The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-03-30

Cackle When Talking.
BY MARGARET E. SANGSTER.
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. l like to see the
girls between II 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 cloud to dim their
sky.
what sweet voice that girl has,"
I heard some one say as Elizabeth ran
across the street to meet Emily, call
ing ont her CHEEKY good morning. 1t
was indeed a sweet voice and had car
rying power, clear as bell or 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 or the rich
contralto that everyone admires. But
far too little trouble is taken with the
speaking voice, and it is pity, for
we sing only occasionally, and most
of us talk from morning till night.
II you hear a group of girls talking
on the campus or in a street car, you
are often panied by the lack of melody
in their voices. Some are harsh and
rough, others are nasal; some are
muff1ed 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 illusions 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 well-bred 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 a large building a 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,
girl should 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 to the high
est plane in creation.
I will suppose that some girl for
whom I am writing has contracted a
slovenly way of talking, that her voice
is not pleasant, and that her enuncia-
ton 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 she is to
accomplish anything worth while.
She must remind herself constantly
if she is accustomed to shrek, 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 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 g and saying mornin' for
morning 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
tumbles over rocks, let her pause and
60 more slowly.
Two girls the other day were dis
cussing third who was a student in
New England college, but was a ma
tive of India; a high caste girl who
had been taught English in her baby
hood. |'You should hear her perfect
English" one said to the other. 'She
speaks more slowly than we do, and
her voice is like music. She is never
the least in hurry and there is the
prettiest little accent like fragrance.
We often notice this crystalline per-
lection in foreigners who have &C..
quired English and speak it less reck-
lessly and with more precision than
we who are to the manner born. Dear
girls, take your time. There is plenty
of it. Neither rush nor shout, nor
cackle, nor make a shrill clamor when
you are talking, but remember
Shakespeare's low and gentle voice
which is an excellent thing in woman.
=
OF course, no girl who respects her.
self ever fumes, ! frets or scolds.
There is scolding voice and there is
a fretting voice, and both are most