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ELEVENTH LESSON

PART 1. DRILL

1. Physical Culture, Deep Breathing, and Voice Exercise. Review the exercises of Lesson Eleven of the first term, page 49.

2. Articulation. Repeat distinctly and rapidly:

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3. Pronunciation. Drill in words for the sounds of i, as in pin and bird (see page 218).

PART 2. EXPRESSION

PERSUASION

In your effort to impress others by your reading or speaking—whether to convince or to persuade them—always bear in mind that clear and robust tones depend upon breathing gently and deeply. Too much effort, especially apparent effort, may easily defeat the very purpose of your speaking. There are times, of course, when the voice should be sent forth in the most energetic manner, but it is well to bear in mind that persuasive speaking depends upon

intensity rather than upon loudness, and that the greatest effect is produced upon the hearer when the effort of the speaker is most concealed. A good exercise for developing quiet intensity is to read a passage, articulate the words with the lips, and accompany the reading with suitable facial expression and gesture, but making no sound whatever. There is no better practise than this for developing the muscles of the throat and abdomen. The aim should be to make the feeling paramount. Proceed now to apply this suggestion to the first extract below.

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTISE

1. Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. "Isaiah 55:1-2." THE BIBLE.

2. There is a multitude of unobserved influences which the Sabbath exerts upon the temporal welfare of men. It promotes the spirit of good order and harmony; it elevates the poor from want; it transforms squalid wretchedness; it imparts selfrespect and elevation of character; it promotes softness and civility of manners; it brings together the rich and poor upon one common level in the house of prayer; it purifies and strengthens the social affections, and makes the family circle. the center of allurement and the source of instruction, comfort, and happiness. Like its own divine religion, "it has the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come," for men can not put themselves beyond the reach of hope and heaven so long as they treasure up this one command, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

"Observance of the Sabbath."

GARDINER SPRING,

3. This eternal court is always open to you, with its society wide as the world, multitudinous as its days, the chosen and the mighty, of every place and time. Into that you may enter always; in that you may take fellowship and rank according to your wish; from that, once entered into it, you can never be an outcast but by your own fault. It is open to labor and to merit, but to nothing else. No wealth will bribe, no name overawe, no artifice deceive, the guardian of those elysian gates. In the deep sense, no vile or vulgar person ever enters there. "Do you deserve to enter? Pass. Do you ask to be the companion of nobles? Make yourself noble, and you shall be. Do you long for the conversation of the wise? Learn to understand it, and you shall hear it. But on other terms?-no. If you will not rise to us, we can not stoop to you." "The Society of Good Books."

JOHN RUSKIN.

4. Go forth to your labor, and what thing can you see that hath not its message? The ground is full of sympathy. The flowers have been printed with teachings. The trees, that only seem to shake their leaves in sport, are framing divine sentences. The birds tell of heaven with their love-warblings in the green twilight. The sparrow is preacher of truth. The hen that clucks and broods her chickens, unconscious that to the end of the world she is part and parcel of a revelation of God to man; the sheep that bleat from the pastures, the hungry wolves that blink in the forest, the serpent that glides noiselessly in the grass, the raven that flies heavily across the field, the lily over which his shadow passes, the plow, the sickle, the vane, the barn, the flail, the threshing-floor, all of them are consecrated priests, unrobed teachers, revelators that see no vision themselves, but that bring to us thoughts of truth, contentment, hope and love. All are ministers of God. The whole earth doth praise Him, and show forth His glory!

"Illustrations of Divine Truth."

HENRY WARD BEECHER.

5. What can I do, in however small way, to serve my country? I will tell you what I consider the duty of every citizen. It is that you should keep a close and vigilant eye on public and municipal affairs; that you should form intelligent opinions

upon them; that you should give help to the men who seem to you worthy of help, and oppose the men whom you think worthy of opposition. Keep this motive of public duty and public service before you, for the sake of your country, and also on your own account. You will find it the most ennobling human motive that can guide your actions. And while you will help the country by observing it, you will also help yourselves. Life consists of only two certain parts, the beginning and the end-the birth and the grave. Between those two points lies the whole arena of human choice and human opportunity. You may embellish and consecrate it if you will, or you may let it lie stagnant and dead. But if you choose the better part, I believe that nothing will give your life so high a complexion as to study to do something for your country.

"The Duty of Public Service."

LORD ROSEBERY.

TWELFTH LESSON

PART 1. DRILL

1. Physical Culture, Deep Breathing, and Voice Exercise. Review the exercises of Lesson Twelve of the first term, page 53.

2. Articulation. Repeat distinctly and rapidly:

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3.

smoo smoo smoo smoo

Pronunciation. Drill in words for the sounds of o,

as in hole and obey (see page 219).

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The secret of effective reading and speaking is practise, practise, practise. Having secured the mastery of the tools of speech-the vowels, consonants, syllables, and symbols-you must learn to interpret not only the meaning, but the power behind an author's words. A passage often contains hidden meaning, force, and personality, which it is your task to interpret in your reading. It will be well

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