| Show READING I 6ooond of tho University of Utah O Lecturo Sorlos by Mils Maud M Babcook I Elocution If I the ml of speaking language I so nj to make the thought It expresses clear and expressive ay I Alfred Ayres itt It I ihe matt comprehensive com-prehensive tleflnlllon that has been given of this much misunderstood art Slightly paraphrase the lenience nnd we Kill han an excellent definition of reading read-ing running thus Reading Is the art I ol speaking written language to aito make the thought expresses clear and Impressive Elocution therefore deals with nil thought whether It be written or extemporized your own or from another reading Is I concerned with only written thought To cxiemporlfe our own thought seems comparatively clay natural and consequently Inteligent but ionic serious seri-ous obitacle seems lo rear Its head when we attempt our own written thought but particularly when we express ex-press Iho thoughts ol another Then we become stilted and unnatural Few 1 great writers have been good readers We have all reworked many time tint as the reader pauses to make some suggestion sug-gestion or dilate upon tire thought read l In Ills own language that he Is I much more natural and Impressive and we cannot trot sigir when the book Is I taken up again and the unnatural man ncr taken up I with the book It Is I upon this point which M the bails of reading and t elocution that the modern school differs from the old school The basis of teaching at the present Is to go to nature study ex presslon at you find It when men arc unconscious In opposition to the olo teaching which dealt with tones of tin Voice set gesture nnd stilted unnatural unnat-ural slides Dunt build l arlificUlty boo read as you sneak your own language nIrl r eoflII II Conversation Is therefore the model 101 all vocal expression Hut before thoughts can be expressed artistically the voice mutt be cultivated mispronunciations and pronunciations be overcome and the body so trained I that the mind may be thoroughly possessed I pos-sessed of the thought of the author Heading has been likened lo a tree having three strong roots the first voice production the second words pronounclatlon articulation and definitions defi-nitions of words third the control of the bod These roots should be deep ly burled underground and only the combined strength be perceptible In the trunk and allege Hut too often the ground 1 Is torn away or they are not f r rlYruJ hurled deep enough and the rude unsightly un-sightly root ol pronunciation or otllcn orion Is expoiedor then ngaln the lonidous movement attire body betrays that that root Is not well covered but most commonly we find that the poor voice root has been forgotten and allowed al-lowed to dwindle and waste away which mars and dworin tire entire tree The development ol these roots requires re-quires little ul the matured brain work which the growth ol the tree needs and therefore can and should be well grounded during all the early years of a childs 1 school life All the languages under the sun are taught to our students and the graduate gradu-ate ol our universities cannot read Intelligently In-telligently their mothertongue There Is little need to dwelt upon this subject for III is plain to all that our students should first and foremost be fitted well In Diglish III Is preposterous lo suppose sup-pose that one years training I In our higher I schools will suffice to overcome the faults and Ignorance which years of neglect has brought about As well expect the same knowledge ol mathematics mathe-matics with the same neglect and same It time devoted to There Is lime enough given lo reading In our schools ilo all the work Hut even the most enthusiastic reformer In this line could desire but the lime Is I not spent profitably I Iho came excellence excel-lence was required of reading as In do other branches not one In I one fur a sweeping statement but If my experience exper-ience and observation as well as that I of many I others prove anything III Is I true would be admitted to our universities The reform In reading must begin in primary and grammar schools Earnest Legoure ol the Hindi I academy acad-emy In I an interesting book upon the Art of Reading sao or the American Republic of North Americ1 reading Aloud justly considered to be one ol the first elements of a childs education a constituent ol Its basis most urgently Insisted upon lIe I thin laments that the tame happy condition is O not found In his own countr lois I great man must certainly hne viewed our system from a distance perhaps across the water and tint distance has lent enchainment to the view To be sure our schoollaw places reading ai the basis of education and we have In all our schools a branch called reading but do our children lead borne shout some chant some sing song and many drawl and spellbut do they read < Vey little more I taught them by tire mastery of words and these are rattled oil a tiring as II they were so many beads upon What readesl Ihou my lord IWO I-WO word cord What are morrIs Mere Ink wlthoul the thoughtthe soul We Cannot lay the fault with the teacher lor he or she Inns been kchoolet In the same routine as the child arid therefore has little or no knowledge 01 i the ort True special schools of elocu tlon have rnulilplied anti the standard 01 clocuiloii has been raised until It Is no longer the sj noni 0 for nllcctitlon Hut few indeed ol the vast populace have or have been able lo avail themselves ul this education And these tow have become be-come private teaclursor instructors in our high school and colleges Hut line vast mlotlty of people teachers And students have remained In Ignorance I 01 Hie subject Special teachers have been employed In drilling mu ic inttnods etc to raise the standard in Iiot uhjecU but here are tire special teachers of reading In our public schools Yet our law Sal s that reading hal be lire basis and Iheriforo trot lube lu-be considered Ibis needs a 10dlca lion or rending I Is now lauiJil corriclly in the beginnmir I cluster I of ro public 1w hools but 1 even there voice produc tion gesture and articulation are nrlculaton lluhted < I Reading of the future will and must b nude the real not the theoretical basis i of education Instead of killing and dwarfing ihe expression which abounds I On Ael the child beO six jlel Hits expression leaching will be remedied and ft give lace to the higher Ideathai l of developing devel-oping draw leg out I < W e will then be aught to express ourselves In enII language of another A we do our own ihougln This is I exceedingly difficult liter the repressive Inlluenco of < school tote but will be natural t anil unconscious tthen this training begins with Ihe entire education Jut these Importint roots which we were considering a few moments ago bow norrl when ore they to be grown The cultivation ol the voice Is a mechanical mechani-cal process hoeing governed by muscles mil these muscles can be developed all rained to act unconscious with the treat resull In children All you II cOil dren breathe and speak correct and I would be a little cflotl lu produce a per tech Instrument If correct Instruction could be given After ten or twelve Its I It-s unusual to find a child using his vocal organ properly Imacme then the labor ul Intruding the abler pupil to speak prope ly before he cm even begin lo read correctly Hut no attention whitever Is I given lo voice building ihe speaking voco I re fee to In our public schools and n n result high rough nasal disagreeable kuiceevirywhera fact the rare exception ception Is I to Imd a voice which has not ben ruined leaeboers ate far from correct as to voice production and the cuniiani use 01 I under all condohione end without proper understanding products greater delects and a bad example Is I there lure tel for the children 1110 Du fur that Iu not one morunt suppose UPlo I 1 propose tu produce a certain Ae lualliylhe same pitch In each child lhat 11 vofcis el might I b alike This djI fir toOl the purpose uf any true te idler ol riding even I they suppose I could oe > accomplished True development means the unfolding of the Individual ny in the cOrolla voice ns mother III tigs nulls I are taken by sume to be Ihe maiks of hot I individual but Ihey are nol kOllo is I to correct llb mlslng I YI toroar the neglect of the study ol voice prO i duclion lhat Is to be urged lhat tire indivlduillly unfettered may more perfectly per-fectly be educated With voice building correct pronun elatIon exercises tor nriiculallun and Iho meaning ol new words should be taught 111 one of the great missions of reading that that sirs Hnghsh Ian guage Is I spoken the same everywhere to lee tiont dialects provincialisms nml located abolished lIt l Incrcl pronunciations are abulht < It cannot be urgel 10 strongly that teachers correct first ol all line vocal sounds When there I good authority author-ity do not change t tOne accent from that which ro already In Icel not urge program to be pronounced pro rum detail ditall neither nylher either eylhcr when lilt vowel sounds Ir air authority I agrees upon art Incorrectly I In-correctly given lear example correct the use of short a for Italian It In such words 4 aunt calf half laugh ando and-o hor the use of long oo lor u in June l ru id luesday lurid dew knew etc short a for Intermediate a as In ask d nice grass glare etc coalescent e misplaced I af rn by coaleitcent u in blrdgirlmercy verse prefer etc slmrl 0 given like broad 5 us In cone olhce dog and others It correct the vowel sounds Is dimcull aUer they have once become habit out are easily corrected In the child In presenting this matter 10 u number of teachers once 1 was informed hoot a leading educator advised that these vowel sounds be not corrected as the children would bo laughed I at In Ihe hOle circle Such advice made little defence for I Is I opposed I lu all progress for every step 1 In advance will be met with laughter front sonIc but It Is the onu who lakes Hit step mat makes Ihe progress Ualleu Confucius Columbus Colum-bus Luther Newton were these all not laughed at Alter the vowel sounds have been given the needed attention Ihe consonants conso-nants should be thoroughly drilled and last lbs misplacing of emphasis Our third rout the development of expression in the bodmut also be cared hoe II our children were allowed lu use Iheir bodies and urged to do sons so-ns when at hume or on ihe play ground our sellout system would not ba critic lied l as killing the emotional I nature Gesture I a tart of reading and cannot be separated Irom It without losing one of Ihe roots Irom winch bole sustained There Is n great prejudice against gesture ges-ture because It is I believed tu be unnatural un-natural Then Is I alsu an erroneous idea current mat gesture is sumiihing to b tacked on lur wo hear such o presslons as I cant put the gesture in and such gestures usually seem put In Gesture bnould be tire spoilt menus outgrowth ol the < Ihougln At first children should be allowed lo use u os much giiluie as Ihey wish and w hel Ihey have developed the mind until ll conlrolls lint emotions Die geatora will bu loud I frequenl nnd mean mure 1 licit are Iu reasons why so little i oral reading Is done ni home I I one lloei In 117e fact thai our lack of education 111 Ihli branch makes ll untie pleasuru lu our Irtends ur ourselves I the second reason being thai good slRlu 1 reading require much priiiice too may say that tills praclice might haw been ubUlned m part at least In lou school room and Uierelure Ihn lailur lies also nt the school door TliM is I nu one thing thai can bo more pro < uo i live ol development in lire home circl than reading nloud MUCH ihougln i a mound ami many Ideas bruu nl 10 l < light whicti wuuld not otherwise Inane been obtained Tha controversy am discussion ol points aro also productive ol Kuud Home oral leading can br pracliced by nil rood tliould bo bruughi lorlli Irom llm obscure blare ll has oc cupicd Instead of selhihly silling donn lo your bunt allow those around you tu corny II also Ihero ore lew indeed wino nore skillet sight readers In 1 lad l I icmcmber I only one who had made an an ollt HIM was Mr Moon n former elocution teacher but now a tooled lawyer in rinladelphia I A newspaper i In his hands became fasclnaling 1ms proficiency ho told me was galnedby a bard sun mers labor ol twelve hour each day lading aloud Mucaulavs essays per aloud laps the most difficult English to read A literary tsste can often be nronsed tn those I tu whom II It seems dormant by ending ol to them An Incident was laid me by n friend which Illuslrnlen this poinl In this friends family was n ember who could l nc be Inteiesled in any hlerarlure and Mr Harrah I lie ermined to develops the tasie He herefore red stories to her anil would heave them at the most Interesting point loping that she would pick them up I during the day Some time elapsed before this much was accompished bat as soon as she could lie Induced tu read herief the taste lur literature progressed pro-gressed The great charm In MrlMonin reading was tlut he lead as he taUedcalchlng he entire line in a glance and looking oil the text the greater part of the lime This reading by many would be can ildered IJ of place loo dranulie vould be sun It Is often stated Dial hour ho-ur she lin good plain reader Wlul Idea lsconveediy I ° a plain reader Simply that thewurds are articulated In Ihe older he author I placet them without 1 any Jioughl ns to the ei Ideas to be advanced To make myself more 101015li 1 we were relating an Incident to a few friends we would by tune and gesture reproduce tire scene people snot our deductions nils would lie nothing out ol the way or unnatural The author desires lu convey as vividy 1 nnd forcibly his 1111 thoughts ala we do oarssn why read them ulher lowhy make one rule nor oarveth nnd another for others I more of Ibis reading were done at IrOnIC sort a lore thorough knowledge given In school Ihere would be luuml a n greater appreciitlnn ol good reading lou fury and I artificiality I generally Impress Im-press people more than nature Irlln n reader It has been uuly snub tint there Ihere Is one good judge of read et = I J f t bog there are many I good fudges ol music and here Ihere Is one good reader then are many good musicians Hoeausc then I such a general n understanding of the art ul reading unit many teachers 011 who misunderstand I I also I am sorry lo us Intellectual people acceptelucu Grog II lion and reading wllh n sneer blot the most precepnblu sneer comes from the dramatic profession the overage aclor rails at elocution and e dm elocutionists according lo the New York Mittvr lion aclor calls fossils iols or frauds nnd himself lie calls an artist An Artist Alfred Ayres exclaims Heaven help ole Well his art Is tine fakirs nn not the 1 actors art S lung ns actors of tire present say servus for service deaf fur deaf privute for private figor for figure misplace emphasis In tore must out ageoui manner we cerlilnly must mOi agree wllh line above thit the rudiments 01 l the art are not mastered 1 liesc mistakes mis-takes shocking a they may seem are not but actual renluies mlhs reohl taken from the critics piper These blunders are nude by hoe highest as well as Ihe lowest Tu be sure actors are now becoming be-coming more careful that these errors have been published and the diction iry Is consulted sometimes Reading Is I Ihe foundation upon which the actor shoulO build Ills artlsllc superstructure He cause this foundation Is I neglected anil because of the lick lime spent In preparation for the production of Inlays al present theclassic drami Is I said nol to pay and moore flooded with Ihe sen IIAII tlonal I drama of the day I Managers tell us hInt the people mount the class uf plays tircy present Nothing Is further tt 1 lst ls I lr Irom the truth I Hut no doubt people do order the wIldcat drama done well thin lukespere poorly rendered for the sime reason that people prcfir a calico calco veil made to a Ol r nltkreer Oar great actors and actresses hade h-ade their success in the classics and the drami could ba made as much ol a success If the time study and II perseverance perse-verance were expended today It was the reading which made Cushman For rest llootn and Jctlerson at prOm great In all else they hive had many equals Thy left nothing 10 chance Every llnrevery thought were thorough ly mistered that naturally I when only Iwo or three I weeks nt the outside Is given tu Ihe production of n play an1 it would require lint rniny monihs ossldu nUt sludy lo at leas read nell any of the Shakesperuan dramas the clisslcs are not made A success In line rush And hurry of these limes managers have not hire lime to produce great actors Old actresses ac-tresses Ta Illustrate how much lime Is spent li In Trance and Germany upon such things Iegoure relates how I one dramatic dra-matic wortl was rehearsed I eightysix limes line greal Mdlle Mar being amoni the number of players before they wero sufliclcntly schooled 10 up pear m public Rachel altiched n < much importance lo reading ns tin most pedantic elocutionist tint hat booed Ono day with I ogoim Rachel cat three hour devoting herscl to Olle passage I Legume sIps In one scene there was I tomewliat remarkable passage It contains not more than thirty 1 lines but to those thirty jaa Rachel 1 ami i1 I I devoted nut less Ihtn Him hOI close smdy Never before had the power ol concentrated attention the fineness 01 keen appreciation cod Ihe modest but overwhelming sincerity tit this truly admirable ad-mirable aillsi su astounded I me no enchanted en-chanted me jl ll was a splendid lesson for mutual instruction With what or duo we ourselves lu work at the task The great cool tu be attained l was that Rachel should lot fall behind her predecessor pre-decessor Not a single one of these lliree hundred words lhat wo did nut examine inspect turn this way and that way every vviy lo discover the true living and penetrating accent luce I lieu II noun one such are worlli whale months ol ordinary I labor lee we have one of the most Intel leciuil men In 1 nncu and womanwho oav looked upon as being the greatest nctress thil blot world has seen pending pend-ing nn em ire morning over the reading ol thirty lines Edwin I orrckt was never tired of extolling ex-tolling the merits of his great predeccs sor Idmund Keanund was ever dwelling dwell-ing upon his wonderful reading leI aidonce le-I You might taken ISellertoni Girrlck a Kernhlc and n Talma I and I rll I mInI j lo them old Ruschr ol f Koine nnd hUe sum of tliirn nil would not mike out Idmund Kean I would I give billy I dollars a week fur the rest F nip life and fifty dollars a week for fifty years alter my tleathlf I my cstato I wasnuflirlent lo < r I lo hear anyone read Othellos lorewell once a week during Ilia rot 11 of my hie as E < lund Keen uud to read I 1 luva iried lur year And poles 10 red II ns he read I to produce duce riot died with il that he produced yet I have never succeeded bui onre I was down at tine old Uroadway theater One night I struck the kf > nulp and went through It tu my ebb satisfaction and R rewarded wilh five distinct rounds of t went home applause luppy I thought fluid ii at last hut I h I Ir I hoe never been able to du it since God Almighty was pleased lo Inspire one ne for only that one occasion oed for mat This Is I sufficient to illustrate the peal 11 ion we lake In regard la reading mid acting The only serious ohifeuon I believe to Ihe course I recommend is i that It oilers comparatively llnle opportunity oppor-tunity for the prolessor tu impress his upils nnd through them the neighbor loud with his prolant by In nmuril common sense processes there is rarely anything that tlaKles never anything that bewilders |
