T of SPEECH 
 
 and DEPORTMENT 
 
 
 s 
 
 ivft& ' 
 
 ANNA MORGAN 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027187594 
 
Com** Untvantty Library 
 PN 4121.M84 
 
 *£i_«! 
 
 II 
 
 3 1924 027 187 594 
 
THE ART OF SPEECH AND 
 DEPORTMENT 
 
Uniform with this 
 
 SELECTED READINGS, 
 adapted by Anita Moega 
 hundred selections by 
 modern writers. 12mo. 
 
 Volume 
 
 Compiled and 
 ir. Nearly two 
 classical and 
 . . $1.50 net. 
 
 & CO. 
 
 A C. McCLURG 
 
 FUBIJ8HEBS 
 
THE ART OF SPEECH 
 
 AND 
 
 DEPORTMENT 
 
 BY 
 
 ANNA MORGAN 
 
 AUTHOR OF "AN HOUR WITH DELSARTE " 
 
 CHICAGO 
 
 A. C. McCLURG & CO. 
 
 1909 
 
COPYBIBHT 
 
 A. C. McCldbg & Co. 
 1909 
 
 Published May, 1909 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. 
 
DEDICATED TO 
 THE MEMORY OF MY BROTHER 
 
 CHARLES P. MORGAN 
 
THE REASON 
 
 This "Question and Answer Book" boxes 
 the compass of questions that have been 
 asked by carious folk seeking instruction, 
 and are here recorded that they may help 
 other inquirers who seek for greater refine- 
 ment in speech and manner and more truth 
 and beauty in self-expression. 
 
 A.M. 
 Chicago, January, 1909. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PART I 
 
 Page 
 
 Bases of Expression 3 
 
 Manners 19 
 
 As Others See Us : Poise 50 
 
 The Walk 54 
 
 How to Sit 66 
 
 Bowing . 72 
 
 Breathing 79 
 
 PART II 
 
 Use of the Voice 91 
 
 Quality of Voice . Ill 
 
 The Vowel Sounds 125 
 
 The Vocal Organs 136 
 
 On Reading Aloud 143 
 
 Platform Manners 175 
 
 PART III 
 
 The Poise of the Head 189 
 
 The Bye 193 
 
 The Brow 198 
 
 The Eyelids 200 
 
 The Nose 203 
 
 The Mouth 205 
 
 The Profile 209 
 
 The Head and Neck 211 
 
x CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 The Torso 216 
 
 The Elbow 224 
 
 The Wrist 225 
 
 The Hand 232 
 
 The Arms 237 
 
 The Legs and Feet 246 
 
 The Courtesy 250 
 
 How to Fall 255 
 
 PART IV 
 
 Our Language 259 
 
 Dictionaries 268 
 
 Pronunciation 270 
 
 Errors of Speech 276 
 
 Key to Pronunciation 289 
 
 "Words Commonly Mispronounced 290 
 
 Foreign Phrases 305 
 
 The Development of the Drama 314 J 
 
 English Drama 322 
 
 French Drama 330 
 
 Spanish Drama 333 
 
 Italian Drama 335 
 
 German Drama 338 
 
 The Drama To-day 342 
 
 On Rehearsing 356 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 Some Plays I have Given 367 
 
PART I 
 
THE ART OF 
 SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 PART I 
 
 BASES OF EXPRESSION 
 
 Question. What is fundamental in the study 
 of Expression? 
 
 Answer. That you acquire exact habits of » 
 thought and a definite understanding of terms ) 
 and of the meaning of words, even the simplest. 
 
 Q. What is my first duty ? 
 
 A. To fix your mind upon important truths 
 and make the knowledge so obtained thorough. I 
 
 Q. What subject should I first consider ? 
 
 A. Expression. 
 
 Q. What is the meaning of Expression ? 
 
 A. It is materialized thought, anything having 
 shape, form, color, or sound, due to human effort 
 or interpretation. 
 
 Q. What is the derivation of the term Ex- 
 pression ? 
 
 A. It is derived from Latin words meaning 
 stamped, shaped, or pressed out. It is this that 
 
4 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 gives outward form to the thought of the artist, 
 who thus stamps his personality upon all that he 
 says or does. 
 
 Q. Define the word Impression. 
 
 A. Impression is that which precedes Expres- 
 sion, the picture presented to the mind through 
 the senses, producing thought and emotion. 
 
 Q. How are Impressions classified ? 
 
 A. Into sensations, ideas, and emotions. Re- 
 ceiving from without you act from within, in 
 accordance with impressions so received. Art 
 is the emotion (impression) of man worked out 
 in action (expression). 
 
 Q. What do you mean by Art ? 
 
 A. Art is man's effort to produce the ideal. 
 It divides itself into as many branches as there* 
 are vehicles used. A beautiful house, a magnifi- 
 cent temple, a jewel finely cut and uniquely set, 
 the mind and character of a man suggested by 
 the sculptor's hand in plaster or marble or by the 
 painter's brush on canvas, a rug rare in design 
 and coloring, a chair or table the form and color 
 of which provoke our admiration, a book that 
 compels our attention, a song which is repeated 
 by poet and peasant, each and all are works of 
 art, vehicles used for the conveyance of the 
 thought and emotion of man. 
 
BASES OF EXPRESSION 5 
 
 Q. Which art makes the most direct and uni- 
 versal appeal to man ? 
 
 A. The art of self-expression through voice 
 and action. 
 
 Q. Why is this most important ? 
 
 A. Few are called upon to paint pictures, carve 
 statues, create poems, write plays, design jewels, 
 plan buildings, sing songs, dance dances, but no 
 one can avoid using his speaking voice and his 
 body to convey his sensations, his thoughts, and 
 his emotions. 
 
 Q. Has the art of self-expression subdivisions ? 
 
 A. Yes ; in common with the other arts it has 
 many subdivisions, each an art in itself and all 
 needful for adequately impressing the individual 
 self upon the mind of others. 
 
 Q. What is mind? 
 
 A. Mind is used as synonymous with conscious- 
 ness, and includes feeling and intelligence, both 
 being mental processes. 
 
 Q. What is feeling? 
 
 A. Feeling covers by far the greater part of 
 man's inner activity, or subjectivity, comprising 
 as it does both the sensations and the emotions as 
 distinguished from the intelligence. Every mind 
 is largely given up to recording impressions sen- 
 sational and emotional. 
 
6 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What is sensation ? 
 
 A. Sensation is anything affecting the mind 
 through the senses. 
 
 Q. Give examples. 
 
 A. Sights, sounds, flavors, odors, touch, warmth, 
 and pain. In these the intellect is not directly in- 
 volved, coming into play only when comparisons 
 and coordinations between such sensations become 
 necessary. 
 
 Q. What is emotion ? 
 
 A. Sensation aroused by an idea and having 
 an object, accompanied by some bodily disturbance 
 not always discernible by others. 
 
 Q. What is an idea ? 
 
 A. A picture or image in the mind, and so an 
 immediate object of thought. It may or may not 
 appeal to the intellect. 
 
 Q. What is intellect ? 
 
 A. Intellect is the power of discerning truth. 
 It implies thought and reflection, the comparison 
 between this sensation and that or this emotion 
 and some other, and the resultant conclusion. 
 
 Q. Give an example. 
 
 A. Upon seeing a well-poised and beautiful 
 head upon a well-poised and beautiful body, and 
 hearing a charming voice in connection therewith, 
 the first appeal is one of sensation through the 
 
BASES OF EXPRESSION 7 
 
 eye and ear; the next, of emotion through the 
 gratification of those senses. 
 
 Q. When does the intellect become involved ? 
 
 A. When the reason for the gratification is per- 
 ceived through the voluntary or deliberate compar- 
 ison of the features, the poise, and the voice with 
 those of others and you decide that it is beautiful. 
 
 Q. Are emotion and its outward manifestation 
 necessarily involved ? 
 
 A. Yes ; even the simulation of emotion tend- 
 ing to arouse it in our minds. This vital truth did 
 not escape the universal mind of Shakespeare. A 
 notable illustration, as expressed by him, is found 
 in Act II. scene ii. of " Hamlet," where, after the 
 Hecuba speech of the first player, Hamlet exclaims: 
 
 Is it not monstrous that this player here, 
 But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, 
 Could force his soul so to his own conceit 
 That from her working all his visage wann'd, 
 Tears in his eyes, distraction in 's aspect, 
 A broken voice, and his whole function suiting 
 With forms to his conceit ? and all for nothing I 
 
 Q. How am I .to fit myself for receiving the 
 finest sensations and emotions ? 
 
 A. By acquiring habits of speech and conduct 
 that constitute an ideal. 
 
 Q. What is an ideal ? 
 
8 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. An imaginary object or standard fully real- 
 izing its idea; often a composite in which the 
 several details are drawn from several sources, as 
 when a sculptor takes this feature from one face 
 and that from another to produce a whole nearer 
 perfection than either. 
 
 Q. What should be the object of all instruction 
 in the art of expression ? 
 
 A. The forming of right ideals. 
 
 Q. What are the most important arts ? 
 
 A. The arts of expression through voice and 
 manner. 
 
 Q. Why? 
 
 A. They are the arts in universal practice, con- 
 stituting the bare necessities of human intercourse. 
 
 Q. Define and name them ? 
 
 A. Everybody must speak, talk, converse, read 
 aloud, and in instances recite and act, which is 
 Elocution ; everybody must stand, walk, sit, rise, 
 open a door, enter or leave a room, put on his hat, 
 bow, hand a chair, pick up a glove or handker- 
 chief, cough, clear his throat, eat, drink, and di- 
 verse other things, which is Conduct; everybody 
 must express his thoughts, not only through speech 
 but through movements of his features, hands, 
 arms, and legs, which are Gestures or Pantomime. 
 
 Q. What are the essentials of Elocution ? 
 
BASES OF EXPRESSION 9 
 
 A. Attractive and becoming speech, clear ar- 
 ticulation, good enunciation, and correct pro- 
 nunciation. 
 
 Q. Why are these arts so generally ignored 
 and neglected? 
 
 A. We are too familiar with their subjects, 
 and familiarity breeds contempt. 
 
 Q. What tools for practising the art of ex- 
 pression has nature given us ? 
 
 A. Muscles and the impulse to use them, with 
 a mind more or less fitted for their control. 
 
 Q. What here is the office of art ? 
 
 A. To teach us to use the muscles that produce 
 voice and gesture accurately and with truth. 
 
 Q. What is the result of faulty habits, such as 
 tricks of speech and manner ? 
 
 A. They prevent us from expressing ourselves 
 adequately, and often make us belie our own char- 
 acters through expression which is untruthful. 
 
 Q. Is instruction necessary to correct false 
 habits of expression? 
 
 A. Yes ; even those best endowed need train- 
 ing and study in order to achieve the best results 
 with the great gifts nature sends us. 
 
 Q. Is this true of painters and musicians? of 
 poets and dramatists? 
 
 A. Yes. Every great artist spends years in 
 
10 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 learning the technic which grants him full ex- 
 pression by means of his art. 
 
 Q. Why do so few become accomplished in the 
 realm of this great and universally practised art 
 of speech and action ? 
 
 A. Because, though many realize the need for 
 study and experience in such arts as painting, 
 music, poetry, and the drama, few believe them 
 equally essential to mastery of speech and action. 
 
 Q. What should precede all art ? 
 
 A. A knowledge of its underlying laws and a 
 mastery of its technic. 
 
 Q. What is technic ? 
 
 A. Mechanical skill. 
 
 Q. Give some examples. 
 
 A. A man in a watch factory, after ascertain- 
 ing what constitutes a watch, makes the different 
 parts and puts them together, thereby proving his 
 technic or mechanical skill. 
 
 Q. What is the process through voice and 
 action ? 
 
 A. One begins to study the expression of him- 
 self through the pitch, quality, and extension of 
 his voice, the English he employs, the elementary 
 sounds, the grammar, and his general culture, 
 which is at its highest indefinable. He learns to 
 distinguish between manner, which is largely 
 
BASES OF EXPRESSION 11 
 
 inherent, and manners, which he may acquire 
 through the hard work of repeated exercises and 
 experiences. When he finally emerges, he is pro- 
 nounced a gentleman because he speaks well, 
 converses well, reads well appears cultivated, 
 and is an artist. 
 
 Q. What is needful to success in this art ? 
 
 A. Sincerity of purpose and devotion. Appli- 
 cation accomplishes wonders, regardless of natural 
 gifts. 
 
 Q. What measure of success may be reasonably 
 expected ? 
 
 A. Success comes in proportion to the complete- 
 ness of your acceptance of discipline and to your 
 special aptitudes. Here, as elsewhere in life, con- 
 centrated and prolonged effort is akin to genius. 
 
 Q. Should the art of self-expression be in- 
 dividual ? 
 
 A. Yes, by all means. 
 
 Q. What means should you employ for its 
 development ? 
 
 A. Any means which will result in the removal 
 of the obstructions and inelegances that stand be- 
 tween your personality and its free expression. 
 
 Q. Should you oblige yourself to conform to 
 set rules ? 
 
 A. Yes, where a rule is required to present the 
 
12 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 truth. There can be only one truth, but there are 
 many means and degrees in expressing that truth. 
 
 Q. Give an example. 
 
 A. Astonishment. A wanderer long thought 
 dead returns to his home. At sight of him his 
 mother, in one extreme, remains stationary, with 
 lips a little parted and a slight distention of the 
 eyes. In the other extreme she would open her 
 eyes and mouth as wide as possible, rush forward, 
 scream, and possibly have hysterics. Between 
 these two extremes is every conceivable degree. 
 
 Q. To whom is the world indebted for a method 
 of theory and practice in self-expression ? 
 
 A. Many minds have contributed to the better 
 understanding of truth and its expression through 
 voice and action. 
 
 Q. What question should I, as a student, first 
 ask myself? 
 
 A. What topics I am to study, and how I 
 am to obtain a thorough understanding of their 
 significance. 
 
 Q. What process should I follow in taking 
 up a new study? 
 
 A. You should first select your subject, which 
 tells you what to do ; you should analyze it, which 
 tells you how to do it ; and you should apply this 
 knowledge, which is the doing of it. 
 
BASES OF EXPRESSION 13 
 
 Q. What here is the general subject? 
 
 A. Expression. 
 
 Q. Into what branches do you divide this for 
 its better understanding and analysis ? 
 
 A. Into eleven : Elocution, Voice Culture, 
 Physical Culture, Deportment, Action, Dramatic 
 Action, Gesture, Facial Expression, Pantomime, 
 Oratory, and Conversation. 
 
 Q. What relation do these topics bear to the 
 general subject ? 
 
 A. They are all related, correlated, dependent, 
 and interdependent. 
 
 Q. What is Elocution ? 
 
 A. Elocution is the art of speaking and read- 
 ing in the most finished manner, simply, without 
 exaggeration. It is the expression of yourself or 
 the thoughts of others through means of the vocal 
 organs. It is to be regretted that there is no 
 word to take the place of the word Elocution, 
 since it has been so sadly abused. 
 
 Q. What does Voice Culture do for me? 
 
 A. Voice Culture enables you to determine the 
 pitch or tone which best suits yourself or your 
 subject, to vary from that pitch at need, to make 
 your voice louder or softer, to direct and extend 
 it to any given person or place, and to withdraw 
 it in the same manner. It involves the elements 
 
14 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 of articulation, enunciation, pronunciation, inflec- 
 tion, emphasis, power, phrasing, color, and the ap- 
 propriate changes in the quality of your voice to 
 express the variation of emotion or mood. 
 
 Q. What is Physical Culture ? 
 
 A. Physical Culture is the education of the 
 features, the legs and arms, — in fact, the entire 
 body, — for all purposes of conduct and expression, 
 as for gesture and for pantomime, which is the 
 necessary accompaniment of thought and speech. 
 
 Q. What is Deportment ? 
 
 A. Deportment is the art of doing everything 
 that you do in the most finished manner. The 
 expression of yourself through your features and 
 through both the movements and the repose of 
 your body. 
 
 Q. What is the relation between Action and 
 Kest? 
 
 A. Both voice and conduct are understood to 
 be united in action. An action implies also the 
 intelligent cessation of motion or rest. There 
 is power in quiescence as in movement, in silence 
 as in speech. 
 
 Q. What is Dramatic Action ? 
 
 A. Dramatic Action is the rendering of the 
 deeds and speech of every-day life, in a manner 
 suitable to the platform or stage ; an outward 
 
BASES OF EXPRESSION 15 
 
 expression of feeling calculated to impress the 
 audience with a sense of truth, sometimes even 
 at the sacrifice of literal fact. 
 
 Q. What is Gesture ? 
 
 A. Gesture is the movement of the limbs, in- 
 cluding the hands, arms, feet, and legs, and of the 
 body as a whole for the purpose of enforcing an 
 opinion or conveying an emotion. As there are 
 appropriate changes of the voice to suit the mood, 
 so are there appropriate gestures which correspond 
 to the thought, thereby lending truthfulness to 
 expression. 
 
 Q. What is Facial Expression ? 
 
 A. Facial Expression is motion or change of 
 the features. It involves the use of eyes, nose, 
 mouth, and hair, for the better delineation of 
 emotion and character. Facial Expression is one ! 
 of the fundamentals of good conduct. It is the I 
 religious duty of every person to maintain al 
 cheerful and agreeable facial expression, at least/ 
 outside of the privacy of his own rooms. 
 
 Q. What is Pantomime ? 
 
 A. Pantomime is the voiceless conveyance of 
 ideas. A frequent accompaniment of speech, it 
 is also an interpretation or an interruption of it. 
 It involves gesture and facial expression, never 
 speech. 
 
16 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What is Oratory? 
 
 A. Oratory is elocution and conduct applied 
 to purposes of persuasion and explanation, be- 
 tween the public speaker and his auditors. 
 It demands eloquence, or the forceful, fluent, 
 lucid presentation of ideas. An orator is one 
 who feels impelled to interest, move, and finally 
 persuade an audience to accept his views. 
 
 Q. What is Conversation ? 
 
 A. Conversation is the art of developing a 
 subject or subjects, by means i_ of j3pe6ch. It is 
 generally limited in meaning to the wandering 
 and idle chatter of human kind. It is the most 
 important though least heeded department of 
 the art of expression and is capable of great 
 refinement. 
 
 Q. What two senses are appealed to in 
 expression ? 
 
 A. The eye and ear. 
 
 Q. Which is the more important ? 
 
 A. The eye. 
 
 Q. Why? 
 
 A. We are seen of many but heard by few. 
 Most human impressions come through the eye. 
 Life is a series of acceptances and rejections. 
 From the time we rise in the morning until we 
 sleep at night, we accept what we see and hear 
 
BASES OF EXPRESSION 17 
 
 with varied feelings of liking or disliking, of 
 admiration or disgust. 
 
 Q. What is back of expression? 
 
 A. Individuality, which is a more or less 
 public confession of the sentiment behind it. 
 Consciously or unconsciously, we present to oth- 
 ers an outer life, made up of words and pictures 
 to be accepted or rejected by them. Wise and 
 fortunate is he who is able to turn in upon him- 
 self the honest, able criticism directed against 
 another. 
 
 Q. Is criticism essential ? 
 
 A. Yes, criticism is needful to progress. 
 
 Q. What should criticism be based upon ? 
 
 A. Comparison with., accepted standards ; in 
 this case with persons having the best possible 
 command of voice and body. You should appre- 
 hend the niceties of deportment and speech and 
 use them in your daily intercourse. 
 
 Q. How does the evidence of culture often 
 impress those on a lower plane of education? 
 
 A. Those who are indifferent to cultivated 
 speech and manners, together with those who 
 stubbornly refuse to adopt the speech and culture 
 demanded by a standard of polite society, often 
 ridicule such deportment and pronunciation and 
 ignorantly call it affected and unnatural. This 
 
18 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 makes it hard for students upon their return from 
 boarding schools and colleges. 
 
 Q. Give examples. 
 
 A. If a person bows with dignity and a cer- 
 tain mental reservation, without grinning, he is 
 accused of snobbishness, when in reality his ap- 
 pearance is simply characteristic of good form. 
 Nothing more offends persons of good taste than 
 familiarity and too much effusiveness. The 
 proper pronunciation of such every-day words as 
 ask, past, hand, dance, can't, often provokes an 
 accusation of affectation from persons unaccus- 
 tomed to the niceties of proper deportment and 
 good English. 
 
MANNERS 19 
 
 MANNERS 
 
 Question. Can good manners be acquired ? 
 
 Answer. The manners of good society may be 
 acquired to a considerable extent. You can 
 correct your habit of standing, of walking, and 
 other outward forms. Manner, however, is in- 
 nate. It is that elusive something which marks 
 the refined man and prevents him from wounding 
 the feelings of others. 
 
 Q. Give an illustration. 
 
 A. Human beings are like flowers in a garden. 
 Some may be likened to roses, some to violets, 
 some to lilies ; others are like thorns and thistles. 
 Each newcomer who enters a room gives a new 
 tone to the surroundings. Some bring brightness, 
 hope, good cheer j others depress, bringing gloom, 
 pride, annoyance, and an expression of superiority, 
 real or assumed. Some enter timidly and shrink 
 into the nearest chair, as if life meant nothing but 
 self-effacement. 
 
 Q. From what does a disposition to wound the 
 feelings of others proceed ? 
 
 A. From the baser instincts, not from intellec- 
 tual superiority. 
 
20 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What philosophy underlies right conduct ? 
 
 A. The Golden Rule. In it lies everything 
 that need be known of deportment and manners. 
 Do as you would be done by — this says it all. 
 
 Q. What makes a man polite ? 
 
 A. The habit of good impulses. 
 
 Q. How is such a man recognized ? 
 
 A. By his appearance, which is marked by 
 neither timidity nor boldness ; which is individua l 
 without being assertive, R eferentia l without being 
 obsequious. 
 
 Q. Where are the foundations of deportment 
 and good manners laid? 
 
 A. In the family. A good example on the 
 part of the elders is worth everything in bringing 
 young people to a sense of their duties and privi- 
 leges. Small details of service and etiquette vary 
 from season to season and from generation to 
 generation. The philosophy and principles that 
 underlie all of these are fixed and in the nature 
 of things. When the service is unaccustomed, a 
 quick scrutiny of the methods of others will save 
 trouble and embarrassment. 
 
 Q. Give an example. 
 
 A. A man always rises when a woman enters 
 a room and remains standing until she is seated. 
 Young people and children should observe this 
 
MANNERS 21 
 
 rule whenever their parents, elders, or superi- 
 ors appear. They should be quick to anticipate 
 wants, to open a door, to fetch a hat or umbrella, 
 and alert to render any service. 
 
 Q. Define the term Manners. 
 
 A. Manners are the expression, the objective 
 side, oi manner, and may be held in possession by 
 every one. Good manners are unconscious. 
 
 Q. What is Manner ? 
 
 A. Manner is tbe individual expression of 
 character and appertains to the individual alone. 
 It is inherent in his being. 
 
 Q. Can Manner be cultivated ? 
 
 A. Yes ; it can be cultivated and made to take 
 on new aspects of beauty. Acorns produce oaks 
 only, and rose apples rose bushes ; but both may 
 be trained and attended until they reach the finest 
 possible development. Just so_ the individual's 
 inborn mannerjuay be developed into grace, pre- 
 cision, and beauty. 
 
 Q. Is there a code of manners ? 
 
 A. Yes ; but wbile the rules may be perfect in 
 theory, in their application to the indfvidualthey 
 will always require adaptation and refitting. 
 
 Q. What are Good Manners based upon ? 
 
 A. The spirit of the truest democracy, which 
 admits to full and.jrea companionship all wbo 
 
22 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 possess the ability.. to express themselves temper- 
 ately and decorously and with due consideration 
 for the rights of others. 
 
 Q. Should your deeper emotions be guarded ? 
 A. There should be a delicate reserve with 
 which the individual guards his deeper emotions. 
 " Posterity is curious rather than sympathetic, 
 and the world is neither wiser nor better for these 
 needless soul-revelations." 
 
 Q. What is the effect of manners "ready- 
 made"? 
 
 A. They have an awkward look, and their 
 " plainliness " is discouraging. 
 
 Q. What is the final secret of manners ? 
 A. To form a permanent intention of doing 
 right and meaning well*.'" 
 
 Q. Is self-denial essential to good manners ? 
 
 A. Yes. Some of the time do what you like 
 
 to do, and at other times do what you ought to 
 
 do for your own development and because it will 
 
 please and help other people. You should gladly 
 
 sacrifice a portion of your time, your possessions, 
 
 and your money to further the Well-being and 
 
 happiness of others. In reality it is a selfish mode 
 
 of procedure, for only through forgetfulness of 
 
 self in doing for others is real happiness to be 
 
 found. 
 
MANNERS 23 
 
 Q. What is the highest tone in manners ? 
 
 A. The tone of natural elegance. 
 
 Q. What may be said of bad manners ? 
 
 A. They are irritating and offensive to persons 
 of good taste, and are inexcusable in those who 
 lay claim to good breeding and education. 
 
 Q. What constitutes the best part of manners ? 
 
 A. The charming and unobtrusive air with 
 which you do everything. 
 
 Q. What may be said of command in manners ? 
 
 A. " There is a certain command in the man- 
 ner of speaking and acting which makes itself felt 
 everywhere and which gains, in advance, consid- 
 eration and respect." 
 
 Q. How do surroundings affect manners ? 
 
 A. They afford opportunity for expression. 
 
 Q. How does good breeding manifest itself ? 
 
 A. In good manners. 
 
 Q. Does the best breeding insure against 
 mistakes ? 
 
 A. No; the best and earliest breeding does 
 not always preclude minor errors. Therefore do 
 not be distressed by the mistakes of inexperience. 
 Be observing, and see to it that the same blunder 
 is not repeated. 
 
 Q. Should you ever resort to the sentence " I 
 am too well bred to do thus and so " ? 
 
24 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. No; be your own ancestor. 
 
 Q. What should your manners be in public 
 places ? 
 
 A. While the average crowd is good-natured 
 enough when there is no position of advantage to 
 be obtained, the crowd as seen in street cars, in 
 theatres, in shops, and in streets is often nothing 
 but a mob of barbarians, sodden in its own igno- 
 rance of all the amenities that make life endur- 
 able. Here, as elsewhere, a good example has a 
 quieting effect. To withdraw yourself in order to 
 let a struggling desire have its way is often to 
 awake that mass to a sudden sense of humanity 
 and civilization, and it is always worth trying. 
 
 Q. Comment upon the manners of audiences. 
 
 A. Invited guests at a theatrical or musical 
 performance should politely take the seats indi- 
 cated by their hostess or the persons in charge. 
 By far too many guests selfishly drop into the 
 seats nearest the place of exit and entrance, leav- 
 ing their hostess in despair when the later arrivals 
 find many seats unoccupied in front but the pas- 
 sage to them clogged. 
 
 Q. How should I conduct myself in cars, in 
 elevators, and in dressing-rooms ? 
 
 A. Never " speak your mind " in any of these 
 places. Confine your observations, criticisms, 
 
MANNERS 25 
 
 and gossip concerning your friends and neighbors 
 within your locked apartment. 
 
 Q. Is it " good form " for a man and woman 
 to walk arm in arm in public ? 
 
 A. In former days a woman never walked in 
 the street without taking the arm of her escort. 
 This custom is now confined to occasions of dan- 
 ger, as in crossing a crowded street or on an icy 
 pavement. The modern custom of a man's famil- 
 iarly linking his arm with a woman's in public is 
 one of the grossest of social vulgarities. 
 
 Q. What about the minor details of etiquette ? 
 
 A. These readily come to those at once modest 
 and benevolent. Little mistakes in deportment 
 which fall to human lot are often interesting 
 through their innocence and thoughtlessness. 
 
 Q. When am I fitted for social intercourse with 
 the best? 
 
 " A. When your natural kindliness of spirit has 
 bloomed into graceful deportment, easily recog- 
 nized by those who possess it. 
 
 Q. When does perfect expression of character 
 become possible ? 
 
 A. When manner has been pruned of disturb- 
 ing eccentricities and_ has taken on the aspect of 
 culture, the body being brought into harmonious 
 relations with the mind. There are undoubted 
 
26 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 beauties in an uncut gem, but tbey lie unrevealed 
 until the enveloping shell and all the shadows 
 that stand between its core of loveliness and the 
 world have been removed. 
 
 Q. When should I call another " friend " ? 
 A. You should never be introduced to a person 
 one day and present him as your friend the next. 
 For instance, two young girls meet a third on the 
 street. One says, " I want you to know my friend, 
 Miss Bobbins." The next day the same girl in- 
 quires, "How long have you known Miss Rob- 
 bins ? " " Oh, Dora introduced me to her yesterday 
 at the matinee." 
 
 Q. What is the wise course ? 
 
 A. Even when lonely and pining for compan- 
 ionship, be sufficient unto yourself for at least a 
 week before admitting a stranger into your friend- 
 ship. Let some time elapse before calling him 
 " my dear friend." 
 
 Q. Should I ask personal questions ? 
 
 A. No ; it is never in good taste. 
 
 Q. What have feminine friendships been lik- 
 ened to ? 
 
 A. "Pretty bows of ribbon." The author of 
 this saying evidently overlooked the Ruths and 
 the Naomis, the Gwendolens and the Mildreds. 
 
 Q. Give an example of a conventional white lie. 
 
MANNERS 27 
 
 A. Two persons are holding a conversation. 
 A third comes in and recognizing the atmosphere 
 of privacy, says, " I fear I am de trqp " (in the 
 way). One replies, " Oh, no, sit right down. 
 We are glad to see you." After she leaves, 
 " Is n't it awful ? Here we were trying to settle 
 this matter and she has taken up all the time 
 talking about her own affairs." 
 
 Q. What should have been done? 
 
 A. A frank avowal of the situation should 
 have been made and a later time appointed for 
 the visit. Such a course would have prevented 
 embarrassment to the guest and saved the 
 situation. 
 
 Q. What are the _two deadly sins against so- 
 cial happiness and well being ? 
 
 A. Thoughtlessness and selfishness. 
 
 Q. What makes society ? 
 
 A. In its highest sense, it consists of men and 
 women on a common plane of thought, silhou- 
 etted on a background of refinement. A crowd 
 of well-dressed people does not constitute society. 
 Manners recommend, prepare, and draw people 
 together. In all clubs manners make the mem- 
 bers. Manners make the fortune of ambitious 
 youth. For the most part his manners marry 
 him and for the most part he marries manners. 
 
28 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What office should society perform ? 
 
 A. It should punish and crucify the smallnesses 
 and meannesses which the law cannot attack. 
 
 Q. "What may be said of social life ? 
 
 A. "In its best estate a brilliant social life is 
 essentially an external one. Its charm lies largely 
 in its superficial graces, in the facial and winning 
 manners, the ready tact, the quick intelligence, 
 the rare and perishable gift of conversation, in 
 the nameless trifles which are elusive as shadows 
 and potent as light." 
 
 Q. In what does the art of conversation 
 consist ? 
 
 A. In making selection of what to say and 
 what to leave, unsaid. 
 
 Q. What is the basis of conversation ? 
 
 A. While the discussion of acquaintances held 
 in common is the basis of social converse, it is 
 likely to degenerate into harmful gossip, which is 
 always to be deplored. 
 
 Q. What are the requisites for conversation ? 
 
 A. An interesting subject and an agreeable 
 voice, one properly pitched to the place, the time, 
 the subject, and the persons present. Speaking 
 out of tune in a conversation which causes irrita- 
 tion is a species of boredom. There is a cer- 
 tain state of mind which sometimes comes with 
 
MANNERS 29 
 
 middle age termed " square toed." It shows itself 
 in conversation frequently by an inability to con- 
 verse with a stranger, especially with those of 
 years less mature. Not to be interested in the 
 young or to be unable to interest the young is a 
 sad confession of narrowness and lack of that 
 pearl of wisdom which increasing years are sup- 
 posed to bring. The man or woman who can 
 sincerely enter into the delights and life of young 
 people, and who can obtain their confidence, is 
 always to be envied and emulated. It is a prime 
 antidote to selfishness. 
 
 Q. What stand should I take in regard to my 
 opinions ? 
 
 A. Have the courage of your convictions and 
 do not fear to stand alone. 
 
 Q. Is it polite to argue ? 
 
 A. Heated arguments and strenuous expres- 
 sions of differing opinions are not admissible in 
 social intercourse, though discourse and well- 
 ordered conversation- are fairly the highest ex- 
 pression of intellectual endeavor. Controversial 
 argument is not only forbidden, but it is abso- 
 lutely profitless, when it has to do with a man's 
 income or mode of life. This is no less true of 
 inherited opinions in politics and religion, stif- 
 fened into prejudice, which will stand irremovable 
 
30 T~E ART OF SFI1CE AXD DEI^-5TMZST 
 
 in the face of all opposition. If hateiligent opin- 
 ions nee: these or other pre;ziii:-vs, no jcesibje 
 gtoi can result, and there may be some acrinony. 
 In every cus lei there be an intelligent inter- 
 change of opinion, nothing more. 
 
 Q. What is my duty to strangers ? 
 
 J.. Be as polite to the whole world as you are 
 to your own aoqnaintanoes. Observation of ru de- 
 nes in this respect led Mrs. Julia Ward Howe to 
 ask, " Is polite society polite ? " ehciting a nega- 
 tive whieh required an essay for its expression. 
 The manners in social intercourse of \rhat is 
 termed - the middle class " often put the deport- 
 ment of our so-called ~very best people" to 
 shame. 
 
 Q. Should your mental estimate of a stranger 
 be evident through allowing your eyes to travel 
 over each article of his apparel ? 
 
 JL XeTer. It shows lack of good breeding. 
 
 Q. When shenii persons be introduced? 
 
 A. ^liezi the desire is mutual. At social 
 gatherings those most important shonLl show a 
 disposition to be introduced to the other guests, 
 thereby complimenting their hostess, instead of 
 standing in the middle of the room to be gazed 
 at. Too many guests insult their hostess by 
 being mdrSerent, often rude, to other guests 
 
AUXY1HM 31 
 
 whom they do not know. Often the '"other 
 guests," being naturally polite, are accused of 
 " wanting to know " them if they take the initia- 
 tive, whereas the reverse is often the ease, Sen- 
 sible men may be anxious to know noted persons, 
 but the time has gone by when they care to know 
 those whose chief claim to distinction is that 
 their names constantly appear in the society col- 
 umn of the daily newspapers. It should be re- 
 membered that every new acquaintance is a 
 potential friend. Each new acquaintance should 
 begin in a spirit of friendliness. 
 
 Q. How may I become " disintroduced " ? 
 
 A. When an acquaintance has been formed 
 which is certain never to result in friendship, 
 there can be no impropriety in permitting your 
 recognition to grow more and more distant, until 
 it ceases by common consent* It is well to re- 
 member that the change wrought by time may 
 often resolve the most casual acquaintance into a 
 desirable friend, and we may find that we have 
 entertained an angel unawares. 
 
 Q. What is the result of snubbing ? 
 
 A. It is an irretrievable loss to the one who does 
 the snubbing. It is much better form to look a 
 person straight in the eye without a sign of rec- 
 ognition than to bow coldly or contemptuously. 
 
32 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 The effect of such a salutation can never be re- 
 paired ; it may be overlooked, but it will never be 
 forgotten. 
 
 Q. Should I allow my feelings to be hurt ? 
 
 A. If they are hurt, never permit the offender 
 even to surmise the truth, but cleverly deprive 
 him of the opportunity to repeat the offence. 
 
 Q. When should I apologize ? 
 
 A. Whenever you have committed an offence, 
 innocently or otherwise, against the peace and 
 personality of others. When required, an apology 
 should be spontaneously, promptly, and cheer- 
 fully made. We should all be as magnanimous as 
 Brutus in his reply to Cassius, when he says, 
 "When I spoke that / was ill tempered too." 
 One apologizes — and bear it in mind — for the 
 preservation of his own self-respect quite as much 
 as to save the feelings of another, be that other 
 superior or inferior. Whether the apology be 
 accepted or not makes little difference ; your duty 
 has been done when pardon has been asked. Be 
 assured that if you do not apologize the person 
 injured will have to apologize for you if possessed 
 of refinement. 
 
 Q. When is it bad form to apologize ? 
 
 A. When an apology is not due. Some per- 
 sons apologize for their own existence in the 
 
MANNERS 33 
 
 world. Pew mannerisms are more disagreeable, 
 few better worth overcoming. You should not 
 apologize for the entertainment you have pre- 
 pared for guests or for acts done which are quite 
 void of offence, intended or taken. You should 
 not apologize for accidents. They are best ignored 
 as quickly as the nature of them admits. An 
 apology once tendered and accepted, in case of 
 injury to feelings or person, the incident is sup- 
 posed to be closed. If no one else is involved, 
 as when a servant breaks a dish, it may be ignored 
 entirely. 
 
 Q. How should inadvertences of speech and 
 action be treated ? 
 
 A. They should remain unseen. The feelings 
 of others should be of first consideration. For 
 your kinsfolk, your servants, your surroundings,, 
 no apology need ever be made. It is disrespect- 
 ful to everybody concerned to fail to do your 
 best ; that done, let the rest remain in the hands 
 of Providence — man can do no more. 
 
 Q. What is to be said of the practical joker ? 
 
 A. He is a person who is bound to creep into 
 
 the most select circles, therefore he must be dealt 
 
 with with an ungloved hand and loosened tongue. 
 
 Give him your unbiassed opinion and persuade 
 
 him to mend his ways. 
 
 3 
 
34 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. Should I make a buffoon of myself for the 
 entertainment of society ? 
 
 A. No ; the ridicule you heap upon your- 
 self in playing the buffoon is too dear a price to 
 pay for other people's amusement. At the table 
 of a distinguished Italian, when the company was 
 amused by the conversation and tricks of a buffoon, 
 a talented but discomfited man of letters turned 
 to Dante, who was present, and asked, " Why 
 can't I do this?" Dante replied, "Because all 
 creatures delight in their own resemblance." The 
 kind of amusement which is most popular to-day 
 is a pathetic evidence that the taste which pre- 
 vailed in Dante's time and which required buf- 
 foons and jesters at court has not been materially 
 changed by the civilization and education of the 
 intervening centuries. 
 
 Q. What constitutes a bore ? 
 
 A. A man who persists in talking about him- 
 self instead of drawing out the knowledge and 
 experience of others. Bores are among the tor- 
 ments sent to enhance the true delight of human 
 intercourse, by force of contrast. 
 
 Q. What of the person who looks bored ? 
 
 A. The person who looks bored shares with 
 the bore the ability to add to the world's store 
 of misery. 
 
MANNERS 35 
 
 Q. What alienates us from others ? 
 
 A. Inequality of worth. 
 
 Q. What about criticism ? 
 
 A. It must be borne in mind that criticisms 
 are also confessions and that individualities may 
 thus be unwittingly bared. For example, you 
 frequently hear persons boastingly remark : " I 
 can't bear the Mona Lisa." " I was not impressed 
 with the Cologne Cathedral." "The Sistine 
 Madonna is academic." 
 
 After hearing a few such ignorant remarks, 
 one finally learns not to express his limitations 
 or his lack of knowledge by sweeping criticisms. 
 A better way would be to say: "While I am 
 aware that the Mona Lisa enjoys the distinc- 
 tion of being the greatest portrait in the world, 
 and occupies the central place in the room devoted 
 only to masterpieces in the Louvre, yet it has not 
 impressed me." In regard to the Cologne Cathe- 
 dral : " While it undoubtedly stands for the highest 
 form of Gothic architecture and finds a response 
 in souls capable of deep religious feeling, yet the 
 ornateness of the Milan Cathedral is more beau- 
 tiful to my eye." And again, in speaking of 
 the Sistine Madonna, say : " Although, like the 
 Cologne Cathedral, a spirituality radiates from 
 it that does not emanate from any other canvas 
 
36 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 in the world, yet I find myself incapable of re- 
 sponding to it." 
 
 Q. What should be observed in replying to 
 invitations ? 
 
 A. Written or engraved invitations call for 
 immediate reply. It is not complimentary to 
 your hostess to hold the matter open, waiting 
 for something better to " turn up." 
 
 Q. When may I feel complimented by an 
 invitation ? 
 
 A. An invitation is always a compliment, but 
 it is only when you have been included as one 
 of a dinner party that you may feel secure in 
 the estimation of a friend or an acquaintance. 
 
 Q. How should I choose between two or more 
 invitations ? 
 
 A. Go where it pleases you some of the time, 
 occasionally where your presence will give pleas- 
 ure and help to your hostess ; but do not pose as 
 a martyr. Be kind to her other guests. 
 
 Q. What is the chief disadvantage of wealth 
 in the majority of cases? 
 
 A. It divides people into cliques, narrows 
 their experiences, and robs them of the breadth 
 of character to be gained only through intercourse 
 with the whole world. I have always had a pro- 
 found sympathy for kings, queens, princes, and 
 
MANNERS 37 
 
 princesses, who adhere to the barbarous custom 
 of being shut off from the rest of mankind. Man 
 is a gregarious animal, after all. Christina Ros- 
 setti has told us of this social absurdity and great 
 wrong in her poem, " The Royal Princess." 
 
 Q. What is the natural result of inherited 
 wealth ? 
 
 A. Those who have fallen heir to wealth and 
 position unwittingly have an air of security, nat- 
 urally denied to those obliged to struggle. This 
 makes it uncomfortable for both. If people who 
 are habitually miserable because they are not 
 included in a certain circle would recognize that 
 neither is to blame, there would be more happi- 
 ness in the world. " It is better to be first in an 
 Ionian village than second in Rome." 
 
 Q. Define the position of a guest. 
 
 A. It is that of the family. You frequently 
 hear, " He is such a charming host " ; too seldom, 
 "He is such a charming guest." The guest, in 
 too many cases, permits himself to overestimate 
 the importance of his rights without consideration 
 of his duties. You should comply with the slight- 
 est wish of your host. 
 
 Q. What should be said of a host or hostess 
 who places himself or herself first in all things ? 
 
 A. So long as a person is a guest his tastes and 
 
38 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 preferences should not only be tolerated, but care- 
 fully and quietly sought out, and he should be 
 allowed to have his own way at least half of the 
 time. 
 
 Q. In paying an afternoon call, if I am asked 
 to prolong my stay, what is required ? 
 
 A. In justice to you, the hostess should explain 
 this fact to the next arrival. 
 
 Q. What is required in receiving visits ? 
 
 A. Only when you have many expected guests 
 is it necessary to set a rigid time for their coming 
 and going. At other times, if you wish to be hon- 
 estly hospitable, leave the matter somewhat to the 
 pleasure and discretion of your guest or guests. 
 
 Q. Should I yield to the importunities of my 
 hostess to remain longer than the time fixed for 
 my stay ? 
 
 A. As a rule, it is safer not to do so. 
 
 Q. What is my duty. as a guest of a self- 
 centred host or hostess ? 
 
 A. Unless you are able to put up with the non- 
 sense of your host or hostess, you should fold your 
 " tents like the Arabs, and as silently steal away." 
 
 Q. What is meant by " speeding the parting 
 guest " ? 
 
 A. Letting him go. When he finds the time 
 has come for his going, let him go. 
 
MANNERS 39 
 
 Q. Should I allow myself to make a return 
 visit during the same season ? 
 
 A. It is usually unsafe. It shows wisdom to 
 " withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's threshold, 
 lest he weary of thy coming." 
 
 Q. What general rule is applied to dress ? 
 
 A. At all times be dressed as neatly, as becom- 
 ingly, and as suitably as possible. Since you are 
 at all times a picture to be seen by others, more 
 consideration than your own personal taste is 
 involved in the clothes you wear. If lacking 
 in taste, you should cheerfully seek and accept 
 advice. 
 
 Q. Does clothing affect the inner man ? 
 
 A. Nothing imparts quite the same glow of 
 satisfaction as the consciousness of being properly 
 dressed. 
 
 Q. Are looks and feelings related ? 
 
 A. Yes ; it is certain that looking your best and 
 feeling your best are related and interrelated. 
 The eye goes far in captivating the imagination. 
 Looking fit to command any given situation goes 
 far to put you in command of it. 
 
 Q. What allowance should be made for the 
 eccentricities of genius in respect to dress ? 
 
 A. Going to a party with unkempt hair, a busi- 
 ness suit, negligS shirt, and a limp tie does not 
 
40 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 indicate genius in a man, any more than the 
 wearing of a short skirt hanging in scallops, 
 untidy and ill-fitting shoes and gloves, indicates 
 genius in a woman. 
 
 Q. Should I wear mourning ? 
 
 A. Never wear mourning unless your conduct 
 corresponds. Consideration for the living should 
 be equal to that for the departed, and you should 
 avoid any undue display of grief through your 
 attire, stationery, or calling cards. 
 
 Q. What colors should I ordinarily wear ? 
 
 A. The tints of your hair or eyes, or shades 
 bearing a direct relation thereto. Your favorite 
 color is not necessarily becoming. 
 
 Q. Should I comment upon clothes ? 
 
 A. Next to right wearing of clothes, intelligent 
 comment upon them expresses taste. Styles are 
 continually changing, and nothing is more provin- 
 cial than to object to a given style because it has 
 not fallen under your previous observation. 
 
 Q. How is the sense of smell regarded ? 
 
 A. The sense of smell is the least regarded of 
 all the senses, because it is becoming of less and less 
 utility to civilized man, except as it is necessarily 
 associated with the sense of taste. Brute beasts 
 surpass humanity immensely in this particular. 
 
 Q. Should I use perfume ? 
 
MANNERS 41 
 
 A. If used at all, preference in scents should 
 be indicative of your character. They should ex- 
 press delicacy and refinement. It is of consequence 
 whether you are to remain fixed in the minds of 
 friends by a fragrance grateful to the nostril or by 
 something akin to an olfactory shock. 
 
 Q. What may be said of strong scents ? 
 
 A. They are an expression of coarseness. 
 Sometimes pleasure in strong perfumes is an in- 
 herited trait. There are those who pass through 
 life pushing before them and spreading around 
 them great billows of strong scent, just as an 
 ocean liner makes itself manifest on the deeps of 
 the ocean. It is a well-known fact that unedu- 
 cated and uncultured persons have a fondness for 
 strong odors; in recognition of this, Miss Kor- 
 trecht has written the following verses: 
 
 When we go visiting grandma, 
 Out on the farm, you know, 
 Where mother was a little girl 
 'Bout a hundred years ago, 
 Our little colored namesakes — 
 Yaller Ned and all — 
 They say, " Mis' Lucy, howdy ? 
 Ain't you brung us nothin' 't all ? " 
 
 And when the trunks were opened, 
 And the presents 'vided out, 
 Then all the little darkies 
 
42 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 They set up such a shout : 
 " De gif ' s is sho'ly scrumptious 
 An' de bes' thing in de lot 
 Is de lily-rose perfumery 
 What bow-leg Betsy got." 
 
 Q. Do we possess a direct memory for odors ? 
 
 A. While there is little or no direct memory 
 for odors and they cannot be recalled at will for 
 purposes of comparison, they are quick to bring 
 back recollections and associations, the memories 
 evolved being vivid even to poignancy. 
 
 Q. Should facial expression be regarded as a 
 matter of deportment ? 
 
 A. Emphatically, yes. Whenever you are un- 
 able to command a cheerful countenance you 
 had best confine yourself within the walls of your 
 own apartment with closed and locked doors, that 
 your distress may be observed by none. 
 
 Q. What is the effect of a disagreeable look ? 
 
 A. It is one of the forms of selfishness which 
 often defeats its own end ; for favors are grudg- 
 ingly bestowed upon those with a sour look in the 
 eyes and about the mouth. As a gift is twice 
 given when given quickly, so it is when given 
 cheerfully. 
 
 Q. What impression should I make upon the 
 world ? 
 
MANNERS 43 
 
 A. An impression of cheer. As we have seen, 
 impressions are the basis of expressions. Interest 
 in others compels interest in yourself. 
 
 Q. What is the result of unpleasant scrawls 
 upon the face ? 
 
 A. To stamp upon the face scrawls that signify 
 sourness, acrimony, dissatisfaction, distress, hope- 
 lessness, and forlornness is to confess yourself 
 beaten in the struggle of life and invite the kick 
 that sends you farther down the hill. To see a 
 face that looks as if a whine were its only note 
 of expression is as ungrateful to the eye as the 
 whine itself is to the ear. 
 
 Q. Should attention be regarded as a matter 
 of deportment ? 
 
 A. Yes ; to be attentive when another js speak- 
 ing, to listen well at all times, is a social accom- 
 plishment of value and invites confidence ; and the 
 confidence of another, let it be said, is the highest 
 compliment in his power to bestow, the prelimi- 
 nary and essential of true friendship and intimacy. 
 
 Q. Do habits of attention affect the mind ? 
 
 A. "Noihmg is more conducive to the well- 
 
 ordered mindthanthe early acquisition of habits 
 of attention. . .--- 
 
 Q. What is the privilege of masculine hu- 
 manity ? 
 
44 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. To attend upon the wants of the women 
 who have admitted him to their acquaintanceship. 
 
 Q. What is a woman's duty in this respect ? 
 
 A. To permit all possible service and attend- 
 ance. A man rises whenever the women in the 
 room, singly or collectively, betake themselves to 
 their feet, and remains standing until they are 
 seated again. Women should not object to this 
 slight attention as too ceremonious. It is most 
 discouraging for a man to stoop to pick up an 
 article inadvertently dropped by a woman, only 
 to bump her head and his own because she, too, 
 has stooped for its recovery. Nothing becomes a 
 woman more than a graceful acceptance of these 
 slight attentions; nothing more becomes a man 
 than the proffering of them. By all means let 
 the practices coming to us from a day more 
 gallant than our own suffer no diminution or 
 discouragement. 
 
 Q. What is the importance of entering a room ? 
 
 A. When you enter a room, the impression 
 created is instantaneous. Your shape, height, 
 color, education or lack of it, social experience, 
 tact, selfishness, cordiality, reserve, — each and all 
 are equally perceived like a flash of lightning. 
 
 Q. Mention some mechanical details. 
 
 A. If it is necessary to open a door, it is best 
 
MANNERS 45 
 
 done by taking the knob between the first and 
 second finger and turning it gently. The opening 
 is to be made broad enough to permit the easy in- 
 gress of the person. If it is requisite to close the 
 door after entering, let it be done with the same 
 grasp and turn of the knob. The click of the 
 lock is offensive to many and can readily be 
 avoided. You should not slam the door, or use 
 the knee, hip, elbow, or flattened hand for the 
 purpose. 
 
 Q. How should I conduct myself upon entering 
 a room? 
 
 A. A glance about should quickly regulate 
 your conduct. As soon as the room is entered 
 you should overcome any tendency to self-efface- 
 ment which manifests itself in a habit of lurking 
 in corners and of selecting seats obviously un- 
 comfortable; also of walking on tiptoe, which is 
 always disturbing to those already in the room, as 
 it attracts attention. Walk in freely without un- 
 necessary noise, and add to the composition by 
 adjusting a chair in relation to those already 
 placed. If there is a conversation or lesson in 
 progress, join in it with interest. Do not abruptly 
 change the topic. There is always plenty of time. 
 
 Q. How should I leave a room ? 
 
 A. You should leave some regret in the minds 
 
46 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 of others for your departure. After saying " good- 
 bye " to the host and hostess, nothing more is 
 demanded than the inclusion of the company as a 
 whole in a sweeping bow at the moment of exit. 
 
 Q. Describe the process of hand-shaking. 
 
 A. The hand is extended as the foot steps 
 forward. The torso is also carried forward; in 
 fact, the entire body responds to the greeting of 
 the mind. To take one by the hand is the 
 admission to something more than mere acquaint- 
 anceship. Women should not shake hands in 
 the promiscuous manner that men do. To offer 
 the tips of the fingers or the whole of a lifeless 
 hand, to stand with the feet and legs set rigid, to 
 fail to clasp the extended fingers, to go to the 
 other extreme and see how tightly the other's 
 hand can be squeezed in a strength test, to use 
 that hand as a pump handle for the extraction of 
 cordiality, — all these exhibit a lack of knowledge 
 of the method and meaning of this ancient sym- 
 bol of friendliness. It may be added that men 
 remove their gloves when given the hand of a 
 woman to shake. 
 
 Q. "What form should I observe in asking 
 questions ? 
 
 A. You should always pronounce the name, as 
 "0 mamma," or "0 Miss White," keep silent 
 
MANNERS 47 
 
 until the person addressed responds by looking 
 you in the eye, and quietly demand, "May 
 I ask Nellie Johnson to come to dinner this 
 evening?" "Have you seen the book I was 
 reading ? " " Have you seen my rubbers ? " " Is 
 dinner ready ? " Children in America are prone 
 to scream out their wants and wishes in one 
 breath ; as, " Mother, may I go to town this morn- 
 ing ? " " "Where is my overcoat ? " without ob- 
 serving the more polite form. Many children and 
 elders answer " What ? " when asked a question, 
 instead of " Yes, mamma." " What is it, father ? " 
 
 Q. Is it good form for children to say " sir " 
 and " ma'am " ? 
 
 A. No, excepting to their parents and masters. 
 It is better form to say, " Yes, mother." " Yes, 
 Mrs. Henderson." " What did you say, Mr. 
 Jefferson ? " " Yes, ma'am " is rustic. 
 
 Q. What must be said of the insistence upon 
 specific facts ? 
 
 A. It is rude and always causes discomfiture. 
 Children frequently lay their elders in lies when 
 the details are too minute to be important. For 
 example : A mother and daughter have returned 
 from a reception and in answer to a question the 
 mother remarks that there were a hundred guests 
 there, and the daughter instantly says, "Why, 
 
48 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 mother, why do you say so? You know there 
 were only seventy-five." 
 
 Q. Define the difference between "righteous 
 indignation " and anger. 
 
 A. Anger is that which makes you lose your 
 self-control, while righteous indignation is the 
 outburst arising from the consciousness of an 
 imposition either upon ourselves or others. It 
 is not only justifiable but commendable. 
 
 Q. Define the term "passion." 
 
 A. An outreaching of the mind toward some 
 special object. "All high poetry has its source 
 in passion." It is the temperamental something 
 that flavors a great work of genius. 
 
 Q. What of the man who interrupts ? 
 
 A. Show him the error of his ways, if you 
 can. 
 
 Q. Is it polite to correct a word mispronounced 
 by another in conversation ? 
 
 A. No ; you should never draw attention to a 
 mistake by employing the correct pronunciation 
 in your reply. 
 
 Q. Should you refer to a person's age ? 
 
 A. It is strictly bad form to make any refer- 
 ence whatever to a person's age. 
 
 Q. What is the effect of prejudice ? 
 
 A. It deprives you of certain advantages ; for 
 
MANNERS 49 
 
 example, a disparaging remark about persons or 
 books influences you to disregard them ; later on, 
 when you learn to know them, you come to a 
 painful realization of what you have missed. 
 
 Q. What may be said of ambition as a factor 
 in human life ? 
 
 A. When it is an inordinate desire for personal 
 gain, it is to be decried. When it is the inner 
 call for fuller living, it is a characteristic to be 
 admired and emulated. As we are a part of the 
 great universe, you should listen to the inner 
 voice and be guided by it, knowing and believ- 
 ing that only by so ""doing can you attain that 
 which will endure. I have in mind the building 
 of the - Tower of Babel as contrasted with the 
 building of the Temple. Solomon built, not to 
 further his own selfish aims, but for the glory of 
 God and the brotherhood of man. 
 
50 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 AS OTHERS SEE US: POISE 
 
 Question. What two aspects has the art of 
 expression ? 
 
 Answer. The pictorial and the vocal. 
 
 Q. Which is the more important ? 
 
 A. The pictorial is the broader and more 
 general. 
 
 Q. In what sense am I a living picture? 
 
 A. In quite the literal sense. You are a 
 panorama continually changing, leaving upon 
 all observers impressions either pleasing or un- 
 favorable. You may be silent and thus avoid 
 being heard, but so long as you move about the 
 world you will be seen by others. 
 
 Q. How should I make the picture ? 
 
 A. In all human kindness, you should make 
 the picture, the panorama, as pleasing as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 Q. What acquirements are undesirable ? 
 
 A. Unbecoming and untruthful postures ac- 
 quired through association and idiosyncrasy. 
 
 Q. Of what are they the outgrowth ? 
 
 A. Of childish defects and timidities, of imma- 
 
POISE 51 
 
 tare imitations, of forgotten affectations, of un- 
 formed ideals and ambitions. 
 
 Q. How may I place myself right with the 
 world ? 
 
 A. By freeing your personality from confining 
 or perverting habits. 
 
 Q. How will this affect me ? 
 
 A. It will awaken in your intellect a desire to 
 change and to improve. 
 
 Q. What must I first obtain ? 
 
 A. Mental poise. 
 
 Q. What is the" next step ? 
 
 A. The power of analysis and self-criticism. 
 
 Q. What part does* self-analysis play in my 
 development ? 
 
 A. Self-analysis opens your eyes to the differ- 
 ence between what you are, what you appear to 
 be, and what you should be. 
 
 Q. What should the phrase " fine looking " 
 mean to me? 
 
 A. More than broad shoulders, glittering teeth, 
 and pretty eyes. You should be able to discern 
 real character and worth, and these should mean 
 more to you than outward form. 
 
 Q. Describe the human body. 
 
 A. It is a columnar structure with base, shaft, 
 and capital. 
 
52 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What is of first consideration ? 
 
 A. The strength of the base, which is deter- 
 mined by the distance between the feet. 
 
 Q. What if the base be too narrow ? 
 
 A. Unless the base or feet be firm and broad 
 enough to answer to all the demands likely to 
 be made upon it, its existence as a column must 
 manifestly cease with the first inadvertence, and 
 you lose your balance. 
 
 Q. Define the difference between a column of 
 wood or stone and the human body. 
 
 A. As the human body is not rigidly com- 
 posed but rests on its feet as a base, it must 
 be so established that the muscles of the head, 
 trunk, and limbs may have the freest possible 
 •play. 
 
 Q. What discomfort arises from habitually 
 standing on a narrow base with the feet held 
 close together? 
 
 A. Habitual back-ache. 
 
 Q. Why is this? 
 
 A. Too great a demand is made on the dorsal 
 muscles at the base of the spine, in order to main- 
 tain the equilibrium. 
 
 Q. How is this trouble remedied ? 
 
 A. By advancing one foot far enough to make 
 the base position propoi-tionate to your height, 
 
POISE 53 
 
 thus liberating the strain upon the muscles of 
 your loins, back, and neck. 
 
 Q. Should the legs touch each other in 
 walking ? 
 
 A. No ; they should swing free from the hips 
 and should touch nowhere along their entire 
 length. 
 
 Q. "What additional advantage does the base 
 position afford me ? 
 
 A. Command of yourself and an appearance 
 of ease. 
 
 Q. Where does the body rest ? 
 
 A. Upon the foot retired, forming a straight 
 line from head to heel, while the line from your 
 head to the toe of the foot advanced is a crescent 
 curve as essentially graceful as its fellow is essen- 
 tially strong. There must be no stiffness along 
 either line, no tensing of the muscles of leg or 
 body. When required, this position is easily re- 
 versed by transferring the weight to the advanced 
 foot. At times the weight of the body is equally 
 distributed on both feet. Set forms should be 
 avoided. 
 
54 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE WALK 
 
 Question. Is my walk an indication of my 
 character ? 
 
 Answer. Not necessarily, though it should be. 
 Too often a person's gait and carriage are adopted 
 without the exercise of his intelligence, or have 
 been copied from models both faulty and un- 
 graceful. 
 
 Q. When may it be said that my mind has 
 entered into my walk? 
 
 A. When the movements of your body in 
 passing from place to place have been subjected 
 to your individual intelligence, the awkwardness 
 and untrue revelations in them removed by a 
 conscious selection from the best examples, and 
 an expression of yourself made possible by a 
 previous knowledge of the normal walk. 
 
 Q. What is the tendency in America ? 
 
 A. Toward bad walking. 
 
 Q. What is to be observed in foreign lands ? 
 
 A. In lands where there is a large population 
 of military men accustomed to obey commands, 
 both men and women in civil life come into the 
 
THE WALK 55 
 
 world with a tendency toward an erect carriage, 
 which is enhanced by suitable education. Abroad, 
 therefore, distinction of carriage is much more 
 common than in America. 
 
 Q. What is the effect of the stiffness and 
 undue prominence of the chest in the military 
 walk? 
 
 A. It is more difficult to work into essential 
 grace and ease than many of the unconsidered 
 faults picked up in ordinary life. 
 
 Q. How do most men and women walk ? 
 
 A. Ungracefully and unbecomingly. 
 
 Q. How about the children ? 
 
 A. As most children adopt the manners of 
 their elders, the faults are perpetuated from gen- 
 eration to generation. 
 
 Q. When should faulty tendencies be cor- 
 rected ? 
 
 A. In earliest childhood the mistakes of youth 
 settle into habits difficult of correction. A child's 
 attention must be called to correct models, which 
 he should find in his parents, his nurse, his gov- 
 erness, or his tutor. 
 
 Q. Is there such a thing as a " patent walk " ? 
 
 A. No. There is no series of bodily move- 
 ments to which rigid conformity must be secured 
 before the most suitable gait and carriage can be 
 
56 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 obtained. The more rigid the formula devised 
 for the regulation of your walk the less likely 
 are you to reach adequate self-expression by its 
 means. 
 
 Q. How should my walk be characterized ? 
 
 A. By grace and freedom. 
 
 Q. What is an artificial gait ? 
 
 A> One appearing affected and stilted. 
 
 Q. When may I use faulty and inelegant 
 forms in walking? 
 
 A. Only for purposes of characterization upon 
 the stage. 
 
 Q. Describe the normal walk, which should 
 be habitual. 
 
 A. Your normal walk should not be hasty or 
 hurried ; it should be legato, not staccato ; not a 
 mere striding forth with the lower leg and foot, 
 but a deliberate rhythmical movement of your 
 entire leg and foot in all their joints and muscles, 
 including those of the toes, and with certain com- 
 pensating movements of the head and arms. 
 
 Q. How should my back foot be advanced ? 
 
 A. In this deliberate and graceful gait your 
 back foot should slowly and smoothly advance. 
 Let it take on, slightly, the appearance of drag- 
 ging a weight or of adhering to the floor or 
 ground. It is not to be picked up and disposed 
 
THE WALK 57 
 
 of as hastily as possible ; and in it neither your 
 toe, heel, shin, knee, thigh, hip, arm, elbow, 
 shoulder, nor head makes itself conspicuous. 
 
 Q. Give me an exercise helpful toward secur- 
 ing a becoming walk. 
 
 A. It is of value to practise walking as if it 
 were on a tight rope, placing the heel of one foot 
 exactly in front of the toe of the other. This 
 practice gives security and balance to your walk. 
 
 Q. How are time and rhythm secured in the 
 walk? 
 
 A. Stand with one foot slightly in advance of 
 the other, swaying your body back and forth, 
 holding both feet firm on the floor, raising neither 
 your heels nor toes, and slowly count, one, two, 
 three, four. Advance four steps, counting one, and 
 two, and three, and four. Repeat next the sway- 
 ing motion, one, two, three, four, again advancing, 
 one, and two, and three, and four, lifting the 
 back foot slowly with seeming reluctance and 
 keeping the toes close to the floor. You should 
 have time and rhythm in your body correspond- 
 ing to the time and rhythm in your mind. 
 
 Q. Define the terms "poise," "bearing," 
 "walk," and "carriage." 
 
 A. Eoiseis balance. Bearing, the manner of 
 holding the body at all times. Walk, the act of 
 
58 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 getting from one place to another, dealing par- 
 ticularly with the feet and legs. Carriage is a 
 combination of the three. 
 
 Q. Is my personality involved in all of these ? 
 
 A. Yes; your personality is intimately in- 
 volved, whether your body be in repose or 
 motion. 
 
 Q. Is it possible for me to have a good walk 
 with a poor carriage and bearing ? 
 
 A. Yes ; but normally these three go together. 
 Any approach toward excellence in either poise 
 or bearing is an aid to a good carriage. 
 
 Q. Is my walk a means of identification ? 
 
 A. Yes. You are identified in the minds of 
 your friends and family by the sound of your 
 footsteps. It is always worth recalling whether 
 or not this expression of yourself is pleasant. 
 To rid your coming or departure of the evidences 
 of undue haste or other irritating mannerisms 
 is a matter entirely within your own control. 
 
 Q. How many forms of walking are there ? 
 
 A. The number of forms of walking is limited 
 only by the number of persons who walk. 
 
 Q. Name some of the faults commonly seen in 
 the streets and drawing-room, together with ap- 
 propriate methods of correcting them. 
 
 A. Trotting. This is the commonest defect in 
 
THE WALK 59 
 
 gait, implying a walk in staccato time with a 
 stride too short for the length of the leg. As it 
 is due to the over-use of the lower leg and under- 
 use of the thigh, the remedy is found in swinging 
 your entire leg from your hips. This will cause 
 your knee to bend less and remove the too com- 
 mon effect of plunging forward with every step. 
 
 "Pigeon-Toed. This signifies weakness or rus- 
 ticity. It indicates a defective development of 
 the muscles of your foot and ankles and some- 
 times of your entire leg. The disused muscles 
 must be developed by appropriate exercises, and 
 the fact borne in mind until the better habit has 
 been induced. 
 
 Mincing Gait. There are too many short steps, 
 too many superfluous motions of the feet and 
 body sidewise. A mincing gait is never prepos- 
 sessing and is often ridiculous. 
 
 Waddling Gait. Whether accompanied by too 
 much flesh or not, the waddle is suggestive of 
 obesity, and is the customary gait of that much 
 despised fowl, the domestic goose. If the person at 
 fault will count one, and two, in the exercise previ- 
 ously described, it will be seen that the "and" 
 marks a twist of the hip rather than the begin- 
 ning of the removal of the foot in the rear. The 
 awkward and ungraceful hip movement must be 
 
GO THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 stopped, and the leg taught to swing forward in 
 a straight line. 
 
 Springing Gait. A springing gait is caused by 
 too great a movement up and down and too little 
 movement forward. This fault may be remedied 
 by realizing the falsity of the rhythm involved. 
 In counting " one, and two, and " the entire body 
 is actually lifted on the "and," whereas the 
 "and" should merely mark the slight drag of 
 the foot in the rear, on its way to position in 
 advance. 
 
 Churning. This curious movement is caused 
 by rising too suddenly from the ankle and settling 
 down at the end of the stride with the same sud- 
 denness. It resembles nothing so much as the 
 dasher in an old-fashioned churn. 
 
 High Stepping. This is caused by raising the 
 knee too high, thereby making it conspicuous as 
 one advances. While this action may be admired 
 in horses, it is objectionable in human beings. 
 Such a fault can be remedied by bringing the knee 
 into coordination with the thigh and ankle, which 
 are equally entitled to consideration. 
 
 Knock-Knees. The uncertain wriggling mo- 
 tion produced by lack of precision in the action 
 of the knees is sometimes due to distortion or 
 maladjustment of the bones of the thigh and. 
 
THE WALK 61 
 
 lower leg, but in more cases it is due to lack of 
 muscular development. In the former case the 
 services of the surgeon will be required to remedy 
 the fault. In the latter, physical development 
 will do away with the appearance of weakness. 
 The best exercise to that end will be found in 
 swinging the legs out backward and forward and 
 horizontally to the sides, until the muscles are 
 made strong and firm and completely under the 
 control of the will. 
 
 Bent Knees. Walking with the knees slightly 
 bent gives a general effect of old age, weakness, 
 and decrepitude. There should be a sensation in 
 the knee of straightness and temporary rigidity 
 while that leg is energized. The knee should 
 lock, so to speak. 
 
 Kicking up your Toe. The defect of presenting 
 too much of the sole of your foot to the gaze of 
 the observer, due to kicking up your toe just 
 before placing it on the ground, is often seen and 
 leads to setting the backward edge of your heel 
 too strongly down, with a consequent and un- 
 necessary jar to the whole frame. Eemember 
 that this kicking up of your toe is an essential 
 feature of the " goose-step." Not only in the 
 drawing-room and the street, but at all times, 
 grace is secured by letting your heel touch the 
 
62 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 ground almost simultaneously with the ball of 
 your foot, which nevertheless must always strike 
 the ground first. 
 
 Walking in Scallops. "When your foot is 
 swung somewhat around the other rather than 
 being placed on either side of the middle line, the 
 result is much lost motion, as persons given to 
 this habit generally direct their steps first toward 
 the shop window, then to the curbstone in circular 
 form, or what may be termed " scallops." 
 
 Walking with Yourself. There are many to be 
 discerned in the street who seem to be engaged 
 entirely in the subjective process of walking; 
 there being no outside manifestation of a desire 
 to reach a destination. 
 
 Walking away from Yourself. This form of 
 walk is revealed in a long stride with a far-away 
 look in the eye, indicating an unconsciousness of 
 immediate persons or objects. 
 
 Q. Which is preferable, an objective or subjec- 
 tive mode of walking ? 
 
 A. A forceful objective stride and the class 
 which it typifies are better than a "mincing" 
 subjective mode of progression; one shows char- 
 acter, the other an apparent lack of it. One 
 stands for self-possession and mastery ; the other 
 indicates a small mind and leads to other defects. 
 
THE WALK 63 
 
 Q. Do the faults described proceed from bodily 
 or muscular defect ? 
 
 A. As a rule, they are caused by mental states. 
 Each is, in a certain sense, an indication of the 
 broader aspects of character. 
 
 Q. Is such indication a true disclosure of 
 character ? 
 
 A. It is rather a caricature or exaggeration of 
 the inner man than a true disclosure. Sometimes 
 the slightest idiosyncrasies, through force of habit, 
 become magnified into actual grotesqueness. 
 
 Q. In what does the remedy consist ? 
 
 A. In enlarging the breadth of view, first by 
 calling attention to the defect, then by inducing 
 the person at fault to view himself in his relation 
 to the rest of the world with an eye more nearly 
 just. 
 
 Q. Should there be a motion of my arms in 
 walking ? 
 
 A. There should be neither an obtrusive move- 
 ment of your arms to and fro or in and about, 
 nor a constrained withholding of them from a 
 slow, graceful swing. 
 
 Q. Should my body swing sidewise in walking ? 
 
 A. There should be no swinging sidewise of 
 ihe upper half of the trunk from the waist, some- 
 times called the " knife-blade motion." It is not 
 
64 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 only wasted motion, but it retards progress by 
 turning forward motion into lateral. 
 
 Q. Are my bead and neck concerned in my walk? 
 
 A. Tbe head should sway gracefully in re- 
 sponse to the demand for compensation and bal- 
 anced equilibrium. If kept stiffly erect from the 
 neck, compensations have to be sought elsewhere 
 and exaggerations develop. 
 
 Q. Does my clothing affect my walk ? 
 
 A. Many defects in gait and carriage may be 
 laid to the raiment of civilization. 
 
 Q. Do men walk with more freedom than 
 women ? 
 
 A. Yes, as a rule ; yet in early times it was 
 the goddess, not the god, whose motion from place 
 to place constituted the ideal. 
 
 Q. Where may the causes for the faulty gait 
 of civilized women be sought? 
 
 A. First, in skirts and other garments which 
 impede the free and graceful movement of the 
 legs from hip to knee. Secondly, in the conceal- 
 ment which these coverings afford to faults con- 
 genital and acquired. That the faults in the 
 walk of adult women are rather acquired than 
 congenital finds proof in the easily verified obser- 
 vation that little girls walk quite as well as their 
 brothers of equal age, if not better. 
 
THE WALK 65 
 
 Q. What may be said of the walk in stage 
 representation ? 
 
 A. In stage representation the ability to as- 
 sume a walk in accord with the character in 
 representation is of the first importance. Any 
 discrepancy in the gait and carriage is quite as 
 offensive as misreading. An instance at hand 
 may be found in the walk of Sir Peter and of 
 Lady Teazle. He takes short steps in two-four 
 time, advancing his right foot and bringing his 
 left in alignment with it ; while Lady Teazle takes 
 two normal, rhythmical steps to his four. 
 
 Q. What is the value of pivoting ? 
 
 A. Pivoting is essential in the graceful walk 
 and in the act of turning. The raising of your 
 heels consecutively enables all changes of direc- 
 tion to be made without the taking of several 
 short, ineffective steps. 
 
 Q. What is the final essential of an attractive 
 walk? 
 
 A. Style. All defects removed and the art 
 of pivoting made second nature, it becomes pos- 
 sible at last to attain not merely grace, but style, 
 an air, as if in full possession of all that is best 
 in yourself and in the world about you. Then, 
 for the first time, you come into complete mastery 
 of your own individuality. 
 
66 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 HOW TO SIT 
 
 Question. What is the importance of the sit- 
 ting position ? 
 
 Answer. Whether in private life or on the 
 stage, no small share of the picture of every in- 
 dividual is presented in a sitting position, an atti- 
 tude unknown to the people of the far East. 
 
 Q. Of what is this position characteristic ? 
 
 A. It is eminently characteristic of European 
 and American civilization. 
 
 Q. What posture prevails in other countries ? 
 
 A. The Asiatics and Africans crouch or squat, 
 kneel back upon their haunches, or sit cross- 
 legged on the floor or upon divans. 
 
 Q. Are there established rules for taking your 
 seat and rising therefrom ? 
 
 A. Yes ; there is a method to be outlined which 
 is capable of individual adaptation. It is easier 
 always to tell what not to do than to set forth 
 detailed laws. A good position in sitting is as 
 essential in facing the world as when standing 
 or walking. 
 
 Q. Wherein does the proof of this lie ? 
 
HOW TO SIT 67 
 
 A. In a study, however brief, of distinguished 
 personages seated upon a public platform and 
 subject to the scrutiny of their fellows. 
 
 Q. What should I avoid in sitting ? 
 
 A. You should not fall into a chair or throw 
 yourself upon it, as if the process were a test of 
 the chair's strength of construction and material ; 
 producing a comic effect rather than one of dignity 
 and repose. 
 
 Q. What is the other extreme ? 
 
 A. The apparent adoption of precautionary 
 measures. It may safely be assumed that the 
 chair is firm enough to bear your weight and will 
 contain nothing likely to inflict injury upon either 
 your clothing or person. 
 
 Q. Mention some inelegances which I should 
 avoid. 
 
 A. Falling into your seat, as a house of cards 
 collapses, as well as flopping, bouncing, and plump- 
 ing — these are hard on the chair as well. 
 
 Q. What is the effect of sitting while my weight 
 is borne squarely on both feet ? 
 
 A. It gives the impression of enfeeblement and 
 age, or produces an expression of unaccustomed- 
 ness or inelegance. 
 
 Q. What is a general outline for sitting ? 
 
 A. The subordination of one side of the body 
 
68 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 to the other, avoiding the use of lines strictly par- 
 allel, which are equally unnatural and ungraceful. 
 The head bends forward as the seat is neared, one 
 hip coming first into contact with it. 
 
 Q. What part of the body first touches the 
 back of the chair? 
 
 A. Your torso first touches the back of the 
 chair at its lowest point and then proceeds upward 
 until pliantly straightened at the neck, when the 
 head falls into an easy position as a matter of 
 course. 
 
 Q. Should my body sink upon one side ? 
 
 A. No ; there must be no sinking down entirely 
 upon one side, leaving your opposite hip protruded 
 or angular. 
 
 Q. Should I hold aloof from the back of my 
 chair ? 
 
 A. No, not with a perceptible rigidity of the 
 spine and head as if you were impatient or on 
 the point of removal. 
 
 Q. Should there be a space between the base of 
 my spine and the chair back ? 
 
 A. No ; there must be no compromise between 
 sitting and lying down. 
 
 Q. Should my habitual position be one of 
 relaxation ? 
 
 A. Yes ; of bodily relaxation, not collapse. 
 
HOW TO SIT 69 
 
 Q. Does mental repose accompany bodily 
 repose ? 
 
 A. Not always. Bodily repose does not neces- 
 sarily call for mental inactivity nor betoken a 
 sluggish mind. Your babitual attitude in sitting 
 should be one of rest, not one of relief from pal- 
 pable weariness. 
 
 Q. How should I rise from a seat ? 
 
 A. Avoid suddenness of movement or evincing 
 an eager desire to escape. You assume that the 
 chair has been comfortable and the company pres- 
 ent sufficiently entertaining to make departure 
 something of a hardship. 
 
 Q. Should my feet be raised in rising ? 
 
 A. Do not lift your feet and swing them for- 
 ward as if their weight were needed to bring your 
 body to a standing position. 
 
 Q. Should the abdominal region be brought 
 forward ? 
 
 A. No ; do not bring the abdominal region 
 forward as if some one was thrusting at the 
 small of your back. The trunk bends forward 
 from the waist, one foot retiring itself ; the legs 
 straighten themselves, the body following rhyth- 
 mically. 
 
 Q. Where should my weight be thrown ? 
 
 A. If there is haste in leaving, your weight 
 
70 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 should be thrown immediately upon the foot ad- 
 vanced, and progression begun. 
 
 Q. Give a more graceful process. 
 
 A. It is more graceful and more considerate 
 to settle back upon the foot in the rear and hold 
 yourself there a moment before advancing. 
 
 Q. Should many muscles or few be used ? 
 
 A. Just as a musical chord is more grateful to 
 the ear than the sounding of octaves alone, just 
 so the use of many members and muscles with 
 easy grace is more pleasant to view than the ex- 
 ercise of a few with needless violence. 
 
 Q. Is time a subject for economy in sitting or 
 rising ? 
 
 A. Time is not supposed to be a subject for 
 economy when in company. 
 
 Q. What do haste and hurry bespeak ? 
 
 A, A certain social penury. To be at ease, 
 nothing is more of an aid than to take a posture 
 of ease. To appear to be uncomfortable is to 
 induce discomfort not only in yourself but in 
 others. 
 
 Q. Is lounging permissible ? 
 
 A. No ; in polite society you do not lounge or 
 take on the appearance of indolence or sensuous 
 satisfaction. 
 
 Q. Is the crossing of the legs prohibited ? 
 
HOW TO SIT 71 
 
 A. In an older and more formal day this ex- 
 tended to an absolute prohibition of crossing the 
 legs. 
 
 Q. What is our present custom ? 
 
 A. Upon occasions of strict formality — indeed, 
 at all times when seeking to look your best, this 
 older rule may well be borne in' mind : neither 
 feet nor legs should be crossed, nor should any- 
 thing be done to bring the feet or knees into 
 undue prominence. 
 
 Q. What should be the action of my hands ? 
 
 A. The hands should remain at ease, neither 
 clasped nor crossed at the wrists. If the chair 
 has arms, the hands should not be used to grasp 
 them nor should your arms be stiffened. 
 
 Q. How is self-consciousness overcome ? 
 
 A. The knowledge that you are at ease and 
 cprrectly^ postured and the attitude cared for until 
 the proper disposition of the body and its members 
 is made second habit, prevent the making of a 
 further demand upon your intelligence or emo- 
 tions. Good manners and the assurance of cor- 
 rect diction, good grammar, elegance in your 
 speech, are also essential to the effacement of 
 self -consciousness. 
 
72 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 BOWING 
 
 Question. What is desirable in bowing ? 
 
 Answer. Grace, as in other acts in social life, 
 is eminently desirable. 
 
 Q. What muscles are used in bowing ? 
 
 A. A complex use of facial expression in con- 
 nection with nearly all the muscles of the human 
 frame is involved in an action so seemingly 
 simple. 
 
 Q. What does my success in bowing depend 
 upon ? 
 
 A. Success depends upon the delicate recog- 
 nition of that mysterious something called per- 
 sonality in another, by the response of eye and 
 mouth. Your body lends necessary aid by its 
 assumption of deference and subdued pleasure at 
 meeting. 
 
 Q. What expressions of the face should I avoid ? 
 
 A. A cold and cutting look in your eye and 
 about your mouth, or the raising of the lower lid 
 of the eye, giving a quizzical or suspicious expres- 
 sion, should be avoided. 
 
 Q. To what degree should I smile in bowing ? 
 
 A. You should have a discriminating look or 
 
BOWING 73 
 
 'smile upon your face when bowing to friends and 
 acquaintances, not a simpering, patronizing look, 
 which is offensive in the extreme. 
 
 Q. How can I correct this fault ? 
 
 A. By changing your mental attitude. If your 
 mind is free from evil and unkind thoughts, 
 beauty of soul will be reflected in your coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 Q. What form of bowing is observed in 
 Europe ? 
 
 A. In Europe, where the spirit of militarism 
 so largely prevails, men combine a military salute 
 with a stiff bending forward from the waist ; this 
 is especially ungraceful, and the required bring- 
 ing of the heels together is often irritating. 
 
 Q. What of the English-speaking countries ? 
 
 A. In the English-speaking countries so formal 
 and perfunctory a salute is hardly known, and is 
 better not known at all. 
 
 Q. How am I to bow ? 
 
 A. The eye of the person bowed to is met and 
 engaged; the trunk bent forward at the waist, 
 the act of bending running upward until the 
 head is momentarily dropped, the hands falling 
 forward slightly and equally, without rigidity or 
 lifelessness. The entire body, from the ankle to 
 the crown of the head, is involved in this graceful 
 
74 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 act, and there is a particular subtlety added to 
 its performance if the torso is allowed to advance 
 slightly before being withdrawn. 
 
 Q. What should I avoid in bowing ? 
 
 A. Jerkiness, as if controlled by strings, and 
 haste, either in bowing or in returning to the 
 natural poise. You should not bob your head 
 with a quick movement, which is ungraceful and 
 expresses familiarity. 
 
 Q. How am I to bow when seated ? 
 
 A. The same analysis applies to bowing when 
 seated. The trunk should incline forward from 
 the waist. 
 
 Q. How should persons of the same social rank 
 recognize each other ? 
 
 A. Upon introductions or meetings in both 
 every-day affairs and formal circumstances, per- 
 sons of equal age and status should look one 
 another directly in the eye while pronouncing 
 each the name of the other. 
 
 Q. How should I recognize my superiors ? 
 
 A. By first meeting the eye of the one whom 
 you wish to compliment, then letting the glance 
 sweep down over his body. In this way all men 
 greet the women of their acquaintance. 
 
 Q. How do I unwittingly express self- 
 consciousness? 
 
BOWING 75 
 
 ' A. By letting your eyes meet those of another 
 and then sweep over your own body, thus attract- 
 ing special attention to yourself. 
 
 Q. How should I salute servants and sub- 
 ordinates ? 
 
 A. If you insist upon the inequality of man 
 it may be expressed by speaking — let us hope 
 politely and kindly — without bowing. 
 
 Q. What is required of men in bowing upon 
 the street ? 
 
 A. In the street or upon any occasion where 
 the hat is worn, it is the duty of a man to remove 
 his hat entirely upon acknowledging the greetings 
 of womankind. These greetings he is in duty 
 bound to acknowledge, whether he is able at the 
 moment to remember the woman addressing him 
 or not. 
 
 Q. How should a man remove his hat ? 
 
 A. With a full sweep of his arm — carefully 
 avoiding all flourish — and an inclination of his 
 body as well, which follows immediately upon 
 the removal of his hat, and recovers as it is 
 replaced. 
 
 Q. When should the hat be resumed ? 
 
 A. If a woman signifies her intention to speak 
 to a man, he remains uncovered, it being of course 
 understood that only thoughtless women prolong 
 
76 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 such a conversation, and if inclement weather 
 makes the exposure uncomfortable or unwise, she 
 should request him to cover his head. If she 
 chooses to shake hands with him, let him see to 
 it that his hand is properly ungloved for the 
 purpose. 
 
 Q. Should a woman give her hand to be kissed ? 
 
 A. It is a pretty custom, somewhat falling into 
 disuse where formerly it was practised to excess. 
 If a man kisses a woman's hand, he should bow 
 down and over it and not raise it abruptly to his 
 lips while he holds his head erect. 
 
 Q. How do you bow gracefully when walking ? 
 
 A. Bowing while walking requires a slight 
 pause on the advanced foot, which may be likened, 
 to a dotted note in music. 
 
 Q. What is required when you greet one of a, 
 group of people ? 
 
 A. The greeting of one in a group of people by 
 another requires that there be a recognition by all, 
 and if there is a woman present this must extend 
 to the uncovering of the head, whether any ac- 
 quaintance exists between all involved or not. 
 
 Q. Do men bare their heads to one another ? 
 
 A. In Europe it is customary for men to un- 
 cover to one another ; in this country the process 
 is less formal, a bowing being all that is essential, 
 
BOWING 77 
 
 though a bringing upward of the walking stick or 
 furled umbrella toward the hat is always suitable 
 to a superior in age or dignity. If the difference, 
 is slight, you touch your hat and use your stick 
 as indicated. 
 
 Q. What is the custom among intimates ? 
 
 A. Between intimates, a nod and a smile are all 
 that is requisite when men alone are involved. 
 
 Q. Mention other occasions when your hat 
 should be doffed. 
 
 A. In making apologies and in passing first 
 or holding a door for another to pass. 
 
 Q. What is the duty of children in this regard ? 
 
 A. Children should be taught to go before and 
 open doors for their elders. Boys should remove 
 their hats. 
 
 Q. What does fear of removing the hat imply ? 
 
 A. Rusticity ; a self -consciousness that betrays 
 itself by letting your eye wander over yourself 
 and your belongings. 
 
 Q. What does social intercourse require in 
 this particular? 
 
 A. No man can consider himself fitted for 
 social intercourse with his equals or superiors who 
 does not remove his hat upon all proper occasions 
 with the precision of an automaton, the habit 
 having become second nature. 
 
78 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. How old should a girl be to make the re- 
 moval of the masculine hat necessary in recog- 
 nition of her? 
 
 A. About thirteen or fourteen. In England, 
 after confirmation ; in Roman Catholic countries, 
 after first communion. But boys take off their 
 hats to girls at any age. 
 
BREATH INO 79 
 
 BREATHING 
 
 Question. Of what importance is proper breath- 
 ing? 
 
 Answer. " There needs no ghost to come from 
 the grave to tell us " that to breathe well is of 
 the utmost importance. Knowing the great 
 necessity for the promotion of health, I marvel 
 that parents do not see to it that their children 
 take long breaths instead of panting in the upper 
 part of the chest, thereby leaving the diaphragm, 
 the abdominal and other muscles important in 
 breath production in a quiescent instead of an 
 active state, so that at maturity they have no 
 power or strength in breathing, no breath control. 
 The failure to observe the breathing of a child 
 often results in weak lungs and an impaired 
 voice, and is more injurious to the child's physical 
 condition at maturity than the habit of standing 
 out of shape or walking unbecomingly. 
 
 Q. What three processes are involved in 
 breathing ? 
 
 A. First, the drawing of air into the lungs, 
 called inhaling. Secondly, the retaining of the 
 
80. THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 air a few seconds, called breath control. Thirdly, 
 the getting of the air out of the lungs, called 
 exhaling. 
 
 Q. What three points should I settle in regard 
 to my breathing ? 
 
 A. How, when, and where to breathe. 
 
 Q. How should I breathe ? 
 
 A. You should draw in long draughts of air 
 slowly through your nose. 
 
 Q. Why through my nose ? 
 
 A. The nose is the natural air passage in 
 breathing. 
 
 Q. Name the advantages of drawing the air 
 into my lungs through the nasal passages. 
 
 A. It warms the air, thereby preventing a 
 shock to your throat ; it purines the air by catch- 
 ing soot, dirt, and other foreign substances in- 
 jurious to your lungs ; it keeps the nasal passages 
 open and makes them less susceptible to disease. 
 It also prevents the dryness in your mouth and, 
 throat that often results from drawing the air into 
 the lungs through the open mouth. 
 
 Q. Should I ever breathe through my mouth ? 
 
 A. Yes; it is necessary in yawning and in 
 rapid speaking. 
 
 Q. When should I take breath ? 
 
 A. Before the lack of air in your lungs is, 
 
BREATHING 81 
 
 evident. Both the lack of breath and the faulty 
 way of taking breath detract from the charm of 
 singing and reading. 
 
 Q. Where should I breathe ? 
 
 A. Deep down into the bottom of your lungs. 
 Take a deep breath whenever you think of it and 
 think of it all the time. Fill your lungs full of 
 fresh air as often as you can. 
 
 Q. Which is the better way to practise breath- 
 ing exercises, — standing or lying down ? 
 
 A. Nothing is more helpful in expanding the 
 lungs to their full capacity than to lie on the floor 
 and, while lying there with perfectly relaxed, 
 muscles, draw the air into your lungs through the 
 nostrils with closed lips as slowly as you can, 
 raising the chest as high as possible, holding it 
 there with perfect mental control, and allowing 
 it to pass out slowly through your parted lips. 
 After repeating this a dozen times you should lay 
 a book on your chest and repeat the exercises. 
 Continue the process, adding a book with each 
 repetition until you can no longer raise the added 
 books with ease. 
 
 Q. What is of most importance in my breathing ? 
 
 A. There are three things you must master: 
 First, the ability to fill your lungs with air with- 
 out allowing the means of doing it to be noticed. 
 
82 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Secondly, the ability to retain or hold the air in 
 your lungs; and thirdly (this is the most impor- 
 tant of the three in reading sustained passages 
 and in singing), control of the emission or the 
 giving out of the air in your lungs. 
 
 Q. What is the best exercise for gaining con- 
 trol of the emission of the breath ? 
 
 A. Practise with real lighted candles. Ex- 
 pend all your breath in blowing out one candle. 
 Add a candle until you can blow out twenty 
 successively with one breath. If you find it 
 inconvenient to use real candles, try imaginary 
 ones. You will find much judgment will be 
 required in order to retain sufficient breath to 
 blow out the last candle with ease and without 
 a suggestion of exhaustion. 
 
 Q. What has the size of the lungs to do with 
 breath control ? 
 
 A. Very little. You may have great lung 
 capacity and yet be unable to control your breath- 
 ing. Don't overdo in inflating the lungs with 
 more than a good, deep, comfortable breath. See 
 how much you can accomplish with the smallest 
 amount of breath. Make it a point to let no 
 breath escape unutilized. 
 
 Q. What is another useful exercise for breath 
 control ? 
 
BREATHING 83 
 
 A. Take a deep breath from the bottom of 
 your lungs. Hold it a few seconds as in intense 
 emotion, then relieve the lungs by sighing on the 
 sounds e, i, o, ah, uh, and aw. 
 
 Q. "What are the two principal points of 
 support for the voice which you must ever have 
 in mind ? 
 
 A. The diaphragmatic muscles and the throne 
 of the pharynx. 
 
 Q. What is the pharynx? 
 
 A. The part of the throat above the palate 
 between the mouth or larynx and the nasal 
 cavities. The throne is its highest point. 
 
 Q. What is the diaphragm? 
 
 A. It is a thin, tough, powerful, muscular, 
 fibrous wall which forms the floor of the lungs 
 and the roof of the abdomen. It contracts every 
 time you take a breath and is the propelling 
 power of the lungs. 
 
 Q. What is the shape of the diaphragm? 
 
 A. It somewhat resembles an umbrella or a 
 fan. The narrow part, resembling the handle of 
 a fan, is connected by two fibrous tissues to the 
 muscles situated on the spine at about the waist 
 line. 
 
 Q. Which attachment is most important for 
 the speaker or singer to consider? 
 
84 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. The, attachment to the spine. If you have 
 perfect control here, and at the same time control 
 at the throne of the pharynx, you can use your 
 voice with perfect ease. All the tones from the 
 highest to the lowest must be supported here. 
 You must simply feel that you direct, hold, and 
 support the tones from this point. 
 
 Q. What may be said of the throat muscles ? 
 
 A. They should always be left perfectly free 
 and passive. 
 
 Q. What is abdominal or, more appropriately 
 speaking, diaphragmatic breathing ? 
 
 A. Filling the bottom of your lungs with air, 
 which gives a feeling of enlargement all over the 
 abdominal region caused by the pressure of a well- 
 filled lung in all directions. The downward 
 movement of the lungs against the diaphragmatic 
 muscle slightly distends the abdominal walls, 
 which is the only reason for using the misleading 
 term " abdominal breathing." 
 
 Q. Should the diaphragm and other muscles 
 (costal, intercostal, and dorsal, most important in 
 breathing) be exercised independently of the lungs? 
 
 A. "The diaphragm guards and follows the 
 lungs like a guardian angel." Instead of the 
 "practice of voluntary breathing it is better to 
 stimulate the lungs by any form of exercise or by 
 
BREATHING 85 
 
 reading impassioned speeches which require deep 
 ■breathing. 
 
 Q. How many modes of breathing are there ? 
 
 A. Abdominal or diaphragmatic, lateral or 
 costal, lumbar, and clavicular. A good diaphrag- 
 matic breath, filling the bottom of the lungs, in- 
 cludes all of these forms of breathing excepting 
 the clavicular. 
 
 Q. What is clavicular breathing ? 
 
 A. It is that breathing which causes the lift- 
 ing and lowering of the collar bone and of the 
 shoulders. 
 
 Q. When is clavicular breathing used ? 
 
 A. In expressing excitement and emotion ; for 
 instance, Hamlet uses clavicular breathing in ob- 
 serving the effect of the Players' Scene upon his 
 uncle, who betrays his guilt in having murdered 
 Hamlet's father. In fact all the principal char- 
 acters in this scene use this form of breathing in 
 their varying degrees of excitement. Clavicular 
 breathing is also used to express exhaustion or 
 fatigue. Just before King Lear breathes his last 
 he says to Kent, " Pray you, undo this button : 
 thank you, sir," showing that the lower part of 
 his lungs has become disabled and that he is 
 obliged to resort to clavicular breathing in the 
 exhaustion immediately preceding his death. 
 
86 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What is costal breathing ? 
 
 A. It is deep breathing in the lungs which 
 causes the side muscles to expand. 
 
 Q. What are costal muscles ? 
 
 A. The muscles situated between successive 
 ribs on the same side of the body. 
 
 Q. What are intercostal muscles ? 
 
 A. Two sets, the external and internal muscles. 
 Their fibres cross each other obliquely and connect 
 the next edges of the ribs throughout nearly their 
 whole extent. 
 
 Q. How do the movements of the outer inter- 
 costal and the inner intercostal muscles differ ? 
 
 A. The fibres of the outer intercostal muscles 
 move downward and forward. As each succeed- 
 ing rib is longer than the one above it, in the act 
 of taking in breath the outer intercostal muscles 
 contract forcibly. 
 
 Q. What is the movement of the inner inter- 
 costal muscles ? 
 
 A. The fibres of the inner intercostal muscles 
 run across the fibres of the outer intercostal mus- 
 cles like lattice work. They are chiefly used in 
 giving up breath forcibly and explosively. 
 
 Q. What should precede the exercises for 
 strengthening your organs of breathing ? 
 
 A. The consideration of the organism, of your 
 
BREATHING 87 
 
 entire body, as a part of your speaking or singing 
 instrument. The ability and activity of your im- 
 mediate vocal apparatus depend upon your gen- 
 eral strength and the condition of your body as a 
 whole, as well as upon the proper adjustment of 
 the vocal organs with reference to the acoustic 
 law. 
 
 Q. Give some helpful breathing exercises. 
 
 A. First, inhale a deep breath through the nose 
 and expel with the whispered sound of he, ha, ho, 
 huh, haw, taking breath for each sound ; then re- 
 peat, he, he, he, ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, ho, huh, huh, 
 huh, haw, haw, haw, with a single breath. Next 
 take a separate breath on the sounds, me, mi, ma, 
 mo, muh, maw. Expel the air slowly and with 
 control. Then repeat, me, me, me, mi, mi, mi, ma, 
 ma, ma, mo, mo, mo, muh, muh, muh, maw, maw, 
 maw. Inhale and expel separately, pe, pi, pa, po, 
 puh, paw; then repeat, pe, pe, pe, pi, pi$ pi, pa, pa, 
 pa, po, po, po, puh, puh, puh, paw, paw, paw. 
 Purse the lips as in whistling; blow out the air 
 in the lungs; let the lips resume their normal 
 position, slightly closed; take in a deep inhala- 
 tion, then purse and blow out as before. Repeat 
 this process several times. 
 
 Q. What is the next process in breathing ? 
 
 A. Direct the breath to the different parts of 
 
88 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 your torso. Take a full breath and expand your 
 abdomen as far as possible. Take a deep breath, 
 extending your sides or ribs to tbeir fullest extent. 
 Place your hands with the finger-tips together at 
 the base of your spine, and extend the dorsal muscles 
 as far as possible, taking a breath which fills the 
 lungs. Take a full breath and in expelling direct 
 the air to the right side of your body. Take a 
 full breath and expel, directing the air to the left 
 side of your body. Take a deep breath, hold it, 
 and pass your fingers up and down both sides of 
 your spine. If you discover a sensitive spot, rub 
 it well, concentrating your mind and breath upon 
 it until relieved and strengthened. All these exer- 
 cises practised carefully, inhaling slowly and ex- 
 haling with control, will discipline and strengthen 
 your vocal organs, and if practised intelligently 
 will enable you to assume any desired expression 
 at once. It is well worth accomplishing. 
 
PART II 
 
PART II 
 
 USE OF THE VOICE 
 
 Question. Can I acquire a good voice ? 
 
 Answer. Yes ; if you have the disposition and 
 the patience. 
 
 Q. What is voice ? 
 
 A. Voice is the audible expression of nature 
 wherever force produces vibration : the voice of 
 the sea, the voice of the wind, the voice of birds, 
 the voice of animals, the voices of men and 
 women. 
 
 Q. How does the voice rank as a means of 
 expression in men and women? 
 
 A. The pictorial side is preeminent in expres- 
 sion, as we are seen by many and heard by few, 
 but the voice, wherever beard, is a potent factor 
 and goes far toward creating a favorable or an 
 unfavorable impression. You often hear the ex- 
 clamation, " What a disagreeable voice ! " too 
 seldom, " How I love to hear that voice ! " 
 
 Q. What is the first consideration in the speak-, 
 ing voice ? 
 
 A. Its pitch — height or depth, 
 
92 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What is a desirable pitch, for habitual use ? 
 A. The one normal in the individual voice. 
 
 Q. How may this pitch be ascertained ? 
 
 A. By approximating the pitch to middle C, 
 and by directing the tone on a line with the 
 mouth. 
 
 Q. What is meant by the term " tone placing " ? 
 
 A. Tone placing is merely the shaping of the 
 vocal organs so that the air in passing through or 
 against them is sufficiently retarded or expelled. 
 
 Q. Is the enunciation of elementary sounds a 
 part of tone placing ? 
 
 A. Yes; the pitch and enunciation of each 
 vowel or consonant is tone placing. 
 
 Q. What else is implied in tone placing? 
 
 A. Locality ; namely, a place in which to put 
 the tone. It implies certain cavities of the body 
 in which the breath may find room for resonance, 
 and certain passages through which it may move. 
 
 Q. What is of first importance in tone placing ? 
 
 A. The production of pure tone; the right 
 directing of this precious column of air which re- 
 news life and makes human intercourse possible. 
 You must learn so to control and confine the ex- 
 pulsion of this air column that all false obstruc- 
 tions are removed, leaving the way clear for pure 
 and rounded utterance. 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 93 
 
 Q. How may I best understand what consti- 
 tutes a pure tone ? 
 
 A. By first considering a few common impuri- 
 ties and imperfections. If pure tone results from 
 proper formation of the organs of speech, sluggish- 
 ness is utter formlessness. Many persons speak 
 as if the vocal apparatus were partially paralyzed 
 or as if something were held in the mouth 
 or cheeks. The flatness and thinness of many 
 American voices is not the result of constitutional 
 weakness in the organs, but rather of sluggish 
 habits of speech enforced by bad example. There 
 are persons who never direct the breath into the 
 larger cavities, permitting certain passages to be- 
 come almost closed through long disuse. Even 
 those who have the organs for good voices often 
 need a course of exercises in tone production and 
 tone placing in order to overcome lifelong habits 
 of sluggishness. 
 
 Q. Give a second imperfection. 
 
 A. Mouthing. This is an over-precision, over- 
 emphasis, caused by excessive use of certain mus- 
 cles, and excessive striving for form, and is the 
 opposite of sluggishness. 
 
 Q. What is the third imperfection ? 
 
 A. A throaty quality. This defect gives a hol- 
 low sound to the voice and is caused by directing 
 
94 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 the column of air too much to the back of the 
 throat. It gives an unpleasant, pompous tone, 
 but does not impair the organs unless it is accom- 
 panied by a contraction of the throat, which is 
 ruinous to the voice. Persons ignorant of this 
 fact frequently contract the throat in the effort 
 for vocal power which always must come rightly 
 from the diaphragm. 
 
 Q. What impurity is common in American 
 voices ? 
 
 A. The nasal quality. -The consonants m, n, 
 ng, are frontal tones necessarily used in pure 
 English. The nasal tones which are undesirable 
 in pure English are caused by a voluntary or 
 involuntary misdirection of the column of air into 
 the back nasal passages. This nasal quality is 
 often used in impersonation. 
 
 Q. What is the fifth imperfection ? 
 
 A. The baby tone. It is the result of placing 
 the tone too much in the teeth, accompanied by a 
 simpering smile, and is, to me, one of the worst 
 affectations of speech. 
 
 Q. What is the sixth impurity ? 
 
 A. The tremolo. This springs often from 
 physical weakness, mere lack of control of the 
 muscles. Sometimes, however, it is germane to a 
 fretful, peevish disposition of the Mrs. Grummidge 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 95 
 
 type, one that enjoys being miserable. This 
 form is often inartistically used by singers. 
 
 Q. What is the first step in tone placing? 
 
 A. The securing of poise, or of the normal 
 pitch ; a pitch neither too high nor too low, in 
 what may be termed the middle voice. 
 
 Q. How may I acquire command of this 
 pitch ? 
 
 A. Sound middle C on the piano, relax the 
 muscles of the throat by yawning, then sound 
 Italian A (ah), directing the tone on a line in 
 front of the mouth to the end of the room. 
 
 Q. What is the advantage of selecting Ital- 
 ian A? 
 
 A. It is the most open sound, that in which 
 the vocal cords are entirely relaxed. Kepeat the 
 
 sound, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah . Sustain the 
 
 fifth sound smoothly without the tremolo, which 
 is often found in untrained voices. 
 
 Q. How long should I prolong the sound ? 
 
 A. Until your breath shows signs of exhaus- 
 tion. You should never betray lack of breath in 
 speaking, reading, or singing. 
 
 Q. What exercise should follow the practice 
 on Italian A ? 
 
 A. Eepeat the exercise on the vowel sounds, 
 A, E, I, 0, U ; 
 
96 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 AAAAA- 
 
 ETJ* T? 1? T? 
 Hi jli J3i JUi " 
 
 I I I I I- 
 
 ooooo 
 uuuuu 
 
 In prolonging the fifth, sound of A and I be care- 
 ful to sustain the original sound, not allowing it 
 to drift into the sound of E, as A-E, I-E. In 
 like manner do not precede the sound of U with 
 UH, as UH-IT. Let the attack be direct. 
 
 UUUUU 
 
 It is well to recall the physiological formation of 
 these elementary sounds, which are necessarily 
 affected by the individual shape of the teeth, 
 tongue, and jaw. In sounding the letter A the 
 diaphragm forces the breath through the wind- 
 pipe over the vocal cords into the mouth cavity, 
 where it resounds against the roof of the mouth 
 or hard palate and passes out through the parted 
 teeth and lips, the corners of which should be 
 slightly raised in the majority of mouths (lips 
 with Cupid's bow do not require it). This posi- 
 tion of the lips is required in all words in which 
 long A is the central sound, as bay, day, gay, hay, 
 may, ray, say, they. The whole expression of the 
 face is changed for the better by keeping the 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 97 
 
 corners up on these and other words too numerous 
 to record here. Try them with corners up and 
 corners down and note the difference. 
 
 Q. What does the sounding of the letter E 
 demand ? 
 
 A. That the breath be directed to the teeth, 
 which are partly open, possibly the width of the 
 forefinger, the lower jaw protruding slightly. 
 The overlapping of the under teeth by those of 
 the upper jaw greatly interferes with the proper 
 sounding of this letter. 
 
 Q. "Where is the breath directed in the sound- 
 ing of long I ? 
 
 A. Back of the upper teeth. It will be found 
 that short I is just back of long I and that short 
 E is just back of short I. 
 
 Q. How may this be proved ? 
 
 A. By speaking the words ice, in, end. I 
 long : I, I, I, Ice. Do not hiss the C. I short : 
 I, I, I, In. Throw the N into the front nasal 
 passage by placing the tip of the tongue against 
 the roof of the mouth on the vanishing sound. 
 E short : E, E, E, E-nd. E is directed against 
 the roof of the mouth, N by touching the roof of 
 the mouth by the tip of the tongue, which again 
 strikes the teeth somewhat explosively in the 
 sounding of the letter D. Practice in blending 
 
98 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 these elementary sounds in the word end is a 
 good exercise in clear enunciation. 
 
 Q. What voice exercise is next recommended ?• 
 A. After a repetition of the vowel sounds 
 above recorded, it is well to throw them at a 
 given distance, say ten, twenty, fifty, or one hun- 
 dred feet, repeating three times : 
 
 A, E, I, O, U; A, E, I, 0,U; A, E, I, 0, U. 
 
 This is done precisely as you would throw five 
 balls. In one case the muscles of the hand and 
 arm — and in a sense the whole body — are em- 
 ployed to make a ball, apple, or stone reach a 
 desired point. On the other hand, the diaphragm, 
 which takes the place of the hand and arm, is 
 used to direct the breath, which takes the place of 
 the ball, apple, or stone, to the point desired in 
 order to be heard. The practice of throwing a 
 rubber ball simultaneously with throwing a tone 
 with the diaphragm is a good one, as through 
 comparison it serves to familiarize the mind with 
 the hitherto unknown importance of the dia- 
 phragm as a necessary means of voice production. 
 
 Q. How may this exercise be varied with 
 profit ? 
 
 A. First, throw the five sounds, A, E, I, 0, U, 
 with force, with what may be termed the sledge- 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 99 
 
 hammer movement, thinking long strokes, a quar- 
 ter of a mile for instance, in order to give distance 
 to the tone. Alternate this exercise with the 
 repetition of the five sounds, A, E, I, 0, U, as 
 lightly or as staccato as possible, as the tapping 
 of the rain against the pane. 
 
 Q. What should follow the mastery of this 
 exercise ? 
 
 A. Its repetition on a pitch below and on one 
 above middle C, as tones are related to this 
 middle sound. 
 
 Q. What tone below should I first employ ? 
 
 A. B flat makes a good contrast. 
 
 Q. What tone above middle C ? 
 
 A. Eflat. 
 
 It is a successful educational theory that the 
 association of a familiar idea with a new thought 
 enables the mind to grasp it. In my experience 
 in securing the right pitch when the ear is faulty, 
 the illustration of a three-story house has served 
 the purpose of obtaining the threefold pitch. 
 The normal pitch or middle C corresponds to the 
 front door on the main floor, B flat below middle 
 C corresponds to the basement, while E flat above 
 middle C corresponds to the top story. 
 
 An interesting experience was once gone 
 through with a pupil who was tone deaf. When, 
 
100 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 asked to give the variation of pitch, she persisted 
 in repeating middle C. In despair I finally asked 
 her if she sang " Rock of Ages," whereupon she 
 at once succeeded in producing E flat above mid- 
 dle C. Starting from this common ground, it 
 was soon possible for her to give any required 
 tone. 
 
 Remember that these tones, middle C, B flat, 
 and E flat, are suggested merely as guides by 
 which the voice may be approximated and are not 
 to be taken with the precision required in the 
 singing voice. As the normal pitch in the indi- 
 vidual voice must necessarily vary, these notes are 
 recommended to show contrast, and as something 
 definite in practising the elementary sounds when 
 the sound is sluggish and needs more precision. 
 
 Q. What follows the practice on these three 
 degrees of pitch ? 
 
 A. Testing the range of the individual voice 
 by repeating these exercises on each tone below 
 middle C and on each tone above middle C. You 
 should be careful not to tax your voice by at- 
 tempting to go too high or too low at first, al- 
 though the intention to increase the range of the 
 speaking voice should be ever present in practice. 
 
 Q. Should I avoid betraying limitations in 
 my speaking voice? 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 101 
 
 A. Yes ; both in conversation and in reading or 
 speaking you should always leave the impression 
 that you could speak higher or lower with per^ 
 feet ease. 
 
 Q. Is it possible to increase the size of the 
 larynx or voice box ? 
 
 A. Yes; unlike a wooden or metal box, the 
 sides of the voice box are flexible, and it is possible 
 to make them more elastic. 
 
 Q. Describe an effective exercise for this spe- 
 cial purpose. 
 
 A. Prefix the word " up " to long and short E, 
 long and short I, to Italian A (ah), to long 0, 
 long and short U, and to AW. Take a piece of 
 strong elastic in the left hand and with the right 
 hand stretch it as far as possible, and at the same 
 time pronounce : 
 
 Up-e (stretching the voice in the heights) 
 
 Continue : 
 
 Up-e (short as in end) 
 
 Up-i (long as in ice) 
 
 Up-i (short as in in) 
 
 Up-ah (Italian A) 
 
 Up-o (as in no) 
 
 Up-oo (long as in too) 
 
 Up-uh (short as in under) 
 
 Up-aw (as in paw) 
 
102 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Short U as in "under" is a useful sound for 
 practice in tone production, as my experience has 
 shown that it is easily possible to move a weak 
 diaphragm on this sound when it is impossible to 
 command its action on the sounds A, E, I, 0, and 
 long U. The practice of the short U in the case 
 of a weak diaphragm promotes the necessary 
 strength for sounding the other vowels with re- 
 quired power. 
 
 Q. How is the voice box stretched in the 
 depths? 
 
 A. By repeating the above exercise, stretching 
 both the elastic and the voice downward. 
 
 Q. What benefit is derived from the use of 
 the elastic? 
 
 A. It is something tangible and helps your 
 imagination in grasping the process in the voice. 
 
 Q. How is the voice made flexible in the 
 lengths ? 
 
 A. By stretching the elastic and the voice on 
 a line in front of the mouth. 
 
 Q. How is a voice stretched in the breadths ? 
 A. By repeating the exercise, stretching the 
 elastic from each end simultaneously in opposite 
 directions, having in mind remote points; as 
 New York and San Francisco, the Atlantic and 
 the Pacific, the North and the South Pole. An 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 103 
 
 additional exercise in lengthening the voice is to 
 sound AH explosively, elongating the mouth as 
 much as possible. An additional exercise for 
 broadening the voice is to sound the word GAH 
 repeatedly and explosively, stretching the mouth 
 and cheeks as far as possible at the side. 
 
 Q. How is my voice made flexible in cir- 
 cumference ? 
 
 A. By repeating the previous exercise (Up-e, 
 up-i, up-ah, up-o, up-oo, up-aw) in circles, grad- 
 ually increasing from a small apple to the whole 
 globe. It is of additional benefit to practise 
 all these forms, employing the simple vowel 
 sounds — A, E, I, 0, U, — especially the circular 
 forms, as they serve to blend the sounds and so 
 improve the enunciation, which is the sounding 
 and blending of elements in a word, and of words 
 in a sentence. 
 
 Q. How is an even development of all the 
 tones within the compass of the individual voice 
 to be attained? 
 
 A. The practice of the diaphragmatic attack 
 on the vowel sounds on all the notes below middle 
 C as long as it is possible to sustain the tone 
 with ease, and upon all the notes above middle C 
 which can be taken without apparent effort, can- 
 not fail to develop the evenness of tone essential 
 
104 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 in good reading and in the demands made upon 
 the voice in dramatic art. Nothing violates good 
 taste in vocal expression more than the habitual 
 use of a high key with an occasional pouncing 
 down upon a very low note, showing an utter 
 lack of the development of the intermediate tones. 
 There should be a harmonious blending of all the 
 notes in the voice, the transitions from a given 
 pitch to another being made with smoothness. 
 
 Q. Mention an exercise especially calculated 
 to develop smoothness in the voice. 
 
 A. Because of its alliteration, the verse of 
 Byron's "Roll on, thou deep and dark blue 
 Ocean, roll ! " is splendidly adapted to this 
 purpose. 
 
 Q. How should it be practised ? 
 
 A. Ascertain the lowest well-developed tone in 
 your voice, then repeat " Roll on — thou deep — 
 and dark blue Ocean — roll." Additional benefit 
 is derived from repeating the vowel sounds in 
 this fashion : 
 
 Ro-o-o-o-o-o-roll o-o-o~o-o-o — on, thou de- 
 e-e-e-e-e-eep and da-a-a-a-a-a-ar&, blue Ocean, 
 ro-11. Be sure to sustain the sound in roll, 
 rather than allow the voice to glide quickly to 
 the consonant L with a sound of ul, as ro-ul. 
 Note the difference between the long in roll 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 105 
 
 and the short in on — this latter sound with the 
 internal organs as in ah but with the lips rounded 
 as in aw. Repeat this line through the entire 
 range of the voice, first up the scale, then down 
 again, until the voice is perfectly even and smooth. 
 
 Q. What is necessary in the practice of all 
 developing exercises of the voice ? 
 
 A. Judgment, common sense, which prevents 
 extravagance and running to extremes. No trace 
 should remain of these exercises in the finished 
 speech. The mechanism should be lost in the 
 perfect work, just as the great painter loses all 
 the external appearance of his technical training 
 through his perfect mastery of detail. In the 
 practice of all arts the mechanism should be so 
 mastered as to become as natural as breathing. 
 This knowledge back of the doing enables the 
 painter to paint and the reader to read without 
 noticeable traces of the steps he has taken. 
 
 Q. Enumerate the benefits to be derived from 
 the exercises already recommended for voice 
 development. 
 
 A. The use of the diaphragm in attacking 
 vowel sounds, giving vitality and life to the 
 voice; directing the voice in its height, depth, 
 length, breadth, and circumference ; increasing 
 its volume by enlarging the size of the voice box 
 
106 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 or larynx; developing an evenness of tone and 
 smoothness throughout the entire range; im- 
 proving the enunciation and articulation, which is 
 the uttering of sounds and words with distinctness, 
 and in some measure acquiring the energy or 
 power in the voice called force, of which there are 
 many degrees required in the interpretation of 
 prose, poetry, and dramatic dialogue. 
 
 Q. Name an exercise which will develop greater 
 force in the voice. 
 
 A. The repetition of any explosive sounds or 
 words, as " Ho ! " " Hello ! " " Halt ! " " Stop ! " 
 
 Q. What voice should be employed to secure 
 force ? 
 
 A. The shouting voice, as it brings into use 
 all the muscles of the abdomen as well as the 
 costal and intercostal muscles, and is therefore 
 much more beneficial than the calling tones, 
 which are higher and thinner and are likely to 
 end in a disagreeable squeal or screech. 
 
 An excellent sentence for gaining power in the 
 voice is the following : " Jump, boy, jump ! 
 fa-a-a-a-a-a-a-r out into the wave ! Jump, or 
 I fire!" The shouting of "John Rugby" sev- 
 eral times in succession is excellent. Numberless 
 other examples may be found. You should 
 .always remember that only a certain degree of 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 107 
 
 force is possible in the human voice. Many 
 otherwise agreeable voices have been strained, 
 and, in instances, injured beyond repair in the de- 
 termination to force a comparatively small voice 
 to the scale of one with greater physical possibil- 
 ities. This process emphasizes a speaker's limita- 
 tions and fails to convince his listeners that he 
 truly has a big voice, whereas if the degree of force 
 were kept within the compass of his own scale his 
 voice would never sound strained and unnatural. 
 
 Q. In this connection what is my chief requi- 
 site as a public speaker ? 
 
 A. You must be able to command sufficient 
 force in your voice to be easily heard by an audi- 
 ence, and furthermore you must be able to adjust 
 the degree of force to the acoustic conditions of 
 any room, hall, or theatre. 
 
 Q. Give a suitable exercise for putting degrees 
 of force to the test. 
 
 A. Place yourself in imagination in a room of, 
 say, twenty by thirty feet, and address the follow- 
 ing sentence to a supposed audience of about 
 fifty persons : " It is no ordinary cause that has 
 brought together this vast assemblage," directing 
 all the words in the sentence in the lengths in 
 front of you, with the exception of vast and assem- 
 blage, which should be directed in the breadths, 
 
108 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 the word assemblage being sustained or drawn 
 out. Repeat this sentence, increasing the size of 
 the imaginary auditorium from a small theatre 
 seating five hundred persons to one seating five 
 thousand, never permitting the voice to seem loud. 
 
 Q. Suggest to me further exercises in tone 
 placing and the development of my voice. 
 
 A. Place one hand lightly across your throat, 
 the other on your chest, and sound long E. The 
 note will seem to be in your vocal cords. Then 
 sound short I, which will seem lower than E. 
 Then sound AH, which will seem lower still. 
 Then sound OH, which seems to bring into req- 
 uisition still lower muscles. Then sound UH, 
 which will seem lower still. Last of all, sound 
 AW, which brings into use the lowest voice- 
 producing muscles. 
 
 Next, sigh on all these sounds : 
 
 he, hi, ha, ho, huh, haw. 
 Next, give a cry of pain on these sounds : 
 eeh, ih, ah, oh, uh, aw. 
 
 Next, cry on each and all the sounds : 
 
 Uh, he, he, he, he, he, he. 
 Uh, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi. 
 
USE OF THE VOICE 109 
 
 Uh, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. 
 Uh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. 
 Uh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh. 
 Uh, haw, haw, haw, haw, haw. 
 
 Next, cry on selected sounds, as : 
 
 He, he, he, he, hi, hi, hi, hi. 
 
 Hi, hi, hi, hi, he, he, he, he. 
 
 Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, ho, ho. 
 
 Ho, ho, ho, ho, ha, ha, ha, ha. 
 
 Huh, huh, huh, huh, haw, haw, haw, haw. 
 
 Haw, haw, haw, haw, huh, huh, huh, huh. 
 
 Next, combine any one sound with each of the 
 others. 
 
 Finally, laugh on all the sounds, beginning: 
 
 E/he, he, he, he, he, he. 
 I/hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi. 
 Ah/ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. 
 Oh/ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. 
 Uh^huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh. 
 Aw/haw, haw, haw, haw, haw, haw. 
 
 You should repeat the sounds so rapidly as to 
 suggest the shaking of a pepper-box, and with 
 great flexibility in the voice-producing muscles. 
 
110 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. Do we all laugh on the same sound ? 
 
 A. No ; gigglers employ the sounds of HE 
 and HI. Those who laugh heartily use Italian 
 A (ah): "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha." In ridiculing 
 the sound of is given : " Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, 
 ho." Emotional people use the sound of UH : 
 " Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh." Coarse, boor- 
 ish persons laugh on the sound of AW : " Haw, 
 haw, haw, haw, haw, haw." 
 
QUALITY OF VOICE 111 
 
 QUALITY OF VOICE 
 
 Question. What is quality in the voice?' 
 
 Answer. It is that which distinguishes your 
 voice from other voices. You recognize your 
 friends by the qualities of their voices just as 
 surely as by seeing them. 
 
 Q. Do you often hear the bell-like quality in 
 the speaking voice ? 
 
 A. Seldom. "Within the compass of my ac- 
 quaintance I have heard not more than ten. 
 
 Q. Can a rare quality of voice be acquired ? 
 
 A. You can modulate, but you cannot change 
 the quality of your voice, any more than you can 
 change the size and shape of your nose and mouth 
 or the color of your eyes. But the expression of 
 all may be greatly improved by cultivation. 
 
 Q. What are the so-called qualities of voice ? 
 
 A. They are a recognition of the varying quali- 
 ties of voice which you do use when you read 
 truthfully and well. They are not a series of set 
 kinds of voices that either I or any one else 
 should prescribe for set purposes. Qualities of 
 voice are as manifold as the shades of autumn 
 leaves. There are a few colors in the voice which 
 
112 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 are generic, incorporate in the blood and bone 
 of man, and from, these all variations come and 
 go. 
 
 Q. "What is the first generic quality of voice 
 common to all men? 
 
 A. The quality which should be natural or 
 habitual, and which can easily be acquired. This 
 tone should be pure and should have its resonance 
 in the upper and back part of the mouth. The 
 following is an example : 
 
 She never told her love, 
 But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud, 
 Feed on her damask cheek : she pined in thought ; 
 And, with a green and yellow melancholy 
 She sat like patience on a monument, 
 Smiling at grief. — Twelfth Night, Act H. scene iv. 
 
 Q. What produces variations in my normal 
 voice ? 
 
 A. Change of feeling. As nature speaks with 
 a variety of voices — the gentle wind sighing 
 through the tree-tops, the roar of terrific thun- 
 der, — so is the complex nature of man expressed 
 in numerous and widely differing qualities of 
 voice. 
 
 Q. What is the orotund quality in my voice ? 
 A. A round, smooth, strong, clear quality, 
 having its resonance in the upper part of the 
 
QUALITY OF VOICE 113 
 
 chest ; it is a deepening of the normal voice 
 caused by emotion. 
 
 Q. What emotions cause this quality ? 
 
 A. Sublimity, grandeur, awe, reverence, cour- 
 age, and patriotism. For example : 
 
 These our actors, 
 As I foretold you, were all spirits, and 
 Are melted into air, into thin air : 
 And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, 
 The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, 
 The solemn temples, the great globe itself, 
 Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, 
 And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, 
 Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff 
 As dreams are made on, and our little life 
 Is rounded with a sleep. 
 
 The Tempest, Act IV. scene i. 
 
 Again Coriolanus, in bidding his mother farewell 
 
 in Shakespeare's play at the opening of Act IV., 
 
 says: 
 
 Nay, mother, 
 Where is your ancient courage ? you were used 
 To say extremity was the trier of spirits ; 
 That common chances common men could bear ; 
 That when the sea was calm all boats alike 
 Show'd mastership in floating . . . Your son 
 Will e'er exceed the common. 
 
 Coriolanus' s courage and patriotism cause him to 
 speak in the orotund voice. 
 
 8 
 
114 THE AST OF SPEECH AXD DEPOBTMEST 
 
 Again Macbeth, in Shakespeare's play, Act HL 
 
 scene ii. : 
 
 Duncan is in his grave ; 
 After life's fitful fever he sleeps well . . . 
 Nothing can touch him farther. 
 
 Q. Give an example of the highest pitch of 
 orotund voice. 
 
 A. Viola's speech in Shakespeare's play of 
 " Twelfth Night," Act I. scene v. : 
 
 Make me a willow cahin at roar gate, 
 
 And call upon my soul within the house ; 
 
 Write loyal cantons of contemned love 
 
 And sing them loud even in the dead of night ; 
 
 Hello your name to the reverberate hills, 
 
 And make the babbling gossip of the air 
 
 Cry out, "Olivia ! " (lowest orotund) O, you should not 
 
 rest 
 Between the elements of air and earth, 
 But you should pity me ! 
 
 The above speech embraces the entire range 
 of the orotund voice, from the highest to the 
 lowest. 
 
 Q. What mental condition produces the pec- 
 toral quality of voice? 
 
 A. A deepening of the same emotions which 
 caused the orotund quality, especially those created 
 by a sense of the awful and the supernatural. For 
 
QUALITY OF TOJCE 115 
 
 example, Hamlet, on seeing the Ghost in Act IL 
 scene iv.. sinks to the floor and speaks in a 
 pectoral -voice with the resonance in the lower 
 part of the chest: 
 
 Angels and rihiisteis- of grace defend us ! 
 Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damnd, 
 Br*:^r with thee sirs from heaven or blasts from 
 
 ~beil. 
 Be Thy h: texts wicked or charitable, 
 Tbou eom"s: in s^-rh a qoesooaabie shape 
 That I vail speak to thee: I "11 call thee Hamlet, 
 Kir^r. father, royal Dane : O. answer me ! 
 Let me r.ot bcrst in ignorance : hot tell 
 Why thr canonised bcae*. hearsed in death. 
 Hare 1 ..rst their eeiements : t":.v the sepulchre, 
 Wherein we saw thee ojaiedy inoraxL, 
 Hath oped his vcnier. :vs and marble jaws, 
 Tto east thee np ac&hi. . . . 
 Say. why is this? wherefore? what should we do? 
 
 Hamlet Is so overcome by a sense of awe and of 
 the supernatural that he would be unable to speak 
 did not dramatic- necessity compel it. 
 
 Another notable example is Mscheth's sohloqay 
 in Ac: IL scene i. Macbeth speaks £rst to the 
 servant in his normal voice, tt^s : 
 
 Go bad thy r^istress, when my drink is ready, 
 She strike npon the beii Get thee to bed. 
 
 [Mxk txrvamt. 
 
116 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 He then says to himself, using the pectoral 
 quality of voice: 
 
 Is this a dagger which I see before me, 
 
 The handle toward my hand ? Come, let me clutch thee. 
 
 I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. 
 
 Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible 
 
 To feeling as to sight ? or art thou but 
 
 A dagger of the mind, a false creation, 
 
 Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain ? 
 
 I see thee yet, in form as palpable 
 
 As this which now I draw. 
 
 Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going ; 
 
 And such an instrument I was to use. 
 
 Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, 
 
 Or else worth all the rest : I see thee still, 
 
 And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, 
 
 Which was not so before. There 's no such thing : 
 
 It is the bloody business which informs 
 
 Thus to my mine eyes. Now o'er the one half-world 
 
 Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse 
 
 The curtain'd sleep. . . . 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. Whiles I threat, he lives : 
 
 Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. 
 
 A striking expression of reverence expressed with 
 the pectoral voice is in the Ninetieth Psalm : 
 
 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all 
 generations. 
 
QUALITY OF VOICE 117 
 
 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever 
 thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from 
 everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 
 
 Thou tumest men to destruction ; and sayest, Return, 
 ye children of men. 
 
 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yester- 
 day when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 
 
 Thou earnest them away as with a flood ; they are 
 as a sleep : in the morning they are like grass which 
 groweth up. 
 
 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up ; in 
 the evening it is cut down, and withereth. . . . 
 
 The days of our years are threescore years and ten ; 
 and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, 
 yet is their strength labor and sorrow ; for it is soon 
 cut off, and we fly away. . . . 
 
 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply 
 our hearts unto wisdom. 
 
 Return, O Lord, how long ? and let it repent thee 
 concerning thy servants. 
 
 O satisfy us early with thy mercy ; that we may re- 
 joice and be glad all our days. 
 
 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast 
 afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. 
 
 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy 
 glory unto their children. 
 
 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us : 
 and establish thou the work of our hands upon us ; yea, 
 the work of our hands establish thou it. 
 
 Q. What physical condition results in the oral 
 quality of voice ? 
 
118 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. Weakness; lack of vitality. Hamlet, when 
 he is dying, says : 
 
 0, 1 die, Horatio ; 
 The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit : 
 I cannot live to hear the news from England . . . 
 . . . The rest is silence. 
 
 Giovanni, at the close of Stephen Phillips's play 
 " Paolo and Francesca," says : 
 
 She takes away my strength. 
 I did not know the dead could have such hair. 
 Hide them. They look like children fast asleep. 
 
 Q. What quality do fear, secrecy, and caution 
 impart to the voice ? 
 
 A. A breathy, whispered quality, called the 
 aspirate. In Hamlet, Act II. scene i., Ophelia 
 says: 
 
 O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted ! . . . 
 
 My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, 
 
 Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced ; 
 
 No hat upon his head ; . . . 
 
 Pale as his shirt ; his knees knocking each other, 
 
 ... he comes before me. 
 
 Lady Macbeth uses an extreme degree of this 
 quality of voice when she addresses her hus- 
 band after the murder of King Duncan, Act II. 
 scene ii. : 
 
QUALITY OF VOICE 119 
 
 I hear a knocking 
 At the south entry : retire we to our chamber : 
 A little water clears us of this deed : 
 How easy is it, then ! Your constancy 
 Hath left you unattended. [Knocking within.] Hark ! 
 
 more knocking. 
 Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us 
 And show us to be watchers. 
 
 Q. How do the emotions of hate and revenge 
 affect the normal voice ? 
 
 A. They change it to a guttural or throaty 
 quality by making the vocal organs contracted 
 and tense. For example, Shylock uses it when, 
 seeing Antonio, he says : 
 
 I hate him, for he is a Christian ! 
 
 Again in Act III. scene iii. of Shakespeare's 
 " Othello," Othello says to Iago: 
 
 Never, Iago. Like to the Pontic sea, 
 Whose icy current and compulsive course 
 Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on 
 To the Propontic and the Hellespont; 
 Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace, 
 Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble love, 
 Till that a capable and wide revenge 
 Swallow them up. 
 
 Q. What disposition imparts an impure, twangs 
 ing, nasal quality to the voice ? 
 
120 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. A narrow, lazy, crochety disposition. A 
 notable example of this quality of voice is James 
 Whitcomb Riley's "Knee-Deep in June." The 
 first six lines are: 
 
 Tell you what I like the best — 
 'Long about knee-deep in June, 
 'Bout the time strawberries melts 
 On the vines — some afternoon 
 
 Like to jes' git out and rest, 
 And not work at nothin' else I 
 
 Again, in Dickens's novel of " Martin Chuzzle- 
 wit," Sairey Gamp says to Betsey Prig : 
 
 Now, drat you, Betsey, don't be long! for I can't 
 abide to wait, I do assure you. To w'atever place I 
 goes, I sticks to this one mortar : I 'm easy pleased ; 
 it 's but little I wants ; but I must have that little of 
 the best. 
 
 Q. What tone of voice is called the falsetto ? 
 
 A. A head tone; a tone above the normal 
 voice. 
 
 Q. What does it express ? 
 
 A. Fright, excitement, affectation, and extreme 
 age. 
 
 Q. Give an example. 
 
 A. The entire conversation of Old Gobbo, in 
 Act II. scene ii. of " The Merchant of "Venice " 
 with his son, Launcelot, is given in the falsetto 
 tone. He enters with a basket: 
 
QUALITY OF VOICE 121 
 
 Master young man, you, I pray you, which is the 
 way to master Jew's ? . . . Can you tell me whether 
 one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him 
 or no? 
 
 A good example of affectation is found in the 
 play "The Honeymoon," by John Tobin. Juli- 
 ana, when she finds herself in a cottage instead 
 of a palace, says to the Duke : 
 
 I '11 not endure it ! but remember this : 
 
 Duke or no duke, I '11 be a duchess, sir ! 
 
 . . . And I will have attendance ! 
 
 To wait upon myself ! Must I bear this ? 
 
 I could tear out my eyes that bade you woo me, 
 
 And bite my tongue in two for saying yes I . • . 
 
 You will find, then, that education, 
 
 Sir, has spoilt me for it. . . . 
 
 "Why, do you think I '11 work ? What ! Rub and 
 
 scrub 
 Your noble palace clean ? . . . 
 And dress your victuals (if there be any) ? 
 Oh, I could go mad ! 
 
 In developing the voice it is advisable to use 
 the old ballads which preceded the drama, as 
 they give scope and dramatic quality. One of 
 the best examples is " Edward, Edward " : 
 
 " Why doies your brand sae drap wi bluid, 
 
 Edward, Edward, 
 Why doies your brand sae drap wi bluid, 
 And why sae sad gang yee O ? " 
 
122 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 "01 hae killed my hauke sae guid, 
 
 Mither, mither, 
 I hae killed my hauke sae guid, 
 And I had nae mair bot hee O." 
 
 " Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid, 
 
 Edward, Edward, 
 Your haukis bluid was nevir sae reid, 
 My deir son I tell thee O." 
 "01 hae killed my reid-roan steid, 
 
 Mither, mither, 
 O I hae killed my reid-roan steid, 
 That erst was sae fair and frie O." 
 
 " Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair, 
 
 Edward, Edward, 
 Your steid was auld, and ye hae gat mair, 
 Sum other dule ye drie O." 
 "01 hae killed my fadir deir, 
 
 Mither, mither, 
 O I hae killed my fadir deir, 
 Alas, and wae is mee O ! " 
 
 " And whatten penance wul ye drie for that, 
 
 Edward, Edward? 
 And whatten penance will ye drie for that ? 
 My deir son, now tell me O." 
 " He set my feit in yonder boat, 
 
 Mither, mither, 
 He set my feit in yonder boat, 
 And lie fare ovir the sea O." 
 
QUALITY OF VOICE 123 
 
 " And what wul ye doe wi your towirs and your ha, 
 
 Edward, Edward? 
 And what wul ye doe wi your towirs and your ha, 
 That were sae fair to see O ? " 
 " He let thame stand tul they doun fa, 
 
 Mither, mither, 
 He let thame stand tul they doun fa, 
 For here nevir mair maun I bee O." 
 
 " And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife, 
 
 Edward, Edward? 
 " And what wul ye leive to your bairns and your wife, 
 When ye gang ovir the sea O ? " 
 " The warldis room, late them beg thrae life, 
 
 Mither, mither, 
 The warldis room, late them beg thrae life, 
 For thame nevir mair wul I see O." 
 
 " And what wul ye leive to your ain mither deir, 
 
 Edward, Edward? 
 And what wul ye leive to your ain mither deir ? 
 My deir son, now tell me O ? " 
 " The curse of hell frae me sail ye beir, 
 
 Mither, mither, 
 The curse of hell frae me sail ye beir, 
 Sic counseils ye gave me O." 
 
 The ballads of Kipling, which follow the lines 
 of the old English ballads, especially in the mat- 
 ter of refrain, are also of great service in develop- 
 ing dramatic quality. 
 
124 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 For developing the flute-like quality in the 
 voice nothing excels the lyric poetry of Sidney 
 Lanier (1842-1881), and many suitable extracts 
 from the " Song of the Chattahoochee," " Tampa 
 Robins," and "Individuality" can be cited. 
 
 Keep steadily in mind the interdependence of 
 literature and your expression of it. While many 
 of the great poems do not lend themselves to pub- 
 lic entertainment, you should not consider your 
 education adequate without a knowledge of them 
 and of their importance in literature. 
 
 Ten great poems of the nineteenth century are : 
 
 Wordsworth's (1770-1850) " Ode on Immortality." 
 Shelley's (1792-1822) " Adonais." 
 Keats's (1795-1821) "Ode on a Grecian Urn." 
 Mrs. Browning's (1806-1861) " Aurora Leigh." 
 Tennyson's (1809-1872) " In Memoriam." 
 Browning's (1812-1887) " The Ring and the Book." 
 Walt Whitman's (1819-1892) "When Lilacs Last in 
 
 My Dooryard Bloomed," 
 George Meredith's (b. 1828) "Modern Love." 
 1 Oscar Wilde's (1856-1900) "The Ballad of Beading 
 
 Gaol." 
 Matthew Arnold's (1822-1888) " Sohrab and Rustum." 
 
THE VOWEL SOUNDS 125 
 
 THE VOWEL SOUNDS 
 
 Long A is made by uniting the short sound of 
 E, as in end, with Y as the closing, vanishing 
 sound. 
 
 Words for practice : day, may, bay, say, hay, 
 ray, gay, clay, pay, stay, they, fray, gray, way, 
 spray, babe, cape, date, fame, eight, break, main, 
 nave, dairy, quake, rage, safe, bass, facial, aero- 
 naut, barbarian, canary, vagaries, heinous, pathos, 
 vary, prairie, Mary, Sarah, grimace. Avoid stress 
 on the vanishing Y and do not sound it as an E ; 
 do not make day, dae ; bay, bae ; may, mae ; or 
 say, sae. 
 
 Short A. 
 
 Words for practice : cat, rat, bat, hat, at, sat, 
 mat, man, and, band, sand, bad, mad, glad, land, 
 hand, cant, gas, thank, carry, marry, character, 
 barrel, dazzle, passion, Harry, romance, caravan, 
 comparison, fancy. 
 
 Italian A. 
 
 Words for practice : arm, aunt, alms, half, calf, 
 can't, carve, calve, calm, father, palm, psalm, 
 vaunt, daunt, jaunt, gaunt, balm, staunch, papa, 
 
126 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 laugh, cantata, Nevada, laundry, saunter, lava, 
 salve, promenade, almond, far, dart, smart. 
 
 The late Richard Mansfield, in talking with me 
 on the subject of the difficulty in acquiring elegance 
 in speaking the above list of words, said, " I fre- 
 quently recommend actors in my company to say 
 ' alms ' when required to say ' arms,' as it is an 
 effectual way of getting rid of the burring sound 
 of r." 
 
 French or medial A. 
 
 Words for practice: ask, vast, task, master, 
 after, brass, pass, class, grass, dance, cast, grant, 
 answer, advantage, demand, glance, blast, basket, 
 castle, command, shan't. 
 
 Broad A. 
 
 Words for practice : all, awe, call, ball, daughter, 
 water, form, broad, taught, fought, caught, 
 wrought, thought, dawn, straw, awful. Do not 
 widen this sound, making thought, thot ; water, 
 wotter; daughter, dotter. A has this sound 
 after W and before R, as in war, swarm, 
 quarter. 
 
 Long A before R is the narrow sound of short 
 A. 
 
 Words for practice : air, fair, tear, there, chair, 
 bear, hair, pair, pare, spare, stair, stare, dare, rare, 
 swear, parent, declare, wear, ware, fairy. Do not 
 
THE VOWEL SOUNDS 127 
 
 burr the r's in this list and do not split the 
 syllable into two ; for example : ai-er ; f ai-er ; 
 chai-er; stai-er. 
 
 Long E is formed by uniting the short sound of 
 I, as in sinned, with Y as the closing, vanishing 
 sound. 
 
 Words for practice : eve, fear, peer, pier, near, 
 believe, receive, inferior, superior, Presbyterian, 
 marine, ravine, hear, antique, lenient, period, 
 dreary, weary, appearing. 
 
 Short E. 
 
 Words for practice : met, wet, set, gem, very, 
 merry, said, when, less, rent, fed, terror, peril, 
 pleasure, severity, measure. 
 
 I or E, before E. 
 
 Words for practice : err, sir, her, earn, early, 
 earnest, earth, mirth, dirge, germ, learn, bird, 
 serge, mercy, first, stern, fir, verse, jerk, birth, 
 dirt, perch, ermine, thirteen, versatile, alternately, 
 pearl, circle. This sound calls for the utmost del- 
 icacy in sounding it properly. It is generally 
 given the sound of U, as sur, murcy, urth, burth. 
 Learn to discriminate between earn and urn, fir 
 and fur, pearl and purl, serge and surge. 
 
 Long I is a combination of medial A and short 
 I narrowing to Y. 
 
 Words for practice: ice, icicle, life, wife, fife, 
 
128 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 pipe, cycle, bicycle, vice, nice, guide, diadem, 
 height, quite, right. Do not hiss the c in ice. 
 
 Short i: 
 
 Words for practice : did, give, rig, pig, fig, bib, 
 live, him, wish, fish, dish, abominably, division, 
 heredity, inheritance, irritable, condition, minute, 
 mirror, diploma, elysium. 
 
 Long 00 is formed by uniting the short sound 
 of 00, as in good, with W as a vanishing sound. 
 
 Words for practice : soon, moon, room, ruin, 
 rumor, brute, rule, woo, routine, cruel, slew, ruth- 
 less, smooth, root, roof, hoof, true, plume, soot, 
 spoon, poor, moor, boor, sure, boot, food, rude, 
 truth. 
 
 Short 00. 
 
 Words for practice: brook, book, hook, look, 
 cook, took, nook, shook, woof, wolf, wood, could, 
 should, pull, put, full, bush, push, fruit, foot, 
 stood, bullion, bulwark, wilful, bosom. 
 
 Long is a blending of 0, as in obey, with the 
 short sound of 00 narrowing into W. 
 
 Words for practice: board, hoard, sword, 
 toward, door, shore, lore, roar, more, yore, four, 
 brooch, glory, Dora, Norah, court, note, trow, 
 won't, opponent, historian, anchovy. 
 
 Long before R. This differs from the ordi- 
 nary long sound in omitting the vanish sound 
 
THE VOWEL SOUNDS 129 
 
 of short 00 and W, the place of which is taken 
 by the vocal murmur akin to short U, which is 
 associated with R. 
 
 Words for practice : sword, board, door, mourn, 
 borne, shore, lore, gore. Discriminate between 
 born and borne, for and fore. 
 
 Short 0, a characteristic English sound, con- 
 founded in slovenly usage with Italian A, differs 
 from it by having the lips rounded as for broad A. 
 
 Words for practice : on, of, off, not, cough, loft, 
 sop, cob, loss, lost, boss, cost, cloth, log, dog, song, 
 long, gone, tossed, doll, office, from, closet, forest, 
 morals, foreign, origin, correct, coronet, borrow, 
 sorry, morrow, torrid. A after W not followed 
 by L or R generally has this sound, as in wan, 
 swan, wash, squash, what, was, squat. 
 
 Long U is the soimd of long 00, as given 
 above, prefixed by a consonant T. While there 
 is authority for omitting the T sound in long U 
 after L preceded by another consonant, it is still 
 sounded by careful speakers, as in clue, glue, 
 flute, slew. In an unaccented syllable long U has 
 an appreciably shorter sound, as in value, in- 
 fluence, culture, literature, verdure, the Y being 
 fully sounded. 
 
 Words for practice: dew, due, duty, beauty, 
 tune, news, nude, dude, suit, tube, tumult, tulip, 
 
 9 
 
130 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Lucy, Luke, Luther, Matthew, assume, tutor, Tues- 
 day, duet, lugubrious. 
 
 Short U. 
 
 Words for practice : up, under, jug, bug, rug, 
 hub, sun, hut, gun, worry, scurry, surrey, nourish, 
 flourish, done, current, courage, mother, blood, 
 judge, love, blush, fun. 
 
 U before R is a prolonged sound of short U, 
 due to the vocal murmur of R. 
 
 Words for practice: urge, surge, purse, turn, 
 durst, curst, burr, fur, cur, purr, urn, hurt, burn, 
 word, work, worst, worm, purpose, journal, bur- 
 lesque, attorney, colonel. Avoid over-precision 
 on this sound, making surge, serge; turn, tern; 
 kerb, curb. 
 
 The diphthong 01 is a combination of 0, as in 
 morality, obey, with short I narrowing to Y. 
 
 Words for practice : boy, buoy, foil, toil, moist, 
 hoist, poise, void, buoyancy, poignant, royal, loiter, 
 avoirdupois, reconnoitre. 
 
 The diphthong OU is made by combining me- 
 dial A and short 00. 
 
 Words for practice : house, mouse, blouse, 
 rouse, sour, bough, now, pout, fowl, cowl, drought, 
 vouch, vowel, fountain, rowdy, lowering, gouty, 
 resound, counsellor. 
 
 You should master the sounds in the above 
 
THE VOWEL SOUNDS 131 
 
 lists of words and repeat them over and over 
 again until you are able to speak them with 
 facility and with perfection. 
 
 The repetition of the following famous poem 
 emphasizes most effectively the preceding vowel 
 sounds : 
 
 THE CATARACT OF LODORE 
 
 ROBERT SOUTHEY 
 
 " How does the water 
 Come down at Lodore ? " 
 My little boy asked me 
 Thus, once on a time ; 
 And moreover he tasked me 
 To tell him in rhyme. 
 Anon at the word, 
 There first came one daughter, 
 And then came another, 
 To second and third 
 The request of their brother, 
 And to hear how the water 
 Comes down at Lodore, 
 With its rush and its roar, 
 As many a time 
 They had seen it before. 
 So I told him in rhyme, 
 For of rhymes I had store ; 
 And 't was in my vocation 
 For their recreation 
 That so I should sing ; 
 Because I was Laureate 
 To them and the King. 
 
132 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 From its sources which well 
 In the tarn on the fell ; 
 From its fountains 
 In the mountains, 
 Its rills and its gills ; 
 Through moss and through brake, 
 It runs and it creeps 
 For a while, till it sleeps 
 In its own little lake. 
 And thence at departing, 
 Awakening and starting, 
 It runs through the reeds, 
 And away it proceeds, 
 Through meadow and glade 
 In sun and in shade, 
 And through the wood shelter. 
 Among crags in its flurry, 
 Helter-skelter, 
 Hurry-skurry, 
 Here it comes sparkling 
 And there it lies darkling, 
 Now smoking and frothing, 
 Its tumult and wrath in. 
 
 The cataract strong 
 Then plunges along, 
 Striking and raging 
 As if a war raging 
 Its caverns and rocks among ; 
 Rising and leaping, 
 Sinking and creeping, 
 Swelling and sweeping, 
 
THE VOWEL SOUNDS 133 
 
 Showering and springing, 
 Flying and flinging, 
 Writhing and ringing, 
 Eddying and whisking, 
 Spouting and frisking, 
 Turning and twisting, 
 Around and around 
 With endless rebound ; 
 Smiting and fighting, 
 A sight to delight in ; 
 Confounding, astounding, 
 Dizzying and deafening the ear with its 
 sound. 
 
 Collecting, protecting, 
 Receding and speeding, 
 And shocking and rocking, 
 And darting and parting, 
 And threading and spreading, 
 And whizzing and hissing, 
 And dripping and skipping, 
 And hitting and splitting, 
 And shining and twining, 
 And rattling and battling, 
 And shaking and quaking, 
 And pouring and roaring, 
 And waving and raving, 
 And tossing and crossing, 
 And flowing and going, 
 And running and stunning, 
 And foaming and roaming, 
 And dimming and spinning, 
 
134 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 And dropping and hopping, 
 
 And working and jerking, 
 
 And gaggling and straggling, 
 
 And heaving and cleaving, 
 
 And moaning and groaning ; 
 
 Till in this rapid race 
 
 On which it is bent, 
 
 It reaches the place 
 
 Of its steep descent. 
 
 And glittering and frittering, 
 
 And gathering and feathering, 
 
 And whitening and brightening, 
 
 And quivering and shivering, 
 
 And hurrying and skurrying, 
 
 And thundering and floundering ; 
 
 Dividing and gliding and sliding, 
 And falling and brawling and sprawling, 
 And driving and riving and striving, 
 And sprinkling and twinkling and wrinkling, 
 And sounding and bounding and rounding, 
 And bubbling and troubling and doubling, 
 And grumbling and rumbling and tumbling, 
 And clattering and battering and shattering ; 
 
 Retreating and beating and meeting and sheeting, 
 Delaying and straying and playing and spraying, 
 Advancing and prancing and glancing and dancing, 
 Recoiling, turmoiling and toiling and boiling, 
 And gleaming and streaming and steaming and 
 
 beaming, 
 And rushing and flushing and brushing and gushing, 
 
THE VOWEL SOUNDS 135 
 
 And flapping and rapping and clapping and slapping, 
 And curling and whirling and purling and twirling, 
 And thumping and plumping and bumping and 
 
 jumping, 
 And dashing and flashing and splashing and clashing ; 
 
 And so never ending, but always descending, 
 Sounds and motions forever and ever are blending, 
 All at once and all o'er, with a mighty uproar, 
 And this way the water comes down at Lodore. 
 
136 THE ART OF SPEECH ASD DEPORTMEXT 
 
 THE VOCAL ORGANS 
 
 Question. Is it necessary that I should know the 
 anatomy of my vocal organs in order to produce 
 a given sound? 
 
 Answer. No ; it is no more necessary than that 
 you should know the physiology and the laws of 
 hygiene, as the whole organism, including the 
 nervous system, is involved in the right use of 
 the vocal organs. You can speak, read, and sing 
 well without knowing how or why. However, for 
 the prevention of injury to the voice such knowl- 
 edge is often of service. It also adds to your 
 general culture. Knowledge is power. 
 
 Q. How many aspects have vocal sounds ? 
 
 A. Two, subjective and objective. 
 
 Q. What is the subjective aspect ? 
 
 ^4. The shape and size of the throat, place of 
 the tongue, and general disposition of the vocal 
 organs requisite for voice production. 
 
 Q. What is the objective aspect of vocal 
 sounds ? 
 
 A. It is the product heard by others, and in 
 a slight degree by yourself. 
 
THK YOCAL ORGANS 137 
 
 Q. What is essential to the perfection of my 
 tone ? 
 
 A. That you pay close attention to the dispo- 
 sition of your vocal organs and to the shapes as- 
 sumed by your throat, tongue, teeth, and lips, as 
 well as to the sounds issuing thence under given 
 conditions. 
 
 Q. How many elementary sounds are there in 
 our language ? 
 
 A Forty-two, which include the standard and 
 the shade vowels. 
 
 Q. How are these sounds divided ? 
 
 A. Into vowels and consonants. 
 
 Q. What are vowels ? 
 
 A* Voiced breath; tones sounded without 
 audible friction, 
 
 Q. Name the fundamental vowels of the Eng- 
 lish language. 
 
 A. A, E, I, 0, and U. 
 
 Q. What are consonants? 
 
 A. Consonants, meaning '• sounded together," 
 are sounds heard only in connection with a vowel, 
 which is a more open utterance. 
 
 Q. Name the consonants. 
 
 A, The labiate, made with the lips: P, B, F, 
 V, M. 
 
 The dmtaU or Unguals, made with the tip of 
 
138 THE AST OF SPEECH AXD DEPOSTMEST 
 
 tie tongue or near the teeth: T, D. N. TH, 
 and the sonant TH as heard in thir.< and with. 
 
 The palatals or gutturals, made more in the 
 throat, K, G, XG. and the H before long U. as 
 k\L-:. huge, humor. 
 
 - Yowel " and •• consonant ** are relative terms, 
 and the line is loosely drawn between them, making 
 it difficult to hare any set rule, as in some cases 
 a letter will be a vowel which in other cases will 
 be a consonant. For example, n is a Towel in 
 burden, as the lips are open on n. but it is a 
 consonant in burned, as the lips remain closed on 
 n, L is a rowel in apple and is a consonant in 
 apply. The consonants y and \c are hardly <hs- 
 tmgtdshable from and merge into short I ani 
 short EE and 00. 
 
 Q. What are semivowels ? 
 
 A. Semivowels are consonants which stand 
 near the boundary between vowels and conso- 
 nants. They are sometimes called "liquids." 
 
 Q. Name them. 
 
 A. L, M. X. XG ? T, W. 
 
 Q. What organs are immediately concerned in 
 the production of vowels and consonants ? 
 
 A. The diaphragm, the bangs, the trachea or 
 windpipe, the larynx, the pharynx, and the nasal 
 cavities. 
 
THE VOCAL OBGAXS 139 
 
 Q. What is the diaphragm ? 
 
 A. The breathing muscle in which is the pro- 
 pelling power of the lungs. See page 83, ante. 
 
 Q. What are the lungs ? 
 
 A. Two spongy organs occupying the upper 
 torso cavity and which communicate with the 
 mouth through the windpipe. 
 
 Q. What is the trachea ? 
 
 A. The principal air passage of the body con- 
 necting the larynx and mouth with the bronchial 
 tubes. 
 
 Q. What is the larynx or voice box ? 
 
 A. The opening of the upper end of the wind- 
 pipe, wherein vocal sounds are made. 
 
 Q. What is the pharynx ? 
 
 A. The passage which lies above the larynx, 
 the pouch at the back end of the nasal cavities. 
 
 Q. Is the pharynx capable of being widened 
 and narrowed ? 
 
 A. Yes ; largely by the movements of the back 
 or root of the tongue. The repetition of the 
 sound ga makes the muscles flexible. 
 
 Q. How is the top of the pharynx designated, 
 and what is its use in tone production? 
 
 A. It is called the throne, and the constant 
 direction of breath in speaking, reading, and sing- 
 ing to this point is of first importance. 
 
140 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What exercises are of greatest service in 
 directing the breath to the throne of the pharynx ? 
 
 A. Repeating the words on, la, and loud. 
 
 Q. What are the nasal cavities ? 
 
 A. The hollow interiors of the nose. 
 
 Q. Name the other organs concerned in mak- 
 ing sound. 
 
 A. The vocal cords, the glottis, the epiglottis, 
 the hard and soft palates, the uvula, teeth, and 
 lips. 
 
 Q. What are the vocal cords ? 
 
 A. Elastic ligaments in the front of the throat 
 over which the breath passes, causing them to 
 vibrate and emit sounds, as does the wind strik- 
 ing the strings of an iEolian harp. 
 
 Q. How are these cords held in place ? 
 
 A. The lower ends are attached to the front 
 of the larynx, and the upper extremities to two 
 movable bodies of cartilage called arytenoids. 
 
 Q. What service do arytenoids perform ? 
 
 A. They open and narrow the space between 
 the two vocal cords at will. 
 
 Q. What is the space between the vocal cords 
 called ? 
 
 A. The glottis. 
 
 Q. Does the sounding of the different vowels 
 change the shape of the vocal cords ? 
 
THE VOCAL ORGANS 141 
 
 A. Yes ; this is partly due to the size of the 
 vocal passage beyond the glottis. 
 
 Q. To what other cause may the change in 
 the shape of the vocal cords be attributed ? 
 
 A. To the recession or uplifting of the tongue, 
 when the pharynx or mouth is closed, and to the 
 narrowing of the space between the teeth, or the 
 closing of the lips. It then requires more effort 
 to force the sound through the passage so ob- 
 structed, and this effort largely falls upon the 
 vocal cords, changing their shape. 
 
 Q. What is the epiglottis? 
 
 A. A valve or lid which is opened during 
 speech and breathing and closed in the act of 
 swallowing. 
 
 Q. Where does the epiglottis lie ? 
 
 A. On the top of the larynx. 
 
 Q. What is the " Adam's apple " ? 
 
 A. The prominence formed by the front part 
 of the larynx, so called from the notion that a part 
 of the forbidden fruit stuck in Adam's throat. 
 
 Q. What constitutes the roof of the mouth ? 
 
 A. The hard palate. 
 
 Q. What is the hard palate ? 
 
 A. That portion of the roof of the mouth 
 which ends in front with the arch formed by the 
 roots of the teeth. 
 
142 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What constitutes the back of the mouth ? 
 
 A. The pharynx walls and the soft palate. 
 
 Q. What is the uvula ? 
 
 A. The hanging portion of the soft palate. 
 
 Q. What vocal organ most affects the vowel 
 sounds ? 
 
 A. The tongue, whose every movement pro- 
 duces a modification of the vowel sounds making 
 their number indefinite. 
 
 Q. What is the service of the lips in speech ? 
 
 A. To " round " an important class of sounds. 
 The lips are used much less in English than in 
 the European tongues. 
 
 Q. How may correct sounds be produced ? 
 
 A. By the correct use of the organs of speech. 
 
 Q. What part do the cheeks play in the mak- 
 ing of correct sounds? 
 
 A. But a small part, practically none at all, 
 in the differentiation of English sounds. 
 
ON READING ALOUD 143 
 
 ON READING ALOUD 
 
 Question. What is required in reading aloud 
 well? 
 
 Answer. First, the ability to give thoughts to 
 your listeners. 
 
 Q. For what do readers usually strive ? 
 
 A. For mechanical perfection in speaking 
 words and in giving attractive action, however 
 irrelevant it may be. 
 
 Q. What is the second requirement for good 
 reading ? 
 
 A. That your eye be educated to glance ahead 
 and quickly comprehend what is coming, that 
 you may look at your audience, thereby empha- 
 sizing the main thought. A very good way to 
 gain facility along this line is to place your book 
 or manuscript on a table and walk by it and 
 around it, glancing at it for promptings as seldom 
 as possible. 
 
 Q. Give another requirement for good reading. 
 
 A. A pleasing voice with theoretical and prac- 
 tical knowledge of its use. 
 
 Q. What is the vital requirement for good 
 reading ? 
 
144 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. The possession of that intangible, elusive 
 something, termed " individuality," which defies 
 definition but which instantly communicates itself 
 to the listener. 
 
 Q. What is the difference between individu- 
 ality and personality ? 
 
 A. Individuality is the broader, bigger, more 
 comprehensive term. It is the ego, the real man 
 shining through his personality, which in a sense 
 is external. 
 
 Q. What should be both a duty and a pleas- 
 ure when you first come in touch with a new 
 book or poem ? 
 
 A. A consideration of the author. Who is he ? 
 Is he living ? What has he written ? How does 
 the book or selection you have in hand rank 
 among his writings ? Is this his major perform- 
 ance? For instance : " The Star Spangled Banner," 
 by Francis Scott Key; "Home, Sweet Home," by 
 John Howard Payne; "America," by Samuel F. 
 Smith; "Pilgrim's Progress," by John Bunyan; 
 "The Arabian Nights," translated from the Arabic. 
 In considering the greater poets — Shakespeare, 
 Browning, Tennyson, Longfellow, Whittier, and 
 others — it is difficult to choose one poem or play 
 on which the fame of any of them can be said to 
 rest. 
 
ON READING ALOUD 145 
 
 Q. What is the next consideration ? 
 
 A. The title. 
 
 Q. What should be expected of a title ? 
 
 A. That it give a suggestion of what is to come 
 and indicate the tendency of the writing. 
 
 Q. Mention some good titles. 
 
 A. "Much Ado About Nothing," "A Blot on 
 the 'Scutcheon," "The Psalm of Life," "The 
 Deserted Village." 
 
 Q. Mention some obscure titles. 
 
 A. "Twelfth Night," "Sordello," "Sonnets 
 from the Portuguese," " Childe Harold." " Ivan- 
 hoe" or "Sordello" might mean a man, a book, 
 or a city. 
 
 Q. What other points are associated with that 
 of the title ? 
 
 A. The classification of the work or selection ; 
 its metre or time, if it be poetry; its nature, 
 whether humorous, pathetic, tragic, narrative, 
 descriptive, characterizing, or a combination of 
 two or more of these qualities. 
 
 Q. Which is the more difficult to read well, 
 prose or poetry? 
 
 A. Poetry. 
 
 Q. Why? 
 
 A. It requires more imagination and a more 
 
 delicate ear to keep the rhyme and rhythm of 
 
 10 
 
146 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 the verse from sliding into a whining chant, con- 
 sidered essential by those who cling to the old 
 school of elocution. Many persons fail to recog- 
 nize the power of simplicity, and deem it too tame 
 and too familiar for that highest expression of 
 human thought — poetry. 
 
 Q. How is the whining chant to be overcome ? 
 
 A. Indicate the metre, touching the end of 
 the line lightly. Although you may allow 
 yourself to verge upon sing-song, do not fall 
 into it. 
 
 Q. How much honor is due me when I interpret 
 and read a poem in a great way ? 
 
 A. Tou share the honor almost equally with 
 the author, because you are able to see as much, 
 oftentimes more than he did. Many poems are 
 alive to-day because of the masterful interpreta- 
 tion of good readers. 
 
 Q. What selections offer the best opportunities 
 for development in reading ? 
 
 A. All selections calling for extremes in ex- 
 pression are valuable for practice. Old stock 
 pieces, though worn threadbare by elocutionists, 
 are of service, as they set forth the principles of 
 reading and keep the vocal organs in training. 
 The voice cannot be developed without strong 
 contrasts of light and shade ; but to offer such 
 
ON READING ALOUD 147 
 
 practice work to an audience is as gross a reflec- 
 tion on its intelligence as would be an exhibition 
 of vocal gymnastics in singing. 
 
 Q. Should I imitate birds, bells, and the wind, 
 in reading ? 
 
 A. Never, unless you wish to exhibit a pe- 
 culiar talent which verges on the commonplace 
 and which entertains only the rustic. 
 
 Q. To what extent should I be literal in my 
 interpretation ? 
 
 A. Suggestion, the more delicate the better, 
 is always more effective than either imitation or 
 literalness. I recall an amusing incident told of 
 a Boston girl some years ago. She was reciting 
 "Wordsworth's "Daffodils," and when she came 
 to the lines, 
 
 And then my heart with rapture fills 
 And dances with the daffodils, 
 
 she clasped her hands to her heart and danced off 
 the stage to the rhythm of the words, amid the 
 vociferous applause of the audience. 
 
 Q. Do those who train voices to-day deal in 
 stock voices which they consider representative 
 of types of old men and children ? 
 
 A. Fortunately the majority of them have 
 recognized the absurdity and untruth of a method 
 
148 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 much in vogue in former days. The widespread 
 knowledge of psychology has taught both in- 
 structor and audience the fallacy of the stock 
 voice. 
 
 Q. What is a stock voice ? 
 
 A. The voice that custom has assigned to cer- 
 tain types of persons. It was the practice to take 
 an old man's voice, peculiar to country life in the 
 East or perhaps in Indiana, such as might be 
 assigned to Westcott's David Harum, and use it 
 indiscriminately in typifying Old Man Adam 
 in " As You Like It," or the college-bred old 
 gentleman in Alice Carey's "Old Chums," the 
 decrepit Old Gobbo in " The Merchant of Venice," 
 and the old Frenchman in "Good Night, Ba- 
 bette," by Austin Dobson. 
 
 Q. What formerly was the custom in im- 
 personating children ? 
 
 A. All were given the same cracked voice in 
 the back of the throat, no distinction being made 
 between the most refined girls and boys and the 
 most commonplace children. Think of the shock 
 to a sensitive listener to hear a reader impersonate 
 Eugene Field's " Little Boy Blue," when he ad- 
 dresses his little dog and his little tin soldier, in 
 this idiotic voice. "'Now don't you go till I 
 come,' he said, ' and don't you make any noise.' " 
 
ON BEADING ALOUD 149 
 
 This idiotic voice is used by women who ought 
 to know better — and often do — in speaking to 
 their children, their husbands, and their friends 
 in public places. It may be classified as mongrel 
 baby-talk and is one of our American pests. 
 
 An excellent test of versatility in the use of 
 the voice is to impersonate the James Whit- 
 comb Kiley boys in the "Kaggedy Man," "The 
 Happy Little Cripple," "A Boy's Mother," " The 
 Kunaway Boy," and " The Bear Story," making 
 each boy stand out as an individual. 
 
 Q. Should a man in reading assume a woman's 
 voice in taking a woman's part, or a woman as- 
 sume a man's voice in taking a man's part ? 
 
 A. No ; the assumption of a woman's voice 
 by a man or a man's voice by a woman but serves 
 to emphasize his or her real sex, and deceives in 
 rare instances only, when the reader has a pecu- 
 liar talent and adaptability for this work. This 
 impersonative quality is rarely found. 
 
 Q. Should impersonation ever be confounded 
 with narrative? 
 
 A. No ; you should not impersonate when 
 speaking of a character, but only when speaking 
 as the character. For instance, in these lines 
 taken from " Opportunity," by Edward Rowland 
 Sill: 
 
150 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A craven hung along the battle's edge, 
 And thought, " Had I a sword of keener steel — 
 That blue blade that the King's son bears — but this 
 Blunt thing." — He snapped and flung it from his 
 
 hand, 
 And lowering crept away and left the field, 
 
 not until after the word thought should the reader 
 assume the attitude and facial expression and 
 create the atmosphere of the craven. After the 
 word thing the voice should revert to narrative 
 delivery. 
 
 Again, in these lines taken from Tennyson's 
 " Lady Clare " : 
 
 In there came old Alice, the nurse, 
 
 Said, " Who was this that went from thee ? " 
 
 " It was my cousin," said Lady Clare, 
 
 " To-morrow he weds with me," 
 
 "Who was this that went from thee" should 
 be spoken in the character of the nurse. " It 
 was my cousin " and " To-morrow he weds with 
 me " should be spoken as Lady Clare. 
 
 Q. Is it necessary to make a person toothless 
 because he is spoken of as old? 
 
 A. No; this is an unfortunate custom of 
 readers of the old school of elocution. Whittier, 
 in talking with me on this subject, said, " I never 
 
ON BEADING ALOUD 151 
 
 wish to hear schoolgirls recite ' Barbara Frietchie ' 
 because they always make her toothless." 
 
 Q. How high should you lift your voice in 
 conversation or in general reading? 
 
 A. High enough to sound cultured, but never 
 to the point of affectation. Uncultured persons 
 are inclined to speak in a monotonously low or a 
 monotonously loud tone. The latter has nothing 
 whatever to do with the high-pitched voice assumed 
 by affected women, which, when heard either in 
 conversation or in reading, is most irritating to 
 persons of taste. Many talk and read in what 
 may be termed an up-hill and down-dale manner 
 which would be humorous if it were not pathetic. 
 
 Q. Mention some other affectations in reading. 
 
 A. The use of cognates and vocules. 
 
 Q. What is a cognate ? 
 
 A. A cognate is the collision of two element- 
 ary sounds arising when the first letter of a word 
 requires the same position of the vocal organs as 
 that of the final letter in the preceding word. 
 This should be treated by slighting the last letter 
 of the first word, as an^ now (slight the d). 
 Another example is in the first two lines of 
 Othello's apology : 
 
 Most potent, grave and reverend seigniors, 
 My very noble and approved good masters — 
 
152 THE AST OF SPEECH AXD DEPOBTMES'T 
 
 Do not attempt to sound the t in most, d in mid, 
 d in and again, and d in good. 
 
 Q. "What is a vocule ? 
 
 i. Bis the sound of short U introduced be- 
 tween words. For example, in a line from Bud- 
 yard Kipling's " Tommy Ajkitia " ; ** When the 
 band begins to play," do not say ~ When nh the 
 band uh begins uh to play." 
 
 Q. Should I ever read monotonously ? 
 
 A. Never, unless required to in character- 
 ization. 
 
 Q. Should I ever read in a monotone ? 
 
 A. Whenever the selection calls for deep rev- 
 erence and awe. To iOnstzate : 
 
 O thou Eternal One, 
 
 Whose presence bright 
 
 All space doth oeenpy, 
 
 The being whom we call — God. 
 
 Q. What is emphasis in reading? 
 
 A. It is the stress or bearing down upon tie 
 most important words in the sentence. It is the 
 tl-titgLt word, the one that can be least dis- 
 pensed with, without losing the meaning. For 
 example, in Portia's "Mercy Speech" in "The 
 Merchant of Venice,' most readers say, -It is 
 imce blessed: it tiessetb. Lint tiat qi-:a and him 
 
ON BEADING ALOUD 153 
 
 that takes." If it had been anywhere stated 
 that Mercy is once blessed, then this reading 
 would be right. As it is, " It is twice blessed." 
 How is it twice blessed ? " It blesseth Mm that 
 gives and Mm that takes." 
 
 Again, Portia says : " Have by some surgeon, 
 Shy lock, lest he do bleed to death." If you say 
 " Lest he do bleed to death," it shows that Portia 
 does not object to Antonio's dying, but to his 
 bleeding to death. 
 
 Q. When should I use a downward slide in 
 asking a question ? 
 
 A. When the answer is predetermined in your 
 own mind. For example, when you know a per- 
 son is going to church you say, " Are you going to 
 church this morning ?\" — not "this morning? / " 
 which inflection implies doubt. Shylock says to 
 Bassanio, " What, wouldst thou have a serpent 
 sting thee twice ?\" And again, "I stand for 
 judgment. Answer. Shall I have it ? \" 
 
 Q. Is there an invariable rule on this point ? 
 
 A. Yes. Always give a downward slide on 
 the last line of a reading, as an upward inflection 
 leaves your audience in suspense. There is no 
 exception to this rule, as completeness is always 
 marked by a falling slide. Orlando replies to 
 Rosalind, when, disguised as a youth, she invites 
 
154 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 him to walk with her in the Forest of Arden, 
 " With all my heart, good youth — " Rosalind 
 raises her finger admonishingly, and with finality 
 in her voice says, "Nay, you must call me 
 Rosalind.V 
 
 Q. Does a downward slide mark a climax ? 
 
 A. Yes ; it always comes last, the other degrees 
 being sustained tones. For example, at the close 
 of " The Famine," Hiawatha says, in speaking of 
 Minnehaha's death: 
 
 Soon my task shall be completed, ) sustained 
 Soon your footsteps I shall follow ) tone, 
 (middle voice) To the Islands of the Blessed, 
 (lift the voice) To the Kingdom of Ponemah, 
 (lower the voice) To the land of the Hereafter.\ 
 
 Much taste and judgment are required in the use 
 of rising and falling inflections. Too many of 
 the former seem weak, too many of the latter 
 monotonous. 
 
 Q. How should I express thoughts when they 
 are grouped or connected in my mind ? 
 
 A. Give a rising inflection on all but the last. 
 For example, Shylock, in talking to Salarino, asks : 
 "Hath not a Jew hands,/ organs,/ dimensions,/ 
 senses,/ affections,/ passions ? fed with the same 
 food,/ hurt with the same weapons,/ subject to the 
 same diseases,/ healed by the same means, warmed 
 
ON READING ALOUD 155 
 
 and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a 
 Christian is ? If you prick us, do we not bleed ? / 
 if you tickle us, do we not laugh ? / if you poison 
 us, do we not die ? / and if you wrong us, shall we 
 not revenge ? " \ This is a succession of upward 
 inflections until the word " revenge " is reached, 
 which is spoken with a marked downward slide. 
 In this manner Shylock asserts his rights instead 
 of deferring to Salarino. 
 
 Q. What is the importance of pauses in 
 reading ? 
 
 A. They are all important, as they force your 
 listeners to inquire, who? what? when? which? 
 and how ? It is a poor reader who does not make 
 his listeners co-workers with him through his 
 pauses. The following lines from Poe's " Eaven " 
 serve to illustrate the value of this point : 
 
 Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered 
 
 weak and weary, 
 
 Over many a quaint and curious volume of for- 
 gotten lore, 
 
 While I nodded nearly napping suddenly 
 
 there came a tapping, 
 
 As of some one gently rapping rapping at my 
 
 chamber door. 
 
 " 'T is some visitor," I muttered, « tapping at my cham- 
 ber door 
 
 Only this, and nothing more." 
 
1.56 TEE AST OF SPEECH ASD DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What are atmospheric pauses ? 
 
 JL Pauses that are overflowing with thought, 
 feeling, or apprehension. Maeterlinck is a master 
 dramatist in his use of pauses of this particular 
 kind. 
 
 Q. What is the use of rhetorical pauses and 
 punctuation ? 
 
 A. They divide the author's thoughts and 
 enable you to grasp his meaning. Punctuation 
 teaches you to perceive; pauses enable you to 
 interpret. 
 
 Q. What should I do when the sense does not 
 require a pause ? 
 
 A. The tones and words should blend into each 
 other, making a harmonious whole. To illustrate, 
 take these lines from Longfellow : 
 
 The day is done, and the flaTknpsa 
 
 Falls from the wings of night 
 As a feather is wafted downward 
 
 From an eagle in its flight. 
 
 Direct the tones forward, blend the words clearly, 
 harmoniously, smoothly, and sweetly. 
 
 Q. Should I hesitate in reading ? 
 
 A. Yes ; to hesitate or pivot lightly on words 
 is effective in deluding the audience into the belief 
 that it is an impromptu story you are telling. 
 
ON READING ALOUD 157 
 
 " An Order for a Picture," by Alice Carey, is full 
 of hesitancy. It begins thus : 
 
 Oh, good painter, tell me true, 
 
 Has your hand the cunning to draw shapes of things 
 
 you never saw ? 
 Ay, well, here 's an order for you. 
 
 Pivot on the words jpawter, true, cunnitiff, and 
 things. 
 
 Q. Should I emphasize negatives ? 
 
 A. Not unless they are direct or are reiterated 
 for the sake of emphasis. In repeating the Lord's 
 Prayer you should not say, "Lead us not into 
 temptation," as it implies that God had intended 
 to lead us into temptation. It is " lead us not 
 into temptation." For an example of a direct 
 negative take these lines : 
 
 -"D" 
 
 World, shall I let go ? 
 But the world cried — No. 
 
 For reiterated emphasis, take the following: 
 
 Shall I yield to the enemy ? Never, never, nevbk ! 
 
 Q. What is a soliloquy ? 
 
 A. Talking to yourself. Dramatic necessity 
 forces you to speak out that others may hear, 
 although you are not addressing them, since you 
 are supposed to be alone. 
 
158 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. Name some of the great soliloquies. 
 
 A. Hamlet's " To be or not to be," Macbeth's 
 " If it were done when 't is done," Cato's " Solilo- 
 quy," by Addison, " It must be so — Plato, thou 
 reason' st well." These all treat of death. 
 
 An interesting psychological study of Hamlet's 
 diversified moods is shown in his four great solilo- 
 quies. In " Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would 
 melt," the emotional nature predominates. In 
 " Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I," 
 Hamlet's physical nature supplements his emo- 
 tional nature. In " To be or not to be," a purely 
 mental condition is expressed. And in the fourth, 
 " How all occasions do inform against me," both 
 his emotional and mental natures are shown. 
 
 Q. What is the place of soliloquies in modern 
 dramatic literature ? 
 
 A. The soliloquy is not used by the best mod- 
 ern dramatic writers. 
 
 Q. Why is this? 
 
 A. Because it is unnatural, being contrary to 
 ordinary experience. 
 
 Q. What is a monologue ? 
 
 A. It is one person talking to and for one or 
 more imaginary persons. 
 
 Q. What advantage has the monologue over 
 the soliloquy? 
 
ON BEADING ALOUD 159 
 
 A. It gives more room for the working out of 
 character. 
 
 Q. What great name is associated with mono- 
 logues in literature ? 
 
 A. Kobert Browning. He was the first great 
 poet to use the dramatic monologue. His " My 
 Last Duchess " is a perfect model of this form of 
 composition, telling as it does, a complete story 
 in fifty-six lines. 
 
 That 's my last Duchess painted on the wall, 
 Looking as if she were alive. I call 
 That piece a wonder, now : Fra Pandolf 's hands 
 Worked busily a day, and there she stands. 
 Will 't please you sit and look at her ? I said 
 " Fra Pandolf " by design, for never read 
 Strangers like you that pictured countenance, 
 The depth and passion of its earnest glance, 
 But to myself they turned — since none puts by 
 The curtain I have drawn for you, but I — 
 And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst, 
 How such a glance came there ; so, not the first 
 Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, 't was not 
 Her husband's presence only, called that spot 
 Of joy into the Duchess' cheek : perhaps 
 Fra Pandolf chanced to say, " Her mantle laps 
 Over my lady's wrist too much," or " Paint 
 Must never hope to reproduce the faint 
 Half -flush that dies along her throat : " such stuff 
 Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough 
 For calling up that spot of joy. She had 
 
160 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A heart — how shall I say? — too soon made glad, 
 
 Too easily impressed : she liked whate'er 
 
 She looked on, and her looks went everywhere. 
 
 Sir, 't was all one ! My favor at her breast, 
 
 The dropping of the daylight in the West, 
 
 The bough of cherries some officious fool 
 
 Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule 
 
 She rode with round the terrace — all and each 
 
 Would draw from her alike the approving speech, 
 
 Or blush, at least. She thanked men, — good! but 
 
 thanked 
 Somehow — I know not how — as if she ranked 
 My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name 
 With anybody's gift. Who 'd stoop to blame 
 This sort of trifling ? Even had you skill 
 In speech — which I have not — to make your will 
 Quite clear to such an one, and say, " Just this 
 Or that in you disgusts me ; here you miss, 
 Or there exceed the mark " — and if she let 
 Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set 
 Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse, 
 — E'en then would be some stooping ; and I choose 
 Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, 
 Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without 
 Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands; 
 Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands 
 As if alive. Will 't please you rise ? We '11 meet 
 The company below, then. I repeat, 
 The Count your master's known munificence 
 Is ample warrant that no just pretence 
 Of mine for dowry will be disallowed ; 
 Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed 
 
ON READING ALOUD 161 
 
 At starting, is my object. Nay, we '11 go 
 Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though, 
 Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, 
 Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me ! 
 
 Q. Give an analysis of the character of the 
 Duke of Ferrara, who tells the story. 
 
 A. This Duke should not be measured or 
 judged by the modern ideas of heredity. He 
 was a nobleman and had inherited a name 
 with nine hundred years of history and all the 
 pride and reserve of manner that goes with it. 
 He honored a young, beautiful, but undignified 
 and unmannerly girl by giving her this name. 
 We do not know how he came to marry her, 
 but it is likely that the marriage was arranged 
 by his parents. I am sure he never loved her. 
 While not guilty of wrong-doing she was unso- 
 phisticated, and so lacking in discrimination and 
 manners that at every turn she offended her hus- 
 band's taste, finally proving more than he could 
 stand. It incensed him to have her show equal 
 enthusiasm for a bunch of cherries, a white mule, 
 and a passing acquaintance. There is no evidence 
 of jealousy on his part in the sense in which the 
 word is ordinarily used. He was indeed jealous 
 of his name and of his position, and for this you 
 
 cannot blame him. Yet we cannot admire the 
 
 11 
 
162 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Duke. He was inordinately vain and even more 
 selfish than Leontes, but he could not help feeling 
 that the honor of his house and of his name was 
 continually outraged. Nevertheless, his wife is to 
 be pitied, though she should have shown more 
 respect, have had more tact and more reserve. 
 The story introduces the Duke as entertaining 
 guests on the first floor of his palace. The open- 
 ing line reveals the fact that the Duke has 
 invited the envoy of a nobleman, whose daughter 
 he purposes to marry, to ascend to the portrait 
 gallery on the second floor. As they enter, the 
 Duke refers to the portrait of his wife, painted 
 on the wall at his right. Turning his eye from 
 the picture to the envoy, he says, " That 's my last 
 Duchess painted on the wall, looking [how?] as 
 if she were alive. I call that piece a wonder, 
 now. [Pivot on these words, which were spoken 
 with the pride of a connoisseur who experiences 
 more joy at possessing a picture painted by the 
 great artist, Fra Pandolf, than he does from the 
 fact that it is a portrait of his wife. Fra Pandolf 
 evidently was an artist who possessed the unusual 
 skill of reproducing the psychology of his sub- 
 ject in a short time.] Fra Pandolf 's hands worked 
 busily [how long ?] a day, and there — she stands. 
 Will 't please you sit and look at her ? [Give a 
 
ON BEADING ALOUD 163 
 
 downward slide on the word "her," as it is really 
 a request for the envoy to sit.J I said <Fra 
 Pandolf' by design, for never read strangers 
 [with a slight inclination of the head] like you 
 that pictured countenance, the depth and passion 
 of its earnest glance, but to myself they turned — 
 since none puts by the curtain I have drawn for 
 you, but I — [This line does not necessitate the 
 Duke's actually drawing the curtain in pantomime 
 at the beginning of the monologue. He probably 
 gave an order to a servant to do so when he 
 decided to ask the envoy to view the picture, 
 which was equivalent to his doing it himself], 
 and seemed as they would ask me, if they durst 
 [spoken with hauteur], how such a glance came 
 there; so [with an inclination of the head], not, 
 the first are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, 't was 
 not her husband's presence only, called that spot 
 of joy into the Duchess' cheek: perhaps Fra 
 Pandolf chanced to say, ' Her mantle laps over 
 my lady's wrist too much' [spoken with an air 
 and tone indicating flattery], or * Paint must 
 never hope to reproduce the faint half-flush that 
 dies along her throat ': such stuff was courtesy, she 
 thought, and cause enough for calling up that 
 spot of joy. She had a heart [pivot] — how shall 
 I say ? [pivot] — too soon made glad, too easily 
 
164 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 impressed ; she liked whate'er she looked on, and 
 her looks went — everywhere. Sir, 't was all one ! 
 My favor at her breast, the dropping of the daylight 
 in the West, the bough of cherries some officious fool 
 broke in the orchard for her, the white mule she rode 
 with round the terrace — all and each would draw 
 from her alike the approving speech, or blush, at 
 least. She thanked men, — good! [that is, "I 
 regard it proper that she should"] but — thanked 
 — somehow [pivot] — I know not how [meaning 
 hut I felt it] — as if she ranked my gift of a nine- 
 hundred-years-old name with anybody's gift. Who 'd 
 stoop to blame this sort of trifling f Even had 
 you skill in speech — which I have not [apolo- 
 getically] — to make your will quite clear to such 
 an one, and say, ' Just this or that in you disgust 
 me: here you miss, or there exceed the mark' — and 
 if she let herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set her 
 wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse, — e'en then 
 would be some stooping; and I choose never to stoop. 
 Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt, whene'er I passed 
 her; but who passed without much the same smile ? 
 This grew ; I gave commands [his good taste was 
 so offended], then all smiles stopped together. 
 [Do not attempt to make too much of this line. 
 For art purposes it matters not hoio the smile 
 stopped.] [Again looking at the picture and 
 
ON READING ALOUD 165 
 
 slowly nodding his head] There she stands, as if 
 — alive. Will't please you — rise? [It is a re- 
 quest to rise.] "We '11 meet the company — below, 
 then [walking toward the envoy and tapping the 
 palm of his left hand with the forefinger of his 
 right hand on the words]. I repeat, the Count 
 your master's known munificence is ample warrant 
 that no just pretence of mine for dowry will be 
 disallowed ; though his fair daughter's self, as I 
 avowed at starting, is my object [with a gesture 
 of negation with his left hand]. Nay, we '11 go 
 together down, sir. [A feeling of pride of pos- 
 session again sweeps over him, as in starting 
 down the broad stairway he chances to glance 
 at a beautiful statue in the garden.] Notice Nep- 
 tune, though [the emphasis on " though " betrays 
 his pride], taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity 
 [he is a connoisseur or he would n't have it], 
 which Glaus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me ! 
 [Put all the stress on the word " bronze," none 
 on the word " me."] 
 
 Q. Name others who have used the monologue 
 form. 
 
 A. Tennyson in " Lady Clara Vere de Vere " 
 and Douglas Jerrold in "Mrs. Caudle's Cur- 
 tain Lectures," the latter being prose mono- 
 logues. 
 
166 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. Give another example of analysis and 
 applied technic. 
 
 A. Hamlet's " Instruction to the Players," the 
 most famous of lectures on the art of acting and 
 one which, limiting itself to that single topic, 
 requires absolute simplicity in voice and action. 
 The Prince of Denmark, in delivering his ideas to 
 the band of strolling players, doubtless held from 
 beginning to end an easy standing position, with 
 his youthful and supple body perfectly free.. 
 Doubtless, too, though assisting his speech with 
 nothing more than the slightest action of his 
 muscles, he was in no sense rigid, every member 
 of his frame being delicately responsive to his 
 thought. Probably once only, when speaking of 
 the sawing of the air, does this response become 
 an outward gesture. For these reasons, no less 
 than the subject matter of the speech itself, the 
 study of it is the best possible training in quiet 
 dignity of poise, restraint and delicacy in action, 
 and the qualities of voice demanded in every-day 
 intercourse. The lines are: 
 
 Speak the speech, T pray you, as I pronounced it to 
 you, trippingly on the tongue : but if you mouth it, as 
 many of your players do, I had as lief the town-crier 
 spoke my lines. Nov do not saw the air too much with 
 your hand, thus, but use all gently: for in the very 
 
ON READING ALOUD 167 
 
 torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your 
 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 passion 
 to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the ground- 
 lings, who, for the most part, are capable of nothing 
 but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise : I would have 
 such a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant; 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'erstep not the modesty of nature: for anything so 
 overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, 
 both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 
 'twere, the mirror up to nature; 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 un- 
 skilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; 
 the censure of the which one must in your allowance 
 o'erweigh a whole theatre 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 Chris- 
 tian, 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. 
 
 The speech, calls for the normal voice — the 
 voice to be used habitually in conversation and in 
 
168 THE ART OF SPEECI1 AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 reading and reciting when the mind is calm. 
 Since it is from this normal voice that all other 
 uses of the vocal organs depart and to it that they 
 return, it is the first and most important thing to 
 be mastered. It is too often called the natural 
 voice — quite erroneously, since few persons pos- 
 sess it ; inheritance, environment, habit, poor 
 training or none, or physical imperfections in the 
 organs of speech or hearing combine to give the 
 usual voice a disagreeable pitch, resonance, or 
 both. The normal voice, it is to be remembered, 
 is characterized by an agreeable pitch, pure reso- 
 nance, good articulation, clear enunciation, and 
 correct pronunciation. For the sake of greater 
 clearness I shall repeat the definitions of these 
 terms : 
 
 Pitch is the acuteness or graveness of a sound, 
 height or depth of degree in the musical scale. 
 It varies with the individual as with the subject, 
 and uniformity of speech is not to be demanded. 
 Middle C may, however, be taken as the normal 
 pitch in average voices. 
 
 Resonance is pure when the breath passes from 
 the lungs into and through the cavities of the 
 lungs, head, and nose without needless obstruction 
 by throat, tongue, teeth, lips, or nasal passages. 
 
 Articulation is the precise utterance of syllables 
 
ON READING ALOUD 169 
 
 And words, due attention being paid to those 
 under stress, under partial stress, and quite with- 
 out stress. It is the quality given to syllables 
 under partial stress that imparts precision, dis- 
 tinction, and elegance in speech. 
 
 Q. What part does stress play in English? 
 
 A. Stress plays a more important part in Eng- 
 lish than is generally recognized, for it not only 
 changes the quantity or length of many sounds, 
 and with it their loudness, but it has a decidedly 
 modifying effect upon their quality. The slipshod 
 habit of pronouncing unaccented syllables with 
 flattened and untensed tongue mars the beauty of 
 our language and destroys the appreciation of 
 perfect sounds. 
 
 Q. Discriminate between enunciation and ar- 
 ticulation. 
 
 A. Enunciation supplements articulation. It 
 is the blending element in syllables and sentences. 
 Careful articulation implies careful enunciation, 
 yet a word falsely enunciated or pronounced may 
 be clearly articulated. For example, you may 
 say " invaribly," each syllable being distinctly ut- 
 tered, although the enunciation is faulty. You 
 should say " invariably" (inVar'i'ya'bly). 
 
 Pronunciation is the articulation and stress of 
 single words and phrases in accordance with the 
 
170 TEE ART OF SPEECH AXD DEFOBTMEST 
 
 usage of those speaking the best F.TigHsh. It va- 
 ries from age to age in a living tongue like Eng- 
 lish ; but a safe rule for the acceptance or rejection 
 of any given pronunciation may be found in Pope's 
 sagacious couplet from " The Essay on Criticism " : 
 
 Be not the first by whom tiie new are tried, 
 Xor yet the last to lay the old aside. 
 
 Q. What is inflection ? 
 
 A. Inflection is the vital element in every form 
 of vocal interpretation, whether it be used in prose 
 or poetry, conversation or reading, recitation or 
 oratory. It is the deviation of the voice upward 
 or downward from a given pitch, and under analy- 
 sis is found to express individual interpretation. 
 Without inflection interpretation could not exist. 
 
 Q. What is a parenthetical phrase ? 
 
 A. A parenthetical phrase is one so pointed 
 off that its omission does not disturb the sense of 
 what remains. It demands a lower pitch. "Speak 
 the speech (I pray you) as I pronounced it to you." 
 "I pray you " is a parenthetical phrase. 
 
 Q. What is meant by pauses ? 
 
 A. Pauses, like rests in music, are a means of 
 acquiring emphasis, compelling the listener to in- 
 quire into the sense of what follows — to ask 
 mentally the question how ? who ? where ? when f 
 
ON KBAblW ALOUD 171 
 
 why? which? or what? — and are properly used 
 before names, dates, or other words or phrases to 
 which you desire to ealJ special attention. They 
 demand either a alight suspense, or pivoting on 
 the word preening that requiring emphasis. 
 Pauses must be wed with common aense and good 
 ta«te. 
 
 l'arlkk%, conjunctions, and prepositions are 
 paired by without emphasis unless they Imply a 
 distinct relationship between what precede*! and 
 what is to follow. It requires as much intelligence 
 and art to alight words as to emphasize them. 
 
 #. Apply these technical points to Hamlet's 
 speech, 
 
 A. "Speak the speech, I pray you [the last 
 three words are parenthetical. The listener asks, 
 How?], as 1 pronounced it to you [How did 
 you pronouns them ?], trippingly on the tongue : 
 but if you mouth it [Here what follows "but" 
 does not relate to what precedes, and the word 
 "but" is therefore to be slighted, the voice hurry- 
 ing on to " mouth it," — the important words], as 
 many of your players do [a parenthetical phrase], 
 I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. 
 Nor [to he slighted] do not saw the air too 
 much with your hand, thus, but use all [How?] 
 gently; for [alighted] in the very torrent 
 
172 TUB ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 [not " tawrunt "], tempest [not " tempust "], and, 
 as I may say [last four words parenthetical], 
 whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and 
 beget a temperance [not " temperunce "] that may 
 give it [what ?] smoothness. [Thereupon, owing 
 to a disgust seizing Hamlet, the normal voice 
 is temporarily suspended for what may be called 
 a "heart tone."] 0, it offends me to the soul 
 to hear a robustious [pronounced "robustyus"] 
 periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to 
 very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, 
 who, for the most part, are capable of nothing 
 but inexplicable [properly accented on the syllable 
 ex] dumb-shows and noise : I would have such a 
 fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant ; it out- 
 herods Herod: pray you, avoid it. [Note the 
 rational protest against extravagance of speech 
 and action. Then follows a return to the normal 
 voice.] 
 
 " Be not too tame, neither, but let your own dis- 
 cretion [good taste, judgment] be your tutor [not 
 " tooter " ] : suit [not " soote "] the action to the 
 word [not "wurred"], the word to the action; 
 with this special observance [not " obsurvunco "], 
 that you o'erstep not the modesty [avoid undue 
 emphasis on this last word] of nature [not "na- 
 cher " nor " nate-your "] : for anything so overdone 
 
OX READING ALOUD 173 
 
 is from the purpose of playing [emphasize '" play- 
 ing " but not " purpose " ], whose end, both at the 
 first and now [use sustained tone on this last word ; 
 that is, employ neither an upward nor a downward 
 slide], was and is [emphasize " is " ] to hold, as *t 
 were [last phrase parenthetical], the mirror up to 
 nature ; to show virtue [not " virchoo "] her own 
 feature, scorn her own image [not •'■' immidge," the 
 a is long and partially stressed], and the very age 
 and body of the time his form and pressure. 
 Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it 
 make the unskilful — laugh, cannot but make 
 the judicious — grieve [note the contrast, to be 
 variously emphasized, between "unskilful" and 
 " judicious," between " laugh " and ;i grieve "] ; 
 the censure of the which one [Who ? The judi- 
 cious person] must in your allowance [the last 
 three words parenthetical] o'erweigh a whole 
 theatre of others. [Again Hamlet takes up his 
 tone of disgust in all that follows.] 0, there be 
 players that I have seen play, and heard others 
 praise, and that [here a pause, to express incre- 
 dulity. How ?] highly, not to speak it profanely 
 [last five words are parenthetical, referring to 
 what ensues], that neither having the accent of 
 Christians, nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor 
 man [the words •'• accent," " gait," and " man " 
 
174 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 are emphatic], have so strutted, and bellowed, 
 that I have thought some of nature's journeymen 
 [those who have not attained mastership in their 
 art] had made men, and not made them well 
 [why ? Because] they imitated humanity [how ?] 
 so abominably." 
 
 Close interpretation demands that you find out 
 the meaning of words used in older and obsolete 
 senses, as " pressure," and all the words and 
 phrases that you do not understand, like " Terma- 
 gant" and "out-herods Herod." In this speech 
 we find "form" and "pressure" meaning con- 
 sistency with a given time. For example, if you 
 are staging a play of the colonial period, the 
 scenery, costumes, speech, and action, everything 
 that relates to the play, must be true to that 
 period. Again, in the words " Termagant " and 
 "out-herods Herod": "Termagant" a well- 
 known character in the mystery plays, was made 
 out a violent tyrant and a fabled Moslem god, so 
 it is possible to overdo even an outrageous tyrant 
 — to out-herod Herod. Herod, too, was a blood- 
 thirsty and violent tyrant ; do not rival him. 
 
PLATFORM MANNERS 175 
 
 PLATFORM MANNERS 
 
 Question. In what capacity may I appear on 
 a platform to command an audience ? 
 
 Answer. As lecturer, reader, reciter, orator, 
 actor, or singer. 
 
 Q. What are the important elements of a good 
 appearance ? 
 
 A. Mental and physical poise, facial expres- 
 sion, dress, manner of taking the stage — includ- 
 ing walk and manner of greeting your audience, 
 the placing and handling of your manuscript, 
 book, or music, when used, the engaging and 
 holding attention : in short, the taking and keep- 
 ing command. An audience prefers to be domi- 
 nated, to be subordinated to the purpose for 
 which it is gathered. 
 
 Q. What is the ordinary attitude of an 
 audience ? 
 
 A. It is eager, curious, and full of anticipation. 
 
 Q. What is your duty ? 
 
 A. Not to disappoint your audience. Give 
 more pleasure than has been looked forward to, 
 create an instantaneous impression of desiring 
 
176 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 both to help and to give pleasure; avoid the 
 extremes of timidity or bashfulness on one side, 
 and too much self-assertion on the other. 
 
 Q. What is of first importance ? 
 
 A. The message to be delivered, not the man- 
 ner of its delivery. 
 
 Q. Is there such a thing as extemporaneous 
 speaking ? 
 
 A. The summing up in a debate or heated 
 argument might be called extemporaneous speak- 
 ing. Comparatively few have the power of think- 
 ing and organizing thought while on their feet. 
 As a rule, so-called extemporaneous speeches have 
 been more carefully prepared than any others. 
 
 Q. What is the value of self-forgetfulness ? 
 
 A. It enables you to devote the whole of your 
 intelligence to the message and none whatever to 
 the means of conveyance. It is the first step 
 toward domination. 
 
 Q. How may I acquire self-forgetfulness ? 
 
 A. Make whatever you have to say or do your 
 own experience and tell it or do it as such. Forget 
 your clothes, their color and fit, forget your feet 
 and hands ; remember only that you are, for the 
 time being, an instrument through which ideas are 
 being passed on to others. The cultivation of 
 your voice and manners must be studied before 
 
PLATFORM MANNERS 177 
 
 you are qualified to entertain an audience. The 
 fact that many persons appear in public without 
 proper preparation, and boastfully " get through 
 all right," is no argument whatever for lack of 
 needed training. In most cases it is wholly un- 
 necessary for a person to say with an insinuating 
 smile, "You know I have never studied." I 
 always feel like saying, " That 's very evident. 
 It would be better if you had." It is painfully 
 true that there are those who fail persistently be- 
 cause they regard the public platform as a place 
 for exhibiting themselves. 
 
 Q. What is of vital importance in the selection 
 of officers for all organizations? 
 
 A. Appearance, a term implying attractive 
 ■manners, tact, and tasteful dressing. It is as 
 easy to find a person with these qualities who 
 has the required mental gifts as it is to find 
 those with mind and no appearance. 
 
 Q. Should I ever make excuses ? 
 
 A. No ; if wholly unprepared, state the fact 
 with finality ; do not permit yourself to be urged. 
 If prepared, accept the invitation cheerfully, ac- 
 quiescing gracefully and with an expression of 
 pleasure at being permitted to contribute to the 
 enjoyment of the occasion. Even if you have mis- 
 givings, do not allow them to become apparent. 
 
 12 
 
178 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Do your best. That is all that is requisite after 
 your acceptance. 
 
 Q. How should I mount a stage or platform ? 
 
 A. If required to pass from the audience to 
 the stage, begin your command from the moment 
 that you leave your seat. If there are steps, 
 mount them buoyantly. Do not bend your body 
 at the waist-line in either ascending or descending 
 stairs, as this gives an impression of infirmity or 
 old age. Walk lightly on a curved line to the 
 centre of the stage and well to the front. Never 
 walk on a straight line from the audience and, 
 with your back to it, switch around to face 
 them. 
 
 Q. What should be my facial expression ? 
 
 A. One of anticipated pleasure, not an expres- 
 sion of a coming infliction. 
 
 Q. What is my action in acknowledging the 
 audience as mine? 
 
 A. Standing with the weight on the foot ad- 
 vanced, bow with deliberation. Tour whole body 
 must be involved in the process. Recover your 
 eyes immediately and let them sweep over the 
 audience in recognition. Do not grin. The first 
 impression should be one of cheerful dignity. 
 
 Q. What do I do when the audience applaud ? 
 
 A. Wait until the applause dies down, and 
 
PLATFORM MANNERS 179 
 
 recognize it by another and a slighter bow. 
 Command the attention of all before you, then 
 speak in a clear, modulated voice. Your previous 
 training should enable you to make yourself 
 heard to the extreme of the room or to the top- 
 most gallery of the theatre, giving the impression 
 that your voice would easily fill a much larger 
 space. Whatever your limitations, do not make 
 them manifest. Eeserve is always power. 
 
 Q. What means should I use to keep the at- 
 tention of my audience? 
 
 A. Keep your eyes as well as your voice alert. 
 Drop neither your voice nor your eyes in your 
 climaxes. A common fault observable in readers 
 and speakers is to let their eyes fall at the end of 
 a sentence. The reason for this is that they al- 
 low their minds to go forward to the next sen- 
 tence instead of giving full value to the idea in 
 hand, keeping both the eyes and the voice out. 
 
 Q. How does the conduct of concert singers 
 differ from that of readers ? 
 
 A. Their general deportment is the same. I 
 should like to utter a word of protest against the 
 prevalent habit among singers of holding their 
 handkerchiefs in a tight wad, or nearly tearing 
 the corners off, or going back to the piano and 
 needlessly turning over the music between songs, 
 
180 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 which is a mere affectation of ease and does not 
 fool the audience. 
 
 Q. What should I do when I have finished ? 
 
 A. Wait an instant, bow with due delibera- 
 tion, then walk up the stage with buoyancy, 
 temperament, and style, turn, look at your audi- 
 ence, and with a graceful inclination of the whole 
 body quit the stage. While your appearance is 
 marked by activity and keen interest at all times, 
 avoid any appearance of being hurried. 
 
 Q. Should I allow myself to catch the eye of 
 any person in my audience ? 
 
 A. Never. It is not only rustic but bad form 
 to recognize anybody from the platform with a 
 grin and a familiar nod of the head. An audi- 
 ence is quick to notice any by-play between artists 
 on the platform or stage and their intimates in 
 the audience, and to resent it keenly, oftentimes 
 regarding it in the nature of a personal affront. 
 
 Q. What should I do with my eyes ? 
 
 A. Let them sweep somewhat over the heads 
 of your audience, occasionally engaging an eye in 
 passing, but without recognizing individuals. 
 
 Q. What exception is there to this rule ? 
 
 A. In giving a monologue, or any recitation or 
 sketch in which you deal with imaginary persons, 
 you must compose your picture and focus your 
 
PLATFOBM MASXE8S 1S1 
 
 eyes upon the imaginary character. Do not allow 
 tout exes to rest on material objects, as it at once 
 destroys the illusion that you ate creating in the 
 minds of your audience. 
 
 Q. How do I compose the scene when I am to 
 give a dialogue? 
 
 A. Race yourself on the sharp point of the 
 letter T. and project the open points of the V into 
 space — out in front, not up stage — as far apart 
 as the needs of the selection and the size of the 
 room demand. 
 
 Q. Give a scheme for placing the characters. 
 
 J.. Imagine a sketch in which three persons 
 are speaking: a mother, her little son. and her 
 daughter. Place the boy on the open hue of the 
 Y on the left — out in front, not up stage — and 
 the girl on the open line at the right. The 
 mother directs her lines, explanatory and other, 
 to the centre, and you do the same if you have 
 occasion to interpolate. Indicate the points 
 named with your eyes, which are above your 
 audience. Do not turn your body from side to 
 side. Indicate these points easily and smoothly 
 with a slight pivoting of your feet. 
 
 Q. Do I ever direct my eyes or gestures to 
 the floor? 
 
 A. No ; unless you need to refer to a particular 
 
182 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 spot. For instance, in "He stood right there," 
 you may indicate the spot by a reference 
 gesture. 
 
 Q. Where are reciters prone to place rivers, 
 couches, beds, and other material objects? 
 
 A. On the floor immediately in front of them. 
 Thereupon the audience may rightly exclaim, 
 " We see nothing " ; whereas, if these several 
 objects were projected into space, the audience 
 could easily imagine them. 
 
 Q. What is another disadvantage in placing 
 imaginary objects on the floor? 
 
 A. Only the lid of your eye is shown, whereas, 
 if the gaze is projected into space, approximately 
 eight feet distant and four feet from the floor, 
 your eye is unlidded and the attention of your 
 audience is held. 
 
 Q. How should I arrange my stage ? 
 
 A. In such a fashion that whatever is in view 
 will contribute to the general effect and enhance 
 your value, remembering that everything that 
 does not add to, detracts from. Whenever and 
 wherever the mind is disturbed, something is 
 wrong. This is true of the lines in which the 
 furniture stands, of the place and manner in 
 which the pictures are hung, of the entire color 
 scheme and details of your own dress. 
 
PLATFORM MANNERS 183 
 
 Q. What do I do when unexpectedly called 
 upon to perform? 
 
 A. Arrange the room or stage quietly and 
 without haste or disturbance. The unthinking 
 way in which persons put their hostesses to 
 trouble to afford them an opportunity to repeat 
 "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or "The Run- 
 away Boy," is to be decried. 
 
 Q. How do you regard gesture in public 
 speaking ? 
 
 A. It is essential for complete human expres- 
 sion. Gesture does not, as many persons think, 
 refer to certain conventional movements of the 
 arm, used by speakers who think they must do 
 something every once in a while. Such a course 
 distracts your own mind and the attention of 
 your audience. 
 
 Q. What is comprehended in gesture ? 
 
 A. Every movement of your body, from head 
 to foot, including the movement of your eyes, is 
 significant of the thought. So important is 
 truthful gesture that when unaccompanied by 
 speech it becomes the sole means of interchange 
 of thought and is called pantomime. Its power is 
 shown by the fact that among savage tribes of 
 limited vocabulary it is necessary for them to seek 
 the firelight in order to express their feelings. 
 
184 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Among such peoples gestures are both spontane- 
 ous and naturally truthful; in civilization the 
 reverse is the truth. 
 
 Q. Why is this? 
 
 A. Because of the difference in the mentality. 
 Civilized people are prejudiced and self-conscious. 
 The secret of the commanding art of Eleanora 
 Duse in this respect is due to the fact that in 
 her youth she had continual training in pan- 
 tomime. This allows her to shift from the 
 spoken to the acted word in a manner unknown 
 to the English-speaking stage, and is the dis- 
 tinguishing feature of her art, as Bernhardt's 
 voice is of hers. 
 
 Q. Are truthful gestures ever natural among 
 civilized peoples ? 
 
 A. Yes ; but they are as rare as untrained but 
 naturally beautiful voices. Correct gestures, like 
 good manners, are unconscious. 
 
 Q. What are involuntary gestures ? 
 
 A. Gestures made unintentionally, as the 
 trembling of the lip, the dropping of the jaw, the 
 quick opening and closing of the hands, the up- 
 lifting of the arm, and the flashing and quailing 
 of the eye. These movements, though involun- 
 tary, are also subject to the will and can be 
 controlled by it. 
 
PLATFORM MANNERS 185 
 
 Q. Do the blush and pallor of the cheek come 
 in this class? 
 
 A. No; the heart, the supposed seat of the 
 emotions, rises superior at all times to the control 
 of the will, the blood coming and going as the 
 emotions, not the consciousness, would dictate. 
 
 Q. When may I attempt characterization ? 
 
 A, When you have obtained perfect control 
 over your voice and action and are able to drop 
 any form of speech or action at will and assume 
 any other. 
 
 Q. What is the distinction between reading, 
 reciting, and characterization ? 
 
 A. Beading is the expression of thought 
 through the voice with few or no gestures of the 
 hands and arms. Reciting is the rendering of a 
 poem or prose sketch with all the action required 
 to give it its full and complete expression. 
 
 Characterization requires the ability to set 
 aside your habitual voice and action and assume 
 those of the person to be represented. This talent 
 is rare. Most of the great actors have had to 
 depend upon mannerisms of voice and action 
 for their success rather than upon their ability 
 to lose identity in the various roles of their 
 repertoire. 
 
 Q. What can be said of unusual and disturbing 
 
186 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 conditions which may be met in a platform ex- 
 perience, — for example, the breaking out of a 
 fire? 
 
 A. There are many happenings probable, on 
 both the platform and the stage, in which mental 
 quickness, presence of mind, good judgment, and 
 tact have wrested the situation from destruction 
 and, in instances, averted tragedies. 
 
PART III 
 
PART III 
 
 THE POISE OF THE HEAD 
 
 Question. In how far is the poise of my head 
 responsible for the posture of the rest of my 
 body? 
 
 Answer. The poise of the head goes far toward 
 determining the posture of all below it in the 
 human frame. The shoulders, more particularly, 
 follow the head when it is protruded, drawn back, 
 or turned from side to side; other portions of 
 your body move in opposition to preserve the 
 balance. 
 
 Q. What is the importance of the carriage of 
 my head ? 
 
 A. The carriage of your head may add a final 
 ugliness to the living picture or become the 
 crowning accomplishment of a shapely person. 
 
 Q. How does it compare with other agents in 
 the expression of my body ? 
 
 A. An elastic step, a yielding curve of your 
 body, a pliant arm, a supple carriage, all are 
 admirable, but there is no completeness without 
 the final distinction of having your head finely 
 
190 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 balanced, to balance all the rest. Then, and then 
 only, comes the finished grace of unquestioned 
 personal bearing. 
 
 Q. What distinction has the head ? 
 A. It is tbe seat of all intellect and emotion. 
 Q. What do the various attitudes of my head 
 reveal ? 
 
 A. The dominant state of your mind reveals 
 itself primarily and most readily in the various 
 attitudes of your head. 
 
 Q. What is the normal position of my head ? 
 A. When it is carried midway between the 
 shoulders easily and without tension, with your 
 chin neither raised nor lowered. 
 
 Q. Upon what plane do my eyes rest in this 
 attitude ? 
 
 A. Your eyes constantly tend to raise them- 
 selves to a level with the faces of others. The 
 more sheltered the situation, the more marked 
 this tendency to bear the head higher and 
 higher. 
 
 Q. When is the attitude of my head expressive 
 of tenderness, confidence, and trust ? 
 
 A. When it is inclined forward and toward 
 the object of your esteem. 
 
 Q. What is the position of my chin in this 
 attitude ? 
 
THE POISE OF THE HEAD 191 
 
 A. Your chin remains apparently in a nor- 
 mal position, though it is really a little inclined 
 upward. 
 
 Q. What attitude of my head is expressive of 
 distrust ? 
 
 A. When your head is drawn backward, the 
 chin remaining apparently in a normal position, 
 though in reality somewhat lower, it expresses 
 lack of sympathy, growing into distrust. 
 
 Q. What attitude of my head expresses sub- 
 ordination ? 
 
 A. When your head is drawn lower toward 
 the chest, it expresses affection, humility, and 
 subordination of self tending toward servility. 
 
 Q. What attitude of my head expresses ven- 
 eration ? 
 
 A. When your head is first lowered and then 
 carried slowly forward and slightly upward, it 
 expresses veneration, increasing to adoration. 
 
 Q. How does my head express suspicion and 
 jealousy ? 
 
 A. By being first lowered and then drawn 
 steadily backward it expresses suspicion, envy, 
 and jealousy, deepening to hatred. 
 
 Q. In what attitude does my head express 
 exaltation ? 
 
 A. When thrown upward somewhat quickly 
 
192 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 and manifesting in this position a momentary 
 rigidity. 
 
 Q. What position of my head expresses arro- 
 gance and defiance ? 
 
 A. When thrown upward and then drawn 
 backward, your head expresses the complex emo- 
 tion of distrust and self-assertion, which is arro- 
 gance or defiance. 
 
 Q. What is the best way of studying the 
 attitudes of the head ? 
 
 A. Here, as in other studies of posture, it is 
 important to use the mirror for the sake of really 
 seeing yourself as others see you, but not to add 
 to your self-esteem by looking for qualities of 
 attractiveness. It is worth remembering that 
 there comes a time in the life of every one when 
 he assumes to be the best and wisest of mankind. 
 Real study of self in the looking-glass will long 
 postpone that day. 
 
THE EYE 193 
 
 THE EYE 
 
 Question. What is the importance of the eye 
 as an agent of the mind ? 
 
 Answer. We know now that we do not see only 
 with the eyes or hear only with the ears. They 
 are only a means for the transmission of impres- 
 sions. " It is in the mind that the poppy is red, 
 that the apple has odor, that the skylark sings." 
 
 Q. How does my eye rank among the other 
 features of my face ? 
 
 A. It is the most expressive of all, the quick- 
 est to respond to the workings of your mind and 
 to reveal the activity or inactivity of your sensa- 
 tions, intellect, and emotions. 
 
 Q. How can I prove that there is no expres- 
 sion in a person's eye ? 
 
 A. By detaching the eye from its surrounding 
 features : by requiring a person with eyes re- 
 garded as expressive to look out through holes cut 
 in paper so as to admit nothing but the eyeballs 
 and the smaller muscles about them, or by cut- 
 ting out the eyes from different prints in which 
 the face expresses the most diverse emotions. 
 
 13 
 
194 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 The result will astonish you. The clown in a 
 circus is a familiar illustration of the above. 
 
 Q. What are the active agents of expression 
 of the eye ? 
 
 A. The muscles about them, including those 
 of the brow, the temples, the region of the nose, 
 corners of the mouth, and even the chin, which 
 combine to lend the eye its expressiveness. 
 
 Q. What is the office of the eyeball ? 
 
 A. Through its movements the eyeball is an 
 indicator of the direction from which an impres- 
 sion comes or to which an expression goes. 
 
 Q. Name other manifestations of the eyeball. 
 
 A. Health is revealed by its brightness, the re- 
 verse by its dulness. In grief the eye is filled 
 with tears, in intense passion it is suffused with 
 blood. 
 
 Q. How is a dull state of mind revealed through 
 the eye ? 
 
 A. Slow movements of the muscles of the eye 
 indicate a dull and sluggish mind. 
 
 Q. What indicates mental activity? 
 
 A. A quick, direct glance, with immediate re- 
 sponse from the muscles of the face, indicates ac- 
 tivity, energy, and a practical intellect. 
 
 Q. What contrast is to be observed between 
 the gaze of a speculative and a practical person ? 
 
THE EYE 195 
 
 A. The speculative person, the dreamer, stu- 
 dent, or thinker, is likely to fix his gaze on the 
 distance, while the practical person looks at near 
 objects. 
 
 Q. Give some exercises for the eye. 
 
 A. No. 1. Raise the eyelid and, holding it 
 steady, move the eyeballs until the pupils are 
 midway between the corners, looking on a line 
 in front and a little above their own level. 
 
 No. 2. Turn the eyeballs as far as possible to 
 the right on this level, bring them back to the 
 middle, then turn them to the left. This should 
 be practised until these movements become barely 
 perceptible. 
 
 No. 3. Drop the eye as low as possible with 
 the iris midway between the corners. Avoid 
 convergence through looking at the nose. 
 
 No. 4. Rotate eye to right on this level, bring 
 back to centre, pause, turn it to the left. Persist 
 in these exercises until full control is secured. 
 
 No. 5. Raise the eyes as high as possible, as 
 before, rotate to right on this level, bring back 
 to the centre, pause, then turn to the left. Prac- 
 tise until you can hold and rotate your eyes in 
 these attitudes without a sense of strain. 
 
 No. 6. Roll your eyes entirely around, let- 
 ting the vision extend as far as possible in every 
 
196 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 direction successively. Begin from right to left, 
 repeat from left to right. 
 
 Q. What is convergence in the eyes ? 
 
 A. The ordinary gaze of the eye resting upon 
 a single spot three or four paces distant. 
 
 Q. What is divergence in the eyes ? 
 
 A. Gazing from the sides of both eyes si- 
 multaneously. 
 
 Q. What does this expression indicate ? 
 
 A. Imperfect intellectual control as in weak- 
 ness, extreme fatigue, dizziness, drunkenness, or 
 insanity. 
 
 Q. How is ecstasy expressed through the eye ? 
 
 A. By an extended parallel gaze without 
 definite focus. 
 
 Q. What expresses superiority? 
 
 A. Raising the eyeball. The position of the 
 eye, like that of the body as a whole, reveals our 
 attitude -toward others. 
 
 Q. What indicates inferiority ? 
 
 A. A lowering of the eye. 
 
 Q. How is attention expressed ? 
 
 A. By turning the eye and fixing it on a 
 person or thing. 
 
 Q. How do I show inattention ? 
 
 A. By a momentary and quick withdrawal of 
 the eye. 
 
THE EYE 197 
 
 Q. How do I reveal self-consciousness ? 
 
 A. By refusal to gaze upon others and allow- 
 ing your eyes to wander over your own person. 
 
 Q. How may I overcome this fault ? 
 
 A. By cultivating the habit of gazing straight 
 into the eyes of the person addressed. 
 
 Q. How may a staring look in the eyes be 
 avoided ? 
 
 A. By leaving the muscles about the eye mo- 
 bile and unfixed. 
 
 Q. Mention some other means by which the 
 staring look may be modified and an expression 
 of attention acquired ? 
 
 A. By a slow and slight nodding of your head 
 up and down, sometimes called the pendulum 
 movement. Extremes in this matter should be 
 avoided. There are persons who make them- 
 selves ludicrous by a constant shaking of the 
 head in approval or disapproval of a speaker. 
 
198 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE BROW 
 
 It will be found useful to treat the brow as 
 indicating intellect, the upper eyelid emotion, 
 and the lower eyelid sensation, — the division 
 into the intellectual, spiritual, and physical sides 
 of human nature. This classification is rather in 
 the way of suggestion than of setting forth an 
 inflexible rule; nor is it possible to dissociate 
 those features of the face from the rest. 
 
 Question. What do the brows reveal ? 
 
 Answer. The action or inaction of the brows 
 reveals mental states. 
 
 Q. What does a smooth, unruffled brow in- 
 dicate ? 
 
 A. A calm mind. 
 
 Q. What does a depression of the brow at 
 the root of the nose indicate? 
 
 A. Calm reflection. 
 
 Q. What indicates calm suffering? 
 
 A. A raising of the brow near the root of 
 the nose. 
 
 Q. What indicates timidity and vacuity of 
 mind? 
 
 A. A depression of the outer edge of the 
 
THE BROW 199 
 
 brow. This depression may be either apparent 
 or real, since the same effect is produced by 
 slightly raising the brow except at the outer 
 edge. 
 
 Q. What indicates hesitating reflection in- 
 volving but slight use of the intellect? 
 
 A. Lowering both the outer and inner edges 
 of the brow or slightly arching it in the middle. 
 
 Q. What indicates pain, agony, and despair? 
 
 A. Raising the inner edge and lowering the 
 outer edge of the brow. 
 
 Q. What indicates strong mental excitement ? 
 
 A. The raising of the outer edge of the brow. 
 
 Q. What indicates fury and madness ? 
 
 A. The lowering of the brow at the root of 
 the nose and raising it at the outer edge. 
 
 Q. What expresses terror and fear ? 
 
 A. The raising of both corners of the brow or 
 lowering it in the middle. 
 
200 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE EYELIDS 
 
 Question,. What does the upper eyelid re- 
 veal? 
 
 Answer. Through its repose or movements the 
 emotional or spiritual side of human nature. 
 
 Q. What is the position of the upper lid when 
 the eye is normal ? 
 
 A. Half-way hetween the pupil (the black dot 
 in the centre of the iris) and the upper edge of 
 the iris (the circular ring variously colored). 
 
 Q. What indicates rejection or indifference ? 
 
 A. Dropping the lid to the top of the pupil. 
 
 Q. What indicates animation or the intention 
 to act ? 
 
 A. Eaising the lid to the upper edge of the 
 iris. 
 
 Q. What is the position of the upper lid in 
 deep consideration ? 
 
 A. Half-way between the pupil and the lower 
 edge of the iris, leaving the eye only slightly 
 opened. 
 
 Q. What indicates introspection or subjec- 
 tivity ? 
 
THE EYELIDS 201 
 
 A. Allowing the upper eyelid to cover half 
 the iris, 
 
 Q. What indicates exaltation? 
 
 A. The raising of the lid to show the white 
 above the iris. 
 
 Q. What indicates madness ? 
 
 A. Raising the upper lid as high as possible. 
 
 Q. What does the lower eyelid express ? 
 
 A. The sensuous and physical side of human 
 nature by its somewhat limited movements. 
 These, however, are capable of much more de- 
 velopment than is generally supposed, insistent 
 practice until the muscles controlling it have been 
 made subject to the will alone being requisite. 
 
 Q. What indicates sensitiveness? 
 
 A. The raising of the lower eyelid. 
 
 Q. What indicates pleasure or joyous anti- 
 cipation ? 
 
 A. The raising of the outer edge of the lower 
 lid. 
 
 Q. What indicates pain or foreboding ? 
 
 A. The raising of the inner edge of the lower 
 lid. 
 
 Q. What indicates sensuality ? 
 
 A. The raising of the lower lid between the 
 pupil and lower edge of the iris and holding it 
 in a straight line. 
 
202 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What indicates insanity? 
 A. The showing of the white of the eye 
 beneath the iris. 
 
 Q. What indicates slumber and death ? 
 A. The complete closing of the eyes. 
 
THE NOSE 203 
 
 THE NOSE 
 
 Question. Of what importance is the nose in 
 expression ? 
 
 Answer. The nose plays a much more im- 
 portant part in expression than is generally 
 supposed, and its movements are capable of 
 marked development through practice. 
 
 Q. How is the normal mental condition indi- 
 cated by the nose ? 
 i A. By repose of the nostrils. 
 
 Q. How is sensitiveness shown through the 
 nostrils ? 
 
 A. By the readiness of the nostrils to expand 
 and contract. 
 
 Q. How are animal passion and hardness of 
 nature indicated ? 
 
 A. By dilation of the nostrils. 
 
 Q. How is cruelty indicated ? 
 
 A. By contracting them. 
 
 Q. How is aggression indicated? 
 
 A. By a lateral wrinkling of the root of the 
 nose between the eyebrows. 
 
 Q. How is hatred shown ? 
 
 A. By contracting and lowering the nostrils. 
 
204 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. How are scorn and anger expressed ? 
 
 A. By a dilation and slight raising of the 
 nostrils. 
 
 Q. How is contempt revealed ? 
 
 A. By elevating and contracting the nostrils. 
 It will be found of great advantage to practise 
 dilation and contraction of the nostrils while 
 keeping the other features of the face in absolute 
 repose. The presence of catarrh and other affec- 
 tions of the nasal passages has a constant tendency: 
 to deprive the nostrils and the entire nose of their 
 capacity for expression. Cultivation of the sense 
 of smell gives them increased sensitiveness in 
 recording emotion. 
 
THE MOUTH 205 
 
 THE MOUTH 
 
 How does the mouth rank as an 
 agent of expression ? 
 
 Answer. It is the most expressive feature of 
 the face and is generally involved in any change 
 made in the others. It should receive the most 
 constant attention, until it has been made subject 
 to all demands. 
 
 Q. What is the normal position of the lips ? 
 
 A. Lightly closed. 
 
 Q. When do the lips indicate weakness of 
 character ? 
 
 A. When the mouth is open and drooping. 
 
 Q. What indicates firmness of purpose ? 
 
 A. Compression of the lips. 
 
 Q. What expresses disapproval ? 
 
 A. The compressing of the lips and the lower- 
 ing of the corners. Increased lowering deepens 
 the expression to disgust. 
 
 Q. What shows suspense and self-abandon- 
 ment? 
 
 A. A slight parting of the lips. Astonish- 
 ment opens them wider, and they are completely 
 separated to express wonder and awe. 
 
206 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What indicates grief ? 
 
 A. A slight parting of the lips with depression 
 of their corners. 
 
 Q. Horror ? 
 
 A. Wide parting of the lips with pronounced 
 depression of their corners. 
 
 Q. Self-assertion ? 
 
 A. The protrusion of the lower jaw with com- 
 pression of the lips. 
 
 Q. Joy or pleasure ? 
 
 A. An elevation of the corners of the mouth 
 and a slight parting of the lips. 
 
 Q. Approval ? 
 
 A. A raising of the corners of the mouth 
 without opening the lips. 
 
 Q. What does the habitual drooping of the 
 corners of the mouth reveal? 
 
 A. Tendency to aggravate or imagine troubles, 
 and all the disagreeable feelings that go with a 
 sour and discontented disposition. 
 
 Q. What does politeness demand in this case ? 
 
 A. A cheerful expression, one indicative of 
 hope and good cheer. 
 
 Q. What may be said of the evidence of 
 unhappiness ? 
 
 A. It is neither politic nor good form to go 
 about wearing the evidence of unhappiness and 
 
THE MOUTH 207 
 
 discomfort, thrusting your personal sorrows, real 
 or imaginary, upon your kinsfolk, friends, and, 
 least of all, upon total strangers. 
 
 Q. What false expression is sometimes given 
 for attention ? 
 
 A. Interested attention is often shown by 
 persons who have not studied their faces, by 
 lowering of the corners of the mouth — the 
 true language of disgust. 
 
 Q. How may I remedy this fault ? 
 
 A. Lift the corners of your mouth slightly 
 and give your face an expression of cheerful ani- 
 mation, which is the first requisite of that best of 
 companions, a good listener. Children should be 
 trained from the beginning to keep the corners 
 of the mouth elevated rather than depressed, the 
 more so that a habitual look of cheer and hope 
 has a constant tendency to create a feeling of 
 hopefulness and joyousness. 
 
 Q. What is to be done with mouths that are 
 too large and lips that are too thick ? 
 
 A. It requires great perseverance to overcome 
 these natural defects. You should avoid the ap- 
 pearance of too much flexibility — what may be 
 termed a wabbling of the lips. Where the mouth 
 is uncommonly large it is easily misshapen. 
 When the underlip is too thick a disagreeable 
 
208 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 impression may be practically removed by partly 
 covering it with the upper teeth and raising the 
 corners of the mouth. The lips should never be held 
 so as to give the mouth an ugly form. Close the 
 lips softly as if a smile were lurking back of them. 
 
 Q. How may the defect of an upper lip which 
 is too short for beauty be changed ? 
 
 A. Again the raising of the corners of the 
 mouth must be recommended, as it seems to 
 straighten an upper lip which is too short. You 
 should study this before your mirror. A repeti- 
 tion of the sounding of the letter M, thus empha- 
 sizing the middle portion of the lips, has often 
 been productive of good results. 
 
 Q. What may be said of my face as a whole ? 
 
 A. It must be remembered that your face is 
 constantly under observation, and the picture it 
 presents should be a worthy one. 
 
 Q. To what is the expression of my face due ? 
 
 A. The expression of your face as a whole is 
 due to inheritance, is accentuated by mental 
 habit, character stamping itself in lines with 
 advancing age. 
 
 Q. What lessens disfiguring lines on the face ? 
 
 A. The more mobile the features and the 
 more constant their activity, the slighter grows 
 the tendency to disfiguring lines. 
 
THE PROFILE 209 
 
 THE PROFILE 
 
 Question. How many types of the face are in 
 profile ? 
 
 Answer. Three : straight, convex, and concave. 
 
 Q. What do straight lines indicate ? 
 
 A. Spirituality and normality. 
 
 Q. Concave lines, as when the chin is turned 
 away from the listener ? 
 
 A. Intellectuality and coldness. 
 
 Q. Convex lines, as with the presentation of 
 the cheeks? 
 
 A. Sentimentality and affection. 
 
 Q. How many variations are there of these 
 lines ? 
 
 A. As each feature may in turn present lines 
 either straight, concave, or convex, the variations 
 and combinations are without number. Every 
 person should make a study of his own face in 
 profile and habitually present the most worthy 
 picture. It should be borne in mind that the 
 outline of your head includes the hair, which 
 should be arranged with reference to it. 
 
 Q. What have your surroundings to do with 
 your appearance ? 
 
 14 
 
210 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. Everything. Besides, it is as easy to select 
 a background of wall paper and furniture which 
 will enhance your appearance as it is to be con- 
 tent with an unbecoming one. A harmonious 
 environment, not only of congenial spirits but of 
 form and color, takes your mind from yourself 
 and helps to produce mental poise. Proper sur- 
 roundings react upon your mood, permitting you 
 to be at your best. 
 
THE HEAD AND NECK 211 
 
 THE HEAD AND NECK 
 
 Question. How important is the habitual car- 
 riage of my head and neck ? 
 
 Answer. Its importance cannot be exaggerated. 
 
 Q. What is the effect of carrying my chin 
 too high ? 
 
 A. It produces a disagreeable effect upon the 
 observer, throwing into undue prominence the 
 less intellectual portions of the face, especially 
 the jaw bone. 
 
 Q. What is the effect of carrying my chin 
 too low? 
 
 A. It gives an impression of humility. 
 
 Q. How may I overcome these faults ? 
 
 A. By mastering the muscles of your head 
 and neck. The following exercises will be found 
 useful : 
 
 No. 1. While seated hold your head in its 
 normal position midway between the shoulders, 
 your chin neither elevated nor depressed. Allow 
 it to drop forward slowly until it overbalances 
 itself and falls lifeless upon your chest. Bring it 
 to normal position with ease and control. 
 
212 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 No. 2. Allow your head to fall slowly back- 
 ward until it drops on your neck. Return to 
 normal position as before. 
 
 No. 3. Permit your head to droop slowly to 
 the right until it falls on your shoulder. Eepeat 
 the exercise to the left. 
 
 No. 4. Let your head roll freely from one 
 shoulder to the other, across the chest in circular 
 motion. 
 
 No. 5. Let your head describe the largest cir- 
 cle possible, with the muscles first fully relaxed 
 and then tense and in strong opposition to each 
 shoulder, making the exercise as difficult as pos- 
 sible. Avoid over-strain. This will be found an 
 excellent remedy for sleeplessness. 
 
 No. 6. Give your head a backward and for- 
 ward movement after the manner of the little 
 porcelain mandarins. When done without exag- 
 geration, this differential inflection of the head is 
 a graceful accompaniment of conversation, and is 
 an essential act of deportment as opposed to 
 staring with the head unflexed upon the neck. 
 
 Q. What do these exercises produce? 
 
 A. Flexibility of the neck and shoulders. 
 Persisted in, they give perfect elasticity to the 
 head in all its movements and enable you to 
 simulate fainting or a state of unconsciousness. 
 
THE HEAD AND NECK 213 
 
 Q. What is the importance of the shoulders in 
 expression ? 
 
 A. They do much toward expressing physical 
 conditions, being carried normally in health and 
 droopingly in illness, weakness, age, and weari- 
 ness. In the same manner they reveal corre- 
 sponding conditions of emotion, passion, and 
 sensibility, the expression of the face furnishing 
 the key to their complete significance. 
 
 Q. What do they express by a stooping and 
 bending forward position ? 
 
 A, Advancing years to the point of old age. 
 
 Q. What attitude of the shoulders should be 
 habitual ? 
 
 A. When the mind is centred on the heart 
 region, with that portion of the torso promi- 
 nent, the chest and shoulders will fall into an 
 easy, normal position, neither too high nor too 
 rigid, since such an attitude would express self- 
 sufficiency and a sense of undue importance. 
 The exercises following will be found useful in 
 correcting false habits and insuring normal 
 carriage.. 
 
 No. 1. Standing at ease, raise the shoulders to 
 the highest point possible, then relax them fully, 
 allowing the arms to hang lifeless. Now swing 
 the body from the ankles alternately to the right 
 
214 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 and to the left, permitting the arms to sway 
 freely from the shoulders across the chest and 
 back. The swing of a driver's body when he is 
 warming his hands in winter will suggest the 
 movement. 
 
 No. 2. Carry your shoulders forward as far as 
 possible, as if to make their points meet without 
 either raising or lowering them. Relax, agitate 
 the arms and body as before. 
 
 No. 3. Carry your shoulders as far back as 
 possible, so as to make their points approach at 
 the back, neither raising nor lowering them. 
 Relax and swing as before. The will should be 
 entirely withdrawn from the hand and arm. 
 
 No. 4. Lower your shoulders straight down- 
 ward to their lowest point, then carry them 
 upward, then backward, and finally downward, 
 making the back concave, thereby expanding 
 the chest to the fullest extent. Relax and 
 agitate the body and arms as before. Do this 
 repeatedly. 
 
 No. 5. Revolve your arms in their sockets, by 
 the combined use of the muscles of the back, 
 breast, and neck, using as many of these muscles 
 as possible in the process. Let your arms hang 
 as if lifeless, and avoid twisting your mouth in 
 accompaniment. Rotate both shoulders forward, 
 
THE HEAD AND NECK 215 
 
 then both backward, then one shoulder forward 
 and the other backward alternately. 
 
 Q. What service do these exercises perform 1 
 A. They remove from the chest all sense of 
 stiffness and angularity and fill out the hollows 
 by developing the muscles and expanding and 
 enlarging the lungs. 
 
216 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE TORSO 
 
 Question. What is the first element in the 
 picture you present? 
 
 Answer. Your feet as a base. To look well 
 you must stand well. 
 
 Q. What is the second element in the picture ? 
 
 A. The poise, or habitual position, of the trunk 
 or torso. 
 
 Q. What is the effect of the undue prominence 
 of any part of the trunk ? 
 
 A. It often produces a false impression. For 
 instance, many women of fine intellectual attain- 
 ment and real refinement have carelessly fallen 
 into the habit of making their abdomens unpleas- 
 antly prominent, thereby forming a shelf for their 
 folded hands. Others raise their chests unduly, 
 which gives the impression of egotism. 
 
 Q. What basic law is applicable in this con- 
 nection ? 
 
 A. The law of correspondence; 
 
 Q. Give this law. 
 
 A. The body is the outer physical means of 
 revealing the inner thought, which is the real 
 
THE TORSO 217 
 
 man, and it should be truthful in all its mani- 
 festations. 
 
 Q. Does the truthful expression of the body- 
 prevail ? 
 
 A. No ; both men and women are careless in 
 this respect. You may be all that is excellent 
 within, but if your bearing and manners lack 
 excellence, your friends, acquaintances, and all 
 who see you, will be none the happier for the 
 picture you present. 
 
 Q. How should the knowledge of this affect 
 me? 
 
 A. The thought that allowance must be made 
 for you is a disquieting one, and one which should 
 put you upon inquiry. 
 
 Q. How is the body divided ? 
 
 A. Into head, trunk, and limbs, this last 
 meaning both legs and arms. 
 
 Q. How is the torso divided ? 
 
 A. For analysis in expression it is of service 
 to divide it into three regions. 
 
 Q. What does the uppermost region express ? 
 
 A. The uppermost region, the chest, expresses 
 the intellectual principle of being. While it is 
 an inexplicable psychological problem, the fact 
 (remains that persons suffering from remorse in- 
 voluntarily and instinctively in expression bring 
 
218 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 their hands to this line of the torso, thus signify- 
 ing that it is the seat of conscience. 
 
 Q. How is the middlemost division of the torso 
 classified ? 
 
 A. As the emotional division, because it con- 
 tains the heart, popularly considered the seat of 
 the affections. This has no basis of truth, how- 
 ever, but serves a purpose in analysis. It has 
 been found that the hand and arm naturally seek 
 this division of the torso when expressing emo- 
 tion, poetically considered as springing from the 
 heart. 
 
 Q. What is the third division of the torso ? 
 
 A. The abdomen. 
 
 Q. How is it classified ? 
 
 A. As the physical division. This classifica- 
 tion will be found useful, and has the benefit of 
 extended criticism which it has well withstood, 
 but it possesses no especial sanctity and is to be 
 used as a working hypothesis rather than as a 
 scientific formula. 
 
 Q. What does a depression of the upper third 
 of the trunk or the chest region signify ? 
 
 A. Humility or weakness, either physical or 
 mental. 
 
 Q. When may the depression of the chest be 
 attributed to a mental cause ? 
 
THE TORSO 219 
 
 A. When the eye is drooped as well as the chest. 
 
 Q. What impression does the undue raising of 
 the chest leave ? 
 
 A. A sense of egotism, a magnifying of self. 
 
 Q. What does a depression of the middle re- 
 gion, sometimes called the diaphragm or heart 
 region, produce ? 
 
 A. Weakness and servility. 
 
 Q. What impression does the prominence of 
 this region produce ? 
 
 A. It lends an appearance of emotionalism 
 and in a sense induces it. The attitude of the 
 soldier, with chest unduly raised and the lower- 
 most region unduly depressed, is not only ungrace- 
 ful in its stiffness and impossible as a pose in 
 sculpture, but it is a part of that ancient tradition 
 which demanded that the warrior must be terrible 
 for his foes to gaze upon. 
 
 Q. What does the prominence of the lower 
 third of the trunk, the abdominal region, express ? 
 
 A. Grossness and sensuality. 
 
 Q. What is the effect of the undue withhold- 
 ing of the lower third of the trunk ? 
 
 A. This attitude lends an appearance of un- 
 reality to the entire frame and tends to an un- 
 graceful and unhuman manner of walking. 
 
 Q. What is a good position of the torso ? 
 
220 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. The gratifying picture is that in which no 
 portion of it is given excessive prominence or 
 excessive depression. Just as a person is well 
 dressed when no article of apparel dominates the 
 rest, just as a room is well furnished when no 
 article of decoration or furniture holds the eye, so 
 the torso is well poised when no element in it 
 shows over-emphasis. 
 
 Q. What social planes are indicated by the 
 habitual position of the torso ? 
 
 A. Superiority, inferiority, and equality. 
 
 Q. Give an exercise to test the poise of the 
 torso. 
 
 A. Swing your arms in front across the larger 
 part of the torso while in an erect position. If 
 they swing freely without contact with the ab- 
 dominal region, the position is usually good. 
 
 Q. Have rules any value in respect to the 
 torso ? 
 
 A. Yes ; when they are adapted to the indi- 
 vidual. 
 
 Q. What disposition should you possess ? 
 
 A. The disposition to throw off false develop- 
 ments, mannerisms, and unintelligent habits, thus 
 leaving your personality free to express itself 
 by taking on the simpler and finer lines intended 
 for you by nature. 
 
THE TORSO 221 
 
 Q. Give some exercises for the development 
 of the torso as a whole. 
 
 A. No. 1. Sit in a chair that enables the 
 torso to maintain a normal attitude without 
 undue stiffness or relaxation. Let the spinal ar- 
 ticulations rest at ease against the chair back, 
 the hips as well. Let the chest and shoulders 
 assume a normal attitude, neither raised nor 
 lowered. The body as a whole will be in a pas- 
 sive and receptive condition. Now move the 
 torso forward from the waist line, using first the 
 muscles of the waist and then those of the chesty 
 shoulders, neck, and head ; let the exercise of 
 the energy required move like a wave up the 
 trunk. The body will move forward, the head 
 in compensating opposition backward, until the 
 attitude is one of animation and preparation for 
 any activity. Now reverse the movement, let- 
 ting the trunk sink slowly back to its first 
 position, beginning again with the waist and fol- 
 lowing with the muscles in order as described 
 above, until a state of negation and passivity is 
 re-attained. In the forward movement it will 
 be found that the breast protrudes while the 
 back follows : in reversing the exercise, the spine 
 describes an outward curve, while the chest is: 
 somewhat concave. 
 
222 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 No. 2. Sitting as before, move the trunk from 
 the waist upward obliquely forward to the right 
 until the attitude of expectancy and readiness is 
 attained; then back. Repeat with the move- 
 ment to the left ; and back. Sitting as before, 
 let the trunk describe a half-circle around to the 
 right, and back; then around to the left, and 
 back. Let the movement begin at the waist and 
 travel upward, the head moving in opposition to 
 maintain the balance and gracefulness of poise. 
 
 No. 3. Sitting as before, place the hands on 
 the hips, the elbows akimbo. Now rotate the 
 trunk from the hips to the right in a complete 
 circle, keeping the muscles of the abdomen as 
 quiet as possible, and depending largely upon the 
 muscles on and between the ribs. Kepeat to the 
 left, as before. 
 
 No. 4. Sitting as before with the hands on the 
 hips, rotate the trunk to the right, using the ab- 
 dominal muscles as much as possible. Repeat to 
 the left. 
 
 No. 5. Stand at ease and let the trunk fall 
 forward with entire relaxation from the waist 
 upward, arresting the movement at the waist 
 line. Eepeat, falling backward. Eepeat to the 
 right; then to the left. 
 
 No. 6. Standing as before, let the trunk fall 
 
THE TORSO 223 
 
 forward. When the motion is arrested at the 
 waist line, rotate the relaxed trunk to the right 
 by the use of the hip joints and abdominal 
 muscles. Kepeat to the left. Then rotate in a 
 circle, first to the right, then to the left. 
 
 During all these exercises the hands and arms 
 are to rest lightly on the hips, as in the four sit- 
 ting exercises, or hang loosely from the shoulders 
 in the two standing exercises. At no time are 
 they to be tense or held rigidly at the shoulder, 
 elbow, or wrist. 
 
224 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE ELBOW 
 
 Question. Give the attitudes of the elbow and 
 their significance. 
 
 Answer. When the elbows are in a normal 
 condition with the arms hanging loosely at the 
 sides, they express self-possession, ease, recep- 
 tivity, and due modesty. 
 
 Q. What do they express when obtruded or 
 held outward from the body ? 
 
 A. Conceit, self-assertion, and combativeness. 
 
 Q. What do they express when turned inward 
 close to the body ? 
 
 A. Rusticity, self-subordination, humility, 
 weakness, and awkwardness. 
 
THE WRIST' 225 
 
 THE WRIST 
 
 Question. Of what use is the wrist in ex- 
 pression ? 
 
 Answer. It carries the hand to whatever 
 height is required in a gesture and assists speech 
 in describing shapes and dimensions. An ex- 
 ample of the use of the wrist in expressing and 
 aiding the thought is found in Hamlet's line, 
 " Look here, upon this picture, and on this." 
 The reference is to actual portraits of the two 
 brothers, Hamlet's father and his uncle, and not 
 to pictures in the mind's eye. In addressing his 
 mother, he would raise his hand to the level of 
 his breast, there to refer to the miniature of his 
 father, worn around his neck ; then, carrying the 
 hand slightly above the top of his head with an 
 outward inflection, he would indicate the por- 
 trait of his uncle hanging on the wall. Were 
 the portraits to be regarded as imaginary, Ham- 
 let would look into space with a vague intro- 
 spective eye and a slight movement of the head 
 up and down, and in a tone of affection say, 
 "Look here, upon this picture," signifying that of 
 
 15 
 
226 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 his father ; then with an expression of disgust in 
 both face and voice, say, "And — on this," ac- 
 companying the latter " this" with an attitude of 
 defiance. 
 
 Q. When should I point at an object ? 
 
 A. "When pointing makes a degree in gesture. 
 If, for example, you wish to designate a certain 
 book, you would say, with a glance of the eye 
 and a slight bowing of the head, " Hand me the 
 book upon the table." If not understood, you 
 would add a slight wave of the hand, saying, 
 " The one nearest the lamp." The meaning not 
 yet being caught, the forefinger would be used 
 to point as you say, " The one in the red cover." 
 In public, during conversation or recitation, never 
 point at objects when a glance of the eye or an 
 inclination of the head is sufficient. 
 
 Q. How does the hand rank as an agent of 
 expression ? 
 
 A. An aristocratic old lady once said to me, 
 "Let me see his hand and I will tell you his 
 social status." Next to the face the hand is the 
 most expressive agent of the mind, as it is the 
 most useful and most characteristically human. 
 The motions of the hand indicate birth, refine- 
 ment, education, cultivation, style, or the lack of 
 one or all of these, even more clearly than the 
 
THE WRIST 227 
 
 face, which is constantly schooled to more or less 
 concealment and repression under pain or emotion. 
 It is known to lawyers that the hands will betray 
 untruth, even more quickly than the mouth or 
 the eye. In fact, it is the first requisite of the 
 successful lawyer to keep his eye unabashed and 
 open. Control of the hands and forcing them to 
 counterfeit gesture are the last accomplishments 
 in his art. We see, then, that the language of the 
 hand is completely and characteristically its own, 
 and is often expressive beyond the power of words. 
 Astonishment, fear, grief, self-abandonment, have 
 no such phrasing by the pens of the mightiest 
 poets as the hands of the untutored may por- 
 tray instinctively. It is by the hand that man 
 is differentiated most of all from the brute, not 
 merely in gesture but in his work and his play. 
 He alone, of all creation, fashions tools with the 
 hand to aid the hand, and by these he practises 
 every art, whether fine or rude. So far has he 
 gone that to the deaf and dumb the hand takes 
 the place of all language, while among tribes not 
 yet made wise by civilization the hand speaks a 
 universal language, requiring no interpreter. 
 
 Q. Give some exercises for freeing the hand 
 of stiffness. 
 
 A. No. 1. Extend the arms directly forward, 
 
228 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 palms down, energize and move stiffly up and 
 down, then surrender the hands at the wrists, 
 leaving them as limp and lifeless as an unfolded 
 handkerchief, and shake them — with no effort 
 of the hands themselves — lightly up and down. 
 
 No. 2. With the arms as before, shake them 
 from side to side, — forget them, let them go,. — 
 be unmindful of having hands for the time being, 
 imagine you are sowing wheat or scattering sand, 
 with all the fingers relaxed and mobile. 
 
 No. 3. Place the palms facing each other, 
 draw them stiffly apart, then relax, and wave 
 them lightly back and forth, letting the energy 
 cease absolutely at the wrist. 
 
 No. 4. Place the palms upward and move the 
 arms stiffly up and down, then relax, and shake 
 the hands as if throwing drops of water on the 
 chest from the ends of the fingers. 
 
 No. 5. With the arms extended and hands 
 relaxed, turn the hands round and round, rotating 
 them lightly from the wrists, move them from 
 left to right, like the hands of a watch, then 
 from right to left. 
 
 No. 6. With the arms extended, hands re- 
 laxed, palms facing each other, shake them 
 easily up and down from the wrist somewhat as 
 in a gesture of warning or threatening. The 
 
THE WRIST 229 
 
 flexibility sought at the wrist must extend to 
 every joint of the fingers and thumbs during 
 these movements. 
 
 These exercises free the hands and fingers from 
 the control of the will ; the following serve to 
 control them upon demand : 
 
 No. 1. Hold the hands easily, palms up, close 
 the tips of the fingers around the tips of the 
 thumbs and expand the hands, keeping an equal 
 space between the fingers, then contract them as 
 before. Eepeat again and again, with all the 
 muscles energized. 
 
 No. 2. Hold the hands downward and out, the 
 palms upward. Make a tight fist, and holding 
 all the energy possible in the fingers and thumbs, 
 expand them to their fullest extent, keeping 
 every joint rigid and under full control. See 
 that an equal space is kept between the fingers. 
 Then contract the hands slowly, keeping them 
 fully energized into a tight fist, as before. 
 
 No. 3. Place the tips of the second and third 
 fingers against the tips of the thumbs, the fourth 
 and little fingers somewhat curved, and expand 
 the hands smoothly until they are wide but not 
 stiffly opened. Then close them with the same 
 flowing rhythmical motion, letting the energy 
 flow easily into joint after joint of the fingers, 
 
230 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 and preserving equality of spacing between the 
 fingers. 
 
 No. 4. Place the tip of each finger successively 
 against the tip of the thumb, and expand and 
 contract the two with as much muscular effort 
 as possible, paying no attention to the other fin- 
 gers. Nothing can be better for the education 
 into pliancy and lightness of an expressionless 
 and stiffened hand than these somewhat difficult 
 movements, which impart increasing ability to 
 express the lightest shade of thought. 
 
 Q. How is the hand divided for the purpose 
 of expression ? 
 
 A. Into the palm, back, edge, and thumb. 
 One of these is invariably presented in gesture ; 
 the forefinger is also to be considered. 
 
 Q. What does the palm express ? 
 
 A. Frankness and openness of character. It 
 reveals and affirms, gives and receives, holds and 
 carries, asserts and commands. 
 
 Q. What does the back of the hand express ? 
 
 A. Eepression, concealment, and negation ; as 
 " no," " never," " not at all." Eejection and 
 denial are always accompanied with the exposure 
 of the back of the hand, palm down. 
 
 Q. What does the edge of the hand express ? 
 
 A. The desire to define. It is used by persons 
 
THE WRIST 231 
 
 of determined and positive dispositions. It is 
 characteristic of persons of a legal mind. Some- 
 times one finger is used, sometimes two, three, or 
 the whole of one or both hands, the edge always 
 being presented first. In Jiu Jitsu, the Japanese 
 method of fighting, the edge of the hand is used 
 with even more effect than the Caucasian fist. 
 It is presented instinctively with a sweeping 
 movement of the arm to signify dismissal, to 
 open and clear the way, and is often expressive 
 beyond words in signifying entire dissension from 
 a plan under discussion. 
 
 With a movement of the arm returning to the 
 breast it signifies fear ; and self-protection, when 
 the elbow completes a gesture of defence. 
 
232 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE HAND 
 
 Question. What are the expressions of the 
 thumb ? 
 
 Answer. The prominent presentation of the 
 thumb is indicative of lack of education and of 
 self-assertiveness. 
 
 Q. Is the forefinger important in expression ? 
 
 A. Yes ; it leads the other fingers in gesture 
 and is used in threatening and in playful chiding. 
 It may be made as disagreeable by over-use as 
 habitual giggling or weeping. 
 
 Q. Is the fist important in expression ? 
 
 A. The clenched fists express the most violent 
 emotions called forth in heated argument, prep- 
 aration for making or resisting an assault, and 
 self-control under marked provocation. 
 
 Q. Give some suggestions for expression in 
 the hands. 
 
 A. No. 1. For denial and rejection, hold the 
 hand pendent from the wrist, bring it toward 
 the body, and with the palm outward give a 
 pushing movement away from the body. This 
 gesture may be reinforced or modified by 
 
THE HAND 233 
 
 movements of the head and trunk, as in the 
 following instance : 
 
 The situation takes place in the play " Mother 
 and Son," in which the boy has forged his mother's 
 name in order to secure valuable papers. He is 
 detected, and sues for pardon. The lamented 
 Madame Janauschek, as the mother rejecting 
 the too long delayed overtures of her son, turned 
 her head from him with the gesture of refusal 
 just indicated, and at the same moment moved 
 her torso — as the seat of the heart, or affections 
 — ■ toward him, signifying that while her intellect 
 refused to hold him guiltless, her mother's love 
 still yearned for and clung to him. 
 
 No. 2. For impatience and irritation, tap the 
 fingers on a table, the arm of a chair, your knee, 
 or any other object, or snap the fingers and thumb, 
 indicating impatience to the point of irritation. 
 This is often accompanied by a similar tapping 
 of the foot, a flashing of the eye, or the biting of 
 the lips. 
 
 No. 3. For concealment and deceit, the back 
 of the hand is presented, the palm being withheld 
 from observation. 
 
 No. 4. For disclosure, present the open palm. 
 
 No. 5. For inquiry, expand the fingers from 
 the thumb outward, and toward the object in 
 
234 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 question. Close the fingers toward the thumb 
 upon gaining the information. For example, a 
 band is heard playing in the street. You ask, 
 " What is coming ? " The weight is carried to 
 the foot in advance, the knee is bent, the eyes 
 are animated, and the hand is extended, palm 
 up, with the fingers opening. A circus parade 
 comes into view. " Oh, it 's the circus ! " The 
 body returns to its normal position, and the hand 
 closes itself lightly toward the thumb. 
 
 No. 6. For curiosity, point the forefinger with 
 a general distortion of the hand, accompanying 
 this by a tensing of the figure, a protrusion of 
 the lips, and a wide opening of the eyes. With 
 other similar extravagances of expression, this 
 attitude is denied harbor among persons of re- 
 finement, but falls naturally to the share of 
 the low comedians and clowns. 
 
 No. 7. For satisfaction, rub the palms to- 
 gether, which also expresses joyful anticipation. 
 
 No. 8. For support, hold the hand out, palm 
 upward. This relates to ideas as well as to 
 material things. For instance, a politician says, 
 both hands extended and palms upward, " Gentle- 
 men, I will support you in this matter through- 
 out this campaign." 
 No. 9. For surrender, extend your arm, hand 
 
THE HAND 235 
 
 closed and palm downward ; with a quick open- 
 ing of the hand, you surrender a material object. 
 This gesture of the hand is used in giving up 
 ideas as well. 
 
 No. 10. For malicious triumph, rub the palms 
 together excitedly, with a rigidity of the arm 
 and a cruel expression of the face. 
 
 No. 11. For affection, stroking and patting 
 with the hand is sometimes used as an accom- 
 paniment, of tender words. 
 
 No. 12. For forming an idea or plan, rub the 
 thumb in the palm of the hand, and over and 
 around the back of the half-closed fingers. 
 
 No. 13. For suspicion and detection, rub the 
 thumb gently over the tips of the fingers. In the 
 Louis XI of the late Sir Henry Irving, this 
 gesture was highly characteristic. 
 
 No. 14. For self-possession and power, fold the 
 fingers upon the palms, with the thumbs resting 
 at the side of the first finger. 
 
 No. 15. For self-assertiveness, carry the thumbs 
 upright. 
 
 No. 16. For struggle and resolution, press the 
 thumb closely across the tightly closed fingers. 
 
 No. 17. For exasperation, crook the first joint 
 of the fingers and thumbs toward the centre of 
 the palm. 
 
236 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 No. 18. For animation and attention, with the 
 palm outward straighten the fingers and hold the 
 thumb slightly apart. 
 
 No. 19. For vehemence, raise the hand tense 
 and energized, palm outward. 
 
 No. 20. For tender invitation, extend the open 
 hands, with the palms up and the ends of the 
 fingers slightly curved. This gesture is usually 
 accompanied by a reaction of the torso back from 
 the person invited. 
 
 No. 21. For indifference, hold the thumb in 
 the palm of the hand. 
 
 No. 22. To represent death, contract the thumb 
 strongly into the palm. The practice of these 
 attitudes together with such others as you may 
 reason out for yourself will be found to be the 
 most rapid method of deliverance from any mo- 
 notony of expression caused by habit and man- 
 nerism. These expressions of the hand are to be 
 combined with the suitable expressions and atti- 
 tudes of other parts of the body, practice being 
 urged until the coordinations are complete and 
 instinctive. The inevitable result will be not 
 merely to enlarge the sphere of expression, but to 
 give increased intellectual and emotional force to 
 the mind. 
 
THE ARMS 237 
 
 THE ARMS 
 
 Question. What is the use of the arms in 
 expression ? 
 
 Answer. They express various stages of emotion 
 and passion, widely dissimilar. These useful and 
 expressive limbs contain supple and smoothly 
 moving joints, at the shoulders, the elbows, and 
 the wrists, graceful movements flowing rhythmi- 
 cally from each succeeding joint to the other, the 
 wrist leading. By failure to use these articula- 
 tions, which are true speaking centres, you give 
 evidences of awkwardness. For instance, a little 
 boy pointing to a bird in a cherry tree, using his 
 arm as stiff and straight as a ruler, says, " Right 
 up there ! " 
 
 Q. Give some exercises to develop grace in 
 the arm ? 
 
 A. No. 1. Raise your right arm directly in 
 front of you, the hand drooping at the wrist, palm 
 downward, and let the wrist lead to right until 
 the arm is on a level with the shoulder. Reverse 
 the wrist and bring the arm back with control, 
 letting the movement flow through the articu- 
 lations of the arm. 
 
238 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Repeat with the left arm; then with both 
 arms at once. Continue these movements until 
 your arms lose all sense of stiffness. 
 
 The conspicuous action of the wrist, elbow, and 
 shoulder required in this exercise is not used in 
 gesture except as a burlesque. 
 
 No. 2. Standing in the normal position, raise 
 your right arm before you to a level with your 
 chest, your wrist leading ; then describe with the 
 hand and arm a series of figure-of-eight move- 
 ments, from centre to right, moving the arm as 
 far to the side as possible without elevating it 
 above the shoulders ; then dismissing the move- 
 ment with a slight rotary motion of the hand, 
 letting the arm fall easily to the side of the 
 body. Eepeat with the left arm, then with both 
 arms. 
 
 No. 3. Raise the arms until they point directly 
 upward, making the figure-of-eight movement as 
 before. 
 
 No. 4. Vary the preceding exercises by pre- 
 senting the edge cutting the figures with the sides 
 of the hand instead of the palm. 
 
 No. 5. Using the arms as in the foregoing ex- 
 ercises, on different planes, letting the hands carry 
 the arms in like movements, undulating like a 
 feather blowing in a slight current of air. These 
 
THE ARMS 239 
 
 exercises will give lightness, delicacy, and grace 
 to gestures, but are to be avoided as gestures in 
 themselves, since they are meaningless and may 
 become as objectionable as a persistent tremolo 
 in the voice. 
 
 No. 6. Extend the arms directly in front, the 
 wrist leading. Rotate the arm with the hand 
 passive until the palm is upward and the hand 
 still drooping. Energize both arm and hand. 
 Close the fingers in the hand, bend the wrist up- 
 ward as far as possible in rhythmical succession, 
 and follow with the elbow, raising this last until 
 the bent arm is level with the shoulder. There 
 unfold the elbow, wrist, and fingers in rhythmical 
 succession and return to the normal position. 
 Eepeat with left arm, then with both, until the 
 joints of the fingers, wrist, and elbow can be 
 closed and unfolded quickly and rhythmically in 
 any direction and in all attitudes. 
 
 No. 7. Raise the right arm straight out and 
 above the head as far as possible, leaving the hand 
 passive and inert. As the movement flows out 
 to the right, the weight is to be transferred to the 
 left leg and foot. Let the arm drop to the side. 
 Repeat with the left side and arm, letting the 
 weight flow rhythmically into the right leg and 
 foot. Then raise both arms as high as possible, 
 
240 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 keeping the arms under control as they are brought 
 down to the side, ending with little rotary move- 
 ments of the wrist and hand. 
 
 No. 8. Repeat the exercise with the right arm, 
 the left arm, and with both arms carried directly 
 in front to the highest point. Repeat with them 
 carried, obliquely forward. 
 
 In surrendering the arm from any outward or 
 upward position avoid carrying it back stiffly. 
 On the other hand, do not let it fall heavily with 
 a thud. It should be stretched as an elastic band 
 is stretched, and upon withdrawal of the will 
 should descend with elasticity. 
 
 No. 9. Repeat exercises No. 8 and No. 9, rais- 
 ing the hand to its highest possible point; then 
 reverse the wrist and bring the arm back to the 
 sides, under control, letting the movement flow 
 rhythmically through all the successive articula- 
 tions of the arm. 
 
 No. 10. Repeat these exercises, leading with 
 the upper arm rather than the wrist ; then with- 
 draw the energy from the arm, bringing it slowly 
 back to place. 
 
 Q. How are parallel movements made ? 
 
 A. In succession rhythmically, one agent of 
 expression leading and the rest following, ex- 
 cept in instances where you wish to describe, for 
 
THE ARMS 241 
 
 instance, a narrow path, when the movement of 
 both arms would be simultaneous. 
 
 Q. How are opposition movements made ? 
 
 A. Simultaneously, as if the movements sprang 
 from the same source and at the same instant. 
 
 Q. Why is this ? 
 
 A. One compensates the other to preserve the 
 balance. 
 
 Q. Give some exercises to perfect opposition 
 movement. 
 
 A. No. 1. Move the body to the right, raising 
 the right arm and with the motion of the body, 
 the wrist and ankle leading and the left arm 
 following. The head moves to the left in oppo- 
 sition. Then move to the right as the body moves 
 to the left. The right and left arms follow the 
 movement of the body. Repeat the exercises by 
 moving the body to the left, the head moving in 
 instant opposition as before, the left arm and then 
 the right following the movement of the body. 
 Repeat obliquely. 
 
 No. 2. Bend the body forward at the waist line, 
 letting the arms swing backward in opposition. 
 
 No. 3. Bend the head forward upon the chest, 
 raising the arms, wrists leading. As the head is 
 returned to its normal position, let the arms like- 
 wise drop back to place. 
 
 16 
 
242 THE AST OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 No. 4. Step forward from the normal position 
 strongly with the right foot, bending the knee, 
 raising the left arm forward obliquely and the 
 right arm backward obliquely from the sides. 
 Return to the normal position with an elastic 
 spring of the leg. Repeat, advancing the left 
 foot, moving the right arm forward obliquely, 
 and the left arm backward. Repeat these move- 
 ments until you are able to make them as fast as 
 they can be called out. 
 
 No. 5. Advance the right foot, carrying the 
 weight upon the right leg, and at the same mo- 
 ment raise the right arm in a spiral or twisted 
 movement inward to its utmost height, index 
 finger prominent. Return to the normal position. 
 
 Repeat by advancing the left leg and raising 
 the left arm. 
 
 No. 6. Kneel on the left knee, the left hand 
 on the breast and the right arm extended as in 
 appeal. Rise. Kneel on the right knee at the 
 same moment, clasping the hands in entreaty. 
 Rise. Kneel on the left knee, at the same mo- 
 ment extending both hands in supplication. 
 
 Repeat these exercises, first with one side and 
 then with the other until the movements are per- 
 fected and can be made at will. Kneel on both 
 knees, clasp both hands, extend the trunk and 
 
THE ARMS 243 
 
 arms forward, and finally drop on the face, using 
 the arms for protection as you fall. This should 
 be practised with care. It is well to have some 
 one hold your extended hands, thus helping you 
 to break your fall, until complete relaxation has 
 been acquired. 
 
 No. 7. Eaise the right arm, the wrist leading. 
 At the same moment lower the head upon the 
 breast. Carry the arm to the right, the wrist 
 still leading, at the same moment carrying the 
 lowered head to the left. Raise the left arm sim- 
 ilarly, and, as it rises, bring the head back to the 
 normal poise. Cross the hands upon the breast, 
 at the same moment lowering the head as before. 
 Stretch the arms out horizontally while raising 
 the head. At last, surrender the arms and let 
 them drop to the sides. Throughout see that 
 the movement flows rhythmically into the suc- 
 cessive articulations. 
 
 Repeat the exercise, reversing the movements. 
 
 In repose the arms fall lightly just in front of 
 the hip, one somewhat higher than the other. 
 They should never be permitted to hang in paral- 
 lel lines, as if the hands had weights attached. 
 
 Q. Give some significant attitudes of the arms. 
 
 A. No. 1. For subjection, carry the arms back 
 of the body, clasping the fingers tightly together. 
 
244 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 No. 2. For reflection, place the arms behind 
 the body with fingers lightly clasped ; lower the 
 head slightly. 
 
 No. 3. For exaltation, raise the arms forward 
 to their full height with the fingers and thumb 
 equally separated. 
 
 No. 4. In generous emotions, welcoming, 
 showing good will, and extending mercy, the 
 arms are extended horizontally at the sides or 
 directly forward. 
 
 No. 5. For suspense of will, as after an active 
 gesture and while waiting for a new impulse, 
 drop the hands lifelessly on the breast, pressing 
 the elbows to the sides. 
 
 No. 6. For resignation, cross the arms upon 
 the breast. 
 
 No. 7. For suppressed emotion, fold the arms 
 tightly upon the breast, raising the elbows. This 
 is seen in characterizations of Cassius in " Julius 
 Caesar." 
 
 No. 8. For self-assertion, boasting, insolence, 
 and disregard of others, the hands on the hips, 
 the arms akimbo. 
 
 No. 9. For passion, carry the arms forward, 
 palms down, the fingers extended widely and 
 stiffly, and the trunk moving backward in 
 opposition. 
 
THE ARMS 245 
 
 Practice of the transitions given tends to in- 
 duce the feeling or state of mind indicated, adds 
 grace to your body, putting your thoughts in 
 accord with these expressions and giving you 
 versatility and truth in gesture. 
 
246 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE LEGS AND FEET 
 
 Question. Where are the largest muscles in 
 the human body found? 
 
 Answer. In the thighs and calves of the leg. 
 
 Q. For what purpose are they constantly used ? 
 
 A. For walking, running, ascending ; descend- 
 ing, lifting, carrying, rising, and standing. 
 
 Q. What is the result of this constant use ? 
 
 A. The legs are found to be the most power- 
 ful means for expressing action and physical 
 strength. Used in conjunction with the head 
 and trunk, they go far toward conveying the 
 individuality. 
 
 Q. Give some exercises for elasticity in the 
 feet and legs. 
 
 A. No. 1. Stand with your heels together, 
 your feet forming a right angle ; rise slowly and 
 steadily on your toes to the highest point attain- 
 able, preserving an even balance. The move- 
 ment is performed almost imperceptibly. Lifting 
 your heels slightly, pivot on the balls of your 
 feet from right to left, then from left to right. 
 
 No. 2. Stand with your feet slightly apart, the 
 
THE LEGS AND FEET 247 
 
 weight resting equally on both feet; sway the 
 body slowly forward until its weight rests wholly 
 on the balls of the feet without lifting your heels 
 from the floor; then sway backward until the 
 weight rests entirely upon the heels, without 
 lifting your toes from the floor. 
 
 No. 3. Stand with your feet slightly apart, 
 the weight on both ; withdraw the weight slowly 
 from the left leg and place it entirely on the 
 right, your head following the direction of the 
 shifting weight and your trunk taking the oppo- 
 site direction; reverse the movement gradually, 
 withdrawing the weight from your right leg and 
 placing it on your left, moving the head and 
 trunk in opposition as before. 
 
 No. 4. Stand with your right foot advanced 
 and your head on a line with the toes of the 
 left, the weight resting equally on the feet; 
 gradually transfer the weight to the leg ad- 
 vanced until the weight is entirely borne by that 
 member, the feet remaining firm on the floor, the 
 knees and hips free and unstiffened, your head 
 following the direction of the weight, and the 
 trunk or torso moving in opposition as before. 
 Repeat the exercise with the left foot advanced. 
 
 No. 5. Stand with your feet slightly apart, the 
 weight on the soles of both. Gradually transfer 
 
248 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 the entire weight to the right foot ; then lift 
 the left foot and swing it in a circle forward and 
 around the right leg, the left leg swinging with- 
 out stiffness at hip and knee, your head following 
 the foot slightly and your torso moving in oppo- 
 sition. Transfer the weight to your left foot and 
 swing the right leg. Do not lose your balance. 
 
 No. 6. Stand with your right foot advanced, 
 your head on a line with the toes of the left, the 
 weight equally sustained by both feet; rotate 
 the body at tbe ankles, first to the right, then to 
 the left, as far as possible, the head turning in 
 opposition, leaving the weight equally distributed 
 between the feet. Repeat with the left foot ad- 
 vanced, the body moving in opposition as before. 
 
 No. 7. Stand with your heels together, your 
 feet forming a right angle ; keep your body and 
 head erect, and bend your knees as much as pos- 
 sible without lifting the heels from the floor or 
 losing your balance. 
 
 No. 8. Stand with your feet slightly apart at 
 the heel; take a step forward with a springy, 
 dancing movement, bending the knees and keep- 
 ing the upper part of the body in poise. Re- 
 turn to position and bend the knees, raising the 
 heels slightly as in waltzing, and marking time 
 rhythmically, as, one (forward right foot), two 
 
THE LEGS AND FEET 249 
 
 (back to place), three (forward right foot), four 
 (back to place). Kepeat movement with the 
 left foot. 
 
 Then take a step backward, one, two (forward 
 to place), three (backward right foot), four (for- 
 ward to place). Repeat the movement with the 
 left foot, and continue the exercise by taking a 
 step horizontally to the right side, swinging the 
 body easily around. Mark the time as before. 
 The entire exercise is completed in twenty-four 
 movements. 
 
250 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE COURTESY 
 
 Question. Describe the evolution of the 
 courtesy. 
 
 Answer. Standing with your feet slightly 
 apart at the heel, retire the right foot one step, 
 place the weight on the foot so retired and sink a 
 few inches at the knees, leaving the trunk and 
 head erect. Repeat the exercise several times, 
 sinking a few inches farther each time. At the 
 eighth movement the courtesy should be com- 
 plete, the body resting on the foot retired and 
 the head bowed. Repeat, retiring the left foot. 
 
 Q. What can you say of the movements in 
 these exercises? 
 
 A. They are sinuous, not angular; the mus- 
 cles are flexible, not stiffened, and the transitions 
 are thus accomplished with the suppleness of 
 feline grace. 
 
 Q. Does the practice of these exercises destroy 
 individuality ? 
 
 A. No ; there need be no fear that bringing 
 of your body into its normal poise and attaining 
 grace and freedom in motion will rob it of its 
 individual expression. 
 
THE COURTESY 2ol 
 
 Q. How does the attainment of physical poise 
 affect my mental attitude ? 
 
 A. The freedom imparted to your body by tbe 
 attainment of normal poise will find immediate 
 reflection in your mental attitude, producing a 
 satisfaction akin to that of being well and suit- 
 ably dressed. 
 
 Q. What should I do if the exercises seem 
 difficult? 
 
 A. If the exercises seem difficult, you must 
 remember that in the art of expression, as in all 
 art, the chief difficulties lie at the threshold of 
 the subject. 
 
 Q. What is the result of neglecting these 
 exercises ? 
 
 A. Neglect of these simple exercises leaves 
 you hampered in all your work. 
 
 Q. What mental conditions are expressed by 
 attitudes of the feet and legs ? 
 
 A. Repose, attention, indecision, suspense, 
 vitality, feebleness, respect, subservience, vehe- 
 mence, antagonism, exaltation, energy, reserve, 
 weariness, exhaustion, and idiocy. 
 
 Q. When do the feet and legs express repose ? 
 
 A. When one foot is a little in advance of the 
 other, the weight resting chiefly on the ball of 
 the back foot. 
 
252 THE ART OF SPEECH AXD DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. Attention? 
 
 A. When the weight rests on the advanced 
 foot, with the back leg relaxed. 
 
 Q. Indecision ? 
 
 A. When the weight is equally distributed 
 upon the feet, which are held lightly as in asking 
 the question, " Shall I go or shall I stay ? " The 
 intention to advance carries the weight upon the 
 forward foot, the intention to retreat brings it 
 back to the retired foot. 
 
 Q. Suspense ? 
 
 A. When the weight is carried on the foot 
 advanced, and the foot to the rear rests sideways. 
 
 Q. Vitality? 
 
 A. When you walk with the impelling force 
 from the thigh, in vigorous strides. 
 
 Q. Feebleness? 
 
 A. When the feet are a little apart, with the 
 toes on a line. Old people and children walk 
 this way. 
 
 Q. Subservience ? 
 
 A. When the heels are held closely together, 
 with the weight on the balls of both feet ; for ex- 
 ample, the common soldier before his officer, the 
 butler and valet before his master, and a man in 
 acknowledging an introduction to a woman. 
 
 Q. Vehemence ? 
 
THE COURTESY 253 
 
 A. When the muscles of the leg in advance 
 are tense, as if ready for action, and the knee is 
 bent. 
 
 Q. Antagonism or defiance ? 
 
 A. By withdrawing one foot backward and 
 standing rigidly with both knees unbent. 
 
 Q. Exaltation? 
 
 A. When the weight is entirely on the foot 
 advanced, and the leg behind remains at ease. 
 The raising of the heel of your back foot ex- 
 presses intensity, and the more pronounced the 
 feeling the hisrher the heel is raised. 
 
 Q. Energy in reserve ? 
 
 A. When the weight rests on your back leg 
 and your forward knee is somewhat bent. 
 Augustus St. Gaudens' statue of Lincoln at the 
 entrance of Lincoln Park, Chicago, is a good 
 illustration of this attitude. 
 
 Q. Weariness ? 
 
 A. Standing with the feet held widely apart 
 with the toes on a line. Standing or walking 
 with the body carried in this position also ex- 
 presses familiarity, vulgarity, bluster, pomposity, 
 dizziness, and intoxication. The distinction be- 
 tween these conditions is largely shown by the 
 expression on the face. 
 
 Q. Exhaustion? 
 
254 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. When the weight rests on your back foot 
 and the knee of it is bent while the forward leg 
 is held straight, it indicates exhaustion of energy- 
 tending to prostration and falling. 
 
 Q. Idiocy? 
 
 A. When the heels are apart and the toes 
 turned inward. 
 
 Q. Faintness ? 
 
 A. When both knees bend and weaken, letting 
 the body sink down, collapsing, finally falling 
 forward or backward. 
 
 These attitudes are typical and indicate com- 
 plicated states of mind, some with one element 
 predominant, some with another. They should 
 be practised and analyzed until they become 
 second nature, enabling you to express quickly 
 the slightest mental change. Your head moves 
 forward or backward with the leg upon which 
 the weight or tension rests, your trunk moving 
 in opposition to preserve your balance. 
 
HOW TO FALL 255 
 
 HOW TO FALL 
 
 Withdraw the energy and vitality from any 
 given portion of your body at the demand of 
 your will. Falling exercises require great care 
 in their performance before they can be done 
 with ease and safety. 
 
 Question. How do you fall backward ? 
 
 Answer. Let your whole weight rest on your 
 back leg and bend the knee of it as low as possible ; 
 withdraw the energy from your trunk by degrees, 
 rotating it toward the bent knee, the hip of which 
 is the first to touch the floor, the torso following, 
 succeeded by the head. The bent knee, in fact 
 the whole body, is then straightened without 
 rigidity. 
 
 Q. How do you fall forward ? 
 
 A. Your entire weight rests upon your foot in 
 advance ; bend the knee of it as far as possible. 
 "Withdraw the energy from the trunk, which 
 comes into contact with the floor, first, above 
 the knee so bent, succeeded by the head. Pro- 
 tect your face by the arm corresponding to the 
 knee in advance. Straighten your body without 
 rigidity. 
 
256 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. How should you rise from a fall on the 
 right side ? 
 
 A. Raise your body upon the left elbow with 
 the weight on right knee. Transfer the weight 
 to the left foot and spring lightly to the standing 
 position. It is well to acquire confidence in your 
 power to fall without personal injury by practis- 
 ing upon your own bed or some surface equally 
 pliable until you can fall without a sense of 
 fear. 
 
PART IV 
 
PART IV 
 
 OUR LANGUAGE 
 
 Question. What is speech ? 
 
 Answer. The faculty of uttering articulate 
 sounds or words. 
 
 Q. What is spoken language ? 
 
 A. It is a form of utterance peculiar to man, 
 the principal distinction between him and the 
 brute creation. 
 
 Q. Where did the language of civilized voices 
 originate ? 
 
 A. With the Aryan race. 
 
 Q. What is the meaning of the word Aryan ? 
 
 A. An ancient national name in Sanskrit, sig- 
 nifying " noble or honorable." 
 
 Q. Where was the Aryan language first 
 spoken ? 
 
 A. Probably in the eastern part of ancient 
 Persia. 
 
 Q. What is the supposed evolution of lan- 
 guage ? 
 
 A. In the beginning it consisted largely of 
 
260 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 signs ; later the people began to notice and dis- 
 tinguish between sounds ; finally these recognized 
 sounds were put into the form of words, then 
 words into sentences. 
 
 Q. How many words are used at the present 
 time in the English language ? 
 
 A. About four hundred thousand. 
 
 Q. How many words does an uneducated man 
 use? 
 
 A. A thousand or more. He may understand 
 several thousand. 
 
 Q. How many does a man of average culture 
 use? 
 
 A. Three or four thousand. 
 
 Q. How many do authors use ? 
 
 A. They use a much larger vocabulary. Mil- 
 ton used eight thousand; Shakespeare fifteen 
 thousand. You should add to your vocabulary 
 daily. 
 
 Q. In what way are changes in any spoken 
 language constantly made ? 
 
 A. Through the contribution to it which every 
 individual speaker born into the world makes. 
 
 Q. How many languages are spoken ? 
 
 A. From this point of view, the number of 
 languages is limited only by the number of speak- 
 ing people on the globe. 
 
OUR LANGUAGE 261 
 
 Q. What is the history of language on the 
 island of Great Britain ? 
 
 A. Celtic was the first language spoken in 
 Great Britain by the earliest historical inhab- 
 itants, the Celts, who formerly overran all west- 
 ern Europe. 
 
 Q. Where did the Celtic language originate ? 
 
 A. Celtic, Greek, and Latin, all originated 
 with the Pelasgians, a prehistoric race, who in- 
 habited Greece and the borders of the Medi- 
 terranean. 
 
 Q. What first influenced the Celtic language 
 in England ? 
 
 A. The language spoken by the invading 
 Romans under Julius Caesar 55 B. c. One hun- 
 dred years later, 45 A. d., Claudius conquered 
 the Celts, who finally became civilized and 
 adopted Latin, the language of the Romans. 
 When the Roman troops left England after four 
 hundred years and returned to Rome, the de- 
 scendants of the barbaric Celts, who had fled to 
 Scotland and Wales at the time of the Roman 
 conquest, came down upon the romanized Celts, 
 who were unable to cope with them and so called 
 to their help the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, Teu- 
 tonic tribes from Schleswig-Holstein in the north- 
 ern part of Germany, and from Jutland, now 
 
262 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 known as Denmark. These tribes conquered the 
 Romanized Celts, drove back the barbaric Celts to 
 Wales, succeeded in establishing themselves in 
 England and in driving the Romanized Celts to 
 Cornwall, the extreme western section of Eng- 
 land, where they dropped the Latin language, 
 adopting the Celtic, which they still continue 
 to use. 
 
 Q. Which of the Celtic languages are used 
 to-day ? 
 
 A. The Cymric, spoken in Wales ; Manx, 
 spoken in the Isle of Man ; Erse or Irish spoken 
 in Ireland ; Gaelic, spoken in the Highlands of 
 Scotland, and the Armorican or Breton, spoken 
 in Brittany. 
 
 Q. How did the Anglo-Saxon language origi- 
 nate? 
 
 A. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, on displac- 
 ing the Celts, eventually came to be called Anglo- 
 Saxons or English Saxons, to distinguish them 
 from the Saxons remaining in Germany. In the 
 sixth century the Anglo-Saxons were converted 
 to Christianity by St. Augustine, or Austin, who 
 came from Rome ; and as Latin was the spoken 
 and written language of the Church, a number 
 of Latin words were incorporated into the Anglo- 
 Saxon language ; for example : 
 
OUR LANGUAGE 263 
 
 Peace from Latin pax Saint from Latin sanctus 
 
 Temple " " templum Chalice " " calix 
 Nun " " nonna Tunic " " tunica 
 
 Q. What influence followed ? 
 
 A. In the ninth century the invasion of the 
 Danes produced a slight influence on the lan- 
 guage. Many names of places ending in "by" 
 came from the Danish; for instance, " Whitby." 
 
 Q. How was the language further influenced ? 
 
 A. By the coming of William the Conqueror 
 from Normandy, a province in the northern part 
 of France. The throne was said to have been 
 promised to William by Edward the Confessor. 
 The English contested the rights of William, 
 who finally conquered at the famous battle of 
 Hastings in 1066. 
 
 Q. What language did William bring into 
 England ? 
 
 A. The French spoken by him and his re- 
 tainers. In time Old English, sometimes called 
 Anglo-Saxon, combined with Norman French to 
 produce modern English. 
 
 Q. To what are the majority of English words 
 of Latin origin traceable ? 
 
 A. To the conquest of William. 
 
 Q. What form of French was spoken by 
 William and his retainers? 
 
264 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. An old French mixed with some Norse 
 words but largely derived from Latin. 
 
 Q. How did this derivation come about ? 
 
 A. The Komans under Julius Caesar conquered 
 France, then known as Gaul. These inhabitants 
 were of Celtic origin, and in adopting the Latin 
 language infused into it Gallic forms and words. 
 For instance, the Latin noun studium, meaning 
 " study," was changed in the Gallic tongue to 
 estude and later to etude. 
 
 Q. What is the English language as we find it 
 to-day ? 
 
 A. Philologically considered, it is a Teutonic 
 language made up of elements brought in by 
 Angles, Saxons, and Jutes from the northern 
 part of Germany and Denmark, plus a large 
 number of French words, about one third of the 
 whole, introduced through the Norman Con- 
 quest, plus some Danish words deposited at the 
 Danish invasion, plus a few Latin words infused 
 during the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to 
 Christianity, plus a few more Latin words that 
 found their way in at the Roman conquest of 
 Britain. Being a living tongue, contemporary 
 English bears little resemblance to Anglo-Saxon, 
 French, or to any of its minor components as 
 originally spoken. 
 
OUR LANGUAGE 265 
 
 Q. What place in England is credited as being 
 the birthplace of our language in its present 
 form? 
 
 A. Wessex. The Wessex family ruled over 
 Teutonic England in the tenth century, and the 
 Wessex dialect became the language of literature 
 as well as the spoken language of the common 
 people and of the Court. 
 
 Q. What succeeded the Wessex dialect ? 
 
 A. The Norman French brought in by William 
 the Conqueror in the eleventh century. 
 
 Q. How did this affect the Wessex dialect ? 
 
 A. It destroyed its supremacy and lost it its 
 name. 
 
 Q. What dialects were then spoken ? 
 
 A. The Southern, which was a descendant of 
 the Wessex ; the Northern and the Midland (mid- 
 dle land), which was the territory in or near the 
 Thames River and which was the seat of London. 
 These three provincial dialects had an equal 
 chance at that time of becoming the national 
 language. 
 
 Q. Was there a standard at that time ? 
 
 A. No; every one was free to speak and 
 write as he chose. Whenever a group of men 
 brought a village into prominence by their ef- 
 forts, the language there became a dialect, and 
 
266 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 the outlying regions were said to speak in a 
 degenerated language, which was called a patois 
 (pronounced pah twoh) . 
 
 Q. How did the Midland dialect gain the 
 ascendancy ? 
 
 A. London was the capital of England, as 
 well as the seat of the Court; furthermore 
 Chaucer, in using the Midland dialect as a me- 
 dium for his writings, fixed it as a national 
 language. 
 
 Q. What versions of the Bible have affected 
 our language ? 
 
 A. The translations from the Latin by John 
 Wycliffe about 1382, which spread the written 
 language among the peasants, and the version of 
 161L, which King James authorized to be made 
 by a commission selected from his bishops and 
 clergy. 
 
 Q. What other writers developed our language ? 
 
 A. All the great writers, including Marlowe, 
 Milton, and especially Shakespeare, whose tre- 
 mendous vocabulary has shown us the limitless 
 possibilities of our tongue ; and so, as civilization 
 has progressed, the dialect of London has grad- 
 ually been refined and enriched, until now it is 
 the mother tongue of millions and millions of 
 people scattered over the world. 
 
OUR LANGUAGE 267 
 
 Q. Is it likely that we shall ever have a uni- 
 versal language ? 
 
 A. Owing to the rapid increase of its use, we 
 are justified in hoping that the English language 
 will become a world language. 
 
 Q. Have any successful attempts been made to 
 create a world language? 
 
 A. Schley er, a German scholar, invented a 
 language called Volapuk, which failed of its 
 purpose, chiefly on account of its grammatical 
 complexity. 
 
 Esperanto, the invention of Dr. Zamenhof, now 
 occupies this experimental field, but its practica- 
 bility as a world language has yet to be proved. 
 Its distinguishing feature is that all the nouns 
 end in e, adjectives in a, the adverbs in e, and 
 the pronouns in i; it has a growing vocabulary. 
 
268 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 DICTIONARIES 
 
 Question. What dictionaries are regarded as 
 the best authorities on pronunciation at the 
 present time ? 
 
 Answer. In America the International Dic- 
 tionary and the Century Dictionary ; in England 
 Stormonth's Dictionary. In both countries the 
 New English Dictionary, the result of both 
 English and American scholarship, the larger 
 portion of which has been completed, is available 
 for use. 
 
 Q. When and by whom was the first pro- 
 nouncing dictionary compiled ? 
 
 A. In 1760, by Thomas Sheridan, the father 
 of the celebrated actor and dramatist, Richard 
 Brinsley Sheridan. 
 
 Q. How was Sheridan fitted for this self- 
 appointed task ? 
 
 A. He was a member of the best society in the 
 time of Queen Anne, the Augustan Age of our 
 literature, and had been educated by his father, 
 the close companion of Dean Swift. 
 
 Q. What other compilers of dictionaries were 
 there at about this period? 
 
DICTIONARIES 269 
 
 A. Nathan Bailey, 1721 ; Samuel Johnson, 
 1755; James Buchanan, 1757; William John- 
 ston, 1764 ; Ash, Perry, Barclay, and Kendrick, 
 between 1773 and 1775. Their lexicons, how- 
 ever, consisted merely of a list of words in which 
 the accented syllables were indicated. 
 
 Q. Who were Sheridan's important successors? 
 
 A. John Walker, 1791 ; James Knowles (Sher- 
 idan's nephew), about 1789-1840 ; Benjamin 
 Smart, 1836 ; Noah Webster, 1806, 1828, 1841 ;. 
 Joseph Worcester, 1830, 1846, 1860; Standard, 
 1890, 1893, 1894; International, 1890, 1904; 
 Imperial, 1904, 1906, 1907. The New English 
 Dictionary contains vastly more words than any 
 of the others, and a complete history of every 
 word in the language in all its uses from its 
 first introduction. 
 
 Q. Are there any dictionaries devoted to col- 
 loquialism or slang ? 
 
 A. Yes ; Barrere and Leland have compiled a 
 slang dictionary entitled " Slang, Jargon, and 
 Cant" (1888), and another is "Farmer's Slang 
 and its Analogues" (1890). 
 
270 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 PRONUNCIATION 
 
 Question. What characterizes good pronun- 
 ciation ? 
 
 Ansiver. Consistency. 
 
 Q. What is consistency ? 
 
 A. When applied to vocabulary, it means the 
 adherence to a uniform plane of speech instead 
 of jumping to extremes. For example, it is 
 ridiculous to hear an illiterate person with a 
 commonplace tone use flat a in dance, ask, after, 
 and in the same breath say literat-ure, cult-ure, 
 f urnit-ure ; it is like patching a calico dress with 
 a piece of velvet. 
 
 Q. What has spelling to do with pronunciation ? 
 
 A. Very little, especially in the English 
 language. 
 
 Q. Why is this? 
 
 A. Because of the unguarded addition of mute 
 consonants made by writers immediately preced- 
 ing Chaucer. 
 
 Q. What is the modern trend in spelling ? 
 
 A. To do away with superfluous letters that 
 make words difficult to spell as well as to 
 pronounce. 
 
PRONUNCIATION 271 
 
 Q. Give some examples. 
 
 A. Thot, thought ; enuf, enough ; tho, though; 
 thru, through. 
 
 Pronunciation is a matter of hearing, while 
 spelling is a matter of seeing. You should not 
 be too ready to adopt new forms either of pro- 
 nunciation or spelling. 
 
 Q. In what three ways do I make my appeal 
 to my fellow beings ? 
 
 A. Your personality is represented to the out- 
 side world through your dress, your bearing, and 
 your speech. 
 
 Q. What is the office of the first two ? 
 
 A. Dress and bearing make up the picture 
 which is yourself. 
 
 Q. What is the most intimate of the three 
 elements ? 
 
 A. Speech, which, while not entering into the 
 picture, is still the most intimate of the three, 
 and the one closest to the actuality. 
 
 Q. What effect has speech, as compared to 
 dress and bearing? 
 
 A. The most exquisite attire and the most 
 graceful bearing may have their effect wholly 
 destroyed by vulgar, harsh, uncultivated speech. 
 Too many Americans are satisfied with over- 
 coming deficiencies in every other respect, 
 
272 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 leaving the untutored and uncultivated tone, 
 voice, and accent of their earlier days to stand 
 for a personality in every other respect brought 
 into accord with the highest standard of civili- 
 zation. 
 
 Q. What is the relation between dress and 
 speech ? 
 
 A. Just as there is a loud and vulgar mode of 
 dressing and of bearing, so there is a loud and 
 vulgar mode of speech. 
 
 Q. To what may crudities of manner be 
 attributed ? 
 
 A. To natural awkwardness. 
 
 Q. What do vulgarity and loudness of speech 
 show? 
 
 A. Lack of early training, lack of acquaint- 
 ance with the people best worth knowing, lack 
 of opportunity for the best education. 
 
 Q. Have all nations a tone standard ? 
 
 A. Yes. The French, the Germans, the Ital- 
 ians, the English in particular; also the Occi- 
 dentals and Orientals, not excluding the Turks 
 and the Chinese. Unfortunately we as a nation 
 are as yet unconscious of a tone standard which 
 is the symbol of education and civility. 
 
 Q. Does this criticism apply to Americans of 
 high intellectual attainments ? 
 
PRONUNCIATION 273 
 
 A. Yes. Many Americans of this class speak 
 habitually as if they had been denied desirable 
 social intercourse. 
 
 Q. Should correct pronunciation be regarded 
 as an affectation ? 
 
 A. No. Democracy, prone to resent any as- 
 sumption of superiority on the part of its votaries, 
 sometimes finds pleasure in characterizing as 
 affectations any attempt to improve faulty habits 
 of speech. It is no more an affectation for an 
 observant person to learn to pronounce correctly, 
 in accord with the authority accepted as supreme, 
 than it is for one deficient in table manners to 
 learn the proper use of his knife and fork. 
 
 Q. Should a national pride prevail ? 
 
 A. Yes. It should be held that nothing is 
 too high, too near perfection for such a nation 
 as ours to aim at, and that nothing should stand 
 in the way of our taking a place among the 
 best, the greatest, and the most refined on earth. 
 
 Q. How is money spent along these lines ? 
 
 A. Millions of dollars are spent to teach chil- 
 dren to speak grammatically. The process should 
 be carried to the point where they should also 
 speak with precision and elegance. 
 
 Q. How does English differ from Latin, Greek, 
 and Hebrew? 
 
 18 
 
274 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 A. It is a living tongue continually growing, 
 expanding, outliving certain of its phases and 
 coming into new ones. Experience teaches us 
 to expect changes as well as to recognize and 
 adopt improvements in pronunciation. Differ- 
 ences in pronunciation between the older and 
 the younger generation are inevitable. 
 
 Q. What is pronunciation ? 
 
 A. The manner of uttering words and letters. 
 
 Q. Does tone enter into pronunciation ? 
 
 A. Yes ; tone is the basis of pronunciation, 
 as it is of all other branches of vocal expression. 
 
 Q. Do the differences in pronunciation apply 
 to nations as well as to individuals ? 
 
 A. Yes; the two great branches of the English- 
 speaking people, British and American, show cer- 
 tain differences of accent which tend to grow 
 more marked as time goes by. 
 
 Q. Is there a standard of pronunciation ? 
 
 A. Yes. 
 
 Q. What is it? 
 
 A. The present usage of literary and well- 
 bred society, and not the authority of any dic- 
 tionary or of any orthoepist. 
 
 Q. Where is the standard of pronunciation 
 found in England? 
 
 A. At Oxford and Cambridge. 
 
PRONUNCIATION 275 
 
 Q. In the United States ? 
 
 A. In those portions of the country which have 
 been longest occupied by the English-speaking 
 people. The Isle of Nantucket has long been 
 famous for good English. 
 
 Q. What should govern my pronunciation ? 
 
 A. You should not seek to conform to any 
 standard outside your own country. 
 
 Q. What English should be spoken in America ? 
 
 A. Cultivated English ; not necessarily Brit- 
 ish English. It will be remembered that Lord 
 Palmerston said of Daniel Webster in his prime, 
 " He is evidently a gentleman, though not an 
 English gentleman." 
 
276 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 ERRORS OF SPEECH 
 
 Question. What is grammar ? 
 
 Answer. The science and art of language. 
 
 Q. How are errors in language classified ? 
 
 A. Into colloquialisms, provincialisms, sole- 
 cisms, idioms, and dialects. 
 
 Q. What is a colloquialism ? 
 
 A. A word or phrase peculiar to the language 
 of familiar conversation but not admissible in 
 formal speech. 
 
 Q. Give some examples of colloquialisms. 
 
 A. " This is most aggravating ; " the correct 
 form is " This is most irritating." " I am going 
 to go," instead of merely " I am going." All 
 grammatical contractions; as, "He doesn't," 
 "Don't go out," " She'll be home soon." 
 
 Q. What is a provincialism ? 
 
 A. A word or phrase showing lack of polish 
 or enlightenment, which characterizes a province 
 as distinguished from the metropolis. Provin- 
 cialisms are confined to districts; colloquialisms 
 are not. 
 
 Q. Mention some provincialisms. 
 
ERRORS OF SPEECH 277 
 
 A. " Quite a few." This phrase is not admis- 
 sible even in conversation, being meaningless, as 
 " quite " means completely, and " few," a small 
 number. "I reckon I had better go." One 
 reckons numbers. 
 
 Q. Define an idiom. 
 
 A. An idiom is a form of speech which usually 
 cannot be parsed, but which nevertheless is ap- 
 proved by the usage of the language. Idioms 
 often have widely different significations from 
 the original word or phrase. Idioms are always 
 illogical. An idiom has a distinct advantage 
 over a solecism, which is approved by neither 
 grammarians nor speakers. 
 
 Q. Give a few idioms. 
 
 A. " I don't think one knows how many mis- 
 takes he makes." " I don't think " is one of the 
 corrupt idioms peculiar to the English language, 
 but which it would be difficult to set aside. "We 
 always think. " She walked up the aisle on her 
 father's arm." " She threw her eyes toward the 
 ceiling, then cast them upon the floor, and finally 
 rolled them all around the room." " I had bet- 
 ter," " I had rather," although it cannot be parsed, 
 is not only a fixed and ancient form approved by 
 good speakers, but modern substitutes like " I 
 would rather " often make nonsense. 
 
275 TEE ART OF SPEECB AXD DEPOBTXEXT 
 
 Q. What is a solecism ? 
 
 _i. A solecism is a word or phrase which is 
 not approved by either g rammarians or speakers. 
 A solecism is sometimes called a barbarism or vul- 
 garism, and is always rejected by persons of gooi 
 taste. Solecisms are found in the speech cf the 
 uneducated and are used only by careless writers. 
 
 Q. Name some vulgarisms. 
 
 A. "They done splendid," for c they did 
 welL" "Ton look like yon was happy." for 
 • ■ you look happy," "Whom did you say called ? " 
 for - who called ? " *■' Who is this letter for?" 
 instead of "For whom is this letter?" ■• I think 
 it was him," for " I think it was he." u Try and 
 come," instead of ~ try to come." ■■ I meant to 
 have written.'" for ••' I meant to write/' "I am 
 going to lay down," for " I am going to lie 
 down." *•' To lie '" means to recline. *■' To lay " 
 means to cause to lie. ™ I lay down yesterday " 
 means •'•' I was lying down." ~ I will lay the 
 book on the desk."" " I laid the child on the bed." 
 '■ He don't like it " should never be used, because 
 u don't " is a contraction of - do not " ; instead say 
 '•'He does not like it." ■■ I should if I was her "' 
 ought to be " I should if I were she." - I expect 
 that you did," for "I suppose that you dii." 
 - Her dress s::s well," not •■ her dress sets weTL" 
 
FJinom OF HPEECIl 279 
 
 "Bet" expresses action, "git" express inac- 
 tion, " You set a hen." " Somebody has left 
 his umbrella," not "somebody has left their um- 
 brella." "I don't hardly know what to say" 
 should be " f hardly know what to say." Also 
 say "I can hardly wait," instead of "I can't hardly 
 wait." "1 wish f were going," instead of "I 
 wish I was going." " These lessons will help me 
 a great deal," not " help me a lot." "I have fin- 
 ished my dinner," not " I am through my dinner." 
 " I would if i was her" should read "I would if 
 J ware she." 
 
 Q. What is the difference between " wish " and 
 " want " ? 
 
 A, "Want" implies a lack or need of some- 
 thing. You may " wish " for a thing, but not 
 necessarily want it or need it. A hungry man 
 wants food. The child needs punishment, he 
 does not want it. For instance, a mother says 
 to her son, " You want a good thrashing." " No, 
 T don't. 1 may need one, but I don't want it." 
 
 Q. What are synonyms ? 
 
 A. Words of like significance, but not exactly 
 similar. In a few cases the words were origi- 
 nally interchangeable in meaning; later they be- 
 came so nicely differentiated in meaning as to 
 cease to be synonymous. English, derived from 
 
280 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Anglo-Saxon and Xorman French, is peculiarly- 
 rich in word pairs taken from the two. 
 
 Q. Mention some synonyms. 
 
 A. "Invent" and "discover" are carelessly 
 used. Gutenberg invented printing in 1481; 
 Columbus discovered America. We apprehend 
 many writers that we cannot comprehend. We 
 may apprehend much in Hamlet without com- 
 prehending Shakespeare. You can instruct the 
 child in geography and grammar, but you can- 
 not educate without bringing moral and spiritual 
 forces to bear upon his mind and affections. 
 
 Q. Are slang phrases in good taste ? 
 
 A. Some are; but as a rule you should not 
 make use of contemporary slang. Slang phrases 
 are transient and often vulgar words arising from 
 local conditions. Sometimes, however, a slang 
 word is coined which supplies a real want, in 
 which case it often becomes incorporated into the 
 language. " Mob," for example, was once slang. 
 So was " quiz." " Fire," in the sense of put 
 out or discharge, has had the approval of TJie 
 Atlantic Monthly. 
 
 Q. Name some objectionable slang phrases. 
 
 A. "You'll get left"; "Meet you later"; 
 "Not on your life"; "You look stunning"; 
 " I propose to be on hand." 
 
ERRORS OF SPEECH 281 
 
 Q. Name other errors of speech. 
 
 A. " I am taking vocal," which stamps the 
 speaker as ignorant and shows a lack of vocabu- 
 lary. A better way would be " I am taking 
 singing lessons, or voice culture for singing or 
 reading." 
 
 "I am well posted" should not be used for 
 "I am well informed." 
 
 " The party told me I should find you." " The 
 party " is a legal expression, " the party of the 
 first part." "Party" also carries the idea of 
 numbers. You should say " Two or three per- 
 sons were thoro." 
 
 "I am very pleased to meet you " is not so 
 good English as "I am much pleased to meet 
 you," or merely " I am pleased to meet you." 
 
 "Try to find out" is right. "Try and find 
 out " is wrong. 
 
 A person dies " of," not " with," a disease. 
 
 The distinction between " speak " and " talk " 
 is often overlooked. A person may be able to 
 spoak a few words, but, because of lack of vo- 
 cabulary or lack of ability, be quite unable to 
 talk. 
 
 You should say " Fruit is wholesome," not 
 " healthy " ; " the child is healthy," and " the 
 climate is healthful." 
 
282 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPOBTMEXT 
 
 "I was raised in Connecticut" may be cor- 
 rected to read "I was brought up in Connecti- 
 cut," or " I was reared in Connecticut," which 
 implies a careful bringing up. "Raised" per- 
 tains to grain and cattle. 
 
 " Guess " in the sense of " think " is common- 
 place. "I think I shall" is better than "I 
 guess I will." 
 
 " It is apt to rain to-day " should be " It is 
 likely to rain to-day." The word "liable," 
 sometimes used in the sense of "likely," is 
 misleading. 
 
 "Propose" and "intend" should be carefully 
 distinguished. While you may " propose " a 
 name for a club, you may not say " I propose to 
 be there," but " I purpose being there " or " I 
 intend to be there." 
 
 " We are going to have company for dinner" 
 should be " We are going to have company at 
 dinner, — and chicken for dinner." 
 
 "I love ice cream." We love our family and 
 friends ; we like things to eat. 
 
 The word " only " is properly placed immedi- 
 ately before or immediately after the word, 
 phrase, or clause that it modifies; as, "I have 
 only two hours to stay," not " I only have two 
 hours to stay" ; " I invited her only yesterday" ; 
 
ERRORS OF SPEECH 283 
 
 " She sang only two songs " ; "I saw Mr. Smith 
 only," not " I only saw Mr. Smith." 
 
 You should not say " I hope that your friends 
 and yourself may be able to come," but " I hope 
 that you and your friends may be able to come." 
 
 It is better to say " I live in Chicago " than " I 
 live at Chicago," as the word " at " is used when 
 referring to a suburb or to a small hotel. 
 
 It is inaccurate to say "He has located in 
 Seattle " ; instead, say " He has settled in 
 Seattle." 
 
 " Elegant " and " splendid " should never be 
 used in connection with the word " dinner." 
 " Good " and " delicious " describe a dinner. 
 
 The correct response to " I am much obliged " 
 is " Not at all." It is a dismissal of the 
 obligation. 
 
 When you have occasion to leave the table 
 or room, you should say " Excuse me "; when, 
 through awkwardness, you have stepped upon 
 another's foot or gown, you should say " Pardon 
 me." An excuse made in due time will often ob- 
 viate the necessity of petitioning for pardon. 
 
 The distinction between " shall " and " will " is 
 that the latter denotes determination ; for exam- 
 ple, we say " Shall I be late for service ? " not 
 " Will I be late for service ? " 
 
2S4 THE ART OP SPEECH AXD DEPORTMEXT 
 
 " May, " one of the signs of the conditional, 
 means leave or permission, while " can " in the 
 same connection would show ability or power. A 
 child should not ask •'•' Can I go out to play," but 
 '■ May I go out to play ? " 
 
 Prepositions are often loosely used. '-'I am 
 going in town " should be "I am going to town 
 — when I get there I shall go into the art 
 gallery." 
 
 Never say " I am going to go." " I am going" 
 is sufficient. A distinction is made between the 
 forms " It is ten minutes to two " and '•" It is ten 
 minutes of two." "Of two - ' is British English. 
 
 You may call for " ice water," but " iced water " 
 is preferable. 
 
 Women are •"•' graduated " from a school or col- 
 lege ; they do not graduate. Our Alma Mater 
 confers the degree, or graduates us, we receiving 
 the honor of being graduated. 
 
 We confound the words " mutual " and " com- 
 mon." '• Mutual " is more properly used in the 
 sense of reciprocal. Things can be '•" mutual " be- 
 tween but two objects. One man who is a friend 
 of two others is their " common;' not their 
 " mutual " friend. 
 
 The promiscuous use of synonymes shows utter 
 thoughtlessness and disregard of the niceties of 
 
ERRORS OF SPEECH 2So 
 
 speech, as is the reiteration of adjectives, which 
 the following dialogue will illustrate: 
 
 Two young girls meet on the street. 
 
 ** "Why, Jessie, I did not expect to meet you. How 
 lorely ! " 
 
 They kiss. 
 
 fa Oh, perfectly splendid ! You look awfully swell. I 
 just came home last night."' 
 
 "* How lovely ! You had a splendid time ? " * 
 
 •• Oh, it was just gorgeous. We weut as far as the 
 Berkshires,*' 
 
 " Oh, how delightful ! " 
 
 u Yes, perfectly splendid. I rode on the engine." 
 
 " How gorgeous ! '* 
 
 u Yes. just grand ! You are coming to Bessie's this 
 evening?" 
 
 *• Oh. yes. It will be perfectly beautiful. You "re 
 coming?" 
 
 " Yes, indeed. How perfectly splendid ! *' 
 
 " Oh. yes _: just lovely. Good-bye. dear. 
 
 They kiss. 
 
 & Good-bye, if ear." 
 
 They kiss again. 
 
 As they walk away. •• O. Jessie ! When are you going 
 to commenee your reading lessons ? " 
 
 •• Yon must n't say • commence." Miss Grant tells us 
 to say • begin' instead of ' commenee." ** 
 
 And the listener wishes they had remembered 
 more of Miss Grant's instructions. 
 
KEY TO PRONUNCIATION 
 
KEY TO PRONUNCIATION 
 
 INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 
 
 Question. "What are diacritical marks ? 
 Atmcer. Points or marks used to distinguish 
 letters of similar form, but different in sound. 
 
 a (&+i) as in fate. 
 
 a as in survey (noun). 
 
 & as in care. 
 
 & as in fat. 
 
 a as in far. 
 
 a as in ask. 
 
 a as in final. 
 
 a as in fall. 
 
 e (1 + y) as in mete. 
 
 e as in evince. 
 
 g as in met. 
 
 e as in fern. 
 
 e as in absent. 
 
 I (a+ 1) as in time. 
 
 t as in idea. 
 
 1 as in pin. 
 
 I as in fir. 
 
 o (6+ 68) as in note. 
 
 6 as in morality. 
 
 6 as in orb. 
 
 8 as in not. 
 
 u (y + do) as in mute. 
 
 u as in actuate. 
 
 u as in rude. 
 
 n as in full. 
 
 u as in up. 
 
 u as in burn. 
 
 t as in pity. 
 
 55 (65 + w) as in food. 
 
 66 as in book. 
 
 ou (a+ 68) as in thou. 
 
 oi (6 + i) as in oil. 
 
 u, representing simply the 
 nasal tone (as in French or 
 Portuguese) of the pre- 
 ceding vowel; as in en- 
 semble (aJff-saN-b'I). 
 
 * (for voice-glide), as in able 
 (ab'l), eaten (etfn). 
 
 th as in thin, kith. 
 
 fh as in thy, hwit. 
 
 19 
 
290 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 WORDS COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED 
 
 Abdomen 
 Acacia 
 Accessory- 
 Acclimate 
 Acoustics 
 Adonis 
 Adult 
 
 Advertisement 
 After 
 Again 
 Alias 
 Alienate 
 Allopathist 
 Alma Mater 
 Alternate 
 Always 
 Amateur 
 Amen 
 America 
 Amiable 
 And 
 Ant 
 
 Aphrodite 
 Apparatus 
 Apparent 
 Appreciate 
 Asia 
 
 -do-, not ab- 
 not -cee-ah 
 
 -kli-, not akk- 
 -koo- preferred 
 not adonn- 
 not ad- 
 
 -ver-, not -tize- 
 not the a in apt 
 not -gain 
 not -ly-as 
 alyen-, not ali- 
 not aloe- wor-pathist 
 wot the a in father 
 not awl- 
 wot wuz 
 not -ture nor -cher 
 
 not a-mur- 
 not amya- nor ama- 
 not ahnd 
 not the a in eat 
 not -dite 
 not -rat- 
 -pa-, not -par- 
 wot -cie- 
 not a-zhi-a 
 
 Hb-do'me'n 
 
 a-ka'sha or a-ka'shl-a 
 
 ak-ses'stal 
 
 ak-kli'mftt 
 
 a-koos'tiks or a-kous- 
 
 a-do'nls 
 
 a-dfilt' 
 
 acUveVtlz-ment 
 
 aft'er 
 
 a-ggn' 
 
 n'lT-its 
 
 al'ygn-ftt 
 
 ai-18p'a-thtst 
 
 SI' ma ma'ter 
 
 aTter-n&t 
 
 al'wftz 
 
 ftm-a-tur' 
 
 a'men' or a'men' 
 
 a-mer'I-ka 
 
 a'ntf-a-b'l 
 
 and 
 
 ant 
 
 af-ro-di'te" 
 
 ftp-pa-ra'tus 
 
 ap-pa'rSnt 
 
 op-pre'sM-ftt 
 
 a'sM-a 
 
WORDS COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED 291 
 
 Ask 
 
 not awsk 
 
 ask 
 
 Aspirant 
 
 -pi-, not as- 
 
 Ss-pfrant 
 
 Association 
 
 
 Ss-so'si-arshun or 
 shi-arshun 
 
 Attache" 
 
 
 at-ta-sha' 
 
 Audacious 
 
 not -dash- 
 
 a-da'shus 
 
 Aunt 
 
 ahnt, not the a in cat ant 
 
 Automobile 
 
 -bil, not -bele 
 
 a-t6-mo-bil 
 
 Ave Maria 
 
 
 a'va ma-re'a 
 
 Aversion 
 
 -shun, not -zhun 
 
 a-ver'shun 
 
 Avoirdupois 
 
 -poise, not -poy 
 
 S-ver-du-poiz' 
 
 Awakening 
 
 -wake-, not -waken 
 
 ■ a-wak'ning 
 
 Axiom 
 
 not -yum 
 
 Sks'i-um 
 
 Ay (meaning yes) 
 
 liH 
 
 Aye (meaning 
 
 always) 
 
 a 
 
 Bade 
 
 bad, not bade 
 
 bSd 
 
 Balm 
 
 balim, not bamm 
 
 bam 
 
 Barrel 
 
 -el, not -ul 
 
 bar'rel 
 
 Basin 
 
 -in, not -un 
 
 ba'siD 
 
 Basket 
 
 not bass- 
 
 bas'kgt 
 
 Bas relief 
 
 bah-, not bas- 
 
 ba' re-lef ' 
 
 Baton 
 
 not -ton 
 
 bSt'un 
 
 Because 
 
 not -koz 
 
 be-kaz' 
 
 Bedstead 
 
 -sted, not -stid 
 
 bgd'stgd 
 
 Beelzebub 
 
 not beel- 
 
 be-61'ze-bub 
 
 Been 
 
 bene preferred 
 
 bin, or ben 
 
 Before 
 
 be-, wo* buh 
 
 be-f6r' 
 
 Begun 
 
 do. 
 
 be-gun' 
 
 Behind 
 
 do. 
 
 be-hind' 
 
 Beneath 
 
 -neeth, not -nethe 
 
 be-neth' 
 
 Bequeath 
 
 
 be-kwe£h' 
 
 Bestial 
 
 bes-, not be- 
 
 bSs'chal 
 
292 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Betroth 
 
 
 be-trofh' 
 
 Bicycle 
 
 -cy-, not -sick- 
 
 bi'si-k'l 
 
 Bird 
 
 not burd 
 
 berd 
 
 Blackguard 
 
 blag-, not black- 
 
 blag'gard 
 
 Blasphemous 
 
 not -phe- 
 
 blas'fe-mus 
 
 Boatswain 
 
 
 bot'swan; Ixi's'n, col- 
 loquial and nauti- 
 cal use 
 
 Boccaccio 
 
 
 b6k-ka'ch6 
 
 Boisterous 
 
 not -trous 
 
 bois'ter-us 
 
 Bomb 
 
 bom preferred 
 
 b8m or bum 
 
 Boudoir 
 
 not -doir 
 
 boo'dwa 
 
 Bouquet 
 
 not bo- 
 
 boo'ka' 
 
 Bravado 
 
 -vay-, not -vah- 
 
 bra-va'do 
 
 Breviary 
 
 bre-> not -vi- 
 
 bre'vi-a-ry 
 
 Bronchitis 
 
 not -ke- 
 
 brSn-ki'tis 
 
 Brooch 
 
 not bruche 
 
 broch 
 
 Brougham 
 
 never browam 
 
 broo'am or broom 
 
 Buddha 
 
 not budd- 
 
 bood'da 
 
 Buoyant 
 
 not boo- 
 
 bwoi'ant or boi'ant 
 
 Burlesque 
 
 -lesk, not bur- 
 
 bur-lSsk' 
 
 Byzantine 
 
 
 biz'an-tin 
 
 Calf 
 
 not caff 
 
 kaf 
 
 Calisthenics 
 
 
 kaMs-thenlks 
 
 Calm 
 
 
 kam 
 
 Cancel 
 
 -el, not -il nor -ul 
 
 kah'sel 
 
 Can't 
 
 
 kan't 
 
 Cant 
 
 
 kant 
 
 Cantatrice 
 
 
 kan-ta-tre'cha 
 
 Cause 
 
 
 kaz 
 
 Cellar 
 
 not suller 
 
 sei'ier 
 
 Chaperon not chap- nor -rone shap'er-on' 
 
WORDS COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED 
 
 293 
 
 Chastisement 
 
 chas-, not -tize- 
 
 ch as'Wz-ment 
 
 Chauffeur 
 
 not chaw- nor -fure sho'f fiY 
 
 Chicago 
 
 
 sM-ka'gi 
 
 Chiffonier 
 
 shif-fo-near 
 
 shYfJu-neY 
 
 Chiropodist 
 
 ki-, not chi- nor 
 cheer- 
 
 ki-r8p'6-dYst 
 
 Chivalrous 
 
 not -val- 
 
 shYVftl-rus 
 
 Ohockfull 
 
 not chuck- 
 
 chSk'fS&l 
 
 Choler 
 
 kol-, not ko- 
 
 kSl'Sr 
 
 Cholerio 
 
 
 koTSr-Ik 
 
 Chorus 
 
 ko-, not kor- 
 
 ko'r&s 
 
 Christian 
 
 
 krls'chan 
 
 Cincinnati 
 
 -nahty, not -natta 
 
 sln-sln-nii'tl 
 
 Civil 
 
 -il, not -ul 
 
 slv'tl 
 
 Clandestine 
 
 -des-, not klann- 
 
 klfi,n-d8s'tln 
 
 Cleanly (adj.) 
 
 klen-, not klene- 
 
 kien'iy 
 
 Cleanly (adv.) 
 
 kleno-, not klen- 
 
 klen'iy 
 
 Coffee 
 
 
 k8ffl 
 
 Column 
 
 never -yum 
 
 k81'um 
 
 Combatant 
 
 com-, not -bat- 
 
 k8m'bat-ant 
 
 Come 
 
 
 k&m 
 
 Commandant 
 
 -dant, not com- 
 
 k8m-mSn-dant' 
 
 Commendable 
 
 (in poetry sometimes k8m-m8nd'a-b'l 
 
 
 kom-) 
 
 
 Commodious 
 
 not commodjus 
 
 k8m-mo'dY-us 
 
 Communism 
 
 not -mu- 
 
 k8m'mli-nlzm 
 
 Comparable 
 
 com-, not -pare- 
 
 k8m'pa-ra-b'l 
 
 Compensate 
 
 coin-, not -pen- 
 
 k8m'pSn-sftt 
 
 Complex 
 
 com-, not -plex 
 
 k8m'pl8x 
 
 Comptroller 
 
 con-, not comp- 
 
 k8n-trol'l6r 
 
 Conoentrate 
 
 
 k8n'a8n-tr5t or 
 s8n' 
 
 Condolence 
 
 -do-, not con- 
 
 kfln-do'liuia 
 
294 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Confidant (noun) 
 
 Confident (adj.) 
 
 Confiscate 
 
 Conjure (to solemnly implore) 
 
 Conjure (to conjure up ; to invent) 
 
 Connoisseur not -soor 
 
 Conscientious -shi-, not cia 
 
 Consummate (adj.) 
 
 Consummate (verb) 
 
 kbn-fid-anf 
 
 kbn'fi-dent 
 
 kSn'fis-cit or kbn-fis' 
 
 kon-jur' 
 
 kun'jur 
 
 kSn'nis'sur' 
 
 kSn'shi-en-shus 
 
 kSn-sum'St 
 
 kbn'sum-at or kSn- 
 
 sum' 
 kSn'tem-plat 
 kSn-tentf 
 k5n-tenf 
 
 Contemplate con-, not -tem- 
 Content (adj. and verb) 
 Content (noun meaning content- 
 ment) 
 Content (noun meaning something kSn-tentf or kbn'tent 
 contained) 
 
 not -yunt 
 cor-, not co- 
 -po-, not cor- 
 
 Convenient 
 
 Coral 
 
 Corporeal 
 
 Correspond 
 
 Cortege 
 
 Cough 
 
 Coupon not kew- 
 
 Courtesy (a civility) 
 
 Courtesy (a bow) 
 
 Coyote 
 
 Creek not krick 
 
 Culinary not kul- 
 
 Cynosure cy-, not cyn- 
 
 kSn-ven'yent 
 
 k6r'al 
 
 k6r-po're-al 
 
 kSr're-spSnd 
 
 kQr'tazh' 
 
 kaf 
 
 koo'pon 
 
 kur'tS-sy 
 
 kurt'sy 
 
 ki-o'te or ki-ot' 
 
 krek 
 
 kuli-nst-ry 
 
 sl'no-shur 
 
 Note. Many words beginning with hard c are wrongly pro- 
 nounced with an initial coughing sound. Care should be taken to 
 avoid this. 
 
WORDS COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED 
 
 295 
 
 Debutante 
 
 Decade 
 
 Deficit 
 
 Demoniacal 
 
 Demonstrate 
 
 Denouement 
 
 Depot 
 
 Derby 
 
 Despicable 
 
 Detail (noim) 
 
 Detail (verb) 
 
 Devastate 
 
 Devil 
 
 Dexterous 
 
 Dilettante 
 
 Disputant 
 
 Dissoluble 
 
 Docile 
 
 day-, not deb- 
 dek-, not decayed 
 def-, not -fic- 
 -ni-, not -mo- 
 not -mon- 
 day-, not de- 
 day-po (station pre- 
 ferred) 
 darby in England 
 des-, not -pick- 
 de-, not -tail 
 -tail, not de- 
 dev-, not -vas- 
 not -il 
 
 not dextrous 
 -tantay, not -tant 
 dis-, not -pu- 
 dis-, not -sol- 
 dos-, not do- 
 not ur- 
 
 Early 
 
 E'er 
 
 Ere 
 
 Egregious 
 
 Either 
 
 Elm 
 
 Empyrean 
 
 English 
 
 Enlighten 
 
 Envelop (verb) 
 
 Envelope (noun) 
 
 Epitome not ep-, not -tome 
 
 Epoch ep-ok preferred 
 
 egree- 
 
 eether preferred 
 not el-um 
 not -py- 
 
 ingglish 
 
 da'boo-tant 
 
 deVid 
 
 dSfl-stt 
 
 dem-6-nra-kal 
 
 dSm'<jn-strat 
 
 di'noo-mang 
 
 da'po' 
 
 dei-Try" 
 
 dSs'pi-ka-b'l 
 
 de'tal 
 
 de-tal' 
 
 dfeVas-tat 
 
 dfeVl 
 
 dSks'ter-fis 
 
 dil-gt-tan't4 
 
 dis'pu-tant 
 
 d&'sol-u-b'l 
 
 doVil 
 
 Sri? 
 
 ar 
 
 ar 
 
 e-gre'jus 
 
 e'ther or I'ther 
 
 elm' 
 
 em-pi-re'an 
 
 ing'glfeh 
 
 en-lit'n 
 
 Sn-vel'op 
 
 en'vS-lop or an'vel-op 
 
 e-ptfo-ml 
 
 ep'ok or e'pSk 
 
296 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Evil 
 
 evl, not -vil 
 
 ev'l 
 
 Expurgate 
 
 
 eks'pur-gat or 
 pur'gat 
 
 Exquisite 
 
 never -kwis- 
 
 fe'ks'kwi-zit 
 
 Extant 
 
 never -tant 
 
 Sks'tant 
 
 Extirpate 
 
 not -tur- 
 
 eks'tir-pat 
 
 Extraordinary 
 
 • extror-, not -tra-or- 
 
 ■ ex-trSr'di-na-ry 
 
 Facade 
 
 not -sayd 
 
 fa'sad' 
 
 Fancy 
 
 fan-, not fahn- nor 
 fawn- 
 
 fan'si 
 
 Father 
 
 -er, not -ur 
 
 fa'th§r 
 
 Faucet 
 
 faw-, not fass- 
 
 fa'sgt 
 
 Fellow 
 
 never -ler, or -leh 
 
 Mb 
 
 Finance 
 
 fin-, not fi- 
 
 fi-nans' 
 
 Financier 
 
 rm-, not fi- 
 
 fin-an-BeV 
 
 Florist 
 
 flow-, not flor- 
 
 flo'rist 
 
 For 
 
 -or, not -er 
 
 for 
 
 Forest 
 
 not far- 
 
 f&r'gst 
 
 Fortune 
 
 -tune, not -chun 
 
 fSr'tun 
 
 Fountain 
 
 not -tenn 
 
 foun'tan or -tin 
 
 From 
 
 -om, not -um 
 
 from 
 
 Furniture 
 
 -ture, not -cher 
 
 fur'ni-tftr 
 
 Gallant (brave 
 
 ) 
 
 gallant 
 
 Gallant (polite) 
 
 gal-lant' 
 
 Gaud 
 
 not god nor gahd 
 
 gad 
 
 Gaunt 
 
 not gawnt 
 
 gant 
 
 Giotto 
 
 not jee-otto 
 
 jot'to 
 
 Girl 
 
 not gurl 
 
 ggrl 
 
 Gladiolus 
 
 -i-, not -o- 
 
 glaa-l'6-lus 
 
 God 
 
 not gawd nor gahd 
 
 gSd 
 
 Gondola 
 
 gon-, not -do- 
 
 gbn'do-la 
 
WORDS COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED 
 
 297 
 
 Gounod 
 
 not goo-nod 
 
 goo'no 
 
 Government 
 
 -ment, not -munt 
 
 guv'§rn-m6nt 
 
 Grievous 
 
 not gre-vi-ous 
 
 greVus 
 
 Hair 
 
 not hay-er 
 
 har 
 
 Half 
 
 haaf, not haff 
 
 haf 
 
 Hand 
 
 not hond 
 
 hSnd 
 
 Hasten 
 
 -en, not -ten 
 
 has'n 
 
 Have 
 
 not hev 
 
 hav 
 
 Heaven 
 
 not hev-ven 
 
 heVn 
 
 Heinous 
 
 hay, not he- nor hi- 
 
 ha'nus 
 
 Her 
 
 not hur 
 
 h@r 
 
 Hilarious 
 
 -lay-, not -larr- 
 
 hi-la'rf-us 
 
 History 
 
 not histry 
 
 his'to-ry 
 
 Homeopathist 
 
 -opp-, not -path- 
 
 ho-me'-op'a-thist 
 
 Horizon 
 
 -ri-, not horr- 
 
 ho-ri'zun 
 
 Hospitable 
 
 hos-, not -pit- 
 
 hbs'pi-ta-b'l 
 
 Hostile 
 
 — till, not -tile 
 
 hSs'til ' 
 
 Humble 
 
 hum-, not umm- 
 
 hum'b'l 
 
 Humor 
 
 never yu-mer 
 
 hu'm§r 
 
 Hydrangea 
 
 not hy-der-an-ja 
 
 hi-dran'je-a 
 
 Hymeneal 
 
 -nee-, not -mee- 
 
 hi-me-ne'al 
 
 Ignoble 
 
 -no-, not ig- 
 
 ig-no'b'l 
 
 Ignoramus 
 
 -ray-, not -rah- 
 
 ig-no-ra'mus 
 
 Illustrate 
 
 -lus-, not il- 
 
 ll-lus'tr&t 
 
 Image 
 
 -age, not -uj nor -i; 
 
 i im'aj 
 
 Imitate 
 
 not immuh-tate 
 
 lm'i-t&t 
 
 Immediately 
 
 not im-me-jut-ly 
 
 lm-me'di-St-ly" 
 
 Incomparable 
 
 -kom-, not -pare- 
 
 ln-kbm'pa-ra-b'l 
 
 Indecorous 
 
 -ko-, not -dekk- 
 
 ln-de-ko'rus 
 
 Indefatigable 
 
 
 in-de-fat'i-ga-b'l 
 
 Indisputable 
 
 -dis-, not -pu- 
 
 in-dis'pii-ta-b'1 
 
298 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Inquiry 
 
 Interesting 
 
 Invariably 
 
 Inveigle 
 
 Irrevocable 
 
 -qui-, not in- 
 in-, not -rest- 
 not in-va-ra-bly 
 not invay- 
 -rev-, not -voke 
 
 in-kwir'y' 
 
 in'ter-es-ting 
 
 in-va'ri-a-bly' 
 
 in-ve'g'l' 
 
 lr-rSv'o-ka-b'l 
 
 There are only six words in which i is silent before a terminal 
 nor/: " The evil and the Devil put a weevil and a raisin in 
 a basin for your cousin." 
 
 Lamentable 
 
 Latent 
 
 Latin 
 
 Laugh 
 
 Launch 
 
 Laundered 
 
 Laundry 
 
 Legend 
 
 Leicester 
 
 Leisure 
 
 Lenient 
 Literature 
 
 Little 
 
 Love 
 
 Lovely 
 
 lam-, never -ment- 
 not -unt 
 not lat-un 
 not lafE 
 not lawnch 
 not lawn- 
 do. 
 
 never lee-ces-ter 
 {Poetical license 
 
 grants lezfwwre to 
 never leen-yant 
 -ture, not -chure 
 
 nor -toor 
 not -ul 
 luv 
 luv-ly 
 
 Lowering (threatening) 
 
 Lowing 
 
 Lyceum -see-, not ly- 
 
 Man 
 
 Martin 
 
 Master 
 
 not mahn 
 -tin, not -tun 
 a as in ah 
 
 lSm'en-ta-bl 
 
 la'tent 
 
 L&t/in 
 
 laf 
 
 l'anch 
 
 lan'dSrd 
 
 Utn'dry' 
 
 lgj'end or le'jSnd 
 
 16s'tSr 
 
 le'zhur 
 
 rhyme with pleasure.) 
 
 le'ni-gnt 
 
 lit'Sr-a-tur 
 
 litft'l 
 
 luv 
 
 luv'ly 
 
 lou'Sr-ing 
 
 16'ing 
 
 lt-se'um 
 
 man 
 
 m'ar'tin 
 
 mas'tSr 
 
WORDS COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED 299 
 
 Matron 
 
 ma-, not mat- 
 
 ma'trun 
 
 Mediocre 
 
 
 m6-dif-o'kSr 
 
 Melancholy 
 
 -kol-, not -kole- 
 
 m§l'an-kbl-y- 
 
 Melodic 
 
 not -lo- 
 
 mB-lSd'Ik 
 
 Mendelssohn 
 
 mendelsone 
 
 mSn-dfel-son' 
 
 Mighty 
 
 
 miff 
 
 Mischievous 
 
 mis-, not -cheev- 
 
 nils'che-vus 
 
 Misconstrue 
 
 -con-, not -stroo 
 
 mls-kbn'stroO 
 
 More (an increase) not moe-er 
 
 mor 
 
 Mother 
 
 not -ur 
 
 mfith'Sr 
 
 Museum 
 
 •zee-, not muse- 
 
 mu-ze'um 
 
 National 
 
 nash-, not na- 
 
 nSsh'un-al 
 
 Nausea 
 
 not -eee-ah 
 
 na'shl-a, or sha 
 
 Neither 
 
 
 ne'ther or ni'thSr 
 
 Often 
 
 never of-ten 
 
 8f'n 
 
 Onyx 
 
 not on- 
 
 o'nlks 
 
 Opal 
 
 not -pul 
 
 o'pal 
 
 Opponent 
 
 -po-, not opp- 
 
 Sp-po'nent 
 
 Orgies 
 
 not g as in go 
 
 fir'jez 
 
 Pageant 
 
 
 pSj'ent 
 
 Palm 
 
 not pamm 
 
 p'am 
 
 Pantomime 
 
 not -mine 
 
 pSn't6-mim 
 
 Parent 
 
 not pay- 
 
 pa/Snt 
 
 Paris 
 
 -is, not -us 
 
 par-Is 
 
 Parisienne 
 
 not -zhun 
 
 pa-re'zS-Sn' 
 
 Past 
 
 a as in ah 
 
 past 
 
 Path 
 
 do. 
 
 path 
 
 Patois 
 
 not pat- 
 
 pa'twU' 
 
 Patriot 
 
 do. 
 
 pa'trl-9t 
 
300 THE ART Of SPEECH AMD 
 
 Pasron mat pat- 
 
 Perfect («#-) per* a* par- perfect 
 
 Perfect («w») perfect *r pe*JgctT 
 
 Perfume (terf) perfim' 
 
 Perfume (*m«) perfmm ar p£r£u»' 
 
 Pilgrim aaT-gram pSTgrim 
 
 Pitiful art pit-uh-ful p9f*finl 
 
 Pbeud(amm)M#pmy- pliiinT wpKk»d 
 
 Pkewd(«r*) da pUtrirf' 
 
 Poem art pome poem 
 
 Poignancy an«rpo%- poinsn-er 
 
 Pan aid aripim- pm^oi 
 
 Potent art -Sunt potent 
 
 Preface preS> art pie- prefis 
 
 Prelude (a**a) «#■ pre- prel'M 
 
 Prelude (»i) do, pre4ud" 
 
 Pietiy artpmt- prft'tr 
 
 Profile art-fill ptoM«rproffl 
 
 Promenade m 
 
 Quarrel art quad kwfirrel 
 
 Quay bee, art kaaj ke 
 
 Quiet -et. art -at kwi& 
 
 artkmneen kvTnm 
 
 Rather(te 
 
 rkipme «*£i fmtier) 
 art raftb- 
 
 lilh'er 
 
 Beeess 
 
 anvrre- 
 
 resfe' 
 
 Reservoir 
 
 art-ror 
 
 ierfe*-vwan* 
 
 Respite 
 
 -pit, art -fife 
 
 x&plfc 
 
 KeTeille 
 
 
 re'val^a#irre-vaTy6 
 
 Revenue 
 
 tmr-amj-fai-n 
 
 iieVeMii 
 
 - 
 
 JuMMw08piafV 
 
 
WORDS COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED 301 
 
 Rhythm 
 
 
 rifh'm 
 
 Rise (verb) 
 
 
 riz 
 
 Rise (noun) 
 
 
 ris or riz 
 
 Robustious 
 
 not -ty-us 
 
 ro-bus'chus 
 
 Romance 
 
 not ro- 
 
 ro-mans' 
 
 Sagacious 
 
 not -gash- 
 
 sa-ga'shus 
 
 Satin 
 
 -in, not -en 
 
 sit'in 
 
 Satisfy 
 
 -tis-, not -tus- 
 
 sSfis-fy 
 
 Sedative 
 
 not -day- 
 
 secl'a-tiv 
 
 Shekel 
 
 not sheekel 
 
 shek'l 
 
 Shone 
 
 not -own 
 
 shbn 
 
 Simile 
 
 
 sim l-le 
 
 Sleek 
 
 not slick 
 
 slek 
 
 Slough (verb) 
 
 
 sluf 
 
 Slough (noun) 
 
 
 slou or sloo 
 
 Snout 
 
 not snoot 
 
 snout 
 
 Sociability 
 
 not soshe- 
 
 so-sha-bil'i-ty 
 
 Soiree 
 
 
 swa-ra' 
 
 Solace 
 
 not so- 
 
 soTas 
 
 Solecism 
 
 not sole- 
 
 sbl'S-sizm 
 
 Soprano 
 
 not sup- 
 
 so-pra'no 
 
 Sovereign 
 
 suv-, not sov- 
 
 suv'ran 
 
 Species 
 
 
 spe'shez 
 
 Squalor 
 
 not skwollor 
 
 skwa'lor 
 
 Stomach 
 
 not -ik nor -uk 
 
 stfim'ak 
 
 Subtile 
 
 
 sub'til or sutfil 
 
 Subtle (delicate distinction) 
 
 sut'l 
 
 Suburban 
 
 sub-, not soo- 
 
 sub-ur'ban 
 
 Sudden 
 
 -en, not -in 
 
 sud'd&i 
 
 Suggest 
 
 
 sug-jSst' or sud-jest' 
 
 Suitor 
 
 not sootor 
 
 sut'er 
 
 Superfluous 
 
 not -flu- 
 
 su-p@r'flu-us 
 
302 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Task 
 
 tahsk 
 
 task 
 
 Tears 
 
 don't roll the r 
 
 terz 
 
 Tedious 
 
 
 te'di-us or ted'yus 
 
 Telegraphy 
 
 -leg-, not tell- 
 
 tg-lgg'ra-fy 
 
 Tenacious 
 
 not -nash- 
 
 tg-na'shus 
 
 Thanksgiving 
 
 
 thangks'giv-ing 
 
 Tiny 
 
 not teeny 
 
 fi'ny 
 
 Toward 
 
 not to-waard 
 
 to'grd 
 
 Towel 
 
 not towle nor -ul 
 
 tou'gl 
 
 Tremendous 
 
 not tremenjus 
 
 tre-mgn-dus 
 
 Turquoise 
 
 terkoiz 
 
 tiir'koiz 
 
 Use (noun) 
 
 yoos 
 
 us 
 
 Use (verb) 
 
 yooz 
 
 uz 
 
 Used 
 
 yoozd, not yoost 
 
 uzd 
 
 Vagaries 
 
 not vay- 
 
 va-ga'riz 
 
 Vase 
 
 vahz preferred 
 
 vaz or vaz 
 
 Vast 
 
 a as in ah 
 
 vast 
 
 Vaudeville 
 
 never vawd- nor 
 vo-de-vil 
 
 vod'vil' 
 
 Vivacious 
 
 not -vash- 
 
 vi-va'shus 
 
 Waft 
 
 
 waft 
 
 Wainscot 
 
 not -cote 
 
 wan'skot 
 
 Waistcoat 
 
 
 was'kot ; eolloq. 
 wgs'kut 
 
 Wan 
 
 
 w8n 
 
 Won 
 
 
 wun 
 
 Was 
 
 not wuz 
 
 wSz 
 
 Were 
 
 not ware 
 
 wgr 
 
 When 
 
 not wenn 
 
 hwgn 
 
WORDS COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED 303 
 
 Wind (air in motion) 
 
 wind; in poetry and 
 
 
 singing often wind 
 
 White not wite 
 
 hwit 
 
 Wonder 
 
 wbn'dSr 
 
 Won't not wun't 
 
 wont 
 
 Wont (habituated) 
 
 wiint 
 
 Wound (a hurt or injury) 
 
 woond or wound 
 
 Wrath 
 
 rath 
 
 Wroth 
 
 rath 
 
 Years don't roll the r 
 
 yera 
 
 Yours not yores 
 
 urz 
 
 G. Bernard Shaw emphasizes the importance 
 of clear and correct pronunciation in his charge 
 to young people in one of his essays: 
 
 " To our young people studying for the stage I say, 
 with all solemnity, learn how to pronounce the English 
 alphabet clearly and beautifully from some person who 
 is at once an artist and a phonetic expert. And then 
 leave blank verse patiently alone until you have ex- 
 perienced emotion deep enough to crave for poetic 
 expression, at which point verse will seem an absolutely 
 natural and real form of speech to you. Meanwhile, if 
 any pedant, with an uncultivated heart and a theoretic 
 ear, proposes to teach you to recite, send instantly for 
 the police." 
 
 And Richard Monckton Milnes, Lord Hough- 
 ton, left a solemn injunction to Americans in 
 these impressive lines: 
 
804 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Beyond the vague Atlantic deep, 
 Far as the farthest prairies sweep, 
 Where forest-glooms the nerve appall 
 Where burns the radiant Western fall, 
 One duty lies on old and young, — 
 With filial piety to guard, 
 As on its greenest native sward, 
 The glory of the English tongue. 
 That ample speech ! That subtle speech I 
 Apt for the need of all and each : 
 Strong to endure, yet prompt to bend 
 Wherever human feelings tend. 
 Preserve its force — expand its powers ; 
 And through the maze of civic life, 
 In Letters, Commerce, even in Strife, 
 Forget not it is yours and ours. 
 
FOREIGN PHRASES 305 
 
 FOREIGN PHRASES 
 
 Question. Should I use foreign words or 
 phrases ? 
 
 Answer. Yes, if you are sure that you under- 
 stand the meaning of them and pronounce them 
 correctly and are equally sure that your listeners 
 are familiar with them. I recall an amusing in- 
 stance of a failure to observe this rule. A man 
 speaking confidentially to another wished to say, 
 " This is enire nous " (between ourselves). What 
 he did say was " This is uUra vous " (beyond 
 you). A good rule in regard to foreign phrases 
 is to use them only when there is no English 
 equivalent. French has of late, however, become 
 so integral a part of English education that the 
 use of French phrases in conversation, or even 
 in formal speech, is no longer regarded as an 
 affectation. 
 
 Q. Name some foreign words and phrases 
 which I should know. 
 
 A. The following, with their literal English 
 
 definitions, are among the most important. The 
 
 pronunciation is also given, but is correct only in 
 
 20 
 
306 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 so far as the English alphabet can represent the vari- 
 ous foreign sounds, and in many cases is merely 
 approximate, indicating the use of sounds not in 
 English. 
 
 Adieu 
 
 a-dyuh 
 
 A final farewell 
 
 Ad infinitum 
 
 ad ln-fin-i'tum 
 
 Without end 
 
 Aide-de-camp 
 
 ad-duh-kahng 
 
 A general's assistant 
 
 \ 
 
 
 in the army 
 
 A propos 
 
 ah-pro-po 
 
 Opportune; to the 
 purpose 
 
 Auf wiedersehen auf ve-dSr-zan 
 
 Till we meet again 
 
 Au revoir 
 
 o-ruh-vwa 
 
 Tillournextmeeting 
 
 Belles lettres 
 
 bel-lgtr' 
 
 Polite or elegant 
 literature 
 
 Billet-doux 
 
 be-ya-doo 
 
 A little love-letter 
 
 Bon mot 
 
 bong-mo 
 
 A clever or witty 
 saying 
 
 Bon ton 
 
 bong-t^ng 
 
 Polite or fashionable 
 society 
 
 Bourgeois 
 
 boor-zhwa 
 
 The middle class 
 
 Chef-d'oeuvre 
 
 shay-duhvr' 
 
 A masterpiece 
 
 Cognac 
 
 con-yak 
 
 French brandy 
 
 Comme il faut 
 
 com-il-fo 
 
 As it should be 
 
 Coup d'etat 
 
 coo-day-tah 
 
 A stroke of policy 
 
 Decollete" 
 
 day-col-tay 
 
 A dress-waist so cut 
 as to leave the 
 shoulders exposed 
 
FOREIGN PHRASES 
 
 307 
 
 Demi-monde de-me-mohnd Phrase introduced 
 
 by Alexandre Du- 
 m a s, meaning 
 women of equivo- 
 cal position 
 Undress; morning 
 
 attire 
 A roundabout way 
 In the way (applied 
 to persons) 
 Double entente doo-bl'-ahn-tahng A play on words 
 Often incorrectly written, double entendre. 
 
 De'shabille' day-zd-be-yay 
 
 Devour 
 De trop 
 
 day-toor 
 duh-tr& 
 
 Eclat 
 Ennui 
 
 En passant 
 
 En rapport 
 
 En rdgle 
 En route 
 Entre*e 
 Entre-nous 
 
 Femme de 
 chambre 
 Fiance" 
 Fiancee 
 Fin de siScle 
 Fleur-de-lis 
 
 e-clah 
 ahng-wee 
 
 ahng-pas-sahng 
 
 ahng-rap-por 
 
 ahng-raygl' 
 ahng root 
 ahng-tray 
 ahn-tr'-noo 
 
 Brilliancy; success 
 Weariness; languor 
 
 of spirits 
 In passing, by the 
 
 way 
 In sympathetic re- 
 lation 
 According to rule 
 On the way or road 
 Freedom of access 
 Between ourselves; 
 confidentially 
 
 fSm-duh-shahmbr'Chambermaid ; 
 
 fe-ahng-se 
 fe-ahng-say 
 fSng-duh-siacl' 
 flur-duh-le 
 
 lady's maid 
 A betrothed man 
 A betrothed woman 
 End of the century 
 The floral emblem 
 
 of royal France 
 
308 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Foyer 
 
 fwah-yay Hearth; fireside; 
 
 grand entrance 
 room to a theatre 
 
 Gauche 
 
 gohsh 
 
 Awkward; clumsy 
 
 Impromptu 
 
 im-prbmp-tu. 
 
 "Without previous 
 preparation 
 
 Incognito 
 
 in-cbg-ne't6 
 
 Disguised ; under an 
 assumed name 
 
 Ingenue 
 
 Sng-zhay-nooee 
 
 A young girL one 
 
 
 (The sound of the 
 
 i who displays in- 
 
 
 French u com- 
 
 nocent candor 
 
 
 bines English 
 
 . 
 
 
 oo and ee) 
 
 
 In statu quo 
 
 in sta-tu. quo 
 
 In the same state of 
 affairs 
 
 Menu 
 
 may-nooee 
 see Ingenue 
 
 A bill of fare 
 
 Monsieur 
 
 mbng-siuh 
 
 Mr. or Sir 
 
 Multum in parvo mul'tum in par-vo Much in little 
 
 Naive 
 
 nah-eev 
 
 Ingenuous; artless; 
 frank 
 
 Naivete* 
 
 nah-eev-tay 
 
 Ingenuousness ; art- 
 lessness; frankness 
 
 Negligee 
 
 ne-gli-zhay 
 
 Unceremonious 
 
 attire 
 Noblesse oblige no-bles 6-bleezh Obligation of noble 
 
 conduct imposed by 
 rank or nobility 
 Nom de guerre nong duh gar A fictitious name 
 
 temporarily as- 
 sumed 
 
FOREIGN PHRASES 
 
 309 
 
 •Nom de plume 
 
 Outre" 
 
 Pate" de foie gras 
 
 Penchant 
 
 Pidce de resist- 
 ance 
 
 nongduhplooeemPen name; an as- 
 sumed title 
 
 oo-tray 
 
 Extravagant; bi- 
 zarre 
 
 pah-tay duh fwah A Strasburg paste 
 gra made of fat goose- 
 
 liver 
 
 pon-chau A strong inclination 
 
 or taste for 
 
 pias-duh ray-zis- The most important 
 tangs piece or feature in 
 
 a magazine, bill of 
 fare or entertain- 
 ment 
 
 Qui vive 
 
 Recherche" 
 Rendezvous 
 Regime 
 Repartee 
 
 Salon 
 
 ke-veev 
 
 reh-sher-shay 
 rahng-day-voo 
 ray-zheem 
 reh-p'ar-tay 
 
 sa-lbng 
 
 Sang froid sahng frwah 
 
 Savoir faire 
 
 sa-vwah-far 
 
 On guard; watchful 
 
 Sought out with care 
 Place of meeting 
 Mode of government 
 Clever answer 
 
 (which you think 
 
 of too late) 
 
 A drawing-room es- 
 pecially devoted 
 to interchange of 
 thought 
 
 Coolness ; calmness 
 under trying cir- 
 cumstances 
 
 Knowing what to do 
 and how to do it 
 
310 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Sine qua non si'ne qua nbn Something abso- 
 lutely necessary ; 
 an indispensable 
 condition 
 
 Tant mieux tang miuh 
 
 Terra firma 
 Tete-a-tete 
 
 Tout ensemble 
 Tout de suite 
 Tres bien 
 
 Vis-a-vis 
 
 te/ra f er'ma 
 tat-ah-tat 
 
 tod-tohg-sonbl' 
 too-dnh-sweet 
 tray be-yen 
 
 vee-zah-vee 
 
 So much the better 
 
 Solid earth 
 
 Head to head ; two 
 
 persons in close 
 
 conversation 
 Together; the whole 
 Instantly 
 Very well 
 
 Faceto face 
 
 The following serves to make practical appli- 
 cation of the above words and phrases. 
 
 Q. Did Napoleon have literary taste ? 
 
 A. Yes, but because he feared her influence, 
 he refused to visit the salon of Madame de 
 Stael. 
 
 Q. Was the author of " The Mill on the Floss " 
 a man? 
 
 A. No. Her name was Mary Ann Evans. 
 " George Eliot " was her now, de plume, or, as the 
 French say, nom de guerre. 
 
 Q. What was her chef-d'oeuvre ? 
 
 A. It is generally considered to be "Middle- 
 march." 
 
FOREIGN PHRASES 311 
 
 Q. Are au revoir, auf wiedersehen and adieu 
 synonymous ? 
 
 A. Au revoir and auf wiedersehen are synony- 
 mous. Adieu is used by the French in the sense 
 of a final farewell. 
 
 Q. Was Queen Victoria on terms of intimacy 
 with the ex-Empress Eugenie ? 
 
 A. Yes, and they frequently enjoyed a 
 tete-a-tete. 
 
 Q. Does King Edward VII visit the German 
 Court ? 
 
 A. Yes ; yearly, when en route from England 
 to Marienbad, frequently making a ditour and 
 visiting Switzerland. 
 
 Q. Would it have been in good taste if Paris 
 had appeared during the balcony scene in " Borneo 
 and Juliet " ? 
 
 A. No ; he would have been decidedly de trop. 
 He would have discovered that since he last saw 
 her, Juliet had become the fiancee of Eomeo, and 
 he would have decided that a sudden departure 
 was sine qua non. 
 
 Q. Was Cleopatra always happy ? 
 
 A. No ; she frequently suffered from ennui, 
 but being possessed of savoir faire, whenever she 
 and another were vis-a-vis she was quickly en 
 rapport, and en passant gained the entree into his 
 
312 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 confidence tout de suite, and with all her Sclat 
 she assumed naivete" when with the bon ion. This 
 conduct was apropos as well at that time as dur- 
 ing the Jin de siecle. Cleopatra was noted for her 
 repartee. Her capture of Alexandria was a coup 
 d'6tat. Even her impromptu entertainments in 
 honor of Antony were recherches and en regie, 
 and the tout ensemble, including the cognac, was 
 comme il faut. They beguiled the time with 
 many a bon mot and with belles Mires. Cleopatra 
 had a penchant for noted men and frequently 
 sought a rendezvous with Csesar, incognito. One 
 day when she was on the qui vive, quite like an 
 ingenue, she asked Caesar why he gave so much of 
 his money to the poor and the bourgeois. He re- 
 plied, with a shrug of his shoulders, "Noblesse 
 oblige; but," he added, " this is entre nous." She 
 said, " Tres bien ! Your answer is multum in 
 parvo and shall remain so ad infinitum. It is in 
 statu quo, and I shall not betray it even in my 
 billets doux." This discretion characterized Cleo- 
 patra's regime. She was not gauche when she 
 stepped from her barge to terra firma, and never 
 indulged in double entente with either her femme 
 de chambre or her aide-de-camp. 
 
 Q. Was your author friend at the reception 
 the other evening ? 
 
FOREIGN PHRASES 313 
 
 A. Yes. While she usually wears negligee 
 costumes bordering on deshabille, on this occasion 
 she appeared in a blue satin gown, made decollete, 
 and wore the badge of her Alma Mater, set in 
 pearls. There was nothing outre about her ap- 
 pearance, and later, when she went to the opera, 
 she was the cynosure of all eyes as she entered 
 the foyer. Upon her return home her husband's 
 valet served refreshments from the buffet, the 
 pate de foie gras being the piece de resistance of 
 the menu. 
 
314 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAMA 
 
 Question. What is drama ? 
 
 Ansioer. It is a story portrayed in action and 
 produced with reference to truth, representing the 
 conflict between the human will and some oppos- 
 ing force. The force may be the hero's inner 
 conscience, outer circumstances, or conditions in 
 the material world. 
 
 Q. How did drama originate ? 
 
 A. With the crude pantomime used in connec- 
 tion with the religious observances of primitive 
 races. 
 
 Q. What are the historical divisions of the 
 drama ? 
 
 A. Classic, mediaeval, and modern. 
 
 Q. What is meant by classic ? 
 
 A. The drama of ancient Greece and Rome. 
 
 Q. What is the mediaeval dramatic period ? 
 
 A. Approximately from the close of the fifth 
 to the beginning of the sixteenth century, also 
 called the Dark Ages. 
 
 Q. What is the modern dramatic period ? 
 
 A. From Marlowe and Shakespeare to the 
 present time. 
 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAMA 315 
 
 Q. How did theatrical performances origi- 
 nate? 
 
 A. With the Greek student, Thespis, who 
 lived about the middle of the sixth century be- 
 fore Christ. He is said to have read monologues 
 and plays for entertainment, and therefore has 
 the distinction of being the first dramatic reader 
 of whom we have any record. 
 
 Q. Who was one of his important successors ? 
 
 A. uEschylus (525-456 b. a), greatest of the 
 Greek tragic poets. He is said to have intro- 
 duced a second speaker, a chorus and a mask in 
 the dialogue form, and has therefore been called 
 the father of tragedy. 
 
 Q. How were the entertainments of Thespis 
 given? 
 
 A. On a movable platform on four wheels, 
 invented by himself. 
 
 Q. What were these entertainers called ? 
 
 A. Thespians. 
 
 Q. Where were the wheels of the platform 
 dispensed with ? 
 
 A. It is supposed the platform became station- 
 ary in the temple of Bacchus, at Athens. 
 
 Q. When were the performances given ? 
 
 A, At the spring festivals and other feast days 
 of the people. 
 
316 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. Where were the plays that were produced 
 obtained ? 
 
 A. A prize was offered at Athens for the best 
 drama written during the year. There was open 
 competition, that all young men might enter the 
 contest. It is interesting to know that ^Eschylus 
 carried off this prize thirteen times and was at 
 last defeated by Sophocles. 
 
 Q. What was the common price of admission ? 
 
 A. One cent, and when persons were too poor 
 to afford this small fee the government saw fit to 
 give them free admission, as the play was regarded 
 as a necessary means of education. 
 
 Q. What writers represent the highest form of 
 Greek tragedy ? 
 
 A. iEschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. 
 
 Q. Whence did Greek comedy derive its origin ? 
 
 A. From the revels of Comus, god of revelry, 
 which took place during the Bacchic festivals. 
 
 Q. Who was the great master of comedy ? 
 
 A. Aristophanes (born about 444 b. a). 
 
 Q. What are the essential differences between 
 the Greek tragedies and those of Shakespeare ? 
 
 A. As a rule, the Greek tragedies deal with 
 gods and mythical heroes, while in Shakespeare 
 mythology is rarely introduced, the plays treating 
 more particularly of merely human beings. 
 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAMA 317 
 
 Q. Name some of the Greek dramas. 
 
 A. " Prometheus Bound," by iEschylus ; " An- 
 tigone," "Ajax," and "(Edipus the King," by 
 Sophocles; " Orestes" and "Alcestis," by Euripi- 
 des; "The Women of Thrace," "The Frogs," 
 " The Wasps," " The Clouds," and « The Parlia- 
 ment of Women," by Aristophanes. 
 
 Q. Name some of the greater Latin dramas. 
 
 A. " Amphitruo," by Plautus ; " Helena " and 
 " Hermione " by Livius ; " Phormio," by Terence; 
 " Hippolytus " and " Agamemnon," by Seneca. 
 
 Q. What was the distinguishing feature of 
 the classic drama ? 
 
 A. An adherence to and observance of the 
 classic unities of time, place, and action. 
 
 Q. Define the unity of time. 
 
 A. Time required that all the incidents of 
 the play should be compressed into twenty-four 
 hours. For instance, it was impossible to intro- 
 duce a boy in the first act, show him grown to 
 manhood in the second, and have him appear 
 as an old man in the third act. Ibsen's " Peer 
 Gynt " would have been impossible at this time. 
 
 Q. Define the unity of place. 
 
 A. All the scenes in the play had to take place 
 in the same country and the same city. A great 
 deal of the action was reported action. The 
 
318 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 chorus and the prologue speaker were substituted 
 for the irregularity of an actual removal of scene. 
 For instance, a battle was always reported, never 
 depicted. 
 
 Q. What was the unity of action ? 
 
 A. There had to be one plot around which all 
 the action of the play centred. This unity of 
 action did not admit of the sub-plots which so 
 characterize the modern drama. 
 
 Q. What is the Greek chorus ? 
 
 A. Originally it was a dance, accompanied by 
 -song, given in honor of Bacchus by a band of 
 priests or of women, also called the chorus. This 
 was selected and trained with great care. As 
 Greek drama developed, the chorus appeared dur- 
 ing the intermissions of the play, its part being 
 to comment upon the action, to cry " Woe ! woe ! " 
 upon the downfall of the hero, or to rejoice at his 
 triumph. 
 
 Q. Who is the prologue speaker ? 
 
 A. An actor who renders the preface or intro- 
 duction to a play, 
 
 Q. What period do these plays cover ? 
 
 A. From the fifth to the first century b. c. 
 
 Q. How long did this form of classic dramatic 
 writing prevail ? 
 
 A. It persevered in Constantinople, after the 
 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAMA 319 
 
 downfall of Rome, until near the time of the 
 Kenaissance. 
 
 Q. When was European interest in the classic 
 drama revived ? 
 
 A. With the Renaissance (meaning re-birth, 
 or revival of the love of art), which began in 
 Italy in the fifteenth century, but which did not 
 reach England until the latter part of the sixteenth 
 century. 
 
 Q. Were there any plays written during this 
 interval ? 
 
 A. Yes ; during this time, which embraces the 
 latter part of the mediaeval period, each country 
 evolved from its religious ceremonies religious 
 plays known as mystery, miracle, and morality 
 plays. Something is also due the classic drama 
 as it survived in Constantinople. 
 
 Q. What is a mystery play? 
 
 A. One which represents incidents related in 
 the Bible, especially in the life of Christ ; for 
 example, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and 
 the ascension. 
 
 Q. What is a miracle play ? 
 
 A. One in which biblical scenes and incidents 
 connected with the lives of saints are depicted. 
 
 Q. What is a morality play ? 
 
 A. A morality play is one in which the vices 
 
320 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 and virtues are personified. While the mystery 
 and miracle plays adhered to the religious, the 
 morality plays have the lay element. A typical 
 morality play represents the seven deadly sins of 
 pride, covetousness, envy, gluttony, lust, sloth, 
 and anger, and the seven virtues of humility, 
 liberality, meekness, chastity, industry, temper- 
 ance, and brotherly love, contending for man's 
 soul. 
 
 Q. What is the oldest morality play extant in 
 English ? 
 
 A. "The Castle of Perseverance," written in 
 the fifteenth century. Another notable one is 
 " Mankind," which depicts the struggle between 
 Mercy and Mischief for the soul of man. 
 
 Q. What is the best known morality play ? 
 
 A. " Everyman," a translation by Pynson, 
 later printed by Scott, taken from the Dutch of 
 Peter of Diest, and revived in 1905. 
 
 Q. What changes were introduced into re- 
 ligious plays during this period ? 
 
 A. Comic episodes were introduced to relieve 
 the sombreness of the religious plays. For ex- 
 ample, in the play depicting the Nativity of Christ 
 there is a comedy scene between the shepherds 
 and Mak, a country fellow who steals a sheep and 
 takes it home and hides it in the cradle. When 
 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DRAMA 321 
 
 the shepherds search his home, they find it and 
 he and his wife pass it off as an elf -child ; but the 
 shepherds are not deceived, and the play ends by 
 their giving Mak a good trouncing. This episode 
 has the distinction of being the first of its kind. 
 
 21 
 
322 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 ENGLISH DRAMA 
 
 Question. Did English comedy develop inde- 
 pendently from the introduction of the comic 
 episode into the morality play? 
 
 Answer. Yes; although it was influenced hy 
 the revived interest in the drama of the classic 
 period during the Renaissance in England in the 
 fifteenth century. 
 
 Q. Trace the steps in the development of the 
 English comedy from this comic episode. 
 
 A. The morality play was followed by another 
 type of play, known as the interlude, which 
 marked an important transition ; with it the 
 allegorical personification of virtues and vices 
 was abandoned. 
 
 Q. Who perfected the interlude ? 
 
 A. John Hey wood. 
 
 Q. Which is the best known of his Inter- 
 ludes? 
 
 A. " Four Ps ; a Merry Interlude of a Palmer, 
 a Pardoner, a Potycary, and a Pedlar." This was 
 true comedy. Heywood died in 1565, when 
 Shakespeare was a year old. 
 
ENGLISH DRAMA 323 
 
 Q. To what did the interlude lead ? 
 
 A. It led directly to the more fully elaborated 
 plays. The year 1551 witnessed the full-fledged 
 English comedy by Udall, with the title of " Kalph 
 Royster Doyster." 
 
 Q. What served as a basis for the development 
 of tragedy ? 
 
 A. The histories of the kings of England and 
 the British and English legends. 
 
 Q. What were the first plays having historical 
 bases called ? 
 
 A. Chronicle plays. 
 
 Q. What were some of the English Chronicle 
 plays ? 
 
 A. « The Misfortunes of Arthur," " The His- 
 tory of King Leir and his Three Daughters," 
 " Famous Victories of Henry V," " The Conten- 
 tion of the Two Famous Houses of York and 
 Lancaster." 
 
 Q. What is the first regular tragedy in Eng- 
 lish? 
 
 A. Norton and Sackville's " Gorboduc " (1562). 
 The plot was suggested by the old chronicle' play, 
 "Leir and his Three Daughters," and the form 
 was an imitation of the classic drama of Sen- 
 eca, which form was appropriated by subsequent 
 dramatic writers. 
 
324 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 Q. What is a melodrama? 
 
 A. A dramatic effort in which the music is of 
 moderate merit and the plot and scenes of a de- 
 cidedly romantic and sensational character. 
 
 Q. How did it originate ? 
 
 A. First it was a dramatic composition in which 
 vocal or instrumental music alternated with the 
 dialogue, probably first used in Germany. Its be- 
 ginnings are noticeable in " The Frog of Blood," 
 by Thomas Kyd, which appeared in 1605. 
 
 Q. What are its characteristics ? 
 
 A. It always has a tragic element ; it usually 
 has a comedy intrigue and incongruous deduc- 
 tions, evolved from a golden-haired heroine and a 
 dyed-in-the-wool villain. The great redeeming 
 point of melodrama is that it always upholds 
 virtue at the expense of vice. 
 
 Q. Name some well-known modern melo- 
 dramas. 
 
 A. " Uncle Tom's Cabin," by Harriet Beecher 
 Stowe ; " The Count of Monte Cristo," by Dumas 
 pere; "The Two Orphans," translated from the 
 French. 
 
 Q. What is a comedy ? 
 
 A. A play which ends happily. " The test of 
 true comedy is that it shall awaken thoughtful 
 laughter." 
 
ENGLISH DRAMA 325 
 
 Q. Give some important comedies and their 
 authors between the tragedy " Gorboduc " and 
 the plays of Shakespeare. 
 
 A. "Alexander and Campaspe," by John 
 Lyly ; « The Old Wives' Tale," by George Peele j 
 and "The Honourable History of Friar Bacon 
 and Friar Bungay," by Robert Greene. 
 
 Q. Name some important tragedies of this 
 period. 
 
 A. " The Spanish Tragedy," by Thomas Kyd ; 
 "A "Woman Killed with Kindness," by Thomas 
 Hey wood ; " The Witch of Edmonton," by Ford 
 and Dekker. The greatest tragedies were writ- 
 ten by Christopher Marlowe. They are "The 
 Jew of Malta," "Doctor Faustus," "Tambur- 
 laine," and "Edward II." Marlowe of the, 
 "mighty line" established blank verse as the 
 form for tragedy. He was born in the same year 
 as Shakespeare, 1564, and was killed in a tavern 
 brawl at the age of twenty-nine. It is safe to 
 say that had he lived he might have equalled 
 Shakespeare in many respects. 
 
 Q. What position does Shakespeare occupy ? 
 
 A. The first in the world's dramatic literature. 
 
 Q. What are the undisputed facts regarding 
 him? 
 
 A. His birth at Stratford on Avon in 1564, 
 
326 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 his marriage to Anne Hathaway in 1582, his con- 
 nection with London theatres in 1598, his return 
 to Stratford with a competency in 1613, and his 
 death there in 1616. 
 
 Q. How many plays did he write ? 
 
 A. Probably thirty-six. 
 
 Q. How are they divided ? 
 
 A. Broadly speaking, into histories, tragedies, 
 and comedies. 
 
 Q. What are his greatest historical plays ? 
 
 A. " Richard III " and " Henry V." 
 
 Q. What are his greatest tragedies ? 
 
 A. "King Lear," " Hamlet," " Macbeth," and 
 " Othello." 
 
 Q. What are Shakespeare's greatest com^ 
 edies ? 
 
 A. "Twelfth Night," "Much Ado About 
 Nothing," "As You Like It," "A Midsummer 
 Night's Dream," and " The Merchant of Venice." 
 
 Q. What other works did he leave ? 
 
 A. Five poems and one hundred and fifty-four 
 sonnets. 
 
 Q. What authority is there for the assumption 
 that the plays of Shakespeare were written by 
 Francis Bacon ? 
 
 A. None whatever. The only record of any 
 dramatic work by Bacon is in connection with a 
 
ENGLISH DRAMA 327 
 
 play by Thomas Hughes written in 1588, entitled 
 "The Misfortunes of Arthur," in which Bacon 
 composed some of the dumb shows. 
 
 Q. What started the Shakespeare-Bacon con- 
 troversy ? 
 
 A. An article written by Delia Bacon (not a 
 descendant of Francis Bacon), born in Tallmadge, 
 Ohio, February 2, 1811, which appeared in Put- 
 nam's Magazine in January, 1856. In 1857 Miss 
 Bacon published " The Philosophy of Shake- 
 speare," with an introduction by Hawthorne. 
 
 Q. Who were some of Shakespeare's dramatic 
 contemporaries ? 
 
 A. Ben Jonson, who wrote "Every Man in 
 his Humor " ; Beaumont and Fletcher, who wrote 
 " Philaster " ; John Webster, who wrote " The 
 Duchess of Malfi " ; and Philip Massinger, who 
 wrote " A New Way to Pay Old Debts." These 
 plays, with those of Shakespeare, may be consid- 
 ered as in a degree representing the Elizabethan 
 period in dramatic literature. 
 
 Q. What caused the decline in the drama 
 after this period ? 
 
 A. The Puritan regime, from 1649, the year 
 in which Charles I was executed and the Com- 
 monwealth under Cromwell established, to 1660, 
 the year in which Charles II, the son of Charles I, 
 
328 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 was restored to his father's throne, together 
 with the influence of the low dramatic ideals as 
 reflected later in the comedies of Congreve and 
 Wycherley under the Restoration. 
 
 Q. When did the reaction from this low order 
 of comedy begin ? 
 
 A. With Jeremy Collier's "Short View of 
 the Immorality of the English Stage," published 
 in 1698, after which the writers attempted to 
 make their comedies didactic, resulting in a form 
 known as sentimental comedy — which was not 
 comedy at all. 
 
 Q. What names are most closely connected 
 with these sentimental comedies ? 
 
 A. Henry Fielding (chiefly distinguished for 
 his novel, " Tom Jones ") wrote " The Modern 
 Husband " and " Tom Thumb " — a burlesque ; 
 Richard Steele, best known through his connec- 
 tion with "The Spectator" and "The Tatler," 
 wrote " The Tender Husband " ; Colley Cibber, 
 the actor and playwright, wrote " The Careless 
 Husband." 
 
 Q. What is the next step in the development 
 of the English drama ? 
 
 A. Goldsmith showed, in " She Stoops to Con- 
 quer," that comedy could be wholesome and pure 
 without being didactic. This work, and " The 
 
ENGLISH DRAMA 329 
 
 Kivals " and " The School for Scandal," by Eich- 
 ard Brinsley Sheridan, were the only plays of 
 note in the eighteenth century. 
 
 This brings the English drama from the 
 eleventh to the nineteenth century. 
 
330 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 FRENCH DRAMA 
 
 Question. Trace the steps in the development 
 of the French drama from the comic episode 
 introduced into the mystery plays. 
 
 Answer. Although the comic element was in- 
 troduced into French religious plays, comedy as 
 comedy perished, owing to the restrictions put 
 upon it by the censors ; therefore, being unable 
 to evolve comedy naturally, translations of the 
 Greek and Latin classics were resorted to. The 
 success of Saint-Gelais's translations of the Latin 
 comedies of Terence, and the more marked suc- 
 cess of Pierre de Eonsard, the first to stage a 
 classic comedy (the " Plutus " of Aristophanes, 
 in 1548), determined the most literary minds of 
 the period to keep to the classic form. This in- 
 fluenced but did not dominate comedy until the 
 seventeenth century, when the taste for classical 
 rules asserted itself seriously. 
 
 Q. What of this ? 
 
 A. This was the epoch during which the 
 famous dispute concerning the three unities 
 arose. Richelieu espoused the cause of the 
 
FRENCH DRAMA 331 
 
 classics and set up a dictum which emphasized 
 the unity of time. Corneille (Cor-neh-yuh), de- 
 siring to keep in the cardinal's good graces, sub- 
 mitted to the classical method and, following the 
 rules of ancient poetry and inspired by the heroic 
 Spanish drama, wrote " Le Cid," which decided 
 the fate of French classical tragedy. Rotrou, 
 the forerunner of Victor Hugo, who utterly dis- 
 regarded restraint of any kind, refused to be tied 
 down to the classic rule ; Rotrou was considered 
 by Voltaire to be the real founder of the French 
 theatre. He died in 1650. " Le Cid " and other 
 of Corneille's plays are still produced every year 
 at the Theatre Francais. Moliere (1655-1672) 
 imitated and adapted plays from the Latin with 
 the classic unities, some of which are "Le Mi- 
 santhrope," " L'Avare," " Le Bourgeois Gentil- 
 homme." Racine's plays appeared a little later, 
 between 1664 and 1691. Notable among them 
 are three tragedies borrowed from the Greek — 
 " Andromaque," " Iphigenie," and "Phedre." 
 
 Q. What of French drama in the eighteenth 
 century ? 
 
 A. During the eighteenth century French trag- 
 edy declined. The comedy of that epoch sur- 
 passed it, developing on independent lines and 
 showing slight regard for the classic form. The 
 
332 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 year 1829 was an important one in the history of 
 the French theatre, marked as it was by the 
 appearance of the romantic drama, which disre- 
 garded the unities and was to take the place of 
 the classical tragedy. In conjunction with De 
 Vigny, who translated and adapted "Othello" 
 to the French stage, Alexandre Dumas pere 
 originated the movement with a play called 
 " Henry III and his Court." The success of the 
 new movement was further assured during the 
 following year by the triumph of Victor Hugo's 
 play, "Hernani," and later on of " Ruy Bias" and 
 his other dramas of this school. 
 
SPANISH DRAMA 333 
 
 SPANISH DRAMA 
 
 Question. How did the Spanish drama develop, 
 beginning with the eleventh century ? 
 
 Answer. As in England and France, comedy in 
 Spain developed out of the mediaeval miracle and 
 mystery plays, with their touches of farce ; while 
 tragedy grew out of the chronicle plays, which 
 were modifications of the annals and legends of 
 the people in each country. The first writer of 
 plays was Lope de Rueda, leader of a company 
 of strolling players and its chief performer. He 
 is called the founder of the Spanish theatre. He 
 drew largely from the materials in the old 
 ballads. A typical play is " The Olives." Lope 
 de Vega (1562-1635), a contemporary of Shake- 
 speare, took this drama and gave it the art it 
 lacked. He is said to have written a thousand 
 plays on a great variety of subjects, including 
 social dramas, which in their time probably stood 
 for much the same thing as the dramas of Ibsen 
 and George Bernard Shaw to-day. De Vega's 
 most noted play is "The Star of Seville," his 
 most original character being Gracioso, the con- 
 ventional comic servant of the hero. The same 
 
334 THE AST OF SPEECH AXD DEPORTMEST 
 
 figure is found in Cervantes' " Don Quixote " in 
 the character Sancho Panza. 
 
 Q. What of Cervantes? 
 
 A. It is worthy of note that one great figure, 
 Cervantes, the greatest name in Spanish litera- 
 ture, came between the two Lopes. He wrote 
 plays that were clearly without distinction, and 
 his fame rests solely upon his splendid achieve- 
 ment in fiction, '•' Don Quixote." It is interesting 
 to note that Cervantes and Shakespeare died in 
 the same year, and that Michael Angelo died in 
 the year in which Shakespeare was born. 
 
 Q. What of Calderon ? 
 
 A. Calderon, the next great writer of Spanish 
 dramas, carried on the work begun by Lope de 
 Vega, and bis influence on the Spanish stage was 
 even greater than Shakespeare's on the English 
 stage. Both he and his work fully represent the 
 Spain of his time. He survived Moiiere, dying 
 in 1681. His greatest tragedy is "Alcalde of 
 Zalamea," and his greatest comedy "The House 
 with Two Doors." Had the Spanish playwrights 
 adhered more closely to the models left them by 
 the Greek and Latin classic writers, they would 
 have achieved greater results. As it is, the plays 
 are mediaeval both in subject-matter and in form. 
 
ITALIAN DRAMA - 335 
 
 ITALIAN DRAMA 
 
 Question. Mention steps in the development of 
 Italian Drama. 
 
 Answer. Although Italy was three centuries in 
 advance of England in intellectual impetus, the 
 spontaneous development of the drama was pre- 
 vented by too close an adherence to the classic 
 form; consequently for a long period there was 
 no literary drama evolved in Italy. The art 
 impulse found expression in the literature of 
 Dante (1265-1321), Petrarch (1304-1374), and 
 Boccaccio (1313-1375), in the painting of Leo- 
 nardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Raphael (1483-1520), 
 and Michael Angelo (1475-1564), and in the 
 statesmanship of Machiavelli (1469-1527), who 
 is known in dramatic literature as the writer 
 of "Mandragola," a great realistic comedy of 
 manners. The tragedies of the classics, chiefly 
 those of Seneca, were played. In spite of the 
 work of men of letters to uphold the classic ideal, 
 the interests of the people demanded amusements 
 of a lower order. The result was the develop- 
 ment of the masque, in which all the characters 
 were disguised by unfamiliar face-coverings and 
 
336 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 costumes, depending upon outer action for effect. 
 There were stereotyped characters, of which the 
 most important was Harlequin, a buffoon or 
 clown. This is the same type as the Spanish 
 Gracioso, and has descended to the modern 
 stage in the pantomime of " Harlequin and Col- 
 umbine." The two great writers of masques are 
 Cino and Vasari, and the earliest scenarios, a form 
 of masque, were published in Venice by Scala in 
 ,1611. They consist of pastorals, comedies, and 
 tragedies. 
 
 Q. What of comedy in Italy ? 
 
 A. The first regular comedy did not appear in 
 Italy until the sixteenth century, with the com- 
 edies ofAriosto (1474-1533), "Cassaria" and 
 "Suppositi." Ariosto was the first to introduce 
 intrigue and characterization. This form of 
 comedy was called Cominedia d'Arte, a direct 
 descendant of the old Roman plays in which 
 buffoonery played an important part. 
 
 Q. What was the next step ? 
 
 A. The next move was in the direction of pas- 
 toral comedy, the subject matter of which was 
 derived from the idylls of Boccaccio, interspersed 
 with music. The chief writers are Tasso, who 
 wrote "Aminta" (1573), and Guarini, who 
 wrote " The Faithful Shepherd " (both pastorals) ; 
 
ITALIAN DRAMA 337 
 
 Musato, who wrote " Eccelino da Eomano " (four- 
 teenth century); Trissino, who wrote " Sofonisba " 
 (1515) ; Rucellai, who wrote " Rosmunda." 
 
 There were jmany other writers of tragedy. 
 Every Italian tragic scene that these set forth 
 was a transcript from Seneca. Italy imitated 
 the classic drama and created the romantic 
 drama in "Tancred and Gismunda." The un- 
 bridled immorality of Italy was felt in its drama, 
 and permeated life in all directions. This was 
 brought to England by its own young men, who 
 had gone over to Italy for culture. They re- 
 turned corrupted and were called Italianated 
 Englishmen. 
 
 Q. What of Goldoni ? 
 
 A. Goldoni is the greatest name in dramatic 
 literature in the eighteenth century (1707-1793). 
 He created the modern Italian comedy, which su- 
 persedes that of the harlequin. He wrote more 
 than one hundred and twenty comedies, among 
 which are " The Pan " and " The Cafe" " in Italian, 
 " Le Bienfaisant " (The Benevolent Misanthrope) 
 in French, and "Le Baruffe Chiozzotte" (The 
 Frays and Feuds of Chiozza) in the Venetian 
 dialect. 
 
 22 
 
338 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 GERMAN DRAMA 
 
 Question. Trace the drama in Germany from 
 the eleventh century. 
 
 Answer. The development of the drama in Ger- 
 many' followed much the same lines as in the other 
 European countries. When the mystery and 
 miracle plays were taken out of the universities, 
 where they had been necessarily controlled by 
 the clergy who composed the faculties, they came 
 to be enacted for public entertainment. A Ger- 
 man play, "The Three Kings," has been pre- 
 served from the eleventh century. Isaac and 
 his sons were often the theme of dramas in the 
 twelfth century. " An Anti-Christ" is a typical 
 twelfth century play, reflecting the national spirit 
 of the German Empire under Barbarossa. In 
 Germany, from the eleventh to the fourteenth 
 century, the best work was done in verse, in the 
 development of the popular epic and the poetry 
 of knighthood, resulting in the " Nibelungenlied." 
 
 Q. What is an epic poem? 
 
 A. An epic poem is one which narrates at 
 length and in metrical form a series of heroic 
 achievements. The great epics of other countries 
 
GERMAN DRAMA 339 
 
 are the Iliad and Odyssey in Greek, the iEneid 
 in Latin, " Beowulf " in Anglo-Saxon, " The 
 Divine Comedy " in Italian, the poem of " The 
 Cid" in Spanish, and Milton's "Paradise Lost." 
 Among the epics compiled in recent times from 
 national traditions is that of the North Ameri- 
 can Indian in Longfellow's "Hiawatha." 
 
 Q. Name the first secular comedy in German. 
 
 A. The earliest stages of pure secular comedy 
 are found in the " Fastnachtspiele " (Shrovetide 
 plays). In the sixteenth century the drama 
 promised much under the influence of the Eefor- 
 mation, the movement of protest begun by Luther 
 in Germany about 1517 against what he consid- 
 ered the abuses in the Catholic Church. In 1527 
 " The Prodigal Son," by Waldis, appeared, mod- 
 elled on the Latin classic writer, Terence, show- 
 ing the classic influence which continued for a 
 long time and which gave the German dramatists 
 a sense of form. The Reformation influence was 
 shown in the nine plays of Frischlin. 
 
 Q. What is the great name of this period ? 
 
 A. The greatest name of this period is Hans 
 Sachs, a cobbler and a meistersinger (a poet or 
 master-singer) of Nuremberg. Toward the close 
 of the sixteenth century strolling players from 
 England brought into Germany, not only the 
 
340 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 theatrical effects of the Elizabethan theatres, but 
 above all that comic personage of the English 
 drama, the clown, who came to be called " pickled 
 herring " in Germany, corresponding to the Span- 
 ish Gracioso and the Harlequin of France and 
 Italy. The drama so introduced was called 
 Englischen ComOdien und TragOdien (English 
 Comedies and Tragedies). The next dramatist 
 of importance is Jacob Ayrer, who died in 1605. 
 His " Comedia von der Schb'nen Silea " had prob* 
 ably the same source as Shakespeare's " The Tem- 
 pest." He gave an impetus to the national drama 
 of Germany. Gryphius (1616-1664), one hun- 
 dred years after Shakespeare was born, followed 
 with his noted comedies. 
 
 Q. What of the seventeenth century ? 
 
 A. The chief literary development of the sev- 
 enteenth century in Germany was in fiction. 
 Throughout all European countries the standard 
 was fixed by France, which was a strict adherence 
 to the classic unities. The German critic Les- 
 sing (1729-1781), the greatest dramatic critic 
 since Aristotle, refuted the French rules of the 
 three unities and showed that they were a per- 
 version of the classic unities. Diderot, the French 
 critic, had indicated the path which Lessing fol- 
 lowed. Lessing wrote plays which proved his 
 
GERMAN DRAMA 341 
 
 theory, and he was the first playwright to use a 
 drop curtain when it became necessary to change 
 the scene. His best comedy is " Minna von Barn- 
 helm," and his greatest tragedy "Emilia Galotti." 
 The next dramatist of note is Goethe (1749-1832), 
 a great poet, but not so great a dramatist. His 
 best known play is " Faust," an old theme dating 
 from 1589 and treated by Marlowe in his play 
 " Doctor Faustus." Gounod's opera of " Faust " is 
 founded on the same theme. Schiller (1759-1805) 
 is the great dramatist of the eighteenth cen- 
 tury. He ranks with Hugo of the French and 
 Calderon of the Spanish. His greatest work is 
 "William Tell." 
 
 You will see from this very brief survey that 
 the drama of all countries had the same origin — 
 pantomime in connection with religious service — 
 and that after the Reformation dramatic develop- 
 ment was along original and distinctive lines in 
 each country. 
 
3& THE AST OF SFEBCB ASO 
 
 THE DRAMA TOOAY 
 
 What b the 
 
 drama; and the 
 Q. What did 
 *waj 
 
 of the French 
 -Hernani*' (1830) s^naDed 
 esSahfehed the romantic school. In! 
 remit is tynifi a d in Byron's "Manfred/ 
 Shdflejs «0end," the greatest 
 the nineteenth ce ntury. GeneiaDj : 
 first quarter of the nineteenth 
 nrodnetne of dramatic literature, bmaimr of the 
 wars and the almost universal alinmuhwe of 
 
THE DRAMA TO-DAY 343 
 
 unrest. The only great name which appears is 
 Grillparzer, of Vienna (1791-1872). He wrote 
 many plays, among them " The Golden Fleece " 
 (" Das goldne Vliess ") and " Dream is a Life " 
 ("Der Traum ein Leben"). 
 
 Q. What was the part of each nation in effect- 
 ing a separation of the literary from the acting 
 drama? 
 
 A. Daring the period of military upheaval in 
 the beginning of the nineteenth century the act- 
 ing drama was unliterary. The melodramas of 
 the German Kotzebue (1761-1819) were popular, 
 and translations of his " Misanthropy and Eepent- 
 ance," known in England as "The Stranger," 
 were made in all the tongues of Europe. This 
 play has the same theme as Hey wood's "A 
 Woman Killed with Kindness." In France, be- 
 fore Hugo showed that the acting drama might 
 be literary, two kinds of unliterary dramas flour- 
 ished, which later gave vigor to the literary 
 drama, a melodrama derived from Kotzebue and 
 the comedy vaudeville of Scribe. Both of these 
 forms were noted for ingenuity of plot and 
 structure. 
 
 Q. What of the literary drama in English ? 
 
 A. The writers of literary drama, designed, as 
 its name indicates, only to be read, and known 
 
344 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 also as " closet drama," were Matthew Arnold 
 (1822-1888) , who wrote " Merope," and Algernon 
 Swinburne (1837-1909), who wrote " Atalanta in 
 Calydon." In both these plays the authors imi- 
 tated the Greeks. Swinburne also anticipated 
 the psychological drama of Ibsen in his two his- 
 torical tragedies, " Mary Stuart " and " Marino 
 Faliero." Tennyson (1809-1892), who wrote 
 "Becket," and Browning (1812-1889), who 
 wrote "A Blot in the 'Scutcheon," "Colombe's 
 Birthday," and " In a Balcony," both imitated 
 the form of Shakespeare. In France Alfred de 
 Musset (1810-1857) wrote " Comedies and Prov- 
 erbs," a book of short plays. The chief value of 
 Hugo's " Hernani " was that it proved that the 
 literary drama could be an " actable " play. 
 
 Q. How was the drama affected by the devel- 
 opment of the novel ? 
 
 A. By the middle of the nineteenth century 
 the novel had assumed its modern form and out- 
 rivalled all other literary mediums, except in 
 France, where, notwithstanding its vigorous com- 
 petition, the drama was able to hold its own. The 
 great novelists of England during this period 
 were Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), who wrote 
 "Ivanhoe," " Kenilworth," "Rob Roy"; Jane 
 Austen (1775-1817), whose best work is "Pride 
 
THE DRAMA TO-DAY 345 
 
 and Prejudice"; Mrs. Gaskell (1810-1865), in 
 her charming story, "Cranford"; Thackeray 
 (1811-1863) , chiefly celebrated for "Vanity Fair " 
 and " Henry Esmond " ; Dickens (1812-1870), in 
 his inimitable " David Copperfield," " Old Curi- 
 osity Shop," "Pickwick Papers"; Charlotte 
 Bronte (1816-1855), author of the immortal 
 "Jane Eyre" ; George Eliot (1819-1880), whose 
 rank is among novelists of the first class, with 
 " Middlemarch," " Romola," and "Adam Bede." 
 In England during this period there were no great 
 dramatists with the exgeption of the writers al- 
 ready mentioned who attempted to make dramas 
 literary. 
 
 Q. Name the great French novelists of this 
 period. 
 
 A. Balzac (1799-1850), "Pere Goriot," "Eu- 
 genie Grandet," "Duchesse de Langeais" ; Victor 
 Hugo (1802-1885), "Les Miserables"; Alex- 
 andre Dumas plre (1802-1870), "The Three 
 Musketeers"; George Sand (1804-1876), "Con- 
 suelo" ; Gautier (1811-1872) ; the De Goncourts 
 (Edmund, 1822-1896; Jules, 1830-1870), who 
 held themselves as aristocrats and considered 
 that the drama was on its deathbed and was no 
 longer literature ; Zola (1840-1902), " L'Assom- 
 moir"; De Maupassant (1850-1893), who is 
 
346 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 better known as a writer of short stories than as 
 a novelist. His work is all dramatic in form. 
 
 Q. What of the French dramatists ? 
 
 A. Profiting by the examples of dramatic crafts- 
 manship in the comedie vaudeville of Scribe, and 
 by Balzac's penetrating and profound studies of 
 human life, the French dramatists of this period 
 were enabled to give to France drama worthy 
 to succeed Moliere's. The greatest are Emile 
 Augier (1820-1889), "Le Gendre de M. Poirier"; 
 and Alexandre Dumas fils (1824-1895), " Ca- 
 mille." - When this play was produced, in 1852, it 
 created a furore, marking as it did the introduc- 
 tion into a play of a woman of the demi-monde. 
 Its unremitting popularity is due to the fact that 
 although the heroine has sinned and " the wages 
 of sin is death," still there is such a glamour cast 
 over the situation that the sympathetic figure 
 rather than the condemned sinner remains in 
 our consciousness, and we pity when we should 
 condemn. Two other important plays by Dumas 
 fils are "Les Ide"es de Madame Aubray" and 
 "Monsieur Alphonse," written immediately after 
 the Franco-Prussian war. Historical events have 
 always affected dramatic literature, and while 
 this war is said to have killed the genius of Emile 
 Augier, it inspired Dumas fils to greater effort 
 
THE DRAMA TO-DAY 347 
 
 and awakened the dramatic power of Henrik 
 Ibsen. Victorien Sardou, born in 1831, will be 
 remembered by " La Tosca," " Fedora," " Theo- 
 dora," " Robespierre," " Divorcons," " Daniel Ko- 
 chat," and " Madame Sans G§ne." 
 
 Q. Name the great novelists and dramatists in 
 Germany during the nineteenth century. 
 
 A. Freytag (1816-1895), novelist, dramatic 
 critic, and dramatist. His greatest novel is 
 "Debit and Credit." "The Technique of the 
 Drama" is the title of his chief criticism, and 
 " The Journalists " is his greatest drama. Heb- 
 bel (1813-1863), whose greatest drama is "Die 
 Nibelungen," a dramatization of the epic "Ni- 
 belungenlied." Wagner (1813-1883), musical 
 composer and dramatist, who built up an in- 
 dependent drama by adapting parts of the 
 epic " Nibelungenlied " to music, " Tannhauser," 
 " Die Walkiire," " Lohengrin." The modern 
 method of musical symbols was devised by 
 Wagner. He endeavored to give to music a 
 definite language and to make the musical phrase 
 express the idea. 
 
 Q. What further steps helped to evolve the 
 drama ? 
 
 A. Toward the end of the nineteenth century 
 there was a natural reaction from the excessive 
 
348 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 popularity of the novel. The playwright was 
 better protected by the law, and the result has 
 been that the drama is restored to popularity and 
 is the literary form of the day. The situation is 
 reversed, and instead of making a novel into a 
 play the tendency is to make the play into a 
 novel. 
 
 Q. What led to the development of the psy- 
 chological phase of the drama or to the modern 
 problem drama ? 
 
 A. With the development of the modern novel 
 the interest was diverted from plot and adven- 
 ture to the analysis of character and motive, and 
 to depicting the influence of environment in shap- 
 ing character and deeds. The Victorian Age 
 (1837-1901), which embraces so large a part of 
 the nineteenth century, is characterized by the 
 spirit of analysis or the tendency to raise prob- 
 lems. Darwin's (1809-1882) evolutionary hy- 
 pothesis created a new attitude toward all 
 departments of human interests. The " growth 
 idea," which predominates, is that all knowledge 
 is correlated and that nothing exists except as it 
 leads to something else and is a part of the whole. 
 The central questions are, What is the meaning 
 of life ? Why is it ? Toward what end does it 
 move ? Innumerable other problems arise in 
 
THE DRAMA TO-DAY 349 
 
 connection with this growth idea. The chief of 
 these, however, centre about the development of 
 the individual and of the social whole. Modern 
 literature is filled with portrayals of the struggles 
 of individuals for self-expression and with social 
 and political problems concerning the duty of the 
 individual to society. 
 
 Q. What is meant by the modern problem 
 play? 
 
 A. Those plays that treat of the problems 
 already referred to, namely, the struggle of the 
 individual soul for self-expression ; the relation of 
 man to man ; domestic relations ; as well as those 
 plays which pertain to the community, the State, 
 the country, the Church, and the world. 
 
 Q. Who is a representative writer of problem 
 plays ? 
 
 A. First and foremost is Ibsen (the Norwe- 
 gian poet, 1828-1906). He is a great artist as 
 well as a great teacher, and his distinction lies in 
 the fact that although he raises many problems 
 which he answers, the greatest questions are 
 those which he raises and leaves the world to 
 consider and to answer. He has made us view in 
 all its hideousness the corrupting power of vice 
 and its undermining influence on the home and 
 society. Such a condition as that revealed in 
 
350 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 " Ghosts " is not pleasant, but it cannot and 
 should not be ignored. One attitude toward vice 
 is to act as if it did not exist. That, however, is 
 not the attitude of a reformer, and Ibsen is a re- 
 former, actuated by the same spirit which im- 
 pelled Luther in the sixteenth century. 
 
 Ibsen is the author of twenty-six plays (ten 
 fewer than Shakespeare), in which he deals with 
 a great variety of subjects. The best known are ; 
 " A Doll's House " ; " Ghosts " ; " Hedda Gabler " ; 
 " The Master Builder " ; " The Pillars of Society" ; 
 "The Enemy of the People"; "Peer Gynt," 
 whose motto is " To thyself be sufficient " ; and 
 "Brand," whose watchword is "All or nothing," 
 and " To thyself be true." The distinction drawn 
 between Brand and Hamlet is that Hamlet's im- 
 pulses simply agitate him, while Brand is domi- 
 nated by his impulses, although in the end he 
 learns his limitations and that his power is only 
 human. 
 
 In these plays Ibsen adheres to the unities, but 
 is not subservient to them unless they assist his 
 art, and he does not hesitate to ignore them 
 when interfering with his construction. In " Peer 
 Gynt " there is unity of action but none of time. 
 
 Q. Name some of Ibsen's characteristics. 
 
 A. Some characteristic ideas of Ibsen are the 
 
THE DRAMA TO-DAY 351 
 
 marked use of symbolism in all his plays; the 
 French triangle of the husband, wife, and lover; 
 the one-scene setting ; the reducing of the cast to 
 only those essential in the play. Ibsen elimi- 
 nated, among other things, the " stylish butler " 
 and the " pert maid," although his servants have 
 a vital part in the action and the action has for 
 its pivot a woman. The best examples of 
 Ibsen's use of symbolism are in "The Wild 
 Duck," "Little Eyloff," and "When We Dead 
 Awaken." As time goes on, the loftiness of 
 Ibsen's thought - , the profundity of his knowledge, 
 and his searching psychology will be better com- 
 prehended. When man will have sloughed off 
 the crust of prejudice formed through ages of 
 tradition and finds himself free, then, and only 
 then, will he be on the plane of thought with 
 Henrik Ibsen. 
 
 Q. What are the other great dramatic names 
 in Norway? 
 
 A. Bj6rnstjerneBj0rnson(1832- ), author of 
 " The Glove," and August Strindberg (1849- ) , 
 who wrote " Grafinn Julie " and " The Father." 
 
 Q. Mention other great writers of problem 
 plays. 
 
 A. Maurice Maeterlinck, born in 1864, poet, 
 dramatist, mystic, and scientist, for a long time 
 
352 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 spoken of as " the Belgian Shakespeare," but lat- 
 terly classed with the French writers. His cen- 
 tral problem is the mystery of life and death. 
 He is second in greatness to Ibsen. His principal 
 plays are "The Intruder," "Pell^as and M61i- 
 eande," and " Mona Vanna." 
 
 Hermann Sudermann, a German dramatist, 
 born in 1857. Although a literary son of Ibsen, 
 he is more theatrical and melodramatic in his 
 work than his master. He loses art, oftentimes, 
 by striving for curtain effects. His best-known 
 plays are " Magda," " The Joy of Living," and 
 "The Fires of St. John." 
 
 Gerhardt Hauptmann, German dramatist, born 
 in 1862, also a literary son of Ibsen, although 
 possibly nearer to Maeterlinck in his use of sym- 
 bolism. His best-known plays are " The Sunken 
 Bell," " Hannele," and " The Weavers," the only 
 play in which there is no hero, the central idea 
 being the problem of labor against capital. 
 
 Jose* Echegaray, born in 1832, the greatest 
 Spanish dramatic writer since Calderon's death 
 in 1681. His best-known plays are " The Great 
 Galeoto," "Mariana," and "The Son of Don 
 Juan." 
 
 Arthur W. Pinero, born in 1855, an English- 
 man of letters and literary standing. He has 
 
THE DRAMA TO-DAY 353 
 
 written thirty plays, twenty of which are well 
 known, especially " The Second Mrs. Tanqueray," 
 " Trelawney of the Wells," and " His House in 
 Order." 
 
 Henry Arthur Jones, born in 1851, known 
 as the "Preacher Dramatist." His best-known 
 plays are " Saints and Sinners," " Mrs. Dane's 
 Defence," and " Michael and his Lost Angel." 
 
 George Bernard Shaw, born in 1856, the great- 
 est English satirist of modern times. He has 
 written four novels, five books of criticism, and 
 sixteen plays. His prefaces and the literary 
 quality of his stage business alone command for 
 him enduring fame. To a keen insight into hu- 
 man nature he adds a scintillating wit which fas- 
 cinates the clever-minded. His greatest plays 
 are " Caesar and Cleopatra," " Candida," " The 
 Devil's Disciple," "The Man of Destiny," 
 "Arms and the Man," "You Never Can Tell," 
 " Captain Brassbound's Conversion," and " Man 
 and Superman." 
 
 Oscar Wilde (1856-1900) was a master of 
 technic who gains in literary reputation as time 
 goes on. He wrote seven plays. The best known 
 are " Salome," " A Woman of No Importance," 
 and "Lady Windermere's Fan." 
 
 Gabriele d'Annunzio, born in 1864, is the great 
 
 23 
 
354 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 poet-dramatist of Italy. His best-known plays 
 are "La Giaconda," "Francesca da Rimini," 
 " The Daughter of Jorio," and " The Ships." 
 
 William Butler Yeats, an Irish mystic, born 
 in 1865. His most important plays are "The 
 Land of Heart's Desire," "The Hour-Glass," 
 "Where there is Nothing," and "Kathleen ni 
 Hoolihan." 
 
 Edmund Rostand, born in 1868, French poet 
 and playwright. His successful plays are "Cy- 
 rano de Bergerac" and "L'Aiglon." "Chanti- 
 cleer," Rostand's latest play, was being rehearsed 
 by Coquelin at the time of that actor's death in 
 1909. 
 
 Abraham Goldfaden, died in Brooklyn, Janu- 
 ary 18, 1908. He was known as "the Yiddish 
 Shakespeare." He wrote more than one hundred 
 plays, the best known of which is "Sulamita," 
 which has been translated into several languages. 
 
 Charles Rann Kennedy, born in 1871, has 
 written a play dealing with the modern English 
 church called "The Servant in the House," 
 which was first produced in 1908 in America, 
 making a profound impression. 
 
 Stephen Phillips, born in 1868, English poet 
 and dramatist. His best-known plays are 
 "Herod," "Paolo and Francesca," and "Ulysses." 
 
THE DRAMA TO-DAY 355 
 
 Percy Mackaye, born in 1875 (son of Steele 
 Mackaye, author of "Hazel Kirke"). His best- 
 known plays are " Joan of Arc " and " Sappho 
 and Phaon." 
 
 Q. What may be said of the poetic drama 
 represented by Phillips and Mackaye ? 
 
 A. On the whole, the recurrence of poetic 
 drama, brought back by Stephen Phillips in Eng- 
 land and Percy Mackaye in America in the 
 twentieth century, is encouraging, as poetry is 
 the highest artistic expression of human life. 
 
356 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 ON REHEARSING 
 
 Question. What should be the first considera- 
 tion in rehearsing a play? 
 
 Answer. Its background. 
 
 Q. What is background ? 
 
 A. A general idea of the time, place, and con- 
 dition wherein the action takes place. 
 
 Q. What is the next step ? 
 
 , A. Giving the plot and analyzing the characters 
 for the persons who are to take part in the play. 
 
 Q. Why do you do this ? 
 
 A. In order that every one taking part may 
 have a thorough knowledge of every character 
 concerned in the play ; his birth, nationality, age, 
 education or lack of it, social standing, degree of 
 experience, health, strength, disposition, atmos- 
 phere, and peculiarities, even of the slightest. 
 The smallest details of character must be com- 
 prehended and must become an intrinsic part of 
 the actor's consciousness. This is what is called, 
 in modern parlance, psychologizing a part, the 
 outer expression of which is characterization. 
 
 Q. What is the next step ? 
 
 A. Having the play read aloud by the mem- 
 bers of the cast, correcting the English, emphasis, 
 
ON REHEARSING 357 
 
 phrasing, tone color, pauses, and discussing the 
 necessary pantomime and the general pictures, 
 the climaxes and the stage business. 
 
 Q. What is stage business ? 
 
 A. It is made up of entrances and exits, gen- 
 eral deportment, crossings, and elaboration of 
 incident and action for the natural and com- 
 plete development of the play and the required 
 dramatic effect. The character and cleverness of 
 stage business depends upon the creative ability 
 and good taste of the rehearser and the rehearsed. 
 
 Q. What qualities make a good rehearser ? 
 
 A. Authority, poise, patience, a background 
 of culture, and a knowledge of plays. He must 
 be a good architect, a good reader, a musician, a 
 decorator, and a clever costumer ; he must un- 
 derstand the art of make-up, the proper use of 
 electricity, and the management of lights. He 
 must have a deep knowledge of human nature, be 
 a good business man, and, above all, he must have 
 the tact to handle the numberless things that are 
 constantly coming up for his decision. A good 
 rehearser never loses his temper, is a good dis- 
 ciplinarian, and is always fair. 
 
 Q. What is required of those to be rehearsed ? 
 
 A. Promptness, trustworthiness, unselfishness, 
 strict obedience, self-respect, and an interest in 
 
358 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 all that concerns the complete production of the 
 play. During the rehearsals no one should pre- 
 sume to argue or to question the authority or dis- 
 obey the directions of the person who is rehearsing 
 him. If there exist differences of opinion or 
 personal grievances, they should be discussed in 
 private with the rehearser only. When it is 
 difficult to obtain an interview with the rehearser, 
 you can always write a note. 
 
 Q. What is meant by stage setting ? 
 
 A. A conforming to the requirements of the 
 play in the matter of exits and entrances and in 
 the disposition of properties. 
 
 Q. What are properties ? 
 
 A. Everything used during the course of a play. 
 The securing of these necessaries requires an ex- 
 pert corps of co-workers. The stage carpenter 
 builds the scene, the property man provides the 
 draperies and furnishings, the costumer the cos- 
 tumes, the electrician the lights. 
 
 Q. When is it an advantage to use draperies 
 instead of a painted scene ? 
 
 A. When the scenery you have is irrelevant 
 to the play, it is a distinct gain to use a simple 
 dull green drapery, as it always forms an artistic 
 background for stage pictures and leaves the 
 imagination of the audience free. 
 
ON REHEARSING 359 
 
 Q. Should stage business be made on hard 
 and fast lines ? 
 
 A. No. While it is absolutely necessary that 
 you should have well in mind the stage pictures 
 you wish to present, the gaining of them should 
 be a matter of evolution through rehearsal. 
 
 Q. How is this brought about ? 
 
 A. It is one of the severest trials of rehearsers 
 in schools and on the professional stage that they 
 are obliged to rehearse men and women of dra- 
 matic instinct and talent who lack the essentials 
 of education ; who cannot stand, walk, turn, cross 
 the stage, bow, shake hands, present a book or 
 other article, place a chair, sit, rise, or talk with 
 either good pronunciation or refined tone work ; 
 who cannot enter or leave the stage effectively; 
 who are not familiar with other arts and have no 
 sense of composition. Would it were possible to 
 demand this culture before admittance to re- 
 hearsals, and thus expedite dramatic development! 
 As it is, all this has to be accomplished through 
 rehearsals, which is a slow process. 
 
 Q. How do I secure the best cast ? 
 
 A. By competition. Every one who rehearses 
 a part adds something in the way of interpreta- 
 tion, either through his reading, gestures, or in- 
 tuitional stage business. It is common among 
 
360 TUB AST OP SPEECH ASD LBPOBTMEST 
 
 stage managers or rehearsers to prescribe the 
 business of a play before rehearsals. This coarse 
 restrict* spontaneous action and renders the at- 
 mosphere mechanical. The modern movement in 
 all art is to farther spontaneous expression and 
 to recognize it and preserve it in permanent form. 
 This recognition of truth by the rehearser is just 
 as much an evidence of bis genius as is the pre- 
 scribing of set business, and in no way detracts 
 from his dignity and authority. 
 
 Q. What length of time is required to perfect 
 a play through rehearsal? 
 
 ji. From one to three months, dependent on 
 the length of the play and the previous culture, 
 experience, and harmony of those in the cast; a 
 one-act play comparatively trivial in character can 
 be produced wr.h a competent cast in a short tii&e. 
 
 <</. How long should a rehearsal last ? 
 
 JL As a rule not over two hours, lor Vae actors 
 become fatigued in mind and body. Professional 
 companies, however, often rehearse night and day 
 before a production. 
 
 £. Shonld the -srhole play be gone over in each 
 rehearsal? 
 
 A. No. You will find it more satisfactory to 
 rehearse by scenes, perfeetir.g eaeh t*e. Altear- 
 uA6 this with the lajxd go^g over of the entire 
 
ON REHEARSING 361 
 
 play, as this process increases the actor's vision, 
 develops atmosphere, and gives dramatic continu- 
 ity of thought and fluency of action. In this way 
 correlation of characters and scene is obtained. 
 
 Q. At what point in the rehearsal do I give 
 the play a permanent cast ? 
 
 A. When you are satisfied with the individuals 
 in each part, regarding their emotional, pictorial, 
 and mental equipment, and their contribution to 
 the play as a unit. 
 
 Q. Give me some general directions for stage 
 business. 
 
 A. There must be a motive evident to the 
 audience for everything done on the stage. En- 
 trances should be as natural and as free from 
 ostentation as possible, unless in instances where 
 ostentation is required for truth. A simple en- 
 trance must have adequate personality back of it 
 in order that it be sufficient. The best example 
 of an unpretentious or simple entrance is that of 
 Eleanora Duse, who as one of the group of peas- 
 ants comes on the stage in " Cavalleria Rusti- 
 cana," undistinguished by dress or speech, but 
 distinguished to the point of recognition by 
 the power of her simplicity. Having entered, 
 the actor should adapt himself to his character 
 and to his environment. Unless the play is a 
 
362 THE ART OF SPEECH AXD DEPORTMENT 
 
 farce, a burlesque, or a rollicking comedy, it is 
 not necessary to have continuous crossings and 
 re-crossings, jumpings up and sittings down, 
 changing of the sofa pillows, and constant move- 
 ment. Instead, all action must be the result of 
 necessity. Irrelevant action is destructive to the 
 spirit of psychological drama. "While mental 
 activity is always required on the stage, it does 
 not necessarily entail physical activity. Always 
 remember that everything that does not add to 
 detracts from effect, and that fussy mannerisms 
 are always more or less objectionable. An exit 
 from the stage is like a departure from a room, 
 — it should cause a gap. 
 
 Q. What is the result of slavish adherence to 
 stage business ? 
 
 A. It destroys spontaneous expression and 
 naturalness, and the consequent action lacks flu- 
 ency and ease. It is a regrettable fact that the 
 professional stage manager, his time being limited, 
 feels forced into the continual and unvaried use 
 of traditional and machine-made stage business, 
 as the easiest way out of the difficulty. This is 
 disturbing to persons of taste. To illustrate: 
 Up to the time of Booth and including his pro- 
 duction of Hamlet, traditional stage business 
 had been closely adhered to. Booth did just 
 
ON REHEARSING 363 
 
 what his father had done, and his father had 
 followed his predecessors on the English stage. 
 It is easy to see that this plan caused action to 
 be largely external. The English-speaking stage 
 is chiefly indebted to Sir Henry Irving and Law- 
 rence Barrett for breaking loose from tradition 
 and creating stage business conformable to mod- 
 ern development. Forbes-Robertson has sounded 
 the depths of modern thought along this line in 
 hi* production of Hamlet, and I may add that, in 
 my opinion, he has not only given us the sweet- 
 est, the most lovable, but the greatest Hamlet 
 the stage lias ever known. In order to show the 
 infinite number of varying moods of Hamlet, I 
 shall speak of numerous productions that I have 
 given of this play during my career as an inter- 
 preter of the drama, which will serve to empha- 
 size the importance I attach to good reading in 
 rehearsals. 
 
 Being deeply interested in the subject of tone- 
 color and temperament as essentials in the truth- 
 ful portrayal of emotion, about ten years ago I 
 determined to put a large number of students to 
 the test by requiring each one in turn to read 
 every speech of Hamlet. In this way I selected 
 the voice and temperament best suited to Ham- 
 let's first appearance. I then selected the voice 
 
364 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 and temperament best suited to his next appear- 
 ance, and so on throughout the play. The trial 
 resulted in the use of nine Hamlets for the entire 
 production. I made the same experiment with 
 Ophelia and used three. This splendidly illus- 
 trated the great variety of tone-color necessary 
 to the adequate characterization of Hamlet, and 
 it is safe to say that it is impossible for any one to 
 give all of Hamlet and express his many-sided 
 nature with equal truth. In 1901 I put truth in 
 expression to a still greater test by the production 
 of " The Merry Wives of Windsor," without cos- 
 tumes and without scenery, and with a success as 
 great as that of " Hamlet," notwithstanding the 
 fact that " The Merry Wives of Windsor," is, as 
 a play, more difficult to read than " Hamlet." It 
 is impossible, as you can readily understand, for 
 me to give any definite rules or directions for per- 
 fecting the production of a play. It would be 
 just as easy for a painter to take some one who 
 wishes to paint a picture and give him a paint pot 
 and brush, telling him to use them with discretion. 
 The ability to produce a play with art must be 
 bred in the bone, and, as I have said before, 
 must have a background of culture, perseverance, 
 unmeasured patience, and indomitable will. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 SOME PLAYS I HAVE GIVEN 
 
 The first American production of Ibsen's " The 
 Master Builder" was given by me at Hooley's 
 Theatre in Chicago on March 21, 1894, with a 
 cast which had been trained into the Ibsen at- 
 mosphere by months of hard work. The follow- 
 ing incident will serve to show you how little 
 Ibsen was understood at that time : When Solness 
 spoke the lines, one of the greatest psychological 
 speeches of modern dramatic literature : " Oh, 
 Hilda, what a blessing to me that you have come, 
 for finally I have found a person that I can speak 
 to," a woman, a member of a literary club, was 
 overheard to exclaim, "The idea — and he a 
 married man ! " After this production I deter- 
 mined to go a step further in tone work and 
 atmosphere by producing the greatest one-act 
 acting play ever written, Maeterlinck's "The 
 Intruder." There is a possibility of " The Blind " 
 by Maeterlinck being considered equally great, 
 but it is a play that cannot be acted. While in 
 Europe the summer before my production of 
 
368 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 "The Intruder," I visited Maeterlinck at his 
 home. Although I found him a charming com- 
 panion, he in no wise suggested to me the color- 
 ing of " The Intruder," being a man full of the 
 red blood of life, the antithesis of his play. He 
 showed a deep interest in Ibsen's dramas. His 
 manner was animated while discussing my pro- 
 duction of "The Master Builder," and when I 
 told him that I purposed giving " The Intruder " 
 on my return to America, he quickly asked what 
 members of the cast of "The Master Builder" 
 were to act in his play and in what roles. It 
 may be interesting for readers to know that 
 the man who played Solness in "The Master 
 Builder " played the Uncle in " The Intruder," 
 and the actors of Kagner and of Brovik in " The 
 Master Builder" played the Father and the 
 Grandfather, respectively, in "The Intruder." 
 
 Although the Ibsenesque atmosphere is not 
 the same as that of Maeterlinck, the training 
 that these students received in the one enabled 
 them to give a fuller and truer atmosphere to 
 the other. I rehearsed " The Intruder " three 
 months, placing special emphasis — almost entire 
 emphasis I might say — upon the tone work, 
 which is the most wonderful I have ever dealt 
 with. As an illustration of the great difficulties 
 
APPENDIX 369 
 
 that this play opens to the rehearser, I will take 
 the climax of the play. When at the last mo- 
 ment, as the clock strikes twelve, the door opens 
 upon the left of the stage, the Sister of Charity 
 appears, signifying the death of the mother. At 
 the same instant the wail of the new-born infant 
 is heard — thus balancing the atmosphere of death 
 and life, past and future. In producing the in- 
 fant's cry the demarcation between the "ridicu- 
 lous and the sublime" in vocal expression was 
 so slight that it required the testing of twenty 
 voices before getting one which gave the truthful 
 effect, and on the night of the performance at 
 this critical moment I held my breath, realizing 
 that success and failure hung in the balance. 
 Happily the true note was sounded and the suc- 
 cess of the piece was unquestioned. This unique 
 performance was given in Steinway Hall, Chicago, 
 February 27, 1895. 
 
 Up to the year 1897 Browning's play "In a 
 Balcony " had never been acted, and I can claim 
 the honor of producing it on April 26th of that 
 year, in Becital Hall, Chicago. Owing to the 
 hyperintellectual quality of this play, lovers 
 of Browning had been afraid to see the char- 
 acters materialized. The success of the under- 
 taking necessitated, first, the understanding and 
 
 24 
 
370 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 psychologizing of the three characters — the 
 Queen, Constance, and Norbert — and the secur- 
 ing of temperamental, pictorial, and vocal truth 
 in expression. The most subtle voice work is 
 called for in depicting the Queen's emotion when 
 she believes herself beloved of Norbert. 
 
 This production led Mrs. Le Moyne to give a 
 presentation of the play five years later in the 
 Grand Opera House, Chicago, with Miss Eleanor 
 Robeson as Constance, and Otis Skinner as Nor- 
 bert, Mrs. Le Moyne herself playing the Queen. 
 
 December 17, 1896, 1 gave the first American 
 production of " The Land of Heart's Desire " at 
 the Great Northern Theatre, then just opened to 
 the public. As this play was written by William 
 Butler Teats for the Irish Theatre, it called for 
 the Celtic atmosphere. This did not mean a 
 rough Irish brogue. 
 
 March 30, 1904, 1 presented " The Hour-Glass," 
 also by Yeats, with signal success. 
 
 At the Grand Opera House, Chicago, in 1898, 
 I gave the first American production of " The 
 Fan," by Goldoni, translated for me from the 
 Italian by Mr. Henry B. Fuller. A year later a 
 different translation of this play was presented in 
 New York. 
 
 May 18, 1897, 1 produced two of Mr. Henry 
 
APPENDIX 371 
 
 B. Fuller's plays, "The Stranger within the 
 Gates " and "Afterglow," from his volume en- 
 titled "The Puppet Booth." In "Afterglow" 
 Mr. Fuller has struck the very keynote of the 
 modern attitude toward great men and fame. 
 Like George Bernard Shaw, Mr. Fuller's hero in 
 " Afterglow " desires to get at the opinions of the 
 press and of his friends and enjoy the fruits of 
 his labor during his lifetime. The comedy cen- 
 tres in his reading of his own obituary notices 
 after he had had himself reported as dead, and in 
 the remarks of his friends who come to attend his 
 funeral. We all know that for ages the after- 
 glow of fame has come to men after they have 
 died. In this clever treatment of an unfortunate 
 fact I feel that Mr. Fuller has voiced a universal 
 complaint and has made a distinct and perma- 
 nent contribution to the acting drama. 
 
 I gave a performance of " Hamlet " at Powers' 
 Theatre in Chicago in 1903, which was unique, 
 as, for the first time in the history of the play, 
 the cast was made up entirely of women. 
 
 In 1899, some years before America had awak- 
 ened to the cleverness of George Bernard Shaw, 
 I produced his play, " Candida," then fresh from 
 the press. William Archer, the London critic, 
 and translator of Ibsen, who saw one of my 
 
372 THE ART OF SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT 
 
 performances, pronounced it the most interesting 
 event in dramatic circles during his visit to Amer- 
 ica. His letter to Mr. Shaw on the subject re- 
 sulted in my paying a visit to the latter in his 
 country home in England that summer, and in 
 my producing his " Caesar and Cleopatra " the 
 following year. 
 
 These plays of Mr. Shaw were not given pro- 
 fessionally until some years later. 
 
 March 20, 1898, 1 produced Stephen Phillips's 
 "Paolo and Francesca " and during the same year 
 gave Kostand's " Komancers." 
 
 The late Richard Mansfield, after witnessing 
 rehearsals of scenes from these plays, given in 
 the little theatre which is a part of my studios, 
 wrote the following letter: 
 
 The, Virginia, Chicago, March 20, 1902. 
 
 My deak Miss Morgan, — I neglected to congratu- 
 late you upon the excellent acting of your pupils yester- 
 day. I really was quite astonished, and I am sure their 
 remarkable proficiency is due entirely to your admirable 
 method of teaching. Pray accept this sincere word of 
 worthless praise, now, with the best wishes of 
 
 Your very faithful servant, 
 
 Richabd Mansfield. 
 
 THE END 
 
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