The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-04
4 NEGLECTED ART.



nens-A Hint ss Parents
In these times. when every girl who
il educated for polite society desires
above all things 10 make one accom-
rlishmenf 30 much her own that she
shali excel all others IN that one par
ffrnlzr line. IL seems strange thai the
very one which Is In the power OF most
persons 10 attain is little attempted IN
ffact. almost overlooked Ireser TO the
deiightfui aud ever pleasing acccni-
pssshmens Of reading aloud. and IA this
/ do not at all consider those whose
aspirations soar 10 the height OF e2ocu-
ton.
Nothing is further from enjoyment
than to be forced 20 listen to bad
recitation or defamation. as il Is very
apt 10 become. and vet infections OF
this sort befzn us all Perhaps We owe
a grudge to Mrs. James Brown Potter
| for il, and then again, perhaps We DO
not: who can telI2 IL may be the
tendeney-nay. the longing-of the
young idea of this age to shoot forth
| in this direction.
However that may be, resting in
public and reading aloud are two en-
tirely different things except IN one
particular, which is the dread OF
another dose excited in the minds oil
the persons who have secretly pro-
nounced q first hearing absolutely hor-
rible.
Yet nothing affords greater enjoy
ment to others than reading aloud well
done.
1t is useless to say, for all / know.
and some perhaps with tinge of
envy, how welcome are people at our
homes who can sing or play on some
musical instrument well; but reading
aloud well, for which one does not
need a genius, will afford fully as
much pleasure. And if there is one
accomplishment more than another
which contributes to the enjoyment OF
the family cicle it is the art of
reading aloud The average of chill
dren between twelve and fifteen. of
either sex, could no more read under
standably fine passage from Shake
speare or Dante or one of RuSkin's
delightful essays than he or she could
interpret at sight passage from Wag-
ner or translate Russian novel. All
the harmony, all the dramatic force,
all the humor, all the poetic imagin-
ings in the lines seem TO vanish like
magic in an uaintelligihle tumble OF
sounds, as distressive to the nearer as
maddesring to the conscious reader.
Why do | cite this boy or girl from
IL 20 Is rs an example? Because at
about this age is the practice of read
ing aloud dropped from the course at
school. In no curriculum for adj
vanced pupils do | remember having
noted this study, and where elocution
is one OF the branches the teacher scars
far, far above the teaching of reading;
reciting with dramatic force and GEES
ture is alone what he taught until
lately, when many have looked into
the study OF Delsarte. physical Gull
ture, etc, and include these in their
instruction.
Far be it from me to descry the value
of these accomplishments, for GER
tainly none are more charming and
yet none are more abused.
But for practical use. for good
everyday possession, they are no
more to be compared with the posi-
bility of reading out loud well, ex-
pressively, understandable, agreeably,
than our daily bread as an article of
diet may be compared with our oc-
casionai cake and pie.
The actual value of such an ac-
complishment is hard to estimate,
though it can scarcely be exaggerated.
Sewing is not such an easy task, and
it may chance that half the small
worries and not few of the faults we
commit may be due to the dizziness
and inanity with which our DAYS some
times TEEN. Diversion is necessity of
which we feel the force at every turn.
Every little thing. then, which will
make domestic life brighter and
sweeter and home happier should be
encouraged and cultivated.
A person who reads well is much
more of an acquisition 10 the house
hold than even one who sings well or
plays finely, for their means of enter
tainment are not objectionable during
the hours ofpractice, nor is their read
ing limited to narrow field of that
which is familiar, but extends over the
literature of the world, for learning to
read aloud does not at all mean to
read one article or one book, but to
make interesting, comprehensive and
euphonious to the ear either short
paragraphs or long accounts in news
papers, magazines or books.
Parents who are sending their chill |
drea to good schools often have some |
passing thought suggested by chance,
and hasten to notice il elocution is
taught in these schools. Finding il il,
they arrange to have their children |
take private lessons or enter classes |
in this art. and with what result? |
Children are taught like young mock |
ing birds To commit TO memory GER
tain Lines and certain infections to be |
used in certain places in these lines. |
In other words, they repeat, parrot |
like. alter the instructor line after line |
until they can initiate his voice, his |
tone, and his gesture; but they cannot |
use what they have learned in any |
other lines. The why and wherefore |
of what they do is Greek to them.
Moreover, as a general rule what |
they learn to recite is poetry. Few,
indeed, of the professors of elocution |
know the least thing about reading /
prose. | have Investigated this mat |
ter little. and have made occasion to 1
hear the best known teachers read Off
hand letters and items, and not one /
have ! found who reads less stun /
nlingly than the ordinary person.
IL is not from less ability, bat from /
lack OF practice.
OF course, this should not be, aud l
the wonder Is that the attention of the I
people has not been called TO it before /
In the curriculum OF the public i
schools. as wei as in private ones,
reading aloud should be continued as I
a daily exercise until the day the .
scholars are graduated On their
ability in this line as well as on exam 4
nations in other branches should pro- 4
melton depend. And this should be +
done under a good teacher. Ii This
praeti e were introduced, of course at 4
first IL would be necessary to employ
special teachers. and why not E. 4
peciai teachers are appointed for
much les important things. II has
been said tat "the next revival sill
be the lost art OF conversation.
The general teaching OF reading
aloud shoald be hut : preliminary
thing 10 this. for IT, If well conducted. I
would not only lend another pleasant I
feature to society at large, but would
familiarize everybody with good Eng
lish and the thoughts o. great men.
To man in public life such an &C
eomplishmeat would he invaluable.
and TO all who listen TO his reading OF 4
reports or sermons or anything else
pleasure.
n reading nlnssA tho x,r5r,.., ras,t,t.