Wichita eagle., 1886-10-14
9ai1aR Eae1e
BUILDING UP THE VOICE.
6TAMMERiNG AND SUFFERING
CAN Be VERY EASILY CURED.


Infection the Best Spur to Converse
tion--TaIking Through the Nose-Cler-
gymen's voices-The Stage.
There was an old idea that the devil was re-
sponsible for all diseases and Affections. Ii
one sneezed it was not because he had taken
snuff, but because the devil was laughing
through his nose. One naturally exclaimed.
"God bless you'll" The poor wretch who
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
today 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. Suffering and
stammering," she explained, "are not visible
manifestations Of the devil. They are due to
muscular affections. The whole trouble is O
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 Grt of voice
building both in this country and abroad.
Sho is deeply interested in this subject and all
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 a range Of at least seven
notes The lower register is merely used in
conversation, Of course. Its province is to
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. II is deep and passionate The
normal is of course the happy medium The
evenly-balanced man, whose heart does not
outrun his head, speaks in this voice. Ex-
citable people drift into one extreme or the
other. In the voice, as in all other things,
repose brings grace. The range matters lit
tie in the conversational voice. Though it
were limited to three notes, q 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 oar English cousins good speak
ersw
"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 OF all discussion.
The young Enslishman aeys I-ah love you
ah' with the rising infection. He leaves the
subject poised in the middle voice. Naturally
the young woman can't leave it hanging there
like Mohammcd's coffin. You see, TIE 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 oll But there is
ever 50 much to be said on The other side"
DO the Americans speak through the
nose!n
Educated Amciica,l5, No-not unless they
come from Maine. The Americans have
good speaking voice, as 4 usual thing, though
it tends, perhaps, to sharpness. The voice,
you know, is the truest test Of character 1t
is alinast unfailiEg. One can disguise the
face. the eyes, he manner, but rarely thinks
of speaking out Of the usual voice. One can
tel the intellectual man, the immoral man,
by bis voice more readily than iii any other
way. The professional voice is another
strange thing. One can tell a lawyer the
moment he opens Lis mouth. He speaks in
hard, didactic tone, with downward infiec-
ton. His voice IS low, bat decisive Usually
when lawyer wants to get q great effect he
assumes n stage whisper. OF course, there
are ever SO many characteristics
"What Of the ciergyman's profession voiccg"
"Wcl, from his calling one would expect
him to have a middle register voice, full of
heart and sympathy, but as a usual thing
the head tones prcdominatc in the pulpit
Tho idea Of one preaching charity and be-
nevolenco il head tones strikes me as very
ridiculous. The voice and thought are out of
harmony. II reminds one of a boatman
looking ono way and rowing steadily in the
other direction. OF course, most clergymcn
are hard students given TO brain work. and
this accounts for their voices. Now and then
you hear Clergyman who speaks IN the low,
broad tones If tho normal voice He NAV
speak The valiost nonsense, but he is called
magnetic. Every evangelist l ever heard
uses this voice. Moody, Sam Jones, Talnlage
and preachers of that kind all do There is
heart quality III it that has a wonderful ef-
feet. Again it gives one an impression Of
scf-coniained strength. A speaker can never
Use al The middle voice, and one feels that
there Is always n reserve awaiting call DIR.
John Hall, of Eow York, is one cf the best
illustrations Of what am saying. He under
stands that emphasis depends on the tone, not
on the force"
"As to the stagci'
There, OF course, the voice is all-important.
One can always pick cut the young actor.
lie has awakened to :he realization of the
fact that he has voice. He runs up and
down the scale, ending his sentences now in
one voice and now in another 1t is merely
matter of vocal imitation. The thoughtful
voice is always poised That is the reason
women, especially Of the flippant sort, have
flexible, sliding voices that run the scale in
few sentences
"iood conversational voices are rare, theni'
"Well, it is hard to say. Children's voices
before they learn to initiate their elders are
perfect. They talk as the innets sing. The
lower classes Of every country, in spite OF
their harshness and corruptneSs of speech.
have good quality Of voice They produce
the great singers Of the world. The modern
Italian method Of voice building, you know.
is founded on tho idea of kinsh;p between tho
speaking voicc and the singing voice The
same training gees to make each.
EducatioU by Mesmcrisu