The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-05-27
Children's Voices.


To the form the sweet grace of a cloud,
To the heart its rich treasure of feeling;
But mid all the gifts he endowed
The race his love vouchsafed TO fashion,
With which to bewail or rejoice,
And show all that fills our existence,
Yet precious of all is the voice"
Alfred B. Street.
So little attention is paid to child's
speaking voice that the thought of. any
possibility of its improvement comes
with all the force of new idea. In
these days, when the subject of physi-
cal culture is so rapidly gaining ground,
this important detail should not be
omitted.
When a child speaks, it uses a voice
which all about it recognize as belong
ing to that special child. The French
call this individuality of tone timbre, the
Germans call it ton fdrbe (tone-color),
but perhaps our English word equal
it," defines it as well as any. Quality is
the resultant of natural action of vocal
organs more or less perfectly formed.
1t is seldom that there is any malforma-
ton in these parts, but child often
starts in life with some hereditary ten
dency TO use these organs incorrectly.
And it is to arrest this tendency at the
very beginning that all efforts should
be directed
This delicate voice is produced, as
every one knows, by the lungs sending
through the wind-pipe current of air
which causes the larynX to vibrate.
These vibrations pass into variable
cavity above, consisting of the pharynx,
mouth and nose. And it is just here
that the trouble arises, for the placing
of the voice is of the utmost import
ance. By placing is meant the point
where these vibrations strike; if they
strike the pharynx it gives a deep,
cultural voice, if they are thrown into
the roof of the mouth or head, the
voice is high and squeaky, and if they
are expelled through the nose, the
tones become nasal. These three are
the most common faults, but there are
numberless degrees of each. The diff
ference may be detected not only by
the ear, but by the sense of feeling.
After little practice, one can easily
place his voice where he chooses with
sufficient accuracy for the present pur-
poses; and in the case of young child
the teaching can best be done by imta-
ton. Being careful to place your own
voice correctly, call his attention to the
sound and then initiate the placing he
uses. If the child repeats this after you,
he will soon feel the difference as well
as hear it, and with little iudicious
care the Improvement in his voice will
be noticeable in short time. AS in
the correction of any habit, he will re-
quire constant attention, for you have
to contend with the partially formed
habit of flaninn and ha tanl
ency to this habit
Another thing demanding considera-
ton is the matter of articulation. Who
has not noticed the lazy method of
speech some children use? Lisping
comes under this head In cases where
the voice is not Objectionable, the way
in which the words are moulded mars
the whole effect. This should be COM
paratively easy to correct, however, for
children naturally use the pronuncia-
ton Of those about them, and all that
we need do is to pay little extra t.
tention to our own articulation and
time will do the rest. Who can admire
pretty boy with ruddy cheeks and
sparkling eyes quite so much after one
has heard him say, Please 'me-'I'vc-
'np'le?" 1t is just as easy and does
not take any longer to say, Please
may l have an apple than it does to
repeat the jargon above. Not that we
would make the children precise and
prudish in such matters. These points,
of course, should not be exaggerated.
All growth is slow process"
So much of the physical conditions
OF voice, but the broader and subtler
field of mental and spiritual causes are
not to be neglected. Oxen declares
the cry OF an animal to be an express
sion of its innermOst." So in human
beings the voice mirrors inward states.
Can we expect sweet tones from q
child whose petty, querulous DISPOSE.
ton has never been controlled? The
voice of childhood has not, and never
should have, the completely of mean,
ing that an older persons has; but its
intrinsic qualities should be vitality
frankness and sweetness. An exag,
gerated drawl is never attractive, il
savors too much of Incidence and af
fectation, with which childhood should
have nothing to do.
Let the children's voices reflect the
sunshine in which they play with q
suggestion of the freshness of the ma
ture about them. And when it is
necessary to scold the little things
don't use harsh, loud voice; speak tC
them temperately and firmly, for if yor
yield to your temper, in a few days
you will hear lecture delivered to dolli
in the same high key and wonder
"Nhere in the world the child coult
have heard such a dreadful voice!'
On the other hand, do not allow thu
children to raise their voices in pas
sion; If they once acquire the habit O