Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-02-17
Reading Aloud.

Among the accomplishments which be,
long to ed .catiOn OF the highest order
reading aloud ought certainly to hold q
prominent place-thaC is, the art of read
ing aloud so as to give the full meaning
of what is read, and at the same time to
charm the ear of those who listen. Such
reading has direct reference to two
distinct branches of intelligence-on
the one hand to the author of.th book,
to his subject, his mode of thinking,
and his individual bias of character and
opinion; and on the other hand, to the
audience, to whom the reading must he
suited, i'll order to ~be agreeable. On
these conditions the art ofreading aloud
becomes one OF the most itellgent, and
interesting in which we can be engag-
ed
How is it, then, that readers aloud, as
study and an attainment, is so little
regarded in our schools? How is it,
that reading aloud resembles anything
rather than the utterance of nature
which is just what it ,ought.to be? Why
is the voice of the read er set To little
tune, or, ON solemn occasions, set to a
very grand tune; why does it. make no
change at all adapted to the meaning Of
the words or sentences which we read !;
or why is heightened uniformity and
dullDess maintained, most wearisome
alike to those who read and those who
near. - a. .....
Much of this arises, no doubt, from
ignorance of what reading should be,
and might be and such ignorance may
in great part be attributed to the
discontinuance in many private faini.
lies of the habit of reading aloud. 1--WE
have no time for reading aloGd,n is the
general excuse; and so each member oil
the family takes the book in turn, and
reads selfishly and in silence and, sup
posing the family to consist of three or
six individuals, there is, by this method.
about three or six times the actual time
expended in the reading of "a single book
in silence which would have been.
required for reading it aloud. r..-i-
My sons and my daughters read so
badly" is another excuse II have no
pleasure in listening, to them" and no
wonder! So here we find the two evils
working together tot the sameend d-want
of attainment, and want of practice on
The other. Consequently this art, one
of the finest of all arts, is virtually lost
TO us-permitted for want of demand,
to sink altogether out of our systems of
education, and, worse than all, utterly
disregarded as Il means of domestic and
social improvement.
And yet, all the while, we have the
strange contradiction presented to US o
people fiocking to here public reader
night after ni.htand in multituies that
seem never to flag or tire-mulJitudes,
TOO, so impressed by the reading, that
they respond rs with one heart and
mind to every tune Of meaning, or play
of wit, or expression of feeling.
If our object he to increase the number
of our innocent: .enjoyInents, to make
the social hours Of life glide pleasantly
a ong, to prevent them from becoming
vapid or tvtarisome, we should do well
TO cultivate a more correct. Intelligent.
and attractive mode OF reading rs q part
ofedueation. .a. il-l
What we are much in want ofin tn,
present day is some counter charm ofa
social and intelligent nature TO take til. |
place of pleasures which are purely |
If in every family, or |
every social circle through ut our land |
there could be found only one good |
reader, as good, or nearly so, as some OF
those whose public reading attracts |
multitudes to listen, and holds them
we should have our enjoy
ments Increased to an incaleulable
extent, and our intellectual resources
enlarged inan equal proportion. And
lthis mt home, in our social hours,
aud while surrounded hy relations ana
familiar frieuds. There would require
no extraneous elements to render such
hours nationally and truly happy; while,
in remembrance. they would be associat-
ed with that combination, always de-
Ilghtful, the exercise and elevation of
The intellectual powers, and the SYM
pathy OF hearts bound together by
natural and social etfection. ir1l