66

not be unacceptable. Do not go to them unprepared. Practise the reading at home. It is excellent study for the Readers to meet on off-nights in the room, and for each to read there in turn, the others playing the part of audience and critics, sitting at the remote part of the room, and instructing the Reader of his faults as he proceeds. Speak up; we can't hear you." "Don't bend your head down upon your book." "Look at us sometimes." "Give a little more emphasis to that word." "Don't drop your voice at the end of that sentence.” "More expression to that passage." Such interruptions by critics bent upon mutual improvement are invaluable, being the best possible education in the Art of Reading. It is certain that a Reader will never learn what are his faults unless some listener gives him intimation of them at the moment, and who so fit as they who are themselves pupils, engaged in the common purpose of acquiring a valuable accomplishment to be exercised together for the most commendable ends?

All Public Reading must partake of the nature of acting. Dialogues must be read very nearly as they should be spoken upon the stage. Over-acting is so rare a fault that it is not necessary to warn against it. There must be exaggeration in Public Readings even beyond that which would be permissible in a private room.

The Reader should be sufficiently acquainted with his book not to require to keep his eyes fixed upon it as he reads. He should occasionally glance round upon the audience to invoke their attention, and to be sure that he is heard. The voice cannot be thrown out properly from a mouth bent over the book, and speaking to the page instead of reading from it. If there is a doubt whether the voice is sent out far enough

to be heard by all, station one of the other Readers at the furthest seat, with an arranged signal should he find the utterance faint or indistinct. Lastly, read standing, with the light falling on the page from behind, the book upon a desk at the proper distance from the eye, and as you read, keep a finger upon the line, so that when you remove the eye to look at the audience, as you should do continually, the recurring glance may be instantly directed to the right place. For want of this little contrivance to guide the eye, the most awkward confusion sometimes arises, the fear of which deters many from the practice of lifting their eyes from the page to the audience, a practice which adds so greatly to the effectiveness of reading, giving to it much of the personal sympathy and reality of speaking.

EXERCISES IN READING.

THE following selection of READINGS that will be found to assist the learner in the acquisition of the Art of Reading, and in the exercise of it afterwards, will be useful also to supply the programme for Public Readings, all of them having been proved by experience to be attractive to mixed audiences.