The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-24
BUILDING UP THE VOICE.
STAMMERlNG AND SUFFERING
CAN BE VERY EASILY CURED.

The Art of Voice BuiIding-The Rising
Infection the Best Spur to Conversa-
tion-TaIking Through the Nose-Cler-
gymen's voices-The Stage.
There was an old idea that the devil was re-
sponsble for all diseases and Affections. III
one sneezed it was not because he had taken
snuff, but because the devil was laughing
through his nose. One naturally exclaimed,
suffered was another victim of the devils
malignity. In those days there was two ways
Of curing the sufferer. One was to make
him quit talking, and the other was to sink
the victim in ten feet of water and leave him
there until the devil was drowned. The first
method was only applicable to the male SEX
They were both effective, however, but un-
reasonably simple. Neither method is in use
to-day to any great extent.
Mrs. Florence James Adams, who, as far
as voices are concerned, is wise beyond her
years, said the other day that there was an
element of cruelty about the second method
that revolted her. In fact, she considered
both methods unscientific. "Stuttering and
stammering," she explained, "are not visible
manifestations of the devil They are due to
muscular affections. The whole trouble Is
nervous one, and one can cure it by building
up the system and teaching the sufferer how
to breathe properly"
Mrs. Adams has studied the art of voice
building both i'll this country and abroad.
She is deeply interested in this subject and an
ardent believer in the future possibilities of
the voice.
First of ALL" she explained, you must
know that in the new method of voice build
ing the conversational voice is trained by the
vocal scale. There are three registers in the
speaking voice-upper, middle and lower.
Every voice has n range of at least seven
notes. The lower register is merely used III
conversation, of course. Its province Is tc
express anger and the harsher passions. The
middle register is usually the weakest of the
three. This is, however, the normal voice.
The upper register, with its shrill, decisive
tones is the mental. The lower one is called
the vital. 1t is deep and passionate. The
normal is of course the happy medium. The
evenly balanced man, whose heart docs not
outrun his head, speaks in this voice. Ex-
citable people drift into one extreme or the
other. In the voice, rs in all other things,
repose brings grace. The range matters lit
tie in the conversational voice. Though II
were limited to three notes, wise succession
of tone would make it effective. 1t is the
slur, the careless, meaningless rise and fall
that ruin the speaking voice"
"Are not our English cousins good speak
ers!'
They say, you know" Mrs. Adams replied,
that the rising infection is the best spur to
conversation. The falling infection is dog
matte, decisive, and cuts off all discussion.
The young Englishman says Lab love you
ah' with the rising infection. He leaves the
subject poised i'll the middle voice Naturally
the young woman can't leave it hanging there
like Mohammed's coffin. You see, the matter
has already drifted into a delightful explana.
tory discussion The young American, how
ever, says Il love you with falling infection.
That ends the matter. The young woman
can call or pass out-that's all. But there is
ever so much to be said on the other side"
"Do the Americans speak through the
nose.n
Educated Americans, No-not unless they
come from Maine. The Americans have a
good speaking voice, as usual thing, though
it tends, perhaps, to sharpness. The voice,
you know, is the trucst test of character. 1t
is almost unfailing. One can disguise the
face, the eyes, the manner, but rarely thinks
of speaking out of the usual voice. One can
tell the intellectual man, the immoral man,
by his voice moro readily than in any other
way. The professional voice is another
strange thing. One can tell lawyer the
morent he opens his mouth He speaks in q
hard, didactic tone, with downward intlec-
ton. His voice is low, but decisive. Usually
assumes u stage whisper. OF course, there
are ever so many characteristics.
what of the clergyman's profession voiceg
"Well, from his calling one would expect
him to have middle register voice, full ol
heart and sympathy, but rs a usual thin
the head tones predominant i'll the pulpit
The idea of one preaching charity and be
nevolence in head tones strikes mo as very
ridiculous. The voice and thought are out o.
IL g. -, ,r.,,ar
looking one way and rowing steadily in th'
other direction. OF course, most clergymeI
are hard students given to brain work, anC
this accounts for their voices. Now and thel
YOU hear a clergyman who speaks in the low
| broad tones of the normal voice He ma,
speak the veriest nonsense, but he is callet
magnetic Every evangelist 1 ever hear,
uses this voice Moody, sam Jones, Talmag
and preachers of that kind all do. There is
| heart quality in it that has wonderful ef
feet. Again it gives one an impression o
self-contained strength y speaker can neve
use all the middle voice, and one feels tha
there is always a reserve awaiting call. DR.
| John Hall, of New York, is one of the bes
illustrations of what L am saying. He under
stands that emphasis depends on the tone, no
| ON the force"
| .As to the stage.'
| .sThere of course, the voice is all-important
| One can always PICK out the young actor
| He has awakened TO the realization of th
| fact that he has a voice. He runs up an
| down the scale, ending his sentences now i
one voice and now in another. 1t is merely
matter of vocal imitation. The thoughtfr
! voice is ALWAYS poised. That is the reaSo
women, especially of the fiippant sort, hav
flexible. sliding voices that run the scale in
few sentences"
Good conversational voices are rare, thenl
sWell, it is hard to say. Children's voice
before they learn to initiate their elders al
perfect They talk as the linnets sing. III
! lower classes Of every country, In spite
their harshness and corruptness OF speech
have good quality of voice. They produe
the great singers of the world. The moder
Italian method of voice building, you Know