of the writer, and lead to appropriate tones of voice and manner of utterance.

Special rules, for reading the different styles of composition, will hereafter be given in connection with appropriate exercises illustrating them.

EXERCISES FOR CULTIVATING THE VOICE.

The following exercises are introduced for the purpose of cultivating the voice. The sentences are divided by bars, into clauses of suitable length to be uttered at once; and the teacher may pronounce each clause, on such key, and with such intensity, volume, and quality of voice as he chooses, requiring the class to pronounce it after him in the same manner.

1. A Full, Strong Whisper.

But hush! hark! | step softly! | All's hush'd as midnight, yet. | Make no noise. | Be silent.

2. Low and Soft.

They are sleeping! | Who are sleeping? |

Pause a moment. softly tread; |

Anxious friends are fondly keeping

Vigils by the sleeper's bed! |
Other hopes have all forsaken, |

One remains that slumber deep; I

Speak not, lest the slumberer waken

From that sweet, that saving sleep.

3. Slow, Soft, and Plaintive.

Slowly and sadly we laid him down, |

From the field of his fame, fresh and gory; |

QUESTIONS. For what are these exercises introduced? How should they be

used?

We carv'd not a line, | we raised not a stone, |
But we left him alone in his glory.

4. Deep Undertone.

1. Silence how dead, and darkness how profound! | The glooms of night | brood o'er a slumb'ring world.

5. Subdued Monotone.

Night gathers slowly around me; | the long night of darkness and death. | Within mine eye the light of life is fading, | as the day is slowly melting from the darkening sky.

6. Low Key, and Full Volume.

Father, thy hand ·

Hath reared these venerable columns; | thou

Didst weave this verdant roof. | Thou didst look down
Upon the naked earth, | and, forthwith, rose

All these fair ranks of trees. | They, in thy sun,
Budded, and shook their green leaves in the breeze, |
And shot toward heaven.

7. Median Key.

Pleasure is a shadow; | wealth is vanity; | and power is a pageant; but knowledge is intrinsic enjoyment, perennial fame, unlimited space, and infinite duration. | In the performance of its sacred office, it fears no danger, | spares no expense, omits no exertion. | It scales the mountain, | looks int the volcano, dives into the ocean, | perforates the earth, wings its flight into the skies, | encircles the globe, | explores sea and land, contemplates the distant, examines the minute, comprehends the great, and ascends the sublime.| No place, too remote for its grasp, | no heavens, too exalted for its touch.

8. High Key, Ample Volume and Compass. 1. Fight, gentlemen of England! | Fight, bold yeemen! | Draw, archers, | draw your arrows to the head; | Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood. | Advance our standards. | Set upon our foes; |

Upon them! Victory sits on our helirs. |

|

2. From Luctra a to Marathon,b every inch of ground re sponds to you- cries to you- for vengeance! | liberty!| glory! virtue! | country! | These voices, which tyrants cannot stifle, demand-not words, but steel. T is here! | receive it! | Arm! | let the thirsting earth at length be refreshed with the blood of her oppressors! | What sound more awakening to the brave than the clank of his country's fetters? | Should the sword ever tremble in your grasp,- | remember yesterday, think of to-morrow! | think of your sires, | your wives, | your sons, your country, and shout liberty! | LIBERTY!

9. High Key and Rapid Movement.

1. Awake! awake! | Ring the alarm-bell, | murder! treason! treason!

2. Arm, warriors, arm for fight. | Let each
His adamantine coat gird well, and each
Fit well his helm, | gripe fast his orbed shield.
10. Shouting.

Let loud Echo from her circling hills,

Sound FREEDOM, | till the undulation shake
The bounds of utmost Sweden!

11. Hurry and Haste.

More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came! |

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name! |

Luctra, a town in Greece. b Marathon, a town in Greece, famous for the victory of Miltiades over the Persians, 490, B. C.

12.

-

Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer! now, Vixen! |
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! |
Now, dash away! dash away! dash away, all! |
Transition, Median and Vehement.
First came renowned Warwick,a
Who cried aloud, "What scourge for perjury
Can this dark monarchy afford false Clarence?" b
And so he vanished. | Then came wand'ring by
A shadow like an angel, | with bright hair
Dabbled in blood; and he shriek'd out, aloud,

"CLARENCE is come- false, fleeting, perjured Clarence; | | SEIZE on him, ye furies, | take him to your torments.”

GENERAL EXERCISES ON MODULATION.

EXERCISE I.

RULE 1. Language, unattended with strong emotions, as most narrative, descriptive, and historical writings, should be read on the middle pitch, in a natural and conversational tone, with smooth utterance. median movement, and varied inflections.

A NARROW ESCAPE. PARLEY'S MAGAZINE.

Narrative.

1. In August, 1786, two young men, near the Slate-creek iron-works in Kentucky, by the names of Yates and Downing,

Warwick, (Richard Nevil,) called the king-maker. He was killed in battle, in 1471. b Clarence, son-in-law of Warwick. He was put to death by his brother, Edward IV., king of England.

QUESTION. What is the rule for reading narrative, descriptive, and historica, writings:

set out together in pursuit of a horse which had strayed into the woods. Toward evening, they found themselves six or seven miles from home, and, at that time, exposed to danger from the Indians. Downing even began to fancy he heard the crackling of sticks in the bushes behind them; but Yates, who was somewhat experienced as a hunter, only laughed at his fears.

2. Downing, however, was not satisfied. He still thought that the Indians were following them, and, at last, determined to find out. Gradually slackening his pace, he allowed Yates to get several rods before him; and, immediately after descending a little hill, he suddenly sprung aside and hid himself in a thick cluster of whortleberry-bushes. Yates was humming over a song just at the time, and did not think of Downing, or the Indians, any more for several minutes.

3. No sooner was he out of sight, than Downing saw two savages come out of a cane-brake, and look cautiously after Yates. Fearful that they had seen him secrete himself, he determined to fire on them; but his hand was so unsteady that he discharged his gun without taking aim, and then ran. When he had run ten or twelve rods, he met Yates, who, having heard the report of the gun, was coming back to inquire what was the matter. The Indians were now in full pursuit, and Yates was glad to run with Downing.

4. Just at this place, the road divided, and at some distance further on, the divisions came together again. Yates and Downing took one road, and the two Indians, probably to get ahead of them, took the other. The former, however, reached the junction of the two roads first. But, coming nearly at the same time to a deep gully, Downing fell into it, while the Indians, who crossed it a little lower down, not observing his fall, kept on after Yates.

5. Here Downing had time to reload his gun, but he did not