word to the action, with this special observance that you overstep not the modesty of nature." If faithfully observed, this simple direction will profit the student more than any or than all the elocutionary rules that have been published on the subject of style.

In Argument, the style must be characterized by directness and earnestness.

In Description, the speaker must proceed in precisely the same manner that he would if he were actually describing the thing spoken of.

In Narration, he must proceed as if narrating some part of his own experience.

In Persuasion, he must use those tones, looks, and gestures only which he knows are appropriate to persuasion. In Exhortation, he must appeal, beseech, and implore, as the case may require.

In the Dramatic, and in Pieces of a Mixed Character, he must vary the style to suit the sentiment and character of the passage. When the student understands the principles and rules which have been discussed sufficiently well to be able to give a correct, practical exemplification of each of them, he ought to select passages for himself suitable as exercises in cadence, pause, parenthesis, antithesis, climax, amplification, repetition, and transition; also in pitch, force, stress, movement, quantity, in personation, in style, etc.

NATURALNESS.

The end and aim of art is to imitate nature, and no art is worthy of criticism that expresses itself falsely. Perhaps the greatest difficulty which most intelligent students of elocution have to overcome, consists in the inability to be natural in delivering the language of the author, as if the reader or speaker gave spontaneous expression to his own

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thoughts and feelings. Naturalness is the gift of unconsciousness; of doing things without knowing or thinking how we do them.

The manner of delivery described by the word natural is the manner into which we unconsciously fall when we are really interested in the subject we are talking about, when our attention at the moment is exclusively fixed on what we wish to express, or when we say what we mean and mean what we say.

Few persons who are characterized by this manner of delivery fail to engage attention, awaken interest, and affect those whom they address; indeed, it is difficult to withdraw our attention from a speaker who is addressing us on a subject that interests us if he be deeply in earnest and perfectly natural. To break up habits of artificial delivery, take a few of such passages as you are most liable to give in a conventional or artificial tone and manner from which you desire to free yourself, and speak them deliberately and in a direct, simple, conversational tone and manner, just as if speaking to a friend near you; continue to repeat each passage in this way with the greatest care, until you can give it precisely as if the thoughts and words of the passage had been suggested to your mind for the first time the moment before their utterance.

IMITATION.

The facility with which any one acquires skill in any department of the art of elocution, will depend greatly upon his power to remember distinctly, and to imitate correctly, sounds, gestures, movements, facial expressions, etc.

From the first lesson on the elementary sounds to the last lesson in dramatic expression, the progress of the student of elocution in learning the art, will, other conditions being equal, be according to his power of imitation.

The clearest explanations of general principles are useless unless accompanied by proper examples and illustrations. It is chiefly through the force of examples, acting upon the imitative faculty of our nature, that we learn to do whatever we acquire the ability to do.

The first words the child learns to speak are learned by imitation of the words as spoken by its mother. In teaching the elementary sounds, pronunciation, etc., the teacher gives the sounds or words to be pronounced, and practices his pupils in the exercise until, by imitation, they can give them according to his standard. Modulation, emphasis, action,-in short, almost every thing belonging to the practical part of elocution or of any art,-has to be acquired by imitation. Cultivate your power of imitation in every way sanctioned by good taste that your inclinations may direct. Avail yourself of every opportunity of hearing eloquent speakers of every class,―clergymen, lawyers, lecturers, or politicians, study their delivery, their source of power, points of excellence, their faults, defects, and distinguishing characteristics.

Whatever you notice in voice or manner that greatly pleases or deeply impresses you, that, as soon as possible, recall and imitate as perfectly as you can. Whenever you

notice a very graceful or expressive posture or movement, or hear words spoken in a very pleasing tone, or a tone that impresses you as being significant of some feeling or some trait or peculiarity of character, re-produce these movements or the tones, and practice them until you can command them at pleasure. When the object of your practice is perfect imitation of something, your attention at the time must be exclusively directed to it; but when reciting, declaiming, or speaking, let your attention be given entirely to the thought and sentiment, and not at all to the words, voice or manner.

Assiduously cultivate your power of imitation when engaged in practicing upon suitable examples for self-improve

ment; but when expressing your own thoughts and sentiments to an audience, do not imitate any one in any thing. The thought, the feeling, and the occasion will suggest the proper tone and manner. Neither imitate any one in his manner of reading, declamation, or impersonation. Form your own conception of a piece, and present it according to your own ideas of the way in which it should be given, and its delivery will be marked by unmistakable originality.

GESTURE AND ACTION.

Action is that part of a speaker's manner which pertains to his attitude, posture, to the movement of his limbs, and to the use and carriage of his person. Gesture is a motion

of the body or limbs expressive of sentiment or passion,any action or posture intended to express an idea or a passion, or to enforce an argument or opinion.

Action is the most difficult part of delivery; the exact adaptation of the word to the action, and the action to the word, in dramatic expression, can never be perfectly taught. To cultivate graceful and expressive action, practice movements of the body, and gestures, which, though not expressive of any particular feeling, are not inconsistent with ordinary feeling. In these exercises keep the body in a graceful position, and vary its movements and the movements of the head and limbs with different degrees of energy, in any direction and in any way that is not inconsistent with grace and propriety.

"What's a fine person, or a beauteous face,
Unless deportment gives it ease and grace?
With every other requisite to please,
Some want the striking elegance of ease.

The curious eye their various movements tires-
They seem like puppets moved about on wires-
Awkward, embarrassed, stiff,-without the skill

K. N. E.-9.

Of moving gracefully or standing still;
One leg, as if suspicious of his brother,
Desirous seems to run away from 't other."

Studied grace, or the appearance of art in the use of gestures, should be carefully avoided, as should every thing theatrical, stiff, affected, or pretentious. Action that is artificial will affect persons of good taste and good sense in a way the opposite of what was intended. Important as it is to be able always to avoid awkwardness, and under some circumstances to be very graceful, yet under other circumstances, decision and energy of action, when prompted by intense earnestness, will be far more effective than the most graceful action unaccompanied by the evidence of strong feeling. The language of gesture is not limited to the expression of deep emotion and strong passion. Upon every subject, and on every occasion on which we speak, some kind of feeling accompanies the words, and this feeling always has its appropriate action.

ACTION OF PASSION.

The passages requiring the expression of emotion or passion that the student may select for practice in gesture and action, must be thoroughly studied before delivered. He must have a clear and strong conception of the piece, and the action that should be used in its delivery.

In dramatic passages let the imagination be freely exercised in forming a strong mental picture of that which you wish to portray. Commence your practice in dramatic action on short and simple passages. Bring yourself as far as possible under the influence of the feeling you wish to

express.

"To mark the passion's force, and paint it well,
The proper action Nature's self will tell."

Real feeling will always suggest the proper action.