PRACTICAL ELOCUTION.

BREATHING.

VOICE is breath converted into sound; and the lungs, acted upon by the muscles of the diaphragm, as the handle to the blacksmith's bellows, are the principal organs of respiration. The more breath, and the greater the power of these muscles, the stronger and fuller the voice. There should be no more action of the inner muscles and lining of the throat than is absolutely necessary for complete and firm intonation, for in this manner the throat receives no injury. Practice this either in the open air, or be sure to have plenty of fresh air in your room.

EXERCISE.-Stand erect, throw the shoulders back, keep the neck straight, concentrate the mind on the lower muscles that propel the air from the lungs, giving them all possible space. Breathe a few times naturally.

Then draw in air slowly, steadily, making little effort, through a very small orifice of the mouth, with the lips compactly "pursed" together. When the lungs are completely filled, retain the air for a moment, then breathe all out slowly and quietly, letting the chest down very gradually. Then breathe once full, then out, in the ordinary manner.

It is well, during the breathing, to gently pat the lungs with the hands. Practice this very cautiously at first. If dizziness ensue, stop for a while, move about, and relief will follow.

If the exercise is too severe, for beginners, do not repeat the effort often until custom has made it easier. When able to do this without injurious effects, practice it rigidly as of the first importance.

[NOTE.-The greater length of time occupied in this exercise the better. The author can breathe easily for two or three minutes inwardly, and then, reversing the effort, breathe out, occupying very nearly the same amount of time.

EXERCISE.-Breathe out all you can of the natural air that may be in the lungs; press the chest and ribs inwardly, and crowd them about under the arm-pits with the heels of the hands to squeeze out what air may be left, and breathe back again quickly.

Move the shoulders forward, when breathing out, and backward when breathing in to aid these efforts.

A variety of these exercises should be devised by the pupil. They promote the expansion and capacity of the lungs, and the elasticity and mobility of the chest. Immense advantage will be derived from gymnastic drills of this character.

EXERCISE.-Arms forward at right angles with the chest; breathe slowly till the lungs are comfortably filled. Draw the arms gently back, emptying the lungs, then project them. Then throw them violently forward, then backward, closing the fists as they return. Do not overdo. If a person should practice nothing else than the foregoing exercises, he would find the voice improving wonderfully in strength and fulness within a few weeks.

REMARK.-AS Soon as practicable, learn to breathe through the nostrils instead of the mouth, especially when drawing in the air, as this process is less liable to parch the throat, and produce irritation. This manner of breathing will widen the nasal cavity, strengthen the muscles of the nostrils, keep the lungs healthy, and improve the quality of the voice. Persons unaccustomed to an energetic employment of the lungs find it exceedingly difficult to use the nostrils effectively. The preceding exercises are designed to develope a little lung power first, and are not likely to prove injurious if the air is drawn very slowly, and through a very small aperture of the lips. Even when walking, especially if moving rapidly, learn to keep the mouth firmly shut, and breathe exclusively through the nose. Lung and even other diseases, are brought on more frequently from an open mouth, particularly when sleeping, than from almost any other cause. By putting the mind upon

it with a determination to succeed, the habit of keeping it shut can be acquired both for waking and sleeping hours, for the results of what is resolutely done in the one time will unconsciously be carried into the other. There is a philosophy in this breathing process that perhaps need not be explained in a work of this character.

EXERCISES.

AUDIBLE.-Fill the lungs slowly through the nostrils; then open the mouth, and slowly give the sound of K (Kh).

FORCIBLE.-Fill the lungs and cough, or explode the voice upon the sound of HA!!! or draw in the air and then expel it with the utmost vehemence without vocality.

SIGHING.-(An extreme condition.) Open the mouth, fill the lungs suddenly, and also emit suddenly.

GASPING. Similar to sighing, but the air cannot pass in fast enough through the mouth and nostrils combined; it is an unnatural, exhausted condition, a struggle for breath.

PANTING. Is somewhat similar to sighing and gasping. The air is drawn in quickly and violently, and emitted loudly.

LOUD WHISPER.-In this the voice is high, with pure aspiration. It is an excellent practice but must be indulged in with great caution. Count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

EXERCISE IN VOCALITY.-Slowly fill the lungs through the nostrils, and then very deliberately count 1,-2,-3,-4,-5,— 6,-7,-8,-9,-10.

EXERCISE. Slowly fill the lungs, and then with the mouth WELL OPENED and ARCHED, gently repeat, in a pure, firm, steady-toned voice, a- -e 0- u -oi- -ou. Have

the sounds strike the roof of the mouth.

NOTE.-Persons with weak lungs and throats sometimes refrain from such exercises; but the practice is even recommended as a CURE for bronchitis and pulmonary complaints.

CONSONANTS.-The consonants are given thus :-Stand firm, every muscle braced, fill the lungs with air, and then holding them distended a moment, pronounce the word so as to feel the whole body partaking of the sounds. The lungs should be the chief object of your attention in these exercises. Dwell solidly on the initial sound a moment, then pass on to the vowel sound between, and finally, firmly bear the voice upon the closing sound. If properly given, these exercises will strengthen the muscles of the mouth and neck, and remove the least tendency to irritation of the delicate membranes of the throat.

The vowels in the preceding are to be sounded as in fate,

far, fall, fat,

--

1

2

3

· me, met,—pine, pin, ·no, move, nor, not,

tube, tub, bull. In these two exercises are all the elementary sounds of the English language, and also the combinations oi, ou, ch, ng, sh, th, (light) th, (heavy) wh, and z (zh). C, Q, and X are represented by other letters.

[NOTE.-Pure tone should be aimed at in all these exercises. Persons may thus distinguish pure from impure tones. A word or sound spoken with pure tone is given in such a manner that all the breath thus employed, is converted so completely into clear vocality, that if a small lamp or candle were held within an inch even of the mouth, the flame would scarcely tremble. Impure tone, on the contrary, would have so much respiration or breath as to immediately extinguish the light thus held. If the candle is not at all times convenient, the experiment may be illustrated by using the hand. A pure-toned sound cannot be felt when uttered against the back of the hand, for the sound is not forced from the mouth, but reverberates within it. An impure tone is felt, like the breath, in proportion to its impurity or aspirated character. This shows that the more intonation the breath can have, the better, except in such expressions as call for aspiration.]

However desirable distinct articulation may be, you should never DWELL on a sound, but give it forcibly and instantly change to the next without appearing to interrupt the free course of the breath.

Enunciation is the basis of the art; it is this which gives nerve and energy to accomplished speakers: which fills language with VITALITY, and renders it REAL and LIVING.

SUBTONICS.-B, D, G, V, Z, Y, W, Th, Zh, Ng, L, M, N, R2 ATONICS. P, T, K, F, S, H, Wh, Th, Sh.

ABRUPT ELEMENTS.—B, D, G, P, T, K. (See Rush, on the Voice.)

ARTICULATION.-VOWELS.

aye, age, late, gale.—He gave to the gale his snow-white sail. bereave, redeem, agree.-Swift instinct leaps; slow reason feebly climbs.

tie, rye, why, mine.-The primal duties shine aloft like stars. roll, dome, tone, woe.-The freed soul soars to its home on

high.

tube, hue, value, new.-There is music in the deep blue sky. far, bar, palm, ah.-The calm shade shall bring a kindred calm.

mat, man, and, at.—The good man has perpetual sabbath. met, let, well, end.-Thence the bright spirit's eloquence hath fled.

captain, if, hit, bit.—The sick earth groans with man's iniquities.

all, call, walk, awe.-Of all that's holy, holiest is the good man's pall.

true, doom, rule, true. -Blows were our welcome, rude bruises our reward.

full, push, wolf, foot.-For his own good alone inan should not

toil.

wad, blot, odd, was.-The quality of mercy is not strained.