Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1892-05-13
The Elocution Glass.
: From The Waperley Progress, by j. L.
LODGE, D. D., Editor.l

the sun-or, under the moon, rather for we
meet at night A good thing, too; next t
The Waverley Club the best thing of it
kind we have ever had. AS was anticipated
the younger members Of the class, whose
limos have not become stiff and rheumatic
whose spines are not knetted and twisted
by old age or long continued use of i'm
proper pastures, already appreciate the i'm
mense advantage of training which unites
| physical development with cultivation Of
grace. There is only one criticism upon
our teacher: He evidently knows vast deal
but too much takes for granted that his
| pupils, most Of whom are the merest tyres
are able at once to grasp and apply the prin-
| ciples enunciated for their mastery and prac.
tise. This is very common fault with
teachers, and explains why, among such a
multitude, there are comparatively very few
excellent instructors. Knowledge of any
kind, once thoroughly mastered, appears SO
simple, that sufficient allowance is not made
for learners to whom it is a deep, dark mys-
terry. Our good professor has, however, q
large stock of patience, which we esteem the
most essential of all qualifications for sue
cessful teacher, especially with beginners
The Subdivision into small classes for pri-
vate exercise is one of the best features Of
the system. A few Of US have reason to ex.
press our sincere appreciation of the services
| OF our genial young friend, the gentleman
from Illinois, II. j Sterick who, con dDlOTe
drills us, between the stated meetings of the
class. The opinion is entertained by not q
few that, If year or two of close applica.
tiOn were added to the attention he has al.
ready bestowed upon the subject, he would
make thoroughly competent and success.
| full teacher of elocution.
The class and the community owe a debt
OF gratitude to the gentleman from Georgia,
10. f. Hogan for it was he who first con-
ceived the idea OF forming the class, and eX-
erted himself to accomplish the conception.
Infinitely more than he who makes tive
blades of grass grow where only one grew
before is the man benefactor to the public
who in any way contributes to the health,
refinement, or morals of the community
With greatest pleasure we note an instance
of real generosity. The gentleman from
Florida, j. A. Beltl while not himself 0
pupil, pays the tuition fees of four others
and rents us his fine ball for very nearly
nothing. This has been done in the most
modest and quiet way; proving what We
have had occasion frequently to say before
that few men have larger hearts than he
1t seemed, ct first, that there might be an
opportunity TO test what truth there is in
the old saying, Laugh and grow fat. y
Several skeletons amongst us, if we only
could have exercised a little faith, might
have entertained rising hope. But wheth.
er or not obesity come Oft, there was abund-
ance of mirth; the joyous side Of every ma.
ture appeared to break loose, and fun, like
a colt let loose in Spring, scampered, un.
controlled, throughout the hall The pro.
lessor gravely reminded us we we're there tc
work, and strove manfully to pr eserve re.
poseful facial lines, but alter awhile We
fetched him, and he meekly confessed that
it was sometimes well enough to laugh. II
we were girl of the period-whch bless
the Lord We are motive should say iii
was just too awiully jolly for anything ;
but as we hate slang we will say that ex
citation of irresistible disabilities irrupted in
resonant exclamation. Everybody knows
that the editor of this paper is usually suffi-
GENTLY digniied; imagine his feelings, then,
when, a few days after the first meeting, the
report came to him that he was considered
the worst-behaved boy in school Sad as il
was, q stricken conscience could only plead
| guilty, and with tears-produced by more
laughter-promise an effort at amendment
He did honestly try to behave. He said to
himself ever and over again, See here, you
are President Of The Waverley Club, and a
preacher, beside, and you ought to set bet.
/
sound enough, did mighty little good. There
were exteRuating circumstances. From the
very start the provocation was very great
| The professor was explaining that we should
not breathe from the chest at all, but from
that lower region OF the anatomy where we
stow our dinner and with the suddenness
and clearness of thunder clap cried out
no We are positive that that sound ca mt
from his--stomach The editor had not long
before read "By Order OF The King" anC
Hugo's creation, L'Honlme ON Rit, was con
stantly before him. Professor strobe across
the hall to show how awkwardly some We
men walk, when, unfortunately, we caugh
glimpse of Gwynplaine Hogan who wal
wrestling with gigantic smile as resoutely
but as Intellectually as did his prototype in
that memorable scene in parliament His
head went down into his hands, then he
whipped out his handkerchief and began ia
mop his eyes. 1t looked every moment az
though he must GO TO pieces, but relief came
presently in an explosion like unto that
from a Krupp cannon, and then the editol
felt that he must laugh or die Soon after
equilibrium had been restored, we were
asked to prolong the sound OF 90 at abou
A. At it we went, all ages and both sexes
but whether the majority were in X SHARP
or o fiat, this deponsnt excuseth himself
from saying. At this solemn juActure, "the
worst. behaved boy in school, remarked Il
the professor that some brother behind hin
was singing bass, but for this sally Of genuine
wit received as reward only freezing smile
The exercises at the hall over, the editor
went as straight home as he could consider
ing that he was at intervals doubled uI
with laughter. Once inside the house, he
began TO tell the home staying wife how Il
ks,t do int lAls
both rhyme and reason. Refuge was sough
in the bed chamber. Here, he again remon
strated with himself about the sslemnity
and the duty Of the hour, butt was no go
IL was impossible to be serious The laugh
ter shook the bed, lifted the cover, and mad'
him practise deep breathing by holding his
sides with all his might Finally, stree
natures sweet rest0rer," &c, came TO BIZ
help, but in the early morn when he bounded
to the floor, he was laughing still
Next lesson, we avoided the neighbor
hood of Gwynplaine, confident of our in
; tegrity If we could keep out Of sight OF "rh'
man who laughs" All went "merry as
marriage bell" till the Greeks burst in upon
Us from another quarter. Professor de
handed whe had succeeded in lifting tn
soft palate, when one OF our mildest AM
sweetest maidens humbly replied, she didn'
KNOW now. LOOK mere, says PioieSSoi, "a.
e-e-e--e-ah--ah-a max
believe you are going 10 proleng in Unit
aud don't do it," Had we had the goot
sense to keep the eyes fixed upon the flooI
( nothing would have happened; but when
!, In that last demonstration, II was our i'll fol-
tune to catch glimpse Of that entire grave
! ward yawning in the teachers face, all oil
, pious resolutions vanished, and we col
lapsed.
Well, we have had our laugh, and mucl
benefit already; now we are all gcttinl
: down 10 work, and intend making the elo
c,,;,u cIaaa wnrth ftv timea its east