New-York daily tribune., 1844-08-08
Fror, the Boston Transcript.


Frnr,the Boston Transcript.
Cultivation Of the Voice,
Willis, in his beautiful effusion On unwritten
music, has placed the sound of the female voice
amongst Natures luxurics of the car; and there
is, assuredy, fine analogy between the sound of
the running brook, the note OF the wood bird the
voice OF happy child the low breathing of
flute, and the clear, soft tone of woman's voice,
when it utters the natural music of home-the
accents of gentleness and love. To wcll-tuned
ear, there is rich, deep melody in the distinctive
BAGS Of the male voice. in its subdued tones. But
the key note of poetry, seems, by creative ordi-
nation, to have been lent to woman. On the car
Of infancy and childhood, her voice was meant
to fall, as winding prelude to all the other melo-
dies of nature; the human nerves are attuned,
accordingly, to the breath Of her voice; and
through life, the chords Of the heart respond most
readily to her touch. Yet how often is this ma
tu.al magic lost in the failures Of artificial cul-
ture, in the over excitement of mind and nerve
attending xctssive application, in the unwise
neglect of health, and healthful action, in the
fatal oversight which dims the eye and dcadcns
the ear TO beauty, by robblng life of that Joyous
and sympathetic spirit which is native to child
hood and which, but for the cramplng restraints
Of conventional training, would be ever gushing
forth in notes of gladness and rcndearments-the
physical not less than the moral charm of human
utterance,
Itis one OF the grievous of education, that
AMIDST our innumcrable processes for cutlvating
the intellect, we have so few for developing the
sources of health and happiness; that the COM
mon results OF education are so meagre and unat-
,ractive, compared with the beauty and perfection
of unmodfed nature. The child has full,
sweet, and musical tone; the schoolgirl a hol-
low, pectoral murmur of exhaustion or reserve ;
the harsh grating cultural utlerance of an uncul
tivated taste, or undiscpned emotions; or, per-
haps, nasal twang, which addresses itself to the
risible faculty; drawl which even Patience on
her monument could not away with or dental
articulation, escaping with difficulty from half
shut mouth.
There are beautiful exceptions, undoubtedly, to
the prevailing law OF ungainy habit. But what
we complain of is, that there is no provision
made in our systems Of education for the cultiva-
ton of one of woman's peculiar endowments-an
attractive voice. Our girls do not come home to
us after their period of schoollife, qualified to
read with effect in their own language. Far from
them seems the power to realize the beautiful
vision of fireside happiness, depicted by the muse
of Mrs. Hemans where
Lips move trnefully along
Some glorious page OF DID,
There is wanting in their voices that adapta-
ton of tone to feeling which is the music of the
heart, in reading; there is wanting that clear,
impressive style which belongs to the utterance
of cultivated taste and judgment, and which en-
hances every sentiment, by appropriate emphasis
and pause there is even want of that distinct
articulation which alone can make sound the in.
telligible medium of thought.
The low, suppressed and husky voice of timid
ity can excite only pity or compassion. The
bold and rafting utterancc can create only aver
sion. The fastidious accents of nervous anxiety
soon cause WEAKNESS. The affected elegance o
false refinement of enuncation produces distaste
The measured emphasis of a systematic talkel
| finds no willing listener. But the melodlOus ut
terance of genuine sensbiity and spirited e1
preston wins both soul and sense, and enthrone:
woman in her rightful and gentle sway over the
| heart.
Tennyson speaks of the low melodious thunder
ever sounding from the fountain that gushes uE
within the poets heart. You may hear 1t embo
died in womans voice when she murmurs hel
appreciation of noble dced-from the depths
soul capacious Of such things Claverhoust
{ lifted up voice clear as the sound of his owr
| WdT-Iuupel. Dut IL never lHliicu tlIe Ncdit lih'
true toned woman 3 voice 'summoning to virtue.
Genuine cultivation opens the ear to the beauty
and the power of tone, stamps on it the grace o
pure and chastened expression, and imparts thai
liquid clearness of utterance which makes voice &
worthy exponent of mind.
No parent can look with indifference on thu
highly improved forms in which the rudiments o
drawing, and the elements OF instrumental music
are now taught in schools. These branches o.
education have undoubtedly great effect In pro
noting all the purposes of meptal culture, as re
CARDS correctness ofeye and ear, and genuine re
| fnement Of taste. But neither Of these branches
approaches, in actual utility and advantage, II
the rank of the much neglected art of using TIT
voice, an accomplishment in which every female
ought to be thoroughly versed as contributing Il
the nobest sources of mental and moral enjoy
ment.
SUDDEN DEATH.-On Saturday morning last
| Mr. Iymap Holmes nj ussell Mass arose II