Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-04-03
EVENING STAR.
IoNDAY.........~...AprtI I, 1875.
American Pronunciation.
GRANT WHITES vrKws

kANHARD GRANT WHITES WINS.
Richard Grant White speaks thus plainly,
and with touch OF fine incisive humOr,
OF English.
"Moreover, as to pronunciation, the OBJ
seINstlon OF Tie average American Is very
Enthusiastically, for IL is In that respect thst
me speech OF the average American how
ever Rolitt' and intelligent be may be, is
most likely 10 deviate from the true En-
glish standard. AS a people we utter our
language vtlely; as a people we have a nal
Tone OF voice, and very unpleasant innec-
lions, In great variety OF unpleaSantnesS
according 90 the place OF our birth sns
breeding. IL is only I'm a comparatfvely
small, although actually numerous circle OF
peopie OF nign social culture In New England
and Newly York, and in the latter place
among those OF New England birth, or very
direct descent, that the true standard OF
English speech as found In this country.
And even there We too often Ind proper
pronunciation marred by bad enunciation
"a tore nasal and drawing. united 20 a
disposition 10 slovenly dropping or Slurr-
ing OF ~ tables. The clear, firrn, crisp enun-
citation OF the well bred Englishman and
particularly ofthe well-bred English woman
is heard, even among our most cultivated
people. with comparative rarity. What is
IL toat has so vitiaied the voices OF mot
American men, and still more OF most
American women" For there is no douOt
that the fairer sex are in this respect the
least 10 be admired. Among hundred men
you will ind perhaps ten or a dozen who
open their mouths aud speak clearly ami
freely; but among hundred women. not
more than one. You shall see a lovely,
br gLt creature, with all the external eVi-
dei &c OF culture about her, woman who
Will carry You captive SD long she Is ST.
lent, but let her open he pretty tips and She
shall pierce your ear with a mean, thin.
nasal, raSping tone which AT once dimin-
ishes her charm. An English woman. even
OF the lower classes. will delight you with
the rich. sweet. smooth, and yet firm ana
crisn tones IN which she utters what NAV
perhaps be very bad grammar And since
| am telling unpleasant truths about our
selves, / may as well say here that there is
more OF this among both Western men and
OF the country. / recently went into one OF
our most frequented theatres to pass an
hou T. There was scene I'm progress, AMI I
remained Tor the time standing ilSt within
the door. a lady was doing some emotion
al business, with a high mani eStation Of
toilet ana geSticulation. l listened a few
minutes, and then, turning to an apparent
~ oiiicial person, asked him who She was,
Tor the situations and the perSonageS OF the
play were unknown TO me. That he re-
piled In tone OF some awe. for she WAS
the leading LADY, and the houses were very
ful,) and looking at me much as II / had
asked Ike question as 10 Gen. Grant or
the statue OF Washington IN the square-sthat
Is Miss - naming Western actress of
some celebrity. i listened Tor a few minutes
more. and then fed the house. The tone OF
her voice propelled me from the door Ike a
pellet from pop-gun. All the emotional
ana sensational commissions into which she
could have fallen would not have allured me
10 cit under her ministratons OF the Eng
llsh language for one quarter of an hour.
And her speech betrayed her as n she had
been female Peter for knew before / was
ABTN,