Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1881 — ELOCUTIONARY ASPIRANTS. [ARTICLE]

ELOCUTIONARY ASPIRANTS.

Queer Persona Whs Think They Possess Drnnsnlle Tnlent. (From th« New York Sun. 1 “There Are some queer persons who try to learn elocution,” a well-spoken prefessor Baid. “It is really surprising to see with what persistence those who are positively disqualified will strive to acquire the declamatory art. Public school education is responsible for a good deal of this. Take a class of college boys; they are almost men. Their tastes and capacities are thoroughly marked. It is obvious that some of them have no aptitude for elocution. Their voices are inadequate; their action is irretrievably bad. Yet the 'curriculum requires that they should declaim regularly. No amount of natural disqualification relieves them from this duty. The result is that they only furnish sport for their companions, and go 'tliWElgfiWie college course with only a perfunctory performance of this part, of their duties. Of course, this in direct conflict with the most advanced thought on the subject of education. Both common sense and science dictate that it is a waste of time to try to teach sonic persons some things. Vast sums o money and long periods of time mis. lit be skved by refraining from attempts to perform the impossible in teaching. “But there are some funny instances of persons of more mature years trying to learn elocution. Persons who nave had little or no education in school, who can neither read nor pronounqe, to whom a proper name is an insurmountable obstacle and a word beyond the commonplace a rubicou, think they can be fitted to shine in elocution. Those persons always trip up on pronunciation. They make the most ludicrous blunders without the faintest conception why they aro laughed at. You may say that we ought not to try to teach such persons. You might as well say that a dry goods merchant should not sell unbecoming goods. Here is a young fellow who is doing moderately well iu business. He goes into company and finds that eloention is all the rage. He secs others brought into prominence by readings and recitations. Ho thiuks that he can make his mark, and he comes to me or some other professor to get instruction. I had a young grocer who took a notion to reud Shakespearean pieces. Ho tripped over every unusual word, he stumbled over every proper name, and he absolutely fell down on the point of memory. It was only by dint of bard hammering that I could get him drilled into one twentyminute reading. Filially I got tired of taking liis money, and had to send him away. “Then I had a fat, fussy little fellow, who took anotion to play Hamlet with a dramatic association. I told him frankly that his physique was not fit for the character. Imagine the melancholy Dane with a paunch! I had a big butcher once who wanted to play “Claude Melnotte.” He was better fitted to lug a side of beef than to toy with “Pauline.” It seemed wrong to take his money, but I was afraid to tell him the truth. I believe the audience cured him at his first and last attempt. But the climax of absurdity was a little bantam fellow, who took a fancy for heavy parts. He wanted to play CoriolanuH or Jiichard 111., or other parts that required voice and action. I never saw him trying one of those characters without thinking of tlie fable of the toad and the ox. His tragedy was always very funny. When I first began teaching I used to try to get these fellows to listen to the truth. I got no thanks for my honesty, and only lost my Customers. Now, when any one comes to me to be taught I do the best I can to teach him. I never get tired taking their money as long as they don’t get tiried paying.