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faith reduce this mechanical period to the minimum. And when the apprentice becomes the master, when the artisan becomes the artist, technic is transformed into the ready and obedient instrument by which-changing Ophelia's lines a little,

'words are of so sweet breath composed

As makes the thoughts more rich';

mind, ear, and voice are at one; the whole diapason of eloquent speech is open, and the outer, audible voice truly echoes the silent voice within.

The reading should be and may be, if the reader so choose, perfect in technic, and yet fresh and spontaneous as the perfume of the newborn flower. But he must choose; and he must pay the price.

COLLOQUIAL INSTANCES OF MISPLACED EMPHASIS. If we are told of the misfortune of a friend, and our comment is, 'I'm sorry for him,' it is a great deal more than likely that the little word 'for' receives the vocal prominence of the central-idea word, while 'sorry' is spoken without emphasis: pauper and prince change places. 'For', immediately preceding the unemphatic 'him', should be lightly accented, but has no claim whatever to emphasis; and 'sorry', if we mean what we say, and say what we mean, is the word of the sentence. Here is a proof-a proof repeated in almost any five-minute conversation,-that we may and do absolutely know what we mean, and say it so that it means something else—or nothing.

A few more 'familiar instances' are added.

That's all there is of it.

Strike while the iron's hot.

I've said it, and I'll stick to it.

It's good, and there's plenty of it.

His neighbors all say that he is a very good man.

Don't say anything to him.

This is one of the occasions for which a person doesn't know just how to dress.

She said she was so worried over the matter that she just didn't know what in the world to do.

A PROTEAN SENTENCE.

You say he should buy that little white cottage to-morrow morning.

Each word of the above sentence, in turn, may be taken as representing the central idea; that is, each word may in turn be made the sole emphatic word, all the remaining syllables being spoken with the equable concrete of the second; so that this very simple-appearing sentence is multiplied into eleven distinct sentences with as many different meanings. The experiment not only illustrates the importance of choosing the right word to emphasize, but trains ear and voice in the audible distinction between emphatic and unemphatic. Again. Group the sentence: 'You say he should buy that little white cottage to-morrow morning.' Read the sentence, making each group in turn preponderant, the rest unemphatic. Then read again, closing two-any twoneighboring groups together, the one proclitic or enclitic to the other. See how many such group permutations you can find or invent.

Further: two, three, four, five, or even ten, of the eleven words may be emphasized in one reading, and any one of the several may be made the governing word, while the others receive different degrees of emphasis and subordination. The possibilities of the sentence seem inexhaustible.

Then, if we assume different motives and different emotional moods, with corresponding forms of inflection, melody,

force, time, and quality, we at last realize the fact that there is here compressed, within the compass of eleven words, material from which to derive and verify a whole system of elocution.

Amid all these changes, do not forget that the voice can make a question, or many questions, of the sentence.

STUDIES IN EMPHASIS-PLACING.

A few illustrations of emphasis-placing, with the reasons for the reading chosen, will, it is thought, help you still further to realize that reading well is not the result of 'getting the thought' alone, or of the inspiration of the moment, or of lucky accident, but the product of combined thought, care, conscience, imagination, and technical skill. These studies will also indicate the kind of problems that you will hereafter constantly encounter, recognize, undertake, and, I trust, happily overcome.

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Hamlet. The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold.
Horatio. It is a nipping and an eager air.

Horatio's reply is not a new observation on the weather, but an assenting restatement of Hamlet's remark. 'Is' is the emphatic word, if emphasis be at all necessary; and all that follows, is repetitious, and therefore unemphatic. The melody should be double-wave-rising, ending with a slightly rising concrete, to indicate concurrence with the Prince's remark. 'Plain as the nose on one's face,' as this is, ninety-nine students out of a hundred read

It is a nipping and an eager air,—

with 'air' a falling concrete, completing the cadence.

In Hamlet's line, too, the second clause is usually read, by students, with 'very' unemphatic and 'cold' receiving all

the emphasis. But, considering a moment, we see that 'cold' is contained in 'bites shrewdly', and is merely repetitious. The emphasis should, of course, be on 'very', with 'cold' an unemphatic rising concrete, inviting reply. Shakespeare.

FROM THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

I saw John McCullough as Shylock, at the Olympic Theater, St. Louis, some decades ago, when he was at the height of his popularity. In rendering the speech,—

I am debating of my present store,

And, by the near guess of my memory,

I cannot instantly raise up the sum

Of full three thousand ducats. What of that!
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of our tribe,

Will furnish me,

McCullough gave a strong designative emphasis to 'Hebrew'; as if to direct Bassanio's attention to the fact that Tubal was a Hebrew, and thereby an exception to the remainder of 'our tribe.' Obviously, 'wealthy' is the central idea of

the phrase.

3. FROM THE DEATH OF THE FLOWERS.

Bryant.

The rain is falling where they lie, but the cold November rain Calls not from out the gloomy earth the lovely ones again.

The two lines above, from Bryant's 'The Death of the Flowers', depend, for the conveyance of the poet's intention, upon the value given to 'cold November.' The warm rains of of April, May, and June called out the flowers. The rain is falling now; but it is the cold November rain, and the summons, if it be one, is unheeded.

The referential as inflection on 'cold', and as melodic sweep on 'November',-points out the ellipsis, and establishes the comparison of autumn with summer. The contour is repeated over and over in the right reading of the

second line, on every accentual measure, in fact; the outline growing more and more subdued, until 'again' is barely distinguishable from a monotone phrase.

4. FROM ABSALOM. Willis.

He covered up his face, and bowed himself
A moment on his child; then, giving him
A look of melting tenderness, he clasped
His hands convulsively, as if in prayer;
And, as a strength were given him of God,
He rose up calmly, and composed the pall
Firmly and decently, and left him there,

As if his rest had been a breathing sleep.

Whoever takes the trouble to 'get the thought' of the last line, will at once perceive that the poet is using the worldold comparison of Death and Sleep-unbreathing sleep and breathing sleep. Only one member of the comparison is expressed, and it is left to the reader to supply the ellipsis.

The antithesis is to be established by distinctive and emotional emphasis on 'breathing', while 'sleep' is simply cadencial; unemphatic, as being the common term of the two conditions.

This example may appear trite and obvious; but I have heard the passage read countless times, and almost invariably 'breathing' has received scant emphasis or none, and 'sleep' has been pronounced as the significant word.

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So shalt thou rest; and what if thou shalt fall
Unnoticed by the living, and no friend
Take note of thy departure?

The thoughtless, careless reader, who, unfortunately, 'is always with us,' makes 'thou' the central idea of the first clause above. But, 'the still voice' has been making 'thou'

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