The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-04-21
EVOLUTIONARY ASPIRANTs.
queer Persons who Think They EoOssess
Dramatic Talent.
From tho Now York sun.l

Dramatic Talent.
TFron tho Now York sunJ
There arc some queer persons who
try to learn elocution," well-spoken
professor said.
cit 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 Is responsible for good deal of this.
lake class of college boys; they are al-
most men. Their tastes and capacities
ore thoroughly marked. It is obvious
thai some of them have no aptitude for
eiocution. Their voices are inadeouate:
their action is irretriovably bad. Yet the
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
nlSh sport for their companions, and 90
through the college course with only n
periunctory 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
waste OF time to try to teach some
persons some things. Vast sums of
money and long periods of timo might
be saved by refraining from attempts to
perform the impossible il teaching.
but there are some funny instances
OF persons OF moro mature years trying
to learn clOcntion. Persons who have
had little or no education in school, who
can neither read nor pronounce, to whom
proper name is an inSurmountable OBJ
stacle and q word beyond the common
place rubicon, think they can be fitted
TO shine III elocuton. Those persons
always trip up on pronunciation. Thny
make the most ludicrOus blunders with
cut the talntCst 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 dry goods mer-
chant should not sell unbeconIing goods.
Here is young fellow who is doing
moderately we'll in business. He goes
into company and finds that elocntion is
all the rage. He sees others brought into
prominence by readings and recita-
tons. he thinks that he can make
his mark, and he comes to me or some
other professor to get instruction. I had
young grocer who took O 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. It was
only by dint of hard hammerine that T
could get him drilled into one twonty-
minute reading. Finally got tired of
taking his money, and had to send him
away.
''Then L had fat, flssy little fellow,
who took a notion to play Hamlet with
a dramatic association. L told him
frankly that his physique was not fit for
the character. Imagine the melancholy
Dane with pamch! 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
L was afraid to tell him the truth. [ be-
heve the audience cured him at his first
and last attempt. But the climax of alb
surdlty was little bantam fellow, who
took fancy for heavy parts He want
ed to play COrioi0muS or Richa10
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. [ got no thanks for my
honesty, and only lost my customers.
Now, when any one comes to me to be
taught do the best [ can to teach him.
l never get tired taking their money as
long as they don't get TRIED paying.