The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-02-17
Reading. Aloud.

Among the accomplishments which be-
lone to { education Of the highest order,
reading aloud ought certainly to hold a
prominent place-that 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 dis
tinct branches of intelligence-on the one
hand to the author of the 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 be suited, IN
order to be agreeable. On these condl-
tions the art of reading aloud becomes one
of the most intelligent and, interesting In
which we can be engaged.
How is it, then, that reading aloud, as
a 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 reader set to little tune, or,
on solemn occasions, set to very grand
tune; why does it make no change at all
adapted to the meaning of the words or
sentences which we read 4; or why is
heightened uniformity and dullness main
tanned, most wearisome alike to those who
read and those who hear?
Much of this arises, no doubt, from ig-
norance of what reading should be, and
might be; and such ignorance may IN
GREAT mart be attributed to the discontin-,
Lance in many private families of the
habit of reading aloud. "We have no
time for reading aloud,' is the general
excuse; and so each member OF the family
takes the book in turn, and reads selfishly
and in silence and, supposing 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 single book in silence which
would have been required for reading it
aloud.
"My sons and my daughters read 80
badly" is another excuse, 81 have no
pleasure in listening to them," and no
wonder! So here we find the two evils
working together to the same end-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 edu-
cation, and, worse than all, utterly disre-
garded as, a means of domestic and social
improvement.
And yet, all the while, we have the
strange contradiction presented to US OF
people focking to hear a public reader
night after night, and in multitudes that
seem never to flag or tire-multitudes,
too, so impressed by the reading, that
they respond as with one heart and mind
to every turn of meaning, or play of wit,
or expression of feeling. 1t
our object be to increase the number of
our innocent enjoyments, to make the
social hours of life glide pleasantly along,
to prevent them from becoming vapid or
wearisome, we should do we'll to cultivate
more correct, intelligent, and attractive
mode of reading as a part of education.
What we arc much in want of in the
present day is some counter charm Of
social and intelligent nature to take the
place of pleasures which are purely senti-
mental. If in every family, or every So
cial circle throughout our lands there
could be found only one good reader, as
good, OF nearly so, as some of those whose
public reading attracts multltudes to lis.
ten, and holds them ertranced, we should
have our enjoyments increased to an in
calculable extent, and our intellectual re-
sources enlarged in an equal proportion.
And all this at horne, in our social hours,
and while surrounded by relations and
familiar friends. There would require no
extraneous elements to render such hours
nationally and truly happy; while, in
remembrance, they would be associated
with that combination, always delightful,
the exercise and elevation of the intellec-
tual powers, and the sympathy of hearts
bound together by natural and social
affection.