sea. The Miltonic grandeur of his words was the fit expression of his thought, and raised his hearers up to his theme. His voice, exerted to its utmost power, penetrated every recess and corner of the Senate penetrated even the ante-rooms and stairways, as he pronounced in the deepest tones of pathos these words of solemn significance:

"When my eyes turn to behold for the last time the sun in heaven, may they not see him shining on the broken and dishonored fragments of a once glorious Union; on States dissevered, discordant, belligerent; on a land rent with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be, in fraternal blood. Let their last feeble and lingering glance rather behold the gorgeous ensign of the Republic, now known and honored throughout the earth, still full high advanced; its arms and trophies streaming in all their original luster; not a stripe erased or polluted; not a single star obscured; bearing for its motto no such miserable interrogatory as 'What is all this worth?' nor those other words of delusion and folly, of Liberty first, and Union afterwards, but everywhere, spread all over in characters of living light, and blazing on all its ample folds, as they float over the sea and over the land, and in every wind under the whole heavens, that other sentiment dear to every American heart,- Liberty AND Union,- now and forever,— one and inseparable."

The speech was over, but the tones of the orator still lingered upon the ear, and the audience, unconscious of the close, remained in their positions. The agitated countenance, the heaving breast, the suffused eye, attested the continued influence of the spell upon them. Hands that in the excitement of the moment had sought each other still remained closed in an unconscious grasp. Eye still turned to eye, to receive and repay mutual sympathy, and everywhere around seemed forgetfulness of all but the orator's presence and words.

Charles W. March.

The last two selections, in the main, are good illustrations of elevated conversational address. A few passages requiring the fullest orotund quality are retained to preserve the symmetry and completeness of the selections.

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS ON EMPHA

SIS, INFLECTION AND CADENCE

General treatises and lectures on elocution are of no grea! value to anybody. They may entertain popular audiences, and excite interest in good reading and speaking; but they do not, as a rule, touch upon the difficulties that perplex public speakers, nor do they offer specific directions for the attainment of desirable results. On the other hand, there is danger in following implicitly a highly-elaborated system. The enthusiastic student of elocutionary science may so expand his theories as to invade clearly the domain of individual taste, where no ipse dixit should be tolerated. Knowledge with discretion is needed that the pretension of ignorance and the folly of empiricism may be avoided. These cautions are called forth by the difficulties that surround the subject under discussion. It is one that requires all the knowledge and skill of the experienced teacher, who appreciates the limitations of elocutionary science.

It is not our purpose to discuss, at great length, the topics of emphasis, inflection, and cadence, but simply to make a few practical suggestions, as we have previously intimated.

EMPHASIS

Correct emphasis in reading and speaking cannot be too highly commended. It demonstrates, at once, the intelligence of the speaker, and gives certainty of meaning to the thought expressed. It would be a questionable use of time to endeavor, by any set of rules, to indicate to students the emphatic words of a sentence. In every sentence there are one or more words upon which the meaning of the sentence turns. If the student has not sufficient intelligence to discover these words, it is very evident that he should continue his preparatory education. But when the meaning of the author is clearly apprehended, and the important words are made to stand out by the application of emphasis, then the significance of this agent of expression is seen and felt. It fre

quently happens that two speakers of equal intelligence and skill will emphasize a sentence or a verse from the Bible differently. This is not to be discouraged. It is rather to be encouraged, for truth is many-sided, and in this way we may see it from different intellectual standpoints. The main thing for the student, however, is to get a clear idea of the meaning of the text, and then to emphasize those words that will set forth with certainty the thought he wishes to express. Important as is the suggestion in the last sentence, it is nevertheless true that there is more practical difficulty in getting students to apply emphasis correctly, than in getting them to think the sentence clearly. This is due, in large measure, to two causes: first, lack of knowledge; second, complicated elocutionary requirements. How, then, is the application of emphasis retarded by lack of knowledge? In that students are ignorant of the vocal instrumentalities by which words are emphasized. The vocal agencies used for emphasis are: first, slide; second, pause; third, pitch; fourth, force; fifth, time; sixth, quality.

FIRST. The emphasis of the slide is a downward or an upward stroke of the voice, passing through the interval of a third, fifth, or octave on the musical scale, the length of the slide being determined by the intensity of the thought or emotion.

SECOND. The emphasis of pause is a sudden stop in speech, thereby exciting attention and giving weight or emphasis to the word momentarily withheld.

THIRD. The emphasis of pitch is a sudden change from the general pitch to a much higher or lower pitch, thereby arresting the attention, and giving significance to the words thus uttered.

FOURTH.-The emphasis of force is the utterance of certain words with greater loudness, thereby calling attention to their importance.

FIFTH.-The emphasis of time is the retardation of the general rate of utterance, thereby calling attention to the wordз drawn out or retarded.

SIXTH.-The emphasis of quality is the change from a comparatively smooth and pleasant quality of the voice to a harsh cr aspirated quality. The abrupt change makes the word thus roughened or aspirated distinctively emphatic.

These are the chief instrumentalities used to give significance

to the utterance of words, and the effective use of them should be more frequently taught and illustrated.

The second cause interfering with the application of emphasis, is complicated elocutionary requirements. It has always been a source of regret that certain writers on elocution have insisted that several vocal elements must enter into every effort in emphasis. To require a student to combine three or four of the different kinds of emphasis previously enumerated in every attempt to designate an important word, is as unnecessary as it is unwarranted, and must result either in making the student tired, or in producing a combination or blend of vocal elements that nobody wants to hear. It is not denied that several of these forms of emphasis frequently combine to produce an emphatic result; but one of the forms so predominates in the vocal effect, that the others require no very serious consideration. If we give attention to the leading form we employ, and make that the chief vocal agent of emphasis, we greatly simplify the requirements, and release the student from a system too elaborate for practical use. It is not improbable that this combination plan of emphasis has so weakened our interest in the study of any one kind, that we have become ignorant of the powers that lie hidden in the emphasis of the slide and the pause.

INFLECTION, OR THE EMPHASIS OF THE SLIDE

Inflection, or slide, is an uninterrupted upward or downward stroke of the voice on the musical scale. The emphasis of the slide is the most important form because it is the most frequently used. In all oral communications in the everyday affairs of life, as well as in all common reading, this is the form of emphasis used to designate the words that give definiteness and certainty to our thought. In unimpassioned speech, or in common reading, the slide is three notes in length, and is called the slide of the third. In elevated or impassioned styles, the length of the slide is five or eight notes, called respectively the slide of the fifth and octave. Any word receiving this stroke or slide of the voice is so distinguished or made prominent by the vocal effect, that we call it an emphatic word. When we speak of sending a word home, the sending power is the emphatic stroke or slide.

But if our gospel bei it is id to them who are

of God.

РІЧ

lost.

For as many as are by the Spirit of God, they are the

is thy sting? O grave, where is victory?

sons

It is important to note that the slide begins above the level of the ordinary pitch and extends to an equal distance below it. This is necessary that the slide may be made to harmonize with the current melody. If the slide should be made so that the vocal stroke is entirely below the level of the ordinary pitch, thus, the reading would become heavy

line, thus,

and plunging. If, on the other hand, the slide is made above the , the reading would become

light and unimpressive.