Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-01-29

stage fright, 1t is not self eonceit, but
the lack of it. In the girl child 1t is the
beginning of a false education; in the
grown woman it is the distressing re-
suit of that education. Women have
been trained to regard the tout ensem-
BILE of mere physical appearance as
the all in all Of the female being; con
sequently they are always in a stew
in regard to that appearance
This eternal self consciousness Grip
pies woman when she would speak in
public. 1t peeps out evermore in the
oratory of clubwomen. 1t is the direst
enemy to their success In that field
Get rid of 1t, then. But how? Well,
resolve once for all that you will get
rid of it or die. Make yourself cease
to think about the impression you are
making on others, If you find you are
doing this In spite of good resolution,
check yourself instantly Think Of
something else. Do this in all the af-
fairs of life. In proportion as you do
it, in proportion as you can merge your
petty personality into the infinite life,
to that exact degree you will really be-
gin to be somebody.
Would you like to make a speech? ?
Sit down first. quietly and alone, and
think very earnestly with all your pow
ers of concentration on what you want
to say. Don't for one second let the
chilling, killing, accursed thought of
whether your audience will consider
you, Jane Smith. brilliant and wise, re-
main in your mind. Just think of what
you, Jane Smith. desire to say in all
good will and modesty. Make a per-
feet picture in your mind of yourself
standing before the audience speaking
this matter
Then prepare your speech. Never
read it if you can possibly avoid it, but
speak it. Stand up like man and look
people in the eye and let yourself go.
Hurl your sentences winged with the
magnetic force of your soul. Women's
clubs will fall to pieces if women do not
stop reading those long, stupid papers.
If you have only five or ten minute
address to make, do not write 1t at all.
Put upon paper the heads of what you
would say; then talk the speech over to
yourself in your mind till you are fa
miliar with it as with A B G. That is
the best way of all to make speech.
Then speak distinctly. in clear
voice. How acquire this clear. distinct
voice? Bring your voice forward from
your throat and issue it from your
lips, opening your lips moderately wide
so it can get out. To understand ex
actly what mean, take, for instance,
the sentence BRAID broad braids, my
brave babes" Pronounce it first back
in your throat in the ordinary crude,
slovenly way in which we American
people manage the voice; then throw
your tone forward and send it from
your front teeth and the tip of your
tongue. drawing your lips slightly
backward at the corners to give the
sound room to get out, and you your
self will be surprised at the difference.
Pitch your voice on low key. SO
you will not shrek OF sqheal; then, in
the name of all the saints. speak loud
enough. A woman who cannot make
herself heard in a given audience has
no right to waste their time by at
tempting It, Life is short.
A last word as to dress. Do you
want your hearers to pay attention to
you instead of to what you have to
say? Then trick yourself out in your
most shoW-offish rig, putting on all
your war paint and feathers and fur
bellows. Do you want them to heed
what you have to say? Dress yourself
with the utmost neatness, particularly
as to your feet, bair and neekwear, but
otherwise be just as plain and unorna-
mented as is compatible with being
well dressed. And don't wear your
hat while speaking.
CLARA HEROLD.