The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-03-22

q second pellet, which he devours in the
same way, and 80 ON until he II satisfed.
He mayer drinks till he has finished eating;
and Re he begins, in gratitude to the
two small rolls of the same kind and form,
each of the ladies opens her mouth at once,
while with his own hand he supplies pOr-
ton to both at the same moment. Then
commence the potatiOns, which, we are as
sured, are not regulated with much
| regard to s0briety or decorum. All this
time the unfortunate victim at the door is
bleeding, but bleeding little; for 20 skillfm
are the butchers, that while they strip the
bones of the flesh, they avoid the parts
which are traversed by the great arteries.
/ At hast they fall upon the thighs, likewise !:
loss of blood, becomes 60 tough, that the
unfeeling wretches who feed on the remain
der can scarcely separate the muscles with
their teeth. In the description now given,
we have purposely omitted somesfeatures
which, it is not improbable, have been .
little too highly colored, if not even some
what inaccurately drawn. But there is no
reason to doubt the general correctness of
| the dellneation, not excepting the gr0ssest
and most repulsive particulars
READING ALOUD.-The art of reading
aloud would appear to be one of the most
Judge solely by the frequency or rather in
frequency with which we meet with one
capable Of exercising it with pleasure to the
auditors. given man, who shall speak
well and SO as to interest and secure the
attention of his hearers, if he happens to
have something to read, shall instantly be-
come tedious, uninte1igib1e, possibly inau
| clble. Even those whose profession con-
| stantly involves the art of reading aloud,
| seldom manage to make respectable ap-
pearance when they have to acquit them
| selves of their duty. The bad reading of
ClerpvmQn Ia a nrOxorhio1
have heard it said as a reproach, "Why, you
| read like q curate!"
The question of the cause of all this has
recently been much. agitated, and various
remedies have been proposed among others
the establishing at Cambridge of prizes for
good reading. These prizes, if they were
competed for, might probably produce much
OF the desired effect, for they would necessi-
tate some attention to the subject, and the
giving of some training in the art. Reading
aloud is, as rule, badly done, because
people have had little or no practice in it !;
and also because they imagine that, like q
glg- driving, or housekeeping, or teaching,
or being manager of a theatre, it is one Of
| those things that every one can do, and the
accomplishment of which is the result of a
species of instinct. Now, with reading, as
with all the various occupations enumerated,
the effort to effect it without training or
practice generally results in total failure.
Girls and women, as q rule, read better
| than boys and men, we are told and this is
undoubtedly true, though even among them
good reading is by no means SO common an
accomplishment rs it ought to be.
A great deal of bad reading results from
! self-consciousness on the part of the reader.
He thinks too much of himself, and too
little of the author, whose ideas he ought to
render. Hence result much slovenliness
and inarticulateness. Women and girls,
perhaps, are more painstaling and careful,
and think less of themselves, the appear
ance they are making, and the effect they
are producing, than do men and boys. Or
it may be that they have q stronger desire
more to do so. 3D. '-t'
Good reading requires careful enunciation,
and readers are sometimes very needless
about this. A slipshod method Of dealing
with final letters has a great deal to answer
for In producing want OF untelligibleness
in reading. Connected with this comes the
need of taking time in reading aloud. In
reading for themselves, people rapidly take
llInpressionsby the eye; but in reading aloud
the impressions have to be conveyed in a
much slower manner. A very celebrated
reader is reported to have said that the
whole secret of good reading consisted in
taking time.
A good reader understands also the art of
managing the voice. Sometimes the knowl-
edge Of doing this appears almost intuitive.
But in any case, practice and observation
must ne h:ad recourse TO, 20 aVold paln1ul
overstraining on the one hand, or inaudible
mumbfing on the other.
Above everything, however, the reader
must have sense and power of approaching
the author whose works are being read.
Without intelligence there can be no good
reading, though even with it the desired
good result is not always arrived at. Prac-
tice and patience in reading aloud will eff
feet very much, and nothing can be done
without them.
The pleasure of hearing good reading is
very great, and people will flock to listen
to the professors of the art. There is no
valid reason, however, why good reading
were taken in the acquisition of the power.