Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-22
BY MARGARET E. sANGsTER.

|1 BY MARGARET E. sANGsTER. K Copyright. 1905; by Joseph B.. Bowles) ] One of the prettiest sights in the world is that of the young people on their way to school between eight and
 nine in the morning. I like to see the |sgirls between IA and 16 as they go
 arm in arm, each with her pile of books in her hands, chatting gayly or talking confidentially their day before
 them and not a cloud to dim their
 sky. A.. What sweet voice that girl has, . Il heard some one say as Elizabeth ran
 across the street to meet Emily, call, ing out her cheery good morning. It
 was indeed sweet voice and had car. irving power, clear as a bell or a bird
 note, yet it was not loud. Voices are
 as different as faces. We pay great
 deal of attention in this country to training the singing voice, and we are willing to pay teachers large prices to
 develop the fine soprano LOT the rich contralto that everyone admires. But far too little trouble is taken with the speaking voice, and it is a pity, for we sing only occasionally, and most of us talk from morning till night.
 If you hear a group of girls talking on the campus or in a street car, you are often pained by the lack of melody in their voices. Some are harsh and rough, others are nasal; some are mufied and croaking; few are pure and silvery. Shakespeare, who was an acute observer, in speaking of one of his heroines, said: Her voice was ever soft, gentle and low; an excellent thing in woman." First and last you find good many allusions to voices in Shakespeare. There are families in which each seems to try whether or not he or she can be heard by speak ing so loudly as to drown the rest. This is always mark of very ill., breeding. No welLbred person screams or shouts in the family or anywhere else. A low voice may be heard quite as effectively as one. that is loud and shrill, if it's possessor has learned the art of managing it proper ly. Even in large building per son who speaks slowly, giving every word it's full value, and throwing the voice from ,the chest instead of from the head, will be heard distinctly. In order to. have. a full, agreeable, voice, a girl shpuld practice deep breathing several times day in the open air. The voice is the expression of health, strength, character and personality. The lips, the teeth. the roof of the mouth, the palate, the vocal cords and the lungs are all involved in this voice of ours, which is our peculiar en- dowment, and lifts us,up toethe high est plane in creation. at! ess
 
 will suppose that some girl for whom I am writing has contracted a way of talking, that her voice is not pleasant, and that her enuncia- tion is indistinct. How shall she break herself of bad habits? Just as she would, break herself of bad habit in any other direction, she must set herself to work about this and be in downright earnest if sbe is to accomplish anything worth while. She must remind herself constantly If she is accustomed to shriek, that people around her are not deaf, and that if they were they would hear her as easily if she spoke low as if she | spoke loudly. Every time she begins speaking as if she were a soldier on the warpath, let her call halt. and drop her voice tone or two. If she | has the needless method of emitting | the final and saying mornin' for | and evenin' for evening, let | her remedy that. If she run her | words together, as too many of us do under the impression that there Is no time to spare, and that words must tumble over each other as water .umbles over rocks, let her pause and go more slowly.
 Two girls the other day were dis ,ussing third who was a student in l New England college. but was a na- i've of India; high caste girl who lad been taught English in her baby. hood. You should hear her perfect English" one said to the other. "She peaks more slowly than, we do, and Ter voice is like music. She is never he least in hurry and there is the