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PREFATORY NOTE.

TO THE FIRST EDITION.

THE following treatise (if it may assume so pretentious a name) is simply the result of a want felt by its author and compiler, in common with every teacher who has methods of his own, of a text-book which shall serve the daily uses of his school-room. Though probably the precursor of a more comprehensive work, embracing the entire field of elocution, it deals with only a single department of the subject, but that-being at once fundamental and cardinal-the most important of all. For surely it can matter little to a fine delivery, whatever perfection of tone the voice may inherit by nature or attain to by art, whatever marvels of force or precision of utterance, nay, whatever refinements of feeling or intuitions of expression, may be present, if there be lacking a mastery of those vocal inflections by which Nature conveys the true sense of spoken passages, and that emphasis by which she defines the relative importance of associated words.

The treatment of these subjects which is here presented, lays no special claim to originality. There has been free use, in its construction, of all the material furnished by the thought and labor of others; nevertheless, it is the outcome of much experience in the trial of methods, and is believed to possess some resultant merits of its own. In particular, the presentation of

emphasis as a discriminating inflection merely, and as a waving slide rather than a downward pressure of the voice, to be marked by the grave accent, while it claims to be a true statement of the natural fact, has proved the best antidote to that stilted, artificial delivery which has always reflected discredit on the teaching of elocution.

The little work has been, of necessity, produced in haste, and under the pressure of many and various duties. That the author is aware of its probable errors and obvious deficiencies appears in the fact that it is not given to the public, but merely thrown out as a first draft (so to speak), that it may be subjected to friendly criticism, and corrected and improved by further experiment and reflection. The discussion has been given with studied conciseness; and it is hoped that the vindication of the principles here presented may be found in their statement. It is well, perhaps, to credit the pupil with some intelligence; and whatever there lacks in this regard to the understanding of the text will have to be supplied by the teacher. For, however in other respects its promise may exceed its performance, one thing it certainly does not assume to furnish; to wit, that very unlikely article, "Elocution without a Master."

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