Year: 1868

Much has been written on the cart of good read
ing" and all the good rules found in many of
excellent school readers were strictly followed
in the spiri well as the letter, we would doubt
less have more good readers than we have at pres
ent But where is the teacher that fully carries
out the directions given Many may be able to
give definition of articu lation, emphasis, infec
ton, pauses and mOdulatiou but where is the
teacher that puts his theories into practice Echo
answers ,chere Now we contend that very few if
any were ever made good readers by studying ar
bitrary rules and directions. Tlese may servo as
guides, and be valuable helps if thoroughly under
stoOd and carefully followed yet the best rule
that we have ever found, is to read as nearly as
possible as you talk.


We often hear person conversing, and the tones
of his voice pleasant, and even melOdiOus; we
are charmed with his conversation. Yet give the
same person a book, and ask him to read a few
pages and how different are all his tones You
are turGed almost to distraction when obliged to
listen to him, and we sometimes think that no
q eater punishment could be inflicted on person
with delicate sense of the beautiful. than to o5-
lge him to listen to Of these dr-G -l0-liBg mo-
nOtonOus readers ; indeed Satan would be cruel,
beyond all reason, we're he to doom any of his VO-
taries to sternity Of such punishment. It seems
when people take up book or paper that th ey
must pnt themselves into q strait-iacket, and their
voice must rise here, and fall there, and tpist
this ord and turn at that, all by rule, of
Nonsenee, man read as you talk. How would you
speak what you are reading were you cOnversing
with a friend Forget your rules while reading
get your heart interested in your subject, be
full to urunou nee each word distinctly and correctly
and throw your rules for infection and emphasis to
the bats Don't misunderstood us; we want you
to know the rules thoroughly. Yes, you ought to
try and practice them, know when you violate one.
All this must be known by good reader but do
not read by rule. Let nature aud good common
sense guide your intOnatiOns, and not fear bat you
will read we'll if you can cal words readily.


The great reason that we have so many missra-
ble readers, may be justly attributed in great de-
gree to defectye training in early life. The child,
while learning to read in words Of one or tvO syl
sbes, has been permitted to prolOng the sound Of
each letter. until it has had time to think Of the
next, and thus imperceptibly it has acquired a
monotonops and sing-song tone, so that ip short
time it fails entirely to notice it in itself and
when the young man has completed his course Of
study, We ind him still using the old tones. A
TEACHER who will allVy q small scholar to acquire
such disgusting spd odiOus tones while learning
TO read, ought to be indicted Of grand larceny,
and sent to the penitentiary and confined there
until be has succeeded in correcting this habit at


least 10 tsn Of the most inYeterats 'ng-songers in
the country. For il is really stealing from ths
child the tones that nature gives him, and substi-
lqting in their stead the wailngs Of the unfortu-
mates in Piuto's dark regions.


Teachers, for mercy 3 sake don't let the children
sing-sOpg ont their lessons. Teach them to talk