Nevada County picayune., 1889-01-30
ELocUTIoN.

 dull in your business, are they not -
 "ies,' replied the snake editor things are very dull, indeed"
 "Well, then. will tell you what wish you would do. heard the oth. CT day that there are over 700 young ladies studying elocution in the city. ''
 Great heavens :" rried he snake editor you don't tell me. Why that is worse than any snake story ever heard"
 ''lt is, certainly, very serious state of things, and l wish you would find out where their schools are located and interview some of the victims-that is. pupils if you can. Write it up, will you! Do it up in your usual snpertine style"
 Armed with these instructions the reported started out. Going up Woodward avenue he saw young lady who seemed to be talking to herself and every now aud then she made gesture with wrinkled br0ws. The gesture generally seemed to be wrong. Thereupon she consulted a little book and then made the ges- ture as it ought to have been made. The snake editor stepped up to her and politely said:
 Excuse me. miss, am snake editor, and the paper l represent sent me out to interview the school of elocution. Can you tell where l can find q pupil of that institution?" The young lady stepped back aghast. Then she cried with appro- priate gestures:
 "Avsunt, and quit my sight,
 Thy bones arc marrowless, thy blood is cold"
 That's not bad, said the reporter, and it fits the snake exactly. You ought to be on the local staff. "
 Sir" replied the young woman, that is Shakespeare
 You don't say! l thought it was serpents. May l ask If you are a pupil of the School of Elocution 7" II am. and am proud of it..
 "'We spend our time, not in toys or wine,
 But in search oi deep philosophy,
 Wit, eloquence and poetry.
 -i Abraham Cowlcy.'"
 Good for Cowley. Well, mss, 1 am glad to see you, tor you see that am all at sea on this thing, and l hope you won't mind if l ask you a few questions. What is the first thing they do to pupil at the school of elocution?"
 'The first thing is the culture of the voice, for you know Shakespeare also says:
 "'Her voice was ever soft, gentle and low,
 An excellent thing in woInan.'"
 And do they have an ear depart ment also at the school! !'
 An ear department! What do you mean! The school of elocution is not a medical college, you know" "Oh, know that; but you know Shakespeare also says:
 "Give every man thine ear, but few they voice" ''SO l thought as the ear was of more use than the voice that the school would have a department for ear culture.
 "Well, of course our teachers tellus how to use our ears as we'll as our voices.'
 "She gave eyes, she gave me ears,
 Aud humble cares and delicate fears,
 A heart the fountain of sweet tears,
 And love and thought and joy.
 - William Wordsworth" All of these things are needed by a successful elocutionist.
 The snake editor felt somewhat embarrassed as he walked up the avenue with this young lady. She was apt at any moment to drop into the elocutionary mood, and she ac- companied her recitations with ges- lures that made the passers-hy think she was giving the young man some points on pugilism.
 Do you think" said the young man, that this country offers as good field for the efforts of the elo- cutionist as some of the older coun- tries, for instance? Don't you think we are too busy a people to attend to things of this sort?''
 My dear sir" replied the young lady, i've study elocution for our own improvement and enjoyment. {" How small of all that human hearts endure, That part which laws or kings can cause or cure; still to ourselves in every place consigned Our own felicity we make or find.
 -lsamucl Johnson !" "Jes' so, jes' so,'' replied the re- porter. ''I suppose it is rather con soling to he able to elocute to one s self and friends. But don't you think that the art of elocution as now taught is somewhat strained and un- natural? The actors claim that it is. " My dear sir
 "'Altnatnre is but art unknown to thee; All chance, direction which thou eanst not see All diseord, harmony not un'erstood All partial tNIl, universal good,
 And spit. of pride in crring reasons spite, One truth l. clear whatever l., l. right
 -l Pope' So, you see, as elocution exists it must be all right.
 Yes, l suppose it is, although 1 had not looked al it in that hght be- fore. In the words of a more mod ern author than you have yet quoted, Whats the matter with elocution 7