern array ; The thunder-clouds close o'er it, which when rent, The earth is covered thick with other clay, Which her own clay shall cover heaped and pent, Rider and horse friend, foe in one red burial blent ! TEAMSTER JIM. ROBERT J. BURDETTE. IT an't jest the story, parson, to tell in a crowd like this, Weth the virtuous matron a frownin' an' chidin' the gigglin* miss, An' the good old deacon a noddin' in time weth his patient snores, An' the shocked aleet of the capital stalkin' away through the doors. But then, it's a story thet happened, an' every word of it's true, An' sometimes we can't help talkin' of the things thet we sometimes do. An' though good society coldly shets its doors onto " Teamster Jim," I'm thinkin' ther's lots worse people thet's better known than him. 304 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. I mind the day he was married, an' I danced at the weddin', too ; An' I kissed the bride, sweet Maggie daughter of Ben McGrew. I mind how they set up housekeeping two young, poor, happy fools, When Jim's only stock was a heavy truck an' four Kaintucky mules. Well, they lived along contented with their little joys an' cares, An' every year a baby come, an* twicet they come in pairs ; Till the house was full of children, weth their shoutin' and playin' and squalls, An' their singin'and laughin' and cryin' made Bedlam within its walls. An' Jim, he seemed to like it, an' he spent all his evenin's at home. He said it was full of music an' light, an' peace from pit to dome, He joined the church, an' he used to pray that his heart might be kept from sin The stumblin'st prayin' but heads and hearts used to bow when he'd begin. So they lived along in that way, the same from day to day, With plenty of time for drivin' work, an' a little time for play, An' growin' round 'em the sweetest girls and the liveliest, manliest boys, Till the old gray heads of the two old folks was crowned with the homeliest joys. Eh? Come to my story? Well, that's all. They're livin* just like I said, Only two of the girls is married, an' one of the boys is dead, SELECTIONS. 305 An' they're honest, an' decent an' happy, an' the very best Christians I know, Though I reckon in brilliant comp'ny they'd be voted a leetle slow. Oh, you're pressed for time excuse you ? Sure, I'm sorry I kept you so long ; Good by. Now he looked kind o' bored like, an' I reckon that I was wrong To tell such a commonplace story of two such commonplace lives, But we can't all git drunk an' gamble an' fight, an' run off with other men's wives. WHAT MY LOVER SAID. HOMER GREENE. BY the merest chance, in the twilight gloom, In the orchard path he met me ; In the tall, wet grass, with its faint perfume, And I tried to pass, but he made no room, Oh, I tried, but he would not let me. So I stood and blushed till the grass grew red, With my face bent down above it, While he took my hand as he whispering said- (How the clover lifted each pink, sweet head, To listen to all that my lover said; Oh, the clover in bloom, I love it I) In the high, wet grass went the path to hide, And the low, wet leaves hung over ; But I could not pass upon either side, For I found myself, when I vainly tried, In the arms of my steadfast lover. And he held me there and he raised my head, While he closed the path before me, 20 306 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. And he looked down into my eyes and said (How the leaves bent down from the boughs o'erhead. To listen to all that my lover said, Oh, the leaves hanging lowly o'er me i) Had he moved aside but a little way, I could surely then have passed him ; And he knew I never could wish to stay, And would not have heard what he had to say, Could I only aside have cast him. It was almost dark, and the moments sped, And the searching night wind found us, But he drew me nearer and softly said (How the pure, sweet wind grew still, instead, To listen to all that my lover said ; Oh, the whispering wind around us !) I am sure he knew when he held me fast, That I must be all unwilling ; For I tried to go, and I would have passed, As the night was come with its dew, at last, And the sky with its stars was filling. But he clasped me close when I would have fled, And he made me hear his story, And his soul came out from his lips and said (How the stars crept out where the white moon led. To listen to all that my lover said ; Oh, the moon and the stars in glory !) I know that the grass and the leaves will not tell, And I'm sure that the wind, precious rover, Will carry my secret so safely and well That no being shall ever discover One word of the many that rapidly fell From the soul-speaking lips of my lover ; And the moon and the stars that looked over Shall never reveal what a fairy-like spell SELECTIONS. 307 They wove round about us that night in the dell, In the path through the dew-laden clover, Nor echo the whispers that made my heart swell As they fell from the lips of my lover. TELL ON HIS NATIVE HILLS. OH, with what pride I used To walk these hills, and look up to my God, And thank him that the land was free. 'Twas free From end to end, from cliff to lake 'twas free ! Free as our torrents are that leap our rocks, And plow our valleys without asking leave ! Or as our peaks, that wear their caps of snow In very presence of the regal sun ! How happy was it then ! I loved Its very storms. Yes, I have sat In my boat at night, when, midway o'er the lake, The stars went out, and down the mountain gorge The wind came roaring. I have sat and eyed The thunder breaking from his cloud, and smiled To see him shake his lightnings o'er my head, And think I had no master save his own ! On yonder jutting cliff o'ertaken there By the mountain blast, I've laid me flat along, And while gust followed gust more furiously, As if to sweep me o'er the horrid brink, And I have thought of other lands, whose storms Are summer-flaws to those of mine, and just Have wished me there the thought that mine was free Has checked that wish, and I have raised my head, And cried in thralldom to that furious wind, Blow on ! this is the land of liberty ! 308 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. IF WE KNEW. IF we knew the woe and heartache Waiting for us down the road, If our lips could taste the wormwood, If our backs could feel the load; Would we waste the day in wishing For a time that ne'er can be ? Would we wait with such impatience For our ships to come from sea ? If we knew the baby fingers, Pressed against the window pane, Would be cold and stiff to-morrow, Never trouble us again ; Would the bright eyes of our darling Catch the frown upon our brow ? Would the prints of rosy fingers Vex us then as they do now ? Ah, those little ice-cold fingers ! How they point our memories back To the hasty words and actions Strewn along our backward track ! How those little hands remind us, As in snowy grace they lie, Not to scatter thorns, but roses, For our reaping by and by. Strange we never prize the music Till the sweet- vofced bird has flown ; Strange that we should slight the violets Till the lovely flowers are gone ; Strange that summer skies and sunshine Never seem one-half so fair, As when winter's snowy pinions Shake their white down in the air. SELECTIONS. 309 Lips from which the seal of silence None but God can roll away, Never blossomed in such beauty As adorns the mouth to-day ; And sweet words that freight our memory With their beautiful perfume, Come to us in sweeter accents Through the portals of the tomb. Let us gather up the sunbeams, Lying all around our path ; Let us keep the wheat and roses, Casting out the thorns and chaff ; Let us find our sweetest comfort In the blessings of to-day ; With a patient hand removing All the briers from our way. GRANNAM AND BLUE EYES. JOHN VANCE CHENEY. " How many days since you were a child ? " The blue-eyed boy looked up and smiled " Grannam, the days since you were a child ?"" " Dear soul, I cannot tell ; Would I had lived them well." * 4 How many month's since you were a child ? " He climbed her knee and sweeter smiled "Grannam, the months since you were a child ? " " 'Twere wiser far for me To count the few to be." " How many years since you were a child ? " Blue as the sky his eyes, so mild " Grannam, the years since you were a child ? " " The years are not for me ; God give a-many to thee ! " 310 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Soft did she stroke his pretty brown head, But not another word she said ; He waited long not a word she said, And Blue Eyes slipt, once more, To his playthings on the floor. RAIN ON THE ROOF. COATES KINNEY. WHEN the humid shadows gather over all the starry spheres, And the melancholy darkness gently weeps in rainy tears, 'Tis a joy to press the pillow of a cottage chamber bed, And listen to the patter of the soft rain overhead. Every tinkle on the shingles has an echo in the heart, And a thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start ; And a thousand recollections weave their bright hues into woof, As I listen to the patter of the soft rain on the roof. There in fancy comes my mother, as she used to years agone, To survey the infant sleepers ere she left them till the dawn. I can see her bending o'er me, as I listen to the strain Which is played upon the shingles by the patter of the rain. Then my little seraph sister, with her wings and waving hair, And her bright-eyed, cherub brother a serene, angelic pair Glide around my wakeful pillow with their praise or mild reproof, As I listen to the murmur of the soft rain on the roof. And another comes to thrill me with her eyes' delicious blue : I forget, as gazing on her, that her heart was all untrue ; I remember that I loved her as I ne'er may love again, And my heart's quick pulses vibrate to the patter of the rain. SELECTIONS. 311 There is naught in art's bravuras that can work with such a spell, In the spirit's pure, deep fountains, whence the holy pas- sions well, As that melody of nature that subdued, subduing strain, Which is played upon the shingles by the patter of the rain. CROSSING OF THE RUBICON. KNOWLES. A GENTLEMAN, Mr. President, speaking of Cassar's be- nevolent disposition, and of the reluctance with which he had entered into the civil war, observes, " How long did he pause upon the brink of the Rubicon ?" How came he to the brink of that river ? How dared he cross it ? Shall private men respect the boundaries of private property, and shall a man pay no respect to the boundaries of his country's rights ? How dared he cross that river? Oh, but he paused upon the brink ! He should have perished upon the brink ere he had crossed it ! Why did he pause ? Why does a man's heart palpitate when he is on the point of committing an unlawful deed ? Why does the very murderer, his vic- tim sleeping before him, and his glaring eye taking the measure of the blow, strike wide of the mortal part ? Be- cause of conscience ! 'Twas that made Cassar pause upon the brink of the Rubicon. Compassion ! What compassion ? The compassion of an assassin, that feels a momentary shud- der as his weapon begins to cut ! Caesar paused upon the brink of the Rubicon. What was the Rubicon ? The boundary of Caesar's province. From what did it separate his province ? From his country. Was that country a desert ? No ; it was cultivated and fertile, rich and populous ! Its sons were men of genius, spirit, and generosity ! Its daughters were lovely, susceptible, and chaste ! Friendship was its inhabitant ! Love was its in- habitant ! Domestic affection was its inhabitant ! Liberty 312 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. was its inhabitant ! All bounded by the stream of the Ru- bicon ! What was Caesar, that stood upon the bank of that stream ? A traitor, bringing war and' pestilence into the heart of that country. No wonder that he paused no won- der if, his imagination wrought upon by his conscience, he had beheld blood instead of water, and heard groans instead of murmurs ! No wonder if some gorgon horror had turned him into stone upon the spot! But, no ! he cried, " The die is cast ! " He plunged ! he crossed ! and Rome was free no more ! THE TRAMP AND THE CUR. FRED EMERSON BROOKS. [Written for Voice Culture and Elocution.] HELLO, ye little wanderin' cur ! Don't be afraid I'll hurt ye, sir ! Let's get acquainted, as it were ; Tell us your name ! What, neither name nor pedigree ? Well, I'm about as bad, you see : I'm called a tramp ; 'twixt you and me 'Tis all the same. Come here, I'll share my crust with you : Enough for one's enough for two ! Ye want a friend and friends are few ? That's just my case. You're poor and homely, by the by, And somewhat ragged, so am I ; And yet, there's somethin' in your eye That's not so base. Come right up here, ye little scamp ! I wouldn't hurt ye I'm a tramp ! Tell me what makes your eye so damp ; Have ye some sorrow ? What, lost your father ? Needn't whine ! SELECTIONS. 313 And mother too ? Well, I've lost mine ! Suppose we lonely orphans dine, And weep to-morrow ! At this one meal you'll be my guest ; Though plain, 'tis easier to digest ! Dyspepsia never brings unrest To me nor you. We'll be companions from this date : Misery always likes a mate ; And burdens seem to lose their weight When borne by two. On velvet cushion by the hearth Sleeps many a dog not half your worth, But, since ye are of random birth, Mankind pass by ye. Having no way to earn a meal, You're forced to either starve or steal ; Could they but once your hunger feel, They'd not deny ye. Ye have good right as well as they To get your livin' as ye may, For man is but a bird of prey, That lives by plunder : To rob his fellow man, a creed ; Take from the earth more than his need ; That he ne'er satisfies his greed Is more the wonder. Life is one continual cramp, To you the cur, to me the tramp, And others of the self-same stamp That want our name : For be they human, be they brute, Many are in the same pursuit To find for work some substitute, That's just our aim. 314 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. You never need be friendless more ! Henceforth we'll tramp from door to door, Divide each day our scanty store : Quite all we need. And if no other wealth we find Than bliss of a contented mind, The less we'll have to leave behind For legal greed. A dog on whom ye may depend Is better than a faithless friend ; Though pity 'tis man must descend Fealty to find ! God's noblest oft becomes so base, And such a blot upon the race That e'en his dog feels the disgrace And sneaks behind. Pray do not cringe, nor yelp, nor whine, Nor bark too loud when you would dine, But raise that curly question sign Behind ye saggin' ! You'll find this maxim never fail : Too long a tongue will not prevail ; You'll do more coaxin* with your tail; So keep it waggin' ! And those soft eyes, my little friend, Will all your meager wants commend ; And thus by pleadin' at each end You'll get your dinner! If one no other crime commits Than simply livin' by his wits, 'Tis beggin', which the world permits Both saint and sinner. Some are with many millions blest ; Some earn so little at their best SELECTIONS. 315 That e'en the Sabbath clay of rest They may not take. Enough for all is nature's plan, Yet, in her myriad caravan, The only miser is the man, With his muck-rake. Had circumstance reversed the thing Made you a lap-dog, me a king Would we have better cause to sing ? Pray look around : The earth is ours without its care The flowers, the sunlight, and the air ! Oft wealth would give one-half its share To sleep as sound. He owns the most who wants the least, And learns contentment from the beast ! The lesser food the better feast ; So let us feed : Your share of meat and all the bone ! Since friendship only may be shown For what we are, not what we own, We're friends indeed ! THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE. TENNYSON. HALF a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the Valley of Death Rode the Six Hundred. " Forward, the Light Brigade ! Charge for the guns ! " he said : Into the Valley of Death Rode the Six Hundred. 316 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. " Forward, the Light Brigade ! r Was there a man dismayed ? Not though the soldier knew Some one had blundered : Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die : Into the Valley of Death Rode the Six Hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them, Volleyed and thundered. Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well ; Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell, Rode the Six Hundred. Flashed all their sabers bare, Flashed as they turned in air, Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wondered. Plunged in the battery smoke, Right through the line they broke ; Cossack and Russian Reeled from the saber-stroke, Shattered and sundered. Then they rode back, but not, Not the Six Hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them, Volleyed and thundered. SELECTIONS. 317 Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well Came through the jaws of Death Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them, Left of Six Hundred. When can their glory fade ? O the wild charge they made ! All the world wondered. Honor the charge they made ! Honor the Light Brigade, Noble Six Hundred ! NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. PHILLIPS. IF Napoleon's fortune was great, his genius was transcen- dent ; decision flashed upon his counsels ; and it was the same to decide and to perform. To inferior intellects, his combinations appeared perfectly impossible, his plans per- fectly impracticable ; but, in his hands, simplicity marked their development, and success vindicated their adoption. His person partook the character of his mind, if the one never yielded in the cabinet, the other never bent in the field. Nature had no obstacles that he did not surmount space no opposition that he did not spurn : and, whether amid Alpine rocks, Arabian sands, or polar snows, he seemed proof against peril, and empowered with ubiquity ! The whole continent of Europe trembled at beholding the audacity of his designs, and the miracle of their execution. Skepticism bowed to the prodigies of his performance ; romance as- sumed the air of history ; nor was there aught too incredible for belief, or too fanciful for expectation, when the world saw a subaltern of Corsica waving his imperial flag over her 318 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. most ancient capitals. All the visions of antiquity became commonplaces in his contemplation ; kings were his people nations were his outposts; and he disposed of courts, and crowns, and camps, and churches, and cabinets, as if they were the titular dignitaries of the chess-board ! Through the pantomime of his policy, fortune played the clown to his caprices. At his touch, crowns crumbled, beg- gars reigned, systems vanished, the wildest theories took the color of his whim, and all that was venerable, and all that was novel, changed places with the rapidity of a drama. Even apparent defeat assumed the appearance of victory his flight from Egypt confirmed his destiny ruin itself only elevated him to empire. Amid all these changes he stood immutable as adamant. It mattered little whether in the field or the drawing-room, with the mob or the levee, wear- ing the Jacobin bonnet or the iron crown banishing a Bra- ganza, or espousing a Hapsburg dictating peace on a raft to the czar of Russia, or contemplating defeat at the gallows of Leipsic he was still the same military despot ! A SIMILAR CASE. JACK, I hear you've gone and done it,- Yes, I know ; most fellows will ; Went and tried it once myself, sir, Though you see I'm single still. And you met her did you tell me, Down at Newport, last July, And resolved to ask the question At a soire'e ? So did I. I suppose you left the ball-room, With its music and its light ; For they say love's flame is brightest In the darkness of the night. SELECTIONS. 319 Well, you walked along together, Overhead the starlit sky ; And I'll bet old man, confess it You were frightened. So was I. So you strolled along the terrace, Saw the summer moonlight pour All its radiance on the waters, As they rippled on the shore, Till at length you gathered courage, When you saw that none was nigh Did you draw her close and tell her That you loved her ? So did I. Well, I needn't ask you further, And I'm sure I wish you joy. Think I'll wander down and see you When you're married eh, my boy ? When the honeymoon is over And you're settled down, we'll try What ? the deuce you say ! Rejected You rejected ? So was I. UNDER THE DAISIES. IT is strange what a deal of trouble we take ; What a sacrifice most of us willingly make; How our lips will smile though our hearts may ache ; How we bend to the ways of the world for the sake Of its poor and scanty praises ; And Time runs on in such pitiless flow, That our lives are wasted before we know What work to finish ere we go To our long sleep under the daisies. How often we fall in useless fright ; How often is wrong in the place of right ; 320 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. And the end is so far beyond our sight, ; Tis as when one starts on some chase by night An unknown course pursuing: And we find at the end of the race that we've run That of all we have sought for little is won ; And of all of the work our strength has done, How little was worth the doing. So most of us travel at very poor speed ; Failing in thought while we conquer in deed, Least brave in our hour of greatest need, And making a riddle that few can read, Of our life and its intricate mazes. Such a labyrinth of right and wrong, Is it strange that a heart once brave and strong Should falter at last, and most earnestly long For a calm sleep under the daisies ? But if one grateful heart can say " Your kindness cheered my life's rough way," And a tear shall fall on our senseless clay, We will stand up in Heaven in brighter array Than if all the world rang with our praises ; For the good that is done, it never will fade Though the work be wrought and the wages paid, And the lifeless form of the laborer laid All peacefully under the daisies. TRUTH IN PARENTHESIS. HOOD. I REALLY take it very kind- This visit, Mrs. Skinner ; I have not seen you such an age (The wretch has come to dinner !) SELECTIONS. 32! Your daughters, too what loves of girls What heads for painters' easels ! Come here, and kiss the infant, dears (And give it, p'rhaps the measles !) Your charming boys, I see, are home, From Reverend Mr. Russell's ; 'T was very kind to bring them both (What boots for my new Brussels !) What ! little Clara left at home ? Well, now, I call that shabby ! I should have loved to kiss her so (A flabby, dabby babby !) And Mr. S., I hope he's well But, though he lives so handy, He never once drops in to sup (The better for our brandy !) Come, take a seat I long to hear About Matilda's marriage ; You've come, of course, to spend the day (Thank Heaven ! I hear the carriage !) What ! must you go ? next time, I hope, You'll give me longer measure. Nay, I shall see you down the stairs (With most uncommon pleasure !) Good-bye ! good-bye ! Remember, all, Next time you'll take your dinners (Now, David, mind I'm not at home, In future, to the Skinners.) TELL'S APOSTROPHE TO THE ALPS. KNOWLES. YE crags and peaks, I'm with you once again ! I hold to you the hands you first beheld, To show they still are free. Methinks I hear 322 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. A spirit in your echoes answer me, And bid your tenant welcome to his home Again ! O sacred forms, how proud you look ! How high you lift your heads into the sky ! How huge you are ! How mighty, and how free ! Ye are the things that tower, that shine, whose smile Makes glad, whose frown is terrible, whose forms, Robed or unrobed, do all the impress wear Of awe divine. Ye guards of liberty, I'm with you once again ! I call to you With all my voice ! I hold my hands to you, To show they still are free. I rush to you As though I could embrace you ! Scaling yonder peak I saw an eagle wheeling near its brow O'er the abyss : his broad-expanded wings Lay calm and motionless upon the air, As if he floated there without their aid, By the sole act of his unlorded will, That buoyed him proudly up. Instinctively I bent my bow ; yet kept he rounding still His airy circle, as in the delight Of measuring the ample range beneath And round about ; absorbed, he heeded not The death that threatened him. I could not shoot 'Twas liberty ! I turned my bow aside, And let him soar away ! THE DYING KNIGHT. THE shadows of evening are thickening. Twilight closes and the thin mists are rising in the valley. The last charg- ing squadron yet thunders in the distance ; but it presses only on the foiled and scattered foe. For this day the fight is over ! And those who rode foremost in its field at morn- ing where are they now ? On the bank of yon little stream SELECTIONS. 323 there lies a knight, his life-blood is ebbing faster than its tide. His shield is rent, and his lance is broken. Soldier, why faintest thou ? The blood that wells from that deep wound will answer. It was this morning that the sun rose bright upon his hopes it sets upon his grave. This day he led the foremost rank of spears, that in their long row leveled when they had crossed their foe's dark line then death shouted in the onset ! It was the last blow that reached him. He has conquered, though he shall not triumph in the victory. His breastplate is dinted. His helmet has the traces of well- dealt blows. The scarf on his breast she would shrink but to touch it now who placed it there. Soldier, what will thy mistress say ? She will say that the knight died worthily. Aye, rouse thee, for the fight yet charges in the distance ! Thy friends are shouting thy pennon floats on high. Look on yon crimsoned field that seems to mock the purple clouds above it ! Prostrate they lie, drenched in their dark red pool; thy friends and enemies; the dead and dying! The veteran, with the stripling of a day. The nameless trooper, and the leader of a hundred hosts. Friend lies by friend. The steed with his rider. And foes, linked in their long embrace their first and last the gripe of death. Far o'er the field they lie, a gorgeous prey to ruin ! White plume and steel morion ; saber and yataghan ; crescent and cross; rich vest and bright corselet: we came to the fight, as we had come to a feasting ; glorious and glittering, even in death, each shining warrior lies ! His last glance still seeks that Christian banner ! The cry that shall never be repeated, cheers on its last charge ! " Oh, but for strength to reach the field once more ! to die in the foe's front ! " Peace, dreamer ! Thou hast done well. Thy place in the close rank is filled ; and yet another waits for his who holds it. Knight, hast thou yet a thought ? bend it on Heaven ! The past is gone ; the future lies before thee. Gaze on yon 324 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. gorgeous sky ; thy home should be beyond it ! Life, honor, love they pass to Him that gave them. Pride, that came on like ocean's billows see round thee how it lies mute and passive. The wealthy here are poor. The high-born have no precedence. The strong are powerless ; the mean, con- tent. The fair and lovely have no followers. Soldier ! she who sped thee on thy course to-day, her blue eyes shall seek thee in the conquering ranks to-morrow ! but they shall seek thee in vain ! Well ! thus it is thou shouldst have died ! worth all to live for. Wouldst thou be base to have thy death a blessing ? Proud necks shall mourn for thee. Bright eyes shall weep for thee. They that live envy thee. Death ! glory takes out thy sting. Warrior ! aye, the stream of that rill flows cool ; but thy lip no more shall taste it. The moonlight that silvers its white foam shall glitter on thy corselet, when thy eye is closed and dim. Lo ! now the night is coming. The mist is gathering on the hill. The fox steals forth to seek his quarry, and the gray owl sweeps whirling by, rejoicing in the stillness. Oh, soldier ! how sweetly sounds thy lady's lute ! how fragrant are the dew-sprinkled flowers that twine round the casement from which she leans ! that lute shall enchant thee, those flowers shall delight thee no more. One other charge ! Soldier, it may not be. To thy saint and thy lady commend thee ! Hark to the low trumpet that sounds the recall ! Hark to its long note ; sweet is that sound in the ears of the spent and routed foe ! The victor hears it not. When the breath rose that blew that note, he lived ; its peal has rung, and his spirit has departed. Heath ! thou shouldst be the soldier's pillow ! Moon ! let thy cold ligfht this night fall upon him ! But, morning ! thy soft dews shall tempt him not ! the soldier must wake no more. He sleeps the sleep of honor. His cause was his country's free- dom, and her faith. He is dead ! The cross of a Christian knight is on his breast; his lips are pressed to his lady's token. Soldier, farewell ! SELECTIONS. 325 LIBERTY AND UNION. WEBSTER. WHILE the Union lasts, we have high, exciting, gratify- ing prospects spread out before us, for us and our children. Beyond that, I seek not to penetrate the veil. God grant, that in my day, at least, that curtain may not rise ! God grant that on my vision never rruy be opened what lies behind ! When my eyes shall be turned to behold for the last time the sun in heaven, may I not see him shining on the broken and dishonored fragments of a once glorious Union ; on States dissevered, discordant, belligerent : on a land rent with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be, in frater- nal blood ! Let their last feeble and lingering glance rather behold the gorgeous ensign of the republic, 'now known and hon- ored throughout the earth, still full high advanced, its arms and trophies streaming in their original luster, not a stripe erased or polluted, nor a single star obscured, bearing for its motto no such miserable interrogatory as " What is all this worth ? " nor those other words of delusion and folly, " Liberty first and Union afterwards ; " but everywhere, spread all over in characters of living light, blazing on all its ample folds, as they float over the sea and over the land, and in every wind under the whole heavens, that other sentiment dear to every true American heart Liberty and L T nion, now and forever, one and inseparable ! MARULLUS TO THE ROMAN POPULACE. SHAKESPEARE. WHEREFORE rejoice, that Cassar comes in triumph ? What conquest brings he home ? What tributaries follow him to Rome, To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels ? You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things ! 326 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome ! Knew ye not Pompey ? Many a time and oft Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements, To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops, Your infants in your arms, and there have sat The live-long day, with patient expectation, To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome ; And when you saw his chariot but appear, Have you not made a universal shout, That Tiber trembled underneath her banks, To hear the replication of your sounds, Made in her concave shores ? And do you now put on your best attire ? And do you now cull out a holiday ? And do you now strew flowers in his way, That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood ? Begone ! Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, Pray to the gods to intermit the plague That needs must light on this ingratitude ! DON'T RUN IN DEBT. ELIZA COOK. DON'T run in debt never mind, never mind, If your clothes are all faded and torn; Fix 'em up, make them do, it is better by far, Than to have the heart weary and worn. Who'll love you the more for the set of your hat, Or your ruff, or the tie of your shoe, The style of your vest, or your boots or cravat, If they know you're in debt for the new ? There's no comfort, I tell you, in walking the street In fine clothes, if you know you are in debt, And feel that perchance you some tradesman may meet, Who will sneer " They're not paid for yet." SELECTIONS. 327 Good friends, let me beg- of you don't run in debt, If the chairs and the sofa are old ; They will fit your backs better than any new set, Unless they're paid for with gold. If the house is too small, draw the closer together, Keep it warm with a hearty good-will ; A big one unpaid for, in all kinds of weather, Will send to your warm heart a chill. Don't run in debt dear girls, take a hint, If the fashions have changed since last season, Old Nature is out in the very same tint, And old Nature we think has some reason. But just say to your friend, that you cannot afford To spend time to keep up with the fashion ; That your purse is too light, and your honor too bright To be tarnished \vith such silly passion. Gents-, don't run in debt let your friends, if they can, Have fine houses, and feathers, and flowers, But, unless they are paid for, be more of a man, Than to envy their sunshiny hours. If you've money to spare, I have nothing to say Spend your dollars and dimes as you please, But mind you, the man who his note has to pay, Is the man who is never at ease. Kind husbands, don't run in debt any more; 'T will fill your wife's cup of sorrow, To know that a neighbor may call at your door, With a bill you must settle to-morrow ; O ! take my advice it is good ! it is true ! (But, lest you may some of you doubt it,) I'll whisper a secret, now seeing 'tis you ; 1 have tried it and know all about it 328 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. The chain of a debtor is heavy and cold, Its links, all corrosion and rust, Gild it o'er as you will, it is never of gold ; Then spurn it aside with disgust. DO IT YOURSELF. WHY ask the teacher or some classmate to solve that problem ? Do it yourself. You might as well let them eat your dinner as " do your sums for you." It is in studying as in eating he that does it gets the benefit, and not he that sees it done. Do not ask your teacher to parse all the difficult words, or assist you in the performance of any of your duties. Do it yourself. Never mind, though they look dark as Egypt. Don't ask even a hint from anybody. Every trial increases your ability, and you will finally succeed by dint of the very wisdom and strength gained in this effort, even 'though at first the problem was beyond your skill. It is the study and not the answer that really rewards your pains. Look at that boy who has succeeded after six hours of hard study, perhaps. How his eye is lit up with a proud joy, as he marches to his class ! He reads like a conqueror, and well he may. His poor, weak schoolmate, who gave up after the first trial, now looks up to him with something of wonder as a superior. There lies a great gulf between those boys who stood yes- terday side by side. They will never stand together as equals again. The boy that did it for himself has taken a stride upward, and, what is better still, has gained strength for greater efforts. The boy who waited to see others do it has lost both strength and courage, and is already looking for some excuse to give up school and study forever. SELECTIONS. 339 POPULAR ELECTIONS. GEORGE M'DUFFIE. SIR, if there is any spectacle from the contemplation of which I would shrink with peculiar horror, it would be that of the great mass of the American people sunk into a pro- found apathy on the subject of their highest political inter- ests. Such a spectacle would be more portentous to the eye of intelligent patriotism, than all the monsters of the earth, and fiery signs of the heavens, to the eye of trembling superstition. If the people could be indifferent to the fate of a contest for the presidency, they would be unworthy of freedom. If I were to perceive them sinking into this apathy, I would even apply the power of political galvanism, if such a power could be found, to rouse them from their fatal lethargy. Keep the people quiet ! . Peace ! peace ! Such are the whispers by which the people are to be lulled to sleep, in the very crisis of their highest concerns. Sir, " you make a solitude and call it peace ! " Peace ? Tis death ! Take away all interest from the people, in the election of their chief ruler, and liberty is no more. What, sir, is to be the consequence ? If the people do not elect the President, somebody must. There is no special providence to decide the question. Who, then, is to make the election, and how will it operate ? You throw a general paralysis over the body politic, and excite a morbid action in particular mem- bers. The general patriotic excitement of the people, in relation to the election of the President, is as essential to the health and energy of the political system, as circulation of the blood is to the health and energy of the natural body. Check that circulation, and you inevitably produce local inflammation, gangrene, and ultimately death. Make the people indifferent, destroy their legitimate influ- ence, and you communicate a morbid violence to the efforts of those who are ever ready to assume the control of such affairs the mercenary intriguers and interested office-hunt- 330 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. ers of the country. Tell me not, sir, of popular violence! Show me a hundred political factionists men who look to the election of a President as the means of gratifying their high or their low ambition and I will show you the very materials for a mob ; ready for any desperate adventure connected with their common fortunes. The reason of this extraordinary excitement is obvious. It is a matter of self- interest, of personal ambition. The people can have no such motives. They look only to the interest and glory of the country. PARALLEL BETWEEN POPE AND DRYDEN. DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON. IN acquired knowledge, the superiority must be allowed to Dryden, whose education was more scholastic, and who, before he became an author, had been allowed more time for study, with better means of information. His mind has a larger range, and he collects his images and illustrations from a more extensive circumference of science. Dryden knew more of man in his general nature, and Pope in his local manners. The notions of Dryden were formed by comprehensive speculation ; those of Pope by minute atten- tion. There is more dignity in the knowledge of Dryden, and more certainty in that of Pope. Poetry was not the sole praise of either ; for both excelled likewise in prose ; but Pope did not borrow his prose from his predecessor. The style of Dryden is capricious and varied ; that of Pope is cautious and uniform. Dryden obeys the motions of his own mind ; Pope constrains his miud to his own rules of composition. Dryden is sometimes vehe- ment and rapid ; Pope is always smooth, uniform, and gentle. Dryden's page is a natural field rising into inequal- ities, and diversified by the varied exuberance of abundant vegetation ; Pope's is a velvet lawn, shaven by the scythe, and leveled by the roller. SELECTIONS. 33! Of genius that power which constitutes a poet, that qual- ity without which judgment is cold and knowledge is inert, that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and ani- mates the superiority must, with some hesitation, be allowed to Dryden. It is not to be inferred, that of this poetical vigor Pope had only a little, because Dryden had more : for every other writer since Milton must give place to Pope ; and even of Dryden it must be said that if he has brighter paragraphs, he has not better poems. Dryden's performances were always hasty either excited by some external occasion, or extorted by domestic necessity; he composed without consideration, and published without correction. What his mind could supply at call, or gather at one excursion, was all that he sought, and all that he gave. The dilatory caution of Pope enabled him to condense his sentiments, to multiply his images, and to accumulate all that study might produce or chance might supply. If the flights of Dryden, therefore, are higher, Pope continues longer on the wing. If of Dryden's fire the blaze is brighter, of Pope's the heat is more regular and constant. Dryden often surpasses expectation, and Pope never falls below it. Dryden is read with frequent astonishment, and Pope with perpetual delight. THE WIND AND THE MOON. GEORGE MACDONALD. SAID the Wind to the Moon, " I will blow you out; You stare In the air Like a ghost in a chair, Always looking what I am about I hate to be watched ; I'll blow you out." [Blow.] 332 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. The Wind blew hard, and out went the Moon, So deep On a heap Of cloudless sleep, Down lay the Wind, and slumbered soon, Muttering low, "I've done for that Moon." He turned in his bed : she was there again ! On high, In the sky, With her one ghost eye, The Moon shone white and alive and plain ; Said the Wind, " I'll blow you out again." [Blow.} \ The Wind blew hard, and the Moon grew dim : " With my sledge, And my wedge, I have knocked off her edge ! If only I blow right fierce and grim, The creature will soon be dimmer than dim." [Blow.] He blew and blew, and she thinned to a thread : " One puff More's enough To blow her to snuff ! One good puff more where the last was bred, And glimmer, glum will go the thread." [Blow.] He blew a great blast, and the thread was gone In the air ; Nowhere Was a moonbeam bare ; Far off and harmless the sky stars shone Sure and certain the moon was gone ! SELECTIONS. 333 The Wind he took to his revels once more ; On down In town, Like a merry-mad clown, He leaped and halloed with whistle and roar : "What's that ? " The glimmering thread once more. He flew in a rage he danced and blew ; But in vain Was the pain Of his bursting brain ; For still broader the moon-scrap grew, The broader he swelled his big cheeks and blew Slowly she grew till she filled the night, And shone On her throne In the sky alone, A matchless, wonderful, silvery light, Radiant and lovely, the queen of night ! Said the Wind, " What a marvel of power am I ! With my breath, Good faith, I blew her to death First blew her away right out of the sky Then blew her in ; what strength have I ! " But the Moon she knew nothing about the affair ; For high In the sky, With her one white eye, Motionless, miles above the air, She had never heard the great Wind blare. 334 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. LASCA. F. DESPREZ. I WANT free life and I want fresh air ; And I sigh for the canter after the cattle, The crack of the whips like shots in battle, The mellay of horns, and hoofs, and heads That wars, and wrangles, and scatters, and spreads ; The green beneath and the blue above, And dash and danger, and life and love; And Lasca ! Lasca used to ride On a mouse-gray mustang, close to my side, With blue serape and bright-belled spur ; I laughed with joy as I looked at her ! Little knew she of books or creeds ; An Ave Maria sufficed her needs ; Little she cared, save to be by my side, To ride with me, and ever to ride, From San Saba's shore to Lavaca's tide. She was as bold as the billows that beat, She was as wild as the breezes that blow ; From her little head to her little feet She was swayed, in her suppleness, to and fro By each gust of passion ; a sapling pine, That grows on the edge of a Kansas bluff, And wars with the wind when the weather is rough, Is like this Lasca, this love of mine. She would hunger that I might eat, Would take the bitter and leave me the sweet ; But once, when I made her jealous for fun, At something I'd whispered, or looked, or done, One Sunday, in San Antonio, To a glorious girl on the Alamo, She drew from her girdle a dear little dagger, And sting of a wasp ! it made me stagger ! SELECTIONS. 335 An inch to the left or an inch to the right, And I shouldn't be maundering here to-night ; But she sobbed, and, sobbing, so swiftly bound Her torn reboso about the wound That I quite forgave her. Scratches don't count In Texas, down by the Rio Grande. Her eye was brown, a deep, deep brown ; Her hair was darker than her eye ; And something in her smile and frown, Curled crimson lip, and instep high, Showed that there ran in each blue vein, Mixed with the milder Aztec strain, The vigorous vintage of old Spain. The air was heavy, the night was hot, I sat by her side, and forgot forgot ; Forgot the herd that were taking their rest ; Forgot that the air was close opprest ; That the Texas norther comes sudden and soon, In the dead of night or the blaze of noon ; That once let the herd at its breath take fright, That nothing on earth can stop the flight ; And woe to the rider, and woe to the steed, Who falls in front of their mad stampede ! Was that thunder ? No, by the Lord ! I spring to my saddle without a word, One foot on mine, and she clung behind. Away ! on a hot chase down the wind ! But never was fox-hunt half so hard, And never was steed so little spared, For we rode for our lives. You shall hear how we fared In Texas, down by the Rio Grande. The mustang flew, and we urged him on ; There was one chance left, and you have but one; Halt, jump to the ground, and shoot your horse ; Crouch under his carcass, and take your chance ; And if the steers, in their frantic course, 336 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Don't batter you both to pieces at once, You may thank your star ; if not, good-bye To the quickening kiss and the long-drawn sigh, And the open air and the open sky, In Texas, down by the Rio Grande. The cattle gained on us, just as I felt For my old six-shooter, behind in my belt ; Down came the mustang, and down came we, Clinging together, and what was the rest ? A body that spread itself on my breast, Two arms that shielded my dizzy head, Two lips that hard on my lips were pressed ; Then came thunder in my ears, As over us surged the sea of steers, Blows that beat blood into my eyes, And when I could rise, Lasca was dead ! I gouged out a grave a few feet deep, And there in Earth's arms I laid her to sleep ; And there she is lying, and no one knows, And the summer shines and the winter snows ; For many a day the flowers have spread A pall of petals over her head ; And the little gray hawk hangs aloft in the air, And the sly coyote trots here and there, And the black snake glides, and glitters, and slides Into the rift in a cotton- wood tree; And the buzzard sails on, And comes and is gone, Stately and still like a ship at sea ; And I wonder why I do not care For the things that are like the things that were. Does half my heart lie buried there In Texas, down by the Rio Grande ? SELECTIONS. 337 IGNORANCE IN OUR COUNTRY A CRIME. HORACE MANN. IN all the dungeons of the Old World, where the strong champions of freedom are now pining in captivity beneath the remorseless power of the tyrant, the morning sun does not send a glimmering ray into their cells, nor does night draw a thicker veil of darkness between them and the world, but the lone prisoner lifts his iron-laden arms to heaven in prayer that we, the depositaries of freedom and of human hopes, may be faithful to our sacred trust. While, on the other hand, the pensioned advocates of despotism stand, with list- ening ear, to catch the first sound of lawless violence that is wafted from our shores, to note the first breach of faith or act of perfidy amongst us, and to convert them into argu- ments against liberty and the rights of man. There is not a shout sent up by an insane mob, on this side the Atlantic, but it is echoed by a thousand presses and by ten thousand tongues along every mountain and valley, on the other. There is not a conflagration kindled heie by the ruthless hand of violence, but its flame glares over all Europe, from horizon to zenith. On each occurrence of a flagitious scene, whether it be an act of turbulence and devastation, or a deed of perfidy or breach of faith, monarchs point them out as fruits of the growth and omens of the fate of republics, and claim for themselves ^and their heirs a fur- ther extension of the lease of despotism. The experience of the ages that are past, the hopes of the ages that are yet to come, unite their voices in an appeal to us. They implore us to think more of the character of our people than of its numbers ; to look upon our vast natural resources, not as tempters to ostentation and pride, but as a means to be converted, by the refining alchemy of education, into mental and spiritual treasures. They supplicate us to seek for whatever complacency or self-satisfaction we are disposed to indulge, not in the extent of onr territory, or in the products of our soil, but in the expansion and perpetua- 338 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. tion of the means of human happiness. They beseech us to exchange the luxuries of sense for the joys of chanty, and thus give to the world the example of a nation whose wisdom increases with its prosperity, and whose virtues are equal to its power. For these ends they enjoin upon us a more earnest, a more universal, a more religious devotion of our exertions and resources to the culture of the youthful mind and heart of the nation. Their gathered voices assert the eternal truth that, in a republic, ignorance is a crime ; and that private im- morality is not less an opprobrium to the State than it is guilt in the perpetrator. THREE DAYS IN THE LIFE OF COLUMBUS. DELAVIGNE. ON the deck stood Columbus ; the ocean's expanse, Untried and unlimited, swept by his glance. " Back to Spain ! " cry his men ; " Put the vessel about ! We venture no further through danger and doubt." " Three days, and I give you a world ! " he replied ; " Bear up, my brave comrades ; three days shall decide." He sails, but no token of land is in sight ; He sails, but the day shows no more than the night ; On, onward he sails, while in vain o'er the lee The lead is plunged down through a fathomless sea. The second day's past, and Columbus is sleeping, While Mutiny near him its vigil is keeping: " Shall he perish ? " " Ay ! death ! " is the barbarous cry. " He must triumph to-morrow, or, perjured, must die." Ungrateful and blind ! shall the world-linking sea, He traced for the Future, his sepulchre be ? Shall that sea, on the morrow, with pitiless waves, Fling his corse on that shore which his patient eye craves ? The corse of a humble adventurer, then ; One day later, Columbus, the first among men ! SELECTIONS. 339 But hush ! he is dreaming ! A veil on the main, At the distant horizon, is parted in twain, And now, on his dreaming eye, rapturous sight ! Fresh bursts the New World from the darkness of night ! O vision of glory ! how dazzling it seems ! How glistens the verdure ! how sparkle the streams ! How blue the far mountains ! how glad the green isles ! And the earth and the ocean, how dimpled with smiles ! " Joy ! joy ! " cries Columbus, " this region is mine ! " Ah ! not e'en its name, wondrous dreamer, is thine ! But, lo ! his dream changes ; a vision less bright Comes to darken and banish that scene of delight. The gold-seeking Spaniards, a merciless band, Assail the meek natives and ravage the land. He sees the fair palace, the temple on fire, And the peaceful Cazique 'mid their ashes expire ; He sees, too, Oh, saddest ! Oh, mournfulest sight ! The crucifix gleam in the thick of the fight. More terrible far than the merciless steel Is the up-lifted cross in the red hand of zeal ! Again the dream changes, Columbus looks forth, And a bright constellation beholds in the North. 'Tis the herald of empire ! A People appear, Impatient of wrong, and unconscious of fear ! They level the forest, they ransack the seas, Each zone finds their canvas unfurled to the breeze. " Hold ! " Tyranny cries ; but their resolute breath Sends back the reply, " Independence or death ! " The plowshare they turn to a weapon of might, And, defying all odds, they go forth to the 'fight. They have conquered ! The People, with grateful acclaim, Look to Washington's guidance, from Washington's fame;- Behold Cincinnatus and Cato combined In his patriot heart and republican mind. 340 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Oh, type of true manhood ! What scepter or crown But fades in the light of thy simple renown ? And lo! by the side of the Hero, a Sage, In Freedom's behalf, sets his mark on the age ; Whom Science adoringly hails, while he wrings The lightning from heaven, the sceptre from kings ! At length o'er Columbus slow consciousness breaks ; " Land ! land 1 " cry the sailors ; " land I land ! " he awakes, He runs, yes ! behold it 1 it blesseth his sight, The land ! Oh, dear spectacle ! transport ! delight ! Oh, generous sobs, which he cannot restrain ! What will Ferdinand say ? and the Future ? and Spain ? He will lay this fair land at the foot of the throne, His king will repay all the ills he has known, In exchange for a world, what are honors and gains ? Or a crown ? But how is he rewarded ? with chains ! OUR FOLKS. ETHEL LYNN, " Hi ! Harry Holly ! Halt ; and tell A fellow just a thing or two : You've had a furlough, been to see How all the folks in Jersey do. It's months ago since I was there, I, and a bullet from Fair Oaks : When you were home, old comrade say, Did you see any of our folks ? You did ? Shake hands; O, ain't I glad ? For, if I do look grim and rough, I've got some feelin' People think A soldier's heart is mighty tough ; SELECTIONS. 341 But, Harry, when the bullets fly, And hot saltpetre flames and smokes, While whole battalions lie a-fiekl, One's apt to think about his folks. And so you saw them, when ? and where ? The old man, is he hearty yet ? And mother, does she fade at all ? Or does she seem to pine and fret For me ? And Sis ? has she grown tall ? And did you see her friend, you know That Annie Moss (How this pipe chokes !) Where did you see her ? tell me, Hal, A lot of news about our folks. You saw them in the church, you say ; It's likely, for they're always there. Not Sunday ? No ? A funeral ? Who ? Who, Harry ? how you shake and stare ! All well, you say, and all were out ; What ails you, Hal ? Is this a hoax ? Why don't you tell me, like a man, What is the matter with our folks ? " " I said all well, old comrade, true ; I say all well, for He knows best Who takes the young ones in His arms, Before the sun goes to the west. The axe-man Death deals right and left, And flowers fall as well as oaks ; And so Fair Annie blooms no more ! And that's the matter with your folks. See, this brown curl was kept for you ; And this white blossom from her breast ; And here, your sister Bessie wrote A letter telling all the rest. 342 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Bear up, old friend." Nobody speaks ; Only the old camp raven croaks, And soldiers whisper : " Boys, be still ; There's some bad news from Grainger's folks. 1 He turns his back the only foe That ever saw it on this grief, And, as men will, keeps down the tears Kind Nature sends to Woe's relief. Then answers he : " Ah, Hal, I'll try ; But in my throat there's something chokes, Because, you see, I've thought so long To count her in among our folks. " I s'pose she must be happy now ; But still I will keep thinking too, I could have kept all trouble off, By being tender, kind, and true ; But maybe not. She's safe up there ; And when His hand deals other strokes, She'll stand by Heaven's gate, I know, And wait to welcome in our folks." CATILINE'S DEFIANCE. CROLY. CONSCRIPT FATHERS: I do not rise to waste the night in words ; Let that Plebeian talk ; 'tis not my trade ; But here I stand for right, let him show proofs, For Roman right, though none, it seems, dare stand SELECTIONS. 343 To take their share with me. Ay, cluster there ! Cling to your master, judges, Romans, slaves ! His charge is false ; I dare him to his proofs. You have my answer. Let my actions speak ! But this I will avow, that I have scorn'd, And still do scorn, to hide my sense of wrong ! Who brands me on the forehead, breaks my sword, Or lays the bloody scourge upon my back, Wrongs me not half so much as he who shuts The gates of honor on me, turning out The Roman from his birthright ; and, for what ? To fling your offices to every slave ! Vipers! that creep where man disdains to climb, And, having wound their loathsome track to the top Of this huge, mouldering monument of Rome, Hang hissing at the nobler man below. Come, consecrated Lictors, from your thrones ; Fling down your scepters ; take the rod and axe, And make the murder as you make the law ! Banish'd from Rome! What's banish'd, but set free From daily contact of the things I loathe ? " Tried and convicted traitor ! " Who says this ? Who'll prove it, at his peril, on my head ? Banish'd ! I thank you for 't ! It breaks my chain ! I held some slack allegiance till this hour ; But now my sword's my own. Smile on, my Lords ! I scorn to count what feelings, withered hopes, Strong provocations, bitter, burning wrongs, I have within my heart's hot cells shut up, To leave you in your lazy dignities! But here I stand and scoff you ! here I fling Hatred and full defiance in your face ! Your Consul's merciful; for this, all thanks. He dares not touch a hair of Catiline ! 344 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. " Traitor ! " I go ; but, I return. This trial ! Here I devote your Senate ! I've had wrongs To stir a fever in the blood of age, Or make the infant's sinews strong as steel. This day's the birth of sorrow 7 ! This hour's work Will breed proscriptions! Look to your hearths, my Lords! For there, henceforth, shall sit, for household gods, Shapes hot from Tartarus ! all shames and crimes ! Wan Treachery, with his thirsty dagger drawn ; Suspicion, poisoning his brother's cup ; Naked Rebellion, with the torch and axe, Making his wild sport of your blazing thrones ; Till Anarchy comes down on you like night, And Massacre seals Rome's eternal grave. I go ; but not to leap the gulf alone. I go ; but, when I come, 't will be the burst Of ocean in the earthquake, rolling back In swift and mountainous ruin. Fare you well ! You build my funeral-pile ; but your best blood Shall quench its flame ! Back, slaves ! I will return. LET US TRY TO BE HAPPY. LET us try to be happy ! We may, if we will, Find some pleasures in life to o'erbalance the ill ; There was never an evil, if well understood, But what, rightly managed, would turn to a good. If we were but as ready to look to the light As we are to sit moping because it is night, We should own it a truth, both in word and in deed, That who tries to be happy is sure to succeed. Let us try to be happy ! Some shades of regret Are sure to hang round, which we cannot forget ; There are times when the lightest of spirits must bow, And the sunniest face wear a cloud on its brow. SELECTIONS. 345 We must never bid feelings, the purest and best, Lie blunted and cold in our bosom at rest ; But the deeper our own griefs the greater our need To try to be happy, lest other hearts bleed. O, try to be happy ! It is not for long We shall cheer on each other by counsel or song ; If we make the best use of our time that we may, There is much we can do to enliven the way : Let us only in earnestness each do our best, Before God and our conscience, and trust for the rest ; Still taking this truth, both in word and in deed, That who tries to be happy is sure to succeed. MARCO BOZZARIS. HALLECK. [Marco Bozzaris expired in the very moment of victory, his last words being" : ** To die for liberty is a pleasure, and not a pain."] AT midnight, in his guarded tent, The Turk was dreaming of the hour, When Greece, her knee in suppliance bent, Should tremble at his power : In dreams, through camp and court, he bore The trophies of a conqueror ; In dreams his song of triumph heard ; Then wore his monarch's signet ring : Then pressed that monarch's throne, a king ; As wild his thoughts, and gay of wing, As Eden's garden-bird. At midnight, in the forest shades, Bozzaris ranged his Suliote band, True as the steel of their tried blades, Heroes in heart and hand. 346 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION, There, had the Persian's thousands stood, There had the glad earth drunk their blood, On old Platea's day ; And now there breathed that haunted air The sons of sires who conquered there, With arms to strike, and souls to dare, As quick, as far as they. An hour passed on the Turk awoke : That bright dream was his last ; He woke to hear his sentries shriek, " To arms ! they come ! the Greek ! the Greek ! " He woke to die 'midst flame and smoke, And shout, and groan, and saber stroke, And death-shots falling thick and fast As lightnings from the mountain cloud ; And heard, with voice, as trumpet loud, Bozzaris cheer his band : " Strike ! till the last armed foe expires ; Strike ! for your altars and your fires ; Strike ! for the green graves of your sires ; God, and your native land ! " They fought, like brave men, long and well, They piled that ground with Moslem slain, They conquered but Bozzaris fell, Bleeding at every vein. His few surviving comrades saw His smile, when rang the proud hurrah ! And the red field was won ; Then saw, in death, his eyelids close, Calmly, as to a night's repose, Like flowers at set of sun. Come to the bridal chamber, Death ! Come to the mother, when she feels, For the first time, her first-born's breath ; Come when the blessed seals SELECTIONS. That close the pestilence, are broke, And crowded cities wail its stroke ; Come in consumption's ghastly form, The earthquake's shock, the ocean storm ; Come when the heart beats high, and warm, With banquet-song, and dance, and wine, And thou art terrible ! the tear, The groan, the knell, the pall, the bier ; And all we know, or dream, or fear, Of agony, are thine. But, to the hero, when his sword Has won the battle for the free, Thy voice sounds like a prophet's word, And in its hollow tones are heard The thanks of millions yet to be. Bozzaris ! with the storied brave, Greece nurtured, in her glory's time, Rest thee there is no prouder grave, Even in her own proud clime. We tell thy doom without a sigh ; For thou art Freedom's now, and Fame's One of the few, the immortal names, That were not born to die. 347 THE EXPUNGING RESOLUTION. CLAY. THE Senate having", in 1834, passed resolutions to the effect that President Jackson had assumed and exercised powers not granted by the Constitution, notice was given of a motion to expunge the same, which motion was taken up and carried in 1837, when the majority of the Senate was of a different party complexion. WHAT patriotic purpose is to be accomplished by this expunging resolution ? Can you make that not to be which has been ? Can you eradicate from memory and from his- 348 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. tory the fact that, in March, 1834, a majority of the Senate of the United States passed the resolution which excites your enmity ? Is it your vain and wicked object to arrogate to yourselves that power of annihilating the past which has been denied to Omnipotence itself? Do you intend to thrust your hands into our hearts, and to pluck out the deeply- rooted convictions which are there ? Or, is it your design merely to stigmatize us ? You cannot stigmatize us ! " Ne'er yet did base dishonor blur our name." Standing securely upon our conscious rectitude, and bearing aloft the shield of the Constitution of our country, your puny efforts are impotent, and we defy oil your power ! But why should I detain the Senate, or needlessly waste my breath in fruitless exertions ? The decree has gone forth. It is one of urgency, too. The deed is to be done, that foul deed, which, like the stain on the hands of the guilty- Macbeth, all ocean's waters will never wash out. Proceed, then, to the noble work which lies before you ; and, like other skillful executioners, do it quickly. And, when you have perpetrated it, go home to the people, and tell them what glorious honors you have achieved for our common country. Tell them you have extinguished one of the bright- est and purest lights that ever burnt at the altar of civil liberty. Tell them that you have silenced one of the noblest batteries that ever thundered in defense of the Constitution, and that you have bravely spiked the cannon. Tell them that, henceforward, no matter what daring or outrageous act any President may perform, you have forever hermetic- ally sealed the mouth of the Senate. Tell them that he may fearlessly assume what power he pleases, snatch from its lawful custody the public purse, command a military detachment to enter the halls of the Capitol, overawe Con- gress, trample down the Constitution, and raze every bul- wark of freedom, but that the Senate must stand mute, in silent submission, and not dare to lift an opposing voice ; that it must wait until a House of Representatives, humbled SELECTIONS. 349 and subdued like itself, and a majority of it composed of the partisans of the President, shall prefer articles of im- peachment. Tell them, finally, that you have restored the glorious doctrine of passive obedience and non-resistance ; and, when you have told them this, if the people do not sweep you from your places with their indignation, I have yet to learn the character of American freemen ! THE RIGHT TO TAX AMERICA. "BUT, Mr. Speaker, we have a right to tax America." Oh, inestimable right ! Oh, wonderful, transcendent right ! the assertion of which has cost this country thirteen prov- inces, six islands, one hundred thousand lives, and seventy millions of money. Oh, invaluable right ! for the sake of which we have sacrificed our rank among nations, our im- portance abroad, and our happiness at home ! Oh, right ! more dear to us than our existence ! which has already cost us so much, and which seems likely to cost us our all. In- fatuated man ! miserable and undone country ! not to know that the claim of right, without the power of enforcing it, is nugatory and idle. We have a right to tax America the noble lord tells us therefore we ought to tax America. This is the profound logic which comprises the whole chain of his reasoning. Not inferior to this was the wisdom of him who resolved to shear the wolf. What, shear a wolf ! Have you con- sidered the resistance, the difficulty, the danger of the attempt ? No, says the madman, I have considered nothing but the right. Man has a right of dominion over the beasts of the forest ; and therefore I will shear the wolf. How wonderful that a nation could be thus deluded ! But the noble lord deals in cheats and delusions. They are the daily traffic of his invention ; and he will continue to play off his 350 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. cheats on this house, so long as he thinks them necessary to his purpose, and so long as he has money enough at com- mand to bribe gentlemen to pretend that they believe him. But a black and bitter day of reckoning will surely come ; and whenever that day comes, I trust I shall be able, by a parliamentary impeachment, to bring upon the heads of the authors of our calamities, the punishment they deserve. SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE REVOLUTION. WHAT, sir, was the conduct of the South during the Revo- lution ? Sir, I honor New England for her conduct in that glorious struggle. But great as is the praise which belongs to her, I think, at least equal honor is due to the South. They espoused the quarrel of their brethren, with a gener- ous zeal, which did not sufifer them to stop to calculate their interest in the dispute. Favorites of the mother country, possessed of neither ships nor seamen to create a commer- cial rivalship, they might have found in their situation a guarantee that their trade would be forever fostered and protected by Great Britain. But trampling on all considera- tions either of interest or of safety, they rushed into the con- flict, and fighting for principle, periled all in the sacred cause of freedom. Never was there exhibited in the history of the world higher examples of noble daring, dreadful suf- fering, and heroic endurance, than by the Whigs of Carolina during the Revolution. The whole State, from the moun- tains to the sea, was overrun by an overwhelming force of the enemy. The fruits of industry perished on the spot where they were produced, or were consumed by the foe. The " plains of Carolina " drank up the most precious blood of her citizens ! Black and smoking ruins marked the places which had been the habitations of her children ! Driven from their homes into the gloomy and almost im- SELECTIONS. 351 penetrable swamps, even there the spirit of liberty survived, and South Carolina (sustained by the example of her Sumters and her Marions) proved, by her conduct, that though her soil might be overrun, the spirit of her people was invincible. EULOGIUM ON MASSACHUSETTS. SIR, let me fecur to pleasing recollections; let me indulge in refreshing remembrance of the past ; let me remind you that, in early times, no States cherished greater har- mony, both of principle and feeling, than Massachusetts and South Carolina. Would to God that harmony might again return ! Shoulder to shoulder they went through the Revolution; hand in hand they stood round the adminis- tration of Washington, and felt his own great arm lean on them for support. Unkind feeling, if it exists alienation and distrust are the growth, unnatural to such soils, of false principles since sown. They are weeds, the seeds of which that same great arm never scattered. Mr. President, I shall enter on no encomium upon Massa- chusetts she needs none. There she is behold her, and judge for yourselves. There is her history- the world knows it by heart. The past, at least, is secure. There is Boston, and Concord, and Lexington, and Bunker Hill and there they will remain forever. The bones of her sons, fallen in the great struggle for Independence, now lie min- gled with the soil of every State from New England to Georgia and there they will lie forever. And, sir, where American liberty raised its first voice, and where its youth was nurtured and sustained, there it still lives, in the strength of its manhood, and full of its original spirit. If discord and disunion shall wound it if party strife and blind ambition shall hawk at and tear it if folly and mad- ness, if uneasiness under salutary and necessary restraints, 352 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. shall succeed to separate it from that Union by which alone its existence is made sure it will stand, in the end, by the side of that cradle in which its infancy was rocked ; it will stretch forth its arm, with whatever vigor it may still retain, over the friends who gather round it ; and it will fall at last, if fall it must, amid the proudest monuments of its own glory, and on the very spot of its origin ! REPLY TO MR. CORRY. GRATTAN. HAS the gentleman done ? Has he completely done ? He was unparliamentary from the beginning to the end of his speech. There was scarce a word he uttered that was not a violation of the privileges of the House. But I did not call him to order why ? because the limited talents of some men render it impossible for them to be severe without being unparliamentary. But before I sit down, I shall show him how to be severe and parliamentary at the same time. On any other occasion, I should think myself justifiable in treating with silent contempt anything which might fall from that honorable member ; but there are times, when the insignificance of the accuser is lost in the magnitude of the accusation. I know the difficulty the honorable gentleman labored under when he attacked me, conscious that, on a comparative view of our characters, public and private, there is nothing he could say which would injure me. The public would not believe the charge. I despise the falsehood. If such a charge were made by an honest man, I would answer it in the manner I shall do before I sit down. But I shall first reply to it, when not made by an honest man. The right honorable gentleman has called me "an unim- peached traitor." I ask why not " traitor," unqualified by an epithet ? I will tell him, it was because he durst not. It was the act of a coward, who raises his arm to strike, but has not courage to give the blow. 1 will not call him villain, SELECTIONS. 353 because it would be unparliamentary, and he is a privy coun- selor. I will not call him a fool, because he happens to be chancelor of the exchequer. But I say, he is one who has abused the privilege of parliament, and freedom of debate, by uttering language, which, if spoken out of the House, I should answer only with a blow. I care not how high his situation, how low his character, how contemptible his speech ; \vhether a privy counselor or a parasite, my answer would be a blow. He has charged me with being connected with the rebels. The charge is utterly, totally, and meanly false. Does the honorable gentleman rely on the report of the House of Lords for the foundation of his assertion ? If he does, I can prove to the committee, there was a physical impossibility of that report being true. But I scorn to answer any man for my conduct, whether he be a political coxcomb, or \vhether he brought himself into power by a false glare of courage or not. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. PATRICK HENRY. THEY tell us, sir, that we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. . But when shall we be stronger ? Will it be the next week or the next year ? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house ? Shall we gather strength by irres- olution and inaction ? Shall we acquire the means of effect- ual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot ? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper u^e of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invinci- ble by any force which our enemy can send against us. 354 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery. Our chains are forged. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston ! The war is inevitable, and let it come ! I repeat it, sir, let it come ! It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry peace, peace, but there is no peace. The war is actually begun ! The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms ! Our breth- ren are already in the field ! Why stand we here idle ? What is it that gentlemen "wish ? What would they have ? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery ? Forbid it, Almighty God ! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death ! LIBERTY THE MEED OF INTELLIGENCE. CALHOUN. SOCIETY can no more exist without government, in one form or another, than man without society. Just in propor- tion as a people are ignorant, stupid, debased, corrupt, exposed to violence within and danger without, the power necessary for government to possess, in order to preserve society against anarchy and destruction, becomes greater and greater, and individual liberty less and less, until the lowest condition is reached, when absolute and despotic power becomes necessary on the part of the government, and individual liberty extinct. So, on the contrary, just as a people rise in the scale of intelligence, virtue and patriotism, SELECTIONS. 355 and the more perfectly they become acquainted with the nature of government, the ends for which it was ordered, and how it ought to be administered, and the less the ten- dency to violence and disorder within and danger from abroad, the power necessary for government becomes less and less, and individual liberty greater and greater. Instead, then, of ail men having the same right to liberty and equal- ity, as is claimed by those who hold that they are all born free and equal, liberty is the noble and highest reward bestowed on mental and moral development, combined with favorable circumstances. Instead, then, of liberty and equality being born with man, instead of all men, and all classes and descriptions, being equally entitled to them they are high prizes to be won, and are, in their most per- fect state, not only the highest reward that can be bestowed on our race, but the most difficult to be won, and, when won, the most difficult to be preserved. THE CURSE OF REGULUS. KELLOGG. THE palaces and domes of Carthage were burning with the splendors of noon, and 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 like the moaning of the wind before a tempest. And well it might. 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. There were mothers in that throng, whose captive sons were groaning in Roman fetters ; maidens, whose lovers were dying in the distant dungeons of Rome ; gray-haired men and matrons, whom Roman steel had made childless ; men, who were seeing their country's life crushed out by Roman power ; 356 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. and with wild voices, cursing and groaning, the vast throng gave vent to the rage, the hate, the anguish of long years. Calm and unmoved as the marble walls around him, stood Regulus, the Roman ! He stretched his arm over the surg- ing crowd with a gesture as proudly imperious, as though he stood at the head of his own gleaming cohorts. Before that silent command the tumult ceased the half-uttered execra- tion died upon the lip so intense was the silence, that the clank of the captive's brazen manacles smote sharp on every ear, as he thus addressed them : " Ye doubtless thought, judging of Roman virtue by your own, that I would break my plighted faith, rather than by returning, and leaving your sons and brothers to rot in Roman dungeons, to meet your vengeance. Well, I could give reasons for this return, foolish and inexplicable as it seems to you ; I could speak of yearnings after immortality of those eternal principles in whose pure light a patriot's death is glorious, a thing to be desired ; but, by great Jove ! I should debase myself to dwell on such high themes to you. If the bright blood which feeds my heart were like the slimy ooze that stagnates in your veins, I should have remained at Rome, saved my life and broken my oath. If, then, you ask why I have come back, to let you work your will on this poor body which I esteem but as the rags that cover it enough reply for you, it is because I am a Roman ! As such, here in your very capital I defy you ! What I have clone, ye never can undo ; what ye may do, I care not. Since first my young arm knew how to wield a Roman sword, have I not routed your armies, burned your towns, and dragged your generals at my chariot wheels ? And do ye now expect to see me cower and whine with dread of Carthaginian vengeance ? Compared to that fierce mental strife which my heart has just passed through at Rome, the piercing of this flesh, the rending of these sinews, would be but sport to me. "Venerable senators, with trembling voices and out- stretched hands, besought me to return no more to Car- SELECTIONS. 357 thage. The generous people, with loud wailing, and wildly- tossing gestures, bade me stay. The voice of a beloved mother her withered hands beating her breast, her gray hairs streaming in the wind, tears flowing down her fur- rowed cheeks praying me not to leave her in her lonely and helpless old age, is still sounding in my ears. Compared to anguish like this, the paltry torments you have in store are as the murmur of the meadow brook to the wild tumult of the mountain storm. Go ! bring your threatened tortures ! The woes I see impending over this fated city will be enough to sweeten death, though every nerve should tingle with its agony. I die but mine shall be the triumph ; yours the untold desolation. For every drop of blood that falls from my veins, your own shall pour in torrents ! Woe, unto thee, O Carthage ! I see thy homes and temples all in flames, thy citizens in terror, thy women wailing for the dead. Proud city, thou art doomed ! the curse of Jove, a living, lasting curse is on thee ! The hungry waves shall lick the golden gates of thy rich palaces, and every brook run crimson to the sea. Rome, with bloody hand, shall sweep thy heart- strings, and all thy homes shall howl in wild response of anguish at her touch. Proud mistress of the sea, disrobed, uncrowned, and scourged thus again do I devote thee to the infernal gods \ "Now, bring forth your tortures ! Slaves ! while ye tear this quivering flesh, remember how often Regulus has beaten your armies and humbled your pride. Cut as he would have carved you ! Burn deep as his curse ! " ABSALOM BESS. SHILLABER. A BENEVOLENT man was Absalom Bess,- At each and every tale of distress He blazed right up like a rocket ; 358 VOICE CULTURE AND ELOCUTION. He felt for all who 'neath poverty's smart Were doomed to bear life's roughest part, He felt for them in his inmost heart, But never felt in his pocket. He didn't know rightly what was meant By the Bible's promised four hundred per cent., For charity's donation ; But he acted as if he thought railroad stocks, And bonds secure beneath earthly locks, Were better, with pockets brim full of rocks, Than heavenly speculation. Yet all said he was an excellent man ; For the poor he'd preach, for the poor he'd plan,- To better them he was willing ; But the oldest one who had heard him pray, And preach for the poor in a pitiful way, Couldn't remember, exactly, to say He had ever given a shilling. O, an excellent man was Absalom Bess, And the world threw up its hands to bless W 7 henever his name was mentioned ; But he died one day,, he did, and O ! He went right down to the shades below,. Where all are bound, I fear, to go, Who are only good intentioncd. INDEX. LONGER QUOTATIONS. PAGE Accursed be the fagots that blaze at his feet 199 Ah ! mercy on my soul Prose. 230 A hurry of hoofs in the village street 176 Alack ! I am afraid they have awak'd 226' Alas ! how light a cause 221 Alas ! sir, in what have I offended you ? 231 All that breathe will share 235 Am I a coward ? Who calls me villain ? 235 And her step was light and airy 203 And now with shouts 231 Arm, gentlemen, to arms ! 186 Art thou a friend to Roderick ? 228 Away ' away ! and on we dash 176 Begone then, insolent 221 Bring flowers, pale flowers. 146 Bring flowers, young flowers 144 Call me their traitor ! Thou injurious Tribune 194 Come, let us plant the apple tree. 216 Cromwell, I charge thee 225 De Quincey on the play of Macbeth Prose. 183 Dire Scylla there a scene of horror forms 204 Dost thou come here to whine ? 148 Fill again to the brim 230 Flashed all their sabers bare 36 For he made me mad 188 Forth marched the chief 183 360 INDEX. PAGE Give thy thoughts no tongue 171 Good-by to flattery's fawning face 151 Halt ! the dust-brown ranks stood fast 198 Haste thee, nymph, and bring with thee 233 Hear the sledges with the bells 176 He is in the mighty deep Prose. 229 He said he would not ransom Mortimer 231 How ill this taper burns 222 How sweet the chime 200 How sweet the moonlight sleeps 200 I do mistrust thee, woman 222 I found France rent asunder 194 If thou dost slander her 226 I'll have my bond 160 lo ! they come, they come ! 162 Is it not monstrous, that this player here 212 Laugh, if you like to ! 213 Leaves have their time to fall 148 Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death 237 Lo ! anointed by heaven 198 Lochiel ! Lochiel ! beware of the day ! 237 Lowliness is young ambition's ladder 174 Mark where she stands 227 My dream was lengthened after life , 201 My voice is still for war 219 News of battle ! news of battle ! 145 Night, sable goddess 146 Now, in an ancient town 217 Now o'er the one half world 147 Now, my co-mates 212 Now storming fury rose 235 Now the world slopes away 210 O Cromwell ! Cromwell ! 234 Oh, did you hear what Master Walter says ? 169 INDEX. 361 PAGE Oh, ever thus, from childhood's hour 236 Oh, if I only could make you see 156 Oh, my soul's joy 219 Oh, who can hold a fire ? 231 Oh, you'd admire to see Robin now 214 O piteous spectacle 238 O thou Eternal one 174 Our organ can speak 61 Patricians ! They have pushed me 193 Put out the light, and then 179 Quick ! man the life-boat 175 Raftered by firm-laid consonants 78 Rather than fail, they will defy 234 Ring out, wild bells 144 Roll on ! thou dark and deep 201 Small feet were pattering 115 Soft is the strain 204 Soldier, rest ! thy warfare o'er 187 Some strange commotion is in his brain 38 So spoke the maiden Sella 216 Sydney Smith on Wit Prose. 144 The cloud-capped towers 193 The Cynic is one Prose. 151 The maid that broods o'er guilty woes 123 Then each, at once, his falchion drew 33 Then sing, ye birds 232 Then the corporal, our old cripple 217 The peasant, whose lot was to sow 149 The perfection of the providence Prose. 215 The quality of mercy. ... 219 The Rhine ! the Rhine ! 145 This royal throne of kings 237 Thou art, O God 225 Thou art thyself thine enemy I7 8 Thou glorious mirror 236 362 INDEX. PAc^ Through moss and through brake '. . 203 f Tis midnight's holy hour 145 To-morrow, and to-morrow 146 To wake the soul 193 Webster on the Union Prise. 167 We live in deeds, not years 187 What a piece of work is man Prose. 225 What ! attribute the sacred sanction ' Prose. 193 What is it to me, if all have stooped ? 220 Whence and what art thou ? 228 When lads and lasses merry be 165 When thoughts of the last bitter hour 152 Who brands me on the forehead 35 Who is here so base Prose. 226 Who was her father 169 Why would' st thou leave me 155 With eyes upraised 233 Ye ice-falls ! ye that from 223 Yet while my Hector 233 You common cry of curs 159 You think because my life is rude 215 READINGS AND RECITATIONS. Absalom Bess Shillaber. 357 Advice to Speakers -Judge Story. 244 Alphabetical Alliteration, An 133 Alas ! How Light a Cause Moore. 221 American Revolution, The Patrick Henry. 353 Barnyard Melodies Fred. Emerson Brooks. 248 Boudoir Scene from Lucile Bulwer. 218 Bugle Song Tennyson. 68 Catiline's Defiance Croly. 342 Charge of the Light Brigade, The Tennyson. 315 Cur and the Tramp, The Fred Emerson Brooks. 312 Creeds of the Bells Geo. W. Bungay. 254 Crossing the Rubicon Knowles. 311 Curse of Regulus, The ^ellogg. 355 INDEX. 363 PAGE Do It Yourself 328 Don't Run in Debt Eliza Cook. 326 Dying Knight, The 322 Eulogium on Massachusetts Webster. 351 Exercise in Pronunciation 135 Expunging Resolution, 1837, The Clay. 347 False Friendship Croly. 220 Field of Waterloo, The Byron. 301 Frog and the Frenchman, The Fred. Emerson Brooks. 297 Funny Story, The .Josephine Pollard. 276 Golden Gate, The Madge Morris. 269 Grannam and Blue Eyes John Vance Cheney. 309 Hamlet's Advice to the Players Shakespeare. 243 Henry V. to the Conspirators Shakespeare. 275 Hero of Lake Erie, The . . . Fred. Emerson Brooks. 251 How Love Came Flying in at the Window 272 Hunchbacked Singer, The 271 If We Knew 308 Ignorance in our Country a Crime Horace Mann. 337 Incident at Sea, An Wm. T. Ross. 262 Infinite Mother, The James G. Clark. 264 Isle of Long Ago, The. B. F. Taylor. 294 Jennie M'Neal, The Ride of Will Carleton. 259 Kitchen Clock, The John Vance Cheney. 246 Lasca F. Desprez. 334 Let Us Try To Be Happy 344 Liberty and Union Webster. 325 Liberty the Meed of Intelligence Calhoun. 354 Luella John Vance Cheney. 286 Marion Moore James G. Clark. 282 Marco Bozzaris Halleck. 345 Marullus to the Roman Populace Shakespeare. 325 Miracle of Cana, The Fred. Emerson Brooks. 284 Money Musk B. F. Taylor. 292 Napoleon Bonaparte Phillips. 317 Order for a Picture, An Alice Cary. 256 Our Folks Ethel Lynn. 340 Parallel Between Pope and Dryden Dr. Samuel Johnson. 330 Petrified Fern, The 263 364 INDEX. PAGE Popular Elections. George M'Duffie. 329 Power of Habit, The .John B. 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