Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-06-14
A LETTER TO GIRLS.

Reading Aloud-A Pleasant and Useful
Accomplishment, and Charming WO--
manly Grace.
Another pleasant accomplishment OF
the quiet sort which hope you may
have is the ability to read aloud WELL
I do not allude now to what is usually
termed elocution, in which too often
naturalness is. sacrificed to dramatic
effect, when, as some one has said. the
emphasis is scattered about in q sort OF
shotgun fashion in the effort to be
striking. It may be we'll enough to-
recite before large numbers, but many
of you will have no special gift or in
clination that way On the other hand,
each one may sometime be able to give
great pleasure or add to the comfort
of another by reading aloud. Reading
quietly, naturally, without gestures, in
well-modulated tones, what a charm
ing, womanly grace it is!
You might not think it, but physi-
elan of large practice once told me-
that in, many cases he knew of nothing
more soothing and refreshing to his
patients than the reading to them by
some woman who had a sweet, sympa-
thetic voice. I myself had the follow
ing experience. A friend suddenly be-
came, totally blind. After having
known for years and years this beauti-
full wor' d of nature. having looked on
the faces of friends having enjoyed
books with the keenest appreciation,
suddenly all was darkened with a dark
ness never to be lifted in this life. No.
hope of relief; she knew that hence
forth she must grope her way. Well.
it was very little thing for me with
nay eyes, with all the abundance open
to me which was shut out from her, to
go to her every day for an hour Of
reading. You should have seen her sad
face brighten, you should have heard
her thankful words as she told how the
thoughts stayed with. her, and charmed
the long, darkened hours. Was not
nay '.cup of cold water" rewarded at
once? Indeed it was; what was begun
as duty became my daily pleasure,
and is now one of the most grateful Of
memories.
Now, girls. this might easily come to
any one of you. There will always be
the invalid or the blind, the chi dren
or tho aged to whom reading aloud
will be a beautiful ministry. Some
day it may we'll happen that you MAY
thus save a life from despair.
In the homes. too, there are no hap
pier hours than when the lamps are lit
on winters night and the fireglews,
and the pleasant circle gathers with
y a. - -
err or daughter leads all the others to
enchanted ground. This is also most
improving. The stopping to talk it
over the discussion of the thought ex-
pressed, the looking up of places, the
friction of mind with mind, all are in
spring. The memory is quickened,
and YOU retain far more when tho
words are fixed by the voice, as well as
by the. eye. To do this you must be a
sympathetic reader; you must UNDER
stand your author, and truly interpret
him; for the time you must put your
self in his place. You must have the
quick eye which chances to the end Of
the sentence as you begin it, and
grasps its meaning at a glance.
A6u will agree with me that other
i
| practice is. needed besides what you
get in school. Let me suggest course
at once profitable and delightful.
Read aloud with some one friend. Sc
lect book both wish to know, and
read alternately. Let the dictionary
lie open, and when there is doubt as 10
the meaning and pronunciation of a
word, stop at once and look it up.
You must be very good -natured about
it. and sincerely DESTROYS to improve.
and not too sensitive about mistakes.
or you will be impatient of criticism.
But this course persisted in. viii be-
come a great pleasure and great
benefit.
/ am sure my girls who aim to give
happiness can not think over the snes
gestions of this letter without regard.
hing reading aloud as another sopPor
tunity. IN y. Observer.