The pastor came: his snowy locks

Hallowed his brow of thought and care; And, calmly as shepherds lead their flocks, He led into the house of prayer.

The pastor rose: the prayer was strong;
The psalm was warrior David's song;
The text, a few short words of might, -
"The Lord of hosts shall arm the right!"

He spoke of wrongs too long endured,
Of sacred rights to be secured;
Then from his patriot tongue of flame
The startling words for Freedom came.
The stirring sentences he spake
Compelled the heart to glow or quake,
And, rising on his theme's broad wing,
And grasping in his nervous hand
The imaginary battle-brand,
In face of death he dared to fling
Defiance to a tyrant king.

Even as he spoke, his frame, renewed
In eloquence of attitude,

Rose, as it seemed, a shoulder higher;
Then swept his kindling glance of fire
From startled pew to breathless choir;
When suddenly his mantle wide
His hands impatient flung aside,
And, lo! he met their wondering eyes
Complete in all a warrior's guise.

A moment there was awful

pause,

When Berkley cried, "Cease, traitor! cease! God's temple is the house of peace!" The other shouted, "Nay, not so, When God is with our righteous cause; His holiest places then are ours, His temples are our forts and towers

That frown upon the tyrant foe;
In this, the dawn of Freedom's day,
There is a time to fight and pray!"

And now before the open door

The warrior-priest had ordered so-
The enlisting trumpet's sudden roar
Rang through the chapel, o'er and o'er,
Its long reverberating blow,

So loud and clear, it seemed the ear
Of dusty Death must wake and hear.
And there the startling drum and fife
Fired the living with fiercer life;
While overhead, with wild increase,
Forgetting its ancient toll of peace,
The great bell swung as ne'er before:
It seemed as it would never cease;
And every word its ardor flung
From off its jubilant iron tongue
"WAR! WAR! WAR!"

Was,

"Who dares " - this was the patriot's cry,
As striding from the desk he came
"Come out with me, in Freedom's name,

For her to live, for her to die ?"
A hundred hands flung up reply,
A hundred voices answered "I!"

CHAPTER XII

ENUNCIATION AND PRONUNCIATION

48. The elements of speech

SPEECH is made up of vowel and consonant sounds com, bined to form words. Distinctness and accuracy depend, therefore, on the clear and correct enunciation of these elements.

1. The vowels. Vowels are the more open sounds of language. They are made by the vibration of the vocal chords, and differentiated by modification in the shape of the oral cavity, effected chiefly by the tongue and the jaw. When the vowels are well sounded there is little constriction of the tongue or jaw, their action is free and easy, and the mouth is held as far open as the character of the vowel permits. (In speaking “å,” for example, the jaw is dropped farther than for sounding "ē," but for both vowels the mouth is fairly well opened.)

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For the correct utterance of vowels two things are essential. First, the speech organs must be properly placed for forming the sounds; second, the sound must be made. Since the ability to make the sounds of our language is acquired mainly through the sense of hearing, written in struction in this matter, when instruction is needed, is of doubtful value. Incorrect formation of these sounds can best be remedied by the aid of a teacher. But it is worth while here to call attention to the necessity of sounding the vowels and to suggest certain methods of improving speech in this respect.

Much of indistinctness in speech is due to carelessness

in enunciating the vowels. Often they are spoken with slight regard for their quantity, either of vocality or of time, and frequently they are not spoken at all. Every vowel, having a share in the sound of a word, should receive a definite stroke of the voice, sometimes slight, to be sure, but nevertheless audible. If all syllables were accented, it is likely that we should have little cause for saying much about the utterance of vowels. The unaccented vowels are the ones neglected.

When one speaks to a single individual, most of one's attention is given to that person, but, if others gather about to listen, the attention is directed to them also. While one member of the group may receive more attention than the rest, none is ignored. To turn one's back on one of the number would be rude and discourteous. Now, attention in the utterance of words is analogous in some respects to that given to a small group of people one is addressing. A word of one syllable, when standing alone, is usually treated with due respect, but when several syllables are combined to form a word, the less important ones receive relatively slight attention and sometimes, because of haste or thoughtlessness, none at all. No special effort to give the vowels their proper quantity is necessary in speaking such words as

But when an unaccented syllable is prefixed to the word, some effort may be necessary, and the speech of many persons would be more distinct and intelligible if the effort were consistently made. Speak this next list of words with attention to the unaccented syllables, as well as to the accented.

recall'
account'

befall' disarm'
embalm' avow'

connote' delay'
improve oppose'

Try the following words, in which two unaccented syllables precede the accented. Be careful to sound all the vowels.

disavow'

disapprove'

misconstrue' disappear

contradict'
intervene'

Unaccented syllables following an accented are no less subject to neglect. Sound both syllables in

Unstressed syllables preceding and following the accented syllable afford a good test of one's accuracy and habits of enunciation.

impor❜ted

deject'ed

impor'tant arbitra'rily

volunta'rily unquestionable reconciliation intelligibil'ity intellectual'ity fortitudinous Practice the following list of words, being careful to sound all the vowels and to give to each its normal quantity. Go over the list often, until careful and accurate habits of enunciation are formed.