Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-08-29
The Contestants.

The Contestants.
Would it make it any easier for you,
girls who we're in the contest last Satur-
day evening to know how difficult thing
it was for the judges to- serve and render
judgment? 1t was really difficult to find
persons who would serve in this capacity;
no one did it willingly-and why?
First, because of diferen. of opinion
in the audience which leads to criticism;
and you know no one likes to be critici-
zed harshly for what one feels is done to
the best of his ability.
Second, it is hard thing to sit and
look for fault where SO great is the desire
to please; we would much rather be
blind to all faults and look for only good.
The task might seem easy till one sits
with pencil ready to mark. It is hard to
mark voice, for that is the most difficult
thing to acquire it may be acquired,
but the process is long and tedious. It
would seem that voice is natural. Well.
it is, to certain extent; most of us carry
what we imagine is natural voice, but
voice is more than you think, without
serious reflection, matter of habit. l
have known persons with as many voices
as you have suits of clothes. and they can
change them just as readily too. But
there are few people who take the pains
to accomplish this. Yet any one can
better his voice by application. Don't
expect to accomplish wonderful things
for voice in week. It can't be done.
Then, what is called general effect" that
too is hard to grade because general effect
or effect is a relative term. The effect
produced is, on no two. precisely alike. 1
might say to myself ''that is good" my
neighbor who reads my thoughts might
say 20 deplore your taste" and SO we
are criticized. There is always disparity
in things which have 80 much to do with
that on which the decision rests. There
is difference in amount of training. All
are drilled alike for these contests and all
receive the same amount of care and time
but some have had considerable training
other than that and all counts. Many
are trained time and again for this work
but the judges must take into account
only what they see on that one evening.
This is hard to do. The third consider
alton: It is hard to say which, even after
you have done your grading and your
figures tell the story because the SYM
pathies of the judges are with each one
of you. They would like to award a
prize to each. Do you know that it is
like personal pain to see one whom you
are interested in make a mistake or
blnnder? Home entertainments always
produce that effect on those who are
being entertained by those who are near
to them by ties of blood or friendship, or
even by the ties we call "neighborly." It
seemed to me that could not have stood
and rendered decision without some
special praise or commentator for each
one. There was something good to say
for each, yet that would hardly have been
proper, for the judges we're there to simply
say which one; yet want to say to tho
who appeared for the first time, look to
your voices, and come again. You are
bound to win some time. There is such
a thing as beng overturned. You may |
not quite understand. This is it. We
sit and listen to recitation, but instead !,
of hearing and taking the sense of wat
is recited, we hear the rather over-mod-
ulated voice and carry away simply
of a multitude of gestures
and great many changes Of tone. Tore,
gestures, voice and manner should fit
the recitation. Don't think that you
can get set of gestures, tones etc. and
fit your recitation to them.
To the younger members Of the class we
would simply say, all You need is more
practice. You did we'll, you may do bet
ter, till at last some one will say you did
best. We hope to hear you all again.
We want our nelghbors from Ogallah to
be in the next contest and in the interim
all cultivate your vofcee. Get up in Al
empty room, that is place yourself befo-e
an imaginary audience. Arrange your
chairs and imagine them filed, and carry
yourself accordingly. This will help you
to chase away stage fright.
Henkle-Will1ams.
The marriage OF CAL p. Henkel
md Emma Williams, Of Ellis, took
A.