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III.

RIGHT USE OF THE VOICE.

THE be spoken

HE sentences in the last part of this chapter are given as exercises to with the tone of pleasant conversation; and this implies speaking to some one, not merely reciting the words. The pupil should look at the person addressed with a cheerful expression of countenance. Any contraction of the brows or distressed expression of the face is almost sure to be accompanied by a bad tone of voice.

The teacher may speak the sentences first, to be imitated; or any pupil who has a sweet intonation and natural sprightliness of manner may give the examples. Minor faults of articulation are to be disregarded in this exercise.

Such practice is not to be abandoned until every boy and girl speaks habitually in pleasant, conversational tones. And the work is not finally completed until the customary tone in reading and recitation is that of intelligence and refinement. Good taste in speech is as much called for in the school-room as in the pulpit or parlor; and indeed more, for it is here that the habits are formed which stamp and influence all the future

career.

Great pains may be bestowed upon a reading-lesson; if the pupils are allowed to drift back into faulty habits the moment any other recitation is taken up, the work is in a great measure lost.

But it is not the voice alone that suffers. The humdrum style of reading tends to stultify the intelligence. The habit of calling words monotonously, without attaching any meaning to them, retards or renders next to impossible progress in the various studies. Take arithmetic, for example. The pupil should be required to state his question with intelligent expression. It will be time gained to him as a mathematician. Suppose him about to try a problem which he reads in a high-pitched, hard, unvarying, stumbling manner, like this (as far as it can be suggested to the eye): --

"Two-lo-lo

Two-lo-c'motives-start-si-si-sime-tay(Teacher prompts sharply: Start simultaneously) -- starts

RIGHT USE OF THE VOICE.

23

ime'tamously- Two-lo-c'motives - starts - I'm - famously the oth'rat — Alb’ny - three hun' twent'

one at - Buff-lo ·

five miles - part

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Is it not a waste of time for him to proceed further till he has LEARNED TO READ, or till he DOES read INTELLIGENTLY?

And so in other studies, the amount of thought exercised may be determined by the quality of voice used.

Sweet tones are the natural clothing of fresh and beautiful ideas. The conversational quality of voice is the basis of all excellence in reading. What is known as the "school-tone" should be banished at once and forever from the school-room.

I. Conversational Tones.

1. Good morning! How do you do?-Very well, I thank you, how do you do?

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It is a pleasant day.-Yes, very pleasant.-Do you think it will rain to-day? Well, no; I think we shall have sunshine all day. I hope we shall, for I wish to take a walk.

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2. "O, see those humming-birds!”—“Where are they? Ah! I see one now; it is the ruby-throat. See how his throat glitters!". "Shall we try to catch it?"-"No, I would rather look at it."

3. Just see! this is a slender pea-vine! It is now shooting out its green leaves. Soon we shall have a garden.

II. Question and Answer.

1. A boy who had forty cents gave away ten cents; how many cents had he remaining?-Ten cents from forty cents leaves thirty cents; therefore he had thirty cents remaining.

2. What ocean lies east of the United States?- The Atlantic Ocean.

3. When and by whom was America discovered? - By Christopher Columbus, in the year 1492.

4. In the sentence "John reads naturally," which is the subject and which is the predicate?-"John" is the subject, and "reads naturally" is the predicate.

III. Familiar Narrative.

1. When I was a young man, I went upon a whaling voyage. I will tell you how whales are caught.

2. Whenever Jane saw a tuft of moss, she said, "Please, dear moss, may I take you?" And when she saw a beautiful branch with scarlet leaves, she said, "Dear bush, may I take these leaves?"

3. The kettle began it! Don't tell me what Mrs. Peerybingle said. I know better. Mrs. Peerybingle may leave it on record till the end of time, that she could n't say which of them began it; but I say the kettle did. I ought to know, I hope.

IV. Vivacious Style of Poetry.

1. Cheerily, then, my little man,
Live and laugh, as boyhood can.

2. O the Spring, the bountiful Spring!
She shineth and smileth on everything.

3. Ho, ho! ha, ha! the merry fire!

It sputters and it crackles !

Snap, snap! flash, flash! old oak and ash
Send out a million sparkles.

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IV.

ARTICULATION.

RTICULATION is effected by the action of the lips,

tongue, palate, and jaws. In order that articulation may be perfect, there must be a prompt, neat, and easy action of these organs. When they move feebly or clumsily, the articulation is indistinct or mumbling. An elastic play of the muscles of the mouth is necessary, not only for distinctness of utterance, but for the expressiveness of the face.

The following exercises will aid to discipline the muscles used in articulation, and accustom them to energetic action. After

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a vigorous tone has been given to these muscles, their movements in utterance must not be excessive, or too apparent to the eye.

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I. Movement of the Lips and Jaws.

First. Pronounce the vowel e, extending the lips as much as possible sidewise, and showing the tips of the teeth.

Second. Pronounce ah, dropping the jaw and opening the mouth to its widest extent.

Third. Pronounce oo (as in cool), contracting the lips. Then, the teacher having drawn upon the blackboard a triangle with the three sounds indicated at the angles, let him pass the " "pointer" around in a circle, touching at the angles, and require the pupils to utter the vowels, as he indicates them, in rapid succession, continuously, that is, without paus

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ing between them. Having gone around three or four times in one direction, make a signal for the pupils to stop; then taking

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AH

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a fresh breath, reverse the exercise. Proceed in like manner, taking each of the other angles as a starting-point. We shall thus have repetitions of each of the following: E-ah-oo; e-oo-ah; ah-e-oo; ah-oo-e; oo-ah-e; oo-e-ah.

After the above has been practised for a minute or two, exercises like the following may be taken up immediately. teacher pronounces one word at a time with the utmost precision, and requires the pupils to repeat with an exaggerated movement of the lips and jaws. Next, phrases, and finally complete sentences, are uttered; great care being taken to give elastic spring and play to the muscles of articulation. The one injunction which needs to be enforced upon the mumbler is,

OPEN THE MOUTH AND MOVE THE LIPS.

II. Articulation of Single Words.

1. I .. know. . of. . no..

future.. but.. by . the past.

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way. . of.. judging . . of. . the

2. O.. sun!.. thou . . comest. . forth.. in.. thy . . awful . . beauty, . . and.. the stars .. hide.. themselves. . in.. the sky.

3. Are.. fleets.. and.. armies .. necessary .. of.. love.. and . . reconciliation?

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