The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-03-25
ELOCUTIONARY ASPIRANTS.
queer Persons Who Think They Possess
Dramatic Talent

From New York SUM-
''Ihere are some queer persons whd
try to learn elocutiOn, well-spoken
professor said.
''It Is really surprising to see with
| what persistence those who are positively
| disqualified Will strive to acquire the de
clamatory art Public school education
| is responsible for a good deal of this.
Take a class of college boys; they are al
most men, Their tastes and capacities
are thoroughly marked 1t is obvious
| that some of them have no aptitude for
| elocution. Their voices are inadequate:
| their action Is irretrievably bad. Yet tho
| curriculum requires that they should de
| claim regularly. No amount of natural
| disqualification relieves them from this
| duty. The result Is that they only fur
| nish sport for their companions, and go
/ through the college course with only q
| perfunctory performance of this part of
| their duties. OF course, this in direct
conflict with the most advanced thought
| on the subject of education. Both COM
mon sense and science dictate that it is
a waste of time to try to teach some
persons some things. Vast sums of
money and long periods of time might
be saved by refrainlng from attempts TO
perform the impossible in teaching.
But there are some funny instances
OF persons of more mature years trying
to learn elocution. Persons who have
had little or no education in school, who
can neither read nor pronounce, towhom
n proper name Is an lnsmmountable OBJ
stacle and word beyond the common
place a rubicon, think they can be fitted
to shine III elocution. Those persons
always trip up on pronunciation. They
make the most luGcrous blunders with
out the faintest conception why they are
laughed at. You may say that we ought
not to try to teach such persons. You
might as well say that a dry goods mcr-
chant should not sell unbecOming goods.
Here Is young fellow who is doing
moderately well in business. He goes
into company and finds that elocntion Is
all the rage. He sees others brought into
prominence by readings and recita-
tions. He thinks that he can make
his mark, and he comes to me or some
other professor TO get instruction. l had
young grocer who took notion to read
Shakespearean pieces He tripped over
every unusual word, he stumbled over
every proper name, and he absolutely fell
down on the point OF memory. 1t was
only by dint of hard hammering that l
could get him drilled into one twenty
minute reading. Finally / got tired OF
taking his money, and had TO send him
away
"Then had fat, fussy little fellow.
who took anotion to play HaB,lct with
dramatic association. / told him
frankly that his physique was not fit for
the character. Imagine the melancholy
Dane with paunchl l had big butcher
once who wanted TO play Claude
Melnotte" He was better fitted to lug |
a side of beef than to toy with Pauline
1t seemed wrong to take his money, but |
j was afraid to tell him the truth. / be- /
neve the audience cured him ~ his first |
and last attempt But the climax of ab- |
surdity was a little bantam fellow, who |
took fancy for heavy parts. He want |
ed to play COriO{anus or Richdrd |
Ill.,, or other parts that required |
voice and action. l never saw him try
ing one of those characters without |
thinking of the fable of the toad and |
the OK. His tragedy was always very |
funny. When / first began teaching / /
used to try to get these fellows to listen
to the truth. l got no thanks for my
honesty. and only lost my customers
Now, when any one comes to me to he
taught L do the best Lean to teach him.
L never get tired taking their money as
long as they don't get TRIED paying.