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BREATHING.

A good control of the breathing organs is of the greatest importance when speaking or reading, as no one can read or speak with ease, proper variety of tone, force, and distinctness, who has difficulty in managing the breath. To acquire a good command of the breath when reading or speaking: First. Take a number of words of one syllable, as: one, two, three, four, five. Take the breath just before the utterance of each word, hold it for a moment, then express the word in a bold, round, forcible tone, and relax the muscles the instant the vowel sound that receives the stress is struck.

Second. Take passages containing a series of emphatic words or clauses, pausing long enough before every emphatic word to take a little breath and condense it. When the breath can be taken with ease, and the words uttered properly, and with considerable energy, then gradually increase the force and volume of the voice and the earnestness of utterance from the first to the last word of the series.

To enlarge the chest, strengthen the lungs, and acquire a good command of the breathing organs, the following exercise, if faithfully and frequently practiced, will soon produce beneficial results.

First.-Deep, tranquil breathing through the nose. Inhale slowly through the nose until the lungs are filled. First fill the lower part of the lungs, then, without relaxing or changing the condition of a muscle, hold the breath as long as you are able to hold it without positive suffering.

Second. Inhale and fill the lungs as before directed, then suddenly and with great energy expel the breath through the nostrils several times in succession.

Third.-Take the breath with the mouth wide open, hold it for a few moments, as in deep yawning, and then expel the breath as it is expelled after a deep yawn.

Fourth.-Inhale in the manner in which the breath is taken for the purpose of blowing out a lamp or candle, or of blowing the dust from some object by a sudden and forcible expulsion of the breath; continue the exercise for a few moments and take special care to fill the lungs. Hold hard to the breath for a moment before it is expelled, and try to make each expulsion more energetic than the preceding one.

Fifth. To acquire the power of condensing the breath, practice the same movements that have to be gone through with in lifting a heavy weight or in pulling with all your might. In these exercises, fill the lungs properly at first, then lift or pull with such energy that every muscle of the body is affected by the effort, which should continue until it becomes difficult to retain the breath any longer.

There are many other exercises in breathing that are beneficial, among which may be named that of filling the lungs comfortably full and then counting deliberately and distinctly one, two, three, four, five, etc., or any other words, until the supply of breath is so nearly exhausted that the words uttered are no longer perfectly audible. Also that of filling the lungs and walking as many steps as you can while retaining the breath. A few days' frequent and faithful practice of these simple exercises will enable most persons to count twice as many words, or walk double the number of paces, they could on commencing the exercise.

Any gymnastic or bodily exercise that brings into vigorous action a considerable number of the larger muscles of the body, if kept up for a sufficient length of time, and practiced with sufficient frequency, will not only enlarge the chest and strengthen the lungs, but will increase the vital energy and invigorate the whole system.

Cultivate the habit of deep breathing at all times, especially when engaged in thinking, silent reading, or in writing.

It is not necessary to use a great deal of breath even when speaking in the most rapid and energetic manner. A small amount of breath economically used will suffice for the utterance of a great many words if the voice is exercised in the natural key. But if its tone is strained and labored, or if it is used in too high or too low a key, the breath will soon become exhausted, and the lungs wearied from want of variety of action.

ACCENT.

Accent is the stress laid on particular syllables to promote harmony of utterance and distinctness of articulation. Generally words of three or more syllables have two of them accented. The one that is made most prominent is called the Primary accent and the other the Secondary

accent.

Accent is made on the short vowels by a more forcible percussive utterance of the accented syllables, and on the open vowels by a louder and more prolonged utterance of the syllables.

The syllable that receives the primary accent is the backbone of the spoken word. Although accent addresses itself to the ear only, while emphasis addresses itself through the ear to the understanding, yet emphasis in most cases is merely an extension of accent. The accented syllable is always the seat of emphasis and the center of vocal expression; hence the great importance of exercises, which, if frequently and faithfully practiced, will result in a good command of accent.

In the following exercises, hold the breath for a moment before the utterance of each accented syllable, exactly as it is held just before a slight cough, or as when you quickly and rather forcibly expel the air from the lungs in any other way; then let the voice suddenly burst forth with per

cussive suddenness on the accented syllable: the instant the breath is expelled let every muscle relax, and give the unaccented syllables in a light, tripping tone.

A clear, pleasant, perfect accent is necessary to distinct articulation and correct pronunciation. As a good articulation is the essence of syllables, so a good accent is the thing most essential in spoken words.

EXERCISES IN ACCENT ON THE SHORT VOWELS.

1. Words of two syllables accented on the first syllable on Sound No. 8, as in living, kindred, silver, fifty, thinking, pilgrim, sinful, singly, finger.

2. Sound No. 10, accented on second syllable, as in eclipse, exist, instill, forgive, convict, forbid, permit, bewitch, insist.

3. Sound No. 10, accented on middle syllable in words of three syllables, as in divinity, extinguish, revisit, explicit, unthinking, bewitching, deliberate, persisting.

4. Sound No. 11, accented in words of two syllables on first syllable, as in ended, selfish, tender, senseless, gentle, letter, beggar.

5. Sound No. 11, accented on second syllable, as in repent, forget, repel, upset, excell, profess, neglect, misstep, refresh, commend.

6. Sound No 11, accented on middle syllable in words of three syllables, as in intended, resplendant, expecting, excelling, repentant, descended, expression, contention.

7. Sound No. 12, accented on first syllable, as in service, certain, fertile, virtue, sterile, nervous, thirdly, person, mirthful.

8. Sound No. 12, on second syllable, as in reverse, observe, refer, confer, bestir, inverse, inter, perverse, converse.

9. Sound No. 12, in words of three syllables accented on middle syllable, as in reversion, insercing, dispersing, per

verseness, preserver, external, imperfect, discerning, persist

ence.

- 10. Sound No. 13, accented on first syllable of words of two syllables, as in batter, rapid, savage, habit, vandal, sabbath, sandwich, happy, candle.

11. Sound No. 13, accented on second syllable, as in began, recant, attach, detract, entrap, relapse, collapse, exact, detach, forbade.

12. Sound No. 13, accented on middle syllable of words of three syllables, as in inhabit, impassioned, detraction, recanted, expansion, enchanting, exactly, contractor.

13. Sound No. 14, accented on first syllable in words of two syllables, as in cottage, robber, spotted, honor, sorrow, model, dollar, fondly, socket.

14. Sound No. 14, accented on second syllable, as in upon, allot, untrod, along, among, unlock, aloft, restock.

15. Sound No. 14, accented on middle syllable, as in unspotted, deposit, dishonor, estoppel, revolver, remonstrance, demolish, despotic, untrodden.

16. Sound No. 15, accented on first syllable, as in rumble, thunder, furtive, murder, supper, sultry, hurried, mutter, sundry.

17. Sound No. 15, accented on second syllable, as in refund, begun, engulf, recur, unjust, repulse, unstrung, demur, upturned.

18. Sound No. 15, accented on middle syllable, as in impulsive, returning, unfurling, destruction, eruption, disturbance, refunding, resumption, consumption.

19. Sound No. 16, accented on first syllable, as in bookish,. looking, crooked, booty, cooking, booted, rooting.

20. Sound No. 16, accented on second syllable, as in forsook, retook, reprove, improve, uproot, remove, withstood, mistook, re-roof.

When the accent is on an open vowel, the accented sound should be prolonged according to the degree of force with which the open vowel is uttered.

K. N. E.-4.

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