The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01

the deeper tones, but the deepest tones of
some sweet contralto singers are quite free
to nave soft voices; but it happens that
one of the voices most charged with noise
so that the tone almost disappeared-ever
heard by an English observer was that of a
full-black negress.
Voice is habit. 1t is Influenced by a per-
petual mimicry. Therefore, it would be we'll
worth while to make a girl talk with Scotch
women or French women, If a constant
checking proved unavailing to stop the
scraping Of the chords. Maternal persever.
ance is able to conquer mere faults of
phrasing in a child-''like you did" may be
cured after three years of steady work. and
a case of the idea-r-of' in four. Why,
then, should not a habit of the voice be
treated? Yet nobody thinks of it. Some
pains would certainly be taken to ulwrap
ira, and to set free the music of their notes,
If the thing were possible. The husk of
noise that surrounds the note of brass wind
instruments is, to some ears, all but intoler-
able; and the wood wind instruments nave
their share-irritating, if not so distracting
and desperate. One listens to a ''Tannhaus-
err chorus, blessing the music and execrat-
ing the noise. This seems to be irremedia-
BILE. But the adulterating noise of the fe-
cannot teach the trumpet, the trombone,
the flute, or the hautbois another habit; but
we surely would If we could.
The Scottish voice, which is so irresistible,
is softly pitched higher up, out of the dan
ger of any such croacking habit. The gentle
sounds Of the novels are unhampered.
There is sound, loud or low, but there is no
noise; unless we should call noise the little
accompaniment of the conSonants. Some of
the consonantS do indeed produce a small
voice-such as the sibilant letters; but this,
except in the case of one of our actresses
Is only human.
If the Scottish voice is not the most beau
tiful in the world, it has no rival except the
French. But it is perhaps the most beau
tiful. The French is happier, but the
Scottish loses nothing by that little appeal
to the hearer-that slight usefulness. The
infection makes 1.-THE cadence that, like
some Gregorian melodies, does not finish, as
it were, on the keynote, but dips a little
way and then is suspended. What adds TO
all this charm is the little tone of educa-
ton which the Scottish voice possesses in
all ranks. In England sweet voices are
very much a matter of caste. There Serv-
ants are taught TO speak quietly, but they
do not speak sweetly. The Scottish voice
and accent are gentle in all classes. So are
the French. Obviously there are exceptions,
but it is true in general. A French shop
woman who is educated enough TO speak
correctly speaks like a lady. 1t is most of
all in England that there is the ugly differ
ence. Elsewhere there is only this, which
is i~nevitable: the difference between indoor
women and out-of-door women. The plein-
air woman never speaks sweetly. The tones
of her voice are forced and altered by CALI
ing. she has not the scraping deep noise
OF educated English women, but she has
a h~arshness of her own. Especially is this
true of the people that have much the GUS
tom of calling.