2. Questions which can not be answered by yes or no, require the falling inflection.

3. The rising inflection is used upon one of two contrasted words or phrases, the falling inflection upon the other.

4. The rising inflection is generally used upon all the words or phrases of a series except the last, which takes the falling inflection.

Remark.

·The rising inflection regularly indicates hesitation or doubt; the falling inflection, determination or decision.

The use of the inflections upon series of words, in contrasts, is to avoid unpleasant sameness of sound. Emphasis may require the use of falling inflections only, as in the case of using calling

tones.

The Rising Circumflex, marked thus (), is a slight downward turn of the voice followed by a rise; and the Falling Circumflex, marked thus (^), a slight rise followed by a downward turn.

"To-morrow, didst thou say?

Methought I heard Horatio^ say, To-morrow ^."

MODULATION.

Modulation is the agreeable variation of sounds in speaking, caused by the proper use of tone, pitch, force, emphasis, and inflection. By employing all the means conducive to intelligent reading, the thoughts we express receive full force and afford both pleasure and interest.

The register, or extent, of the speaking voice from its lowest to its highest pitch, will vary with individuals, and no fixed scale of vocal tones can be used with benefit in class practice.

Middle Pitch can be determined without difficulty, since it is the part of the voice used in conversation. To make the conversational tone flexible is the most important matter to be considered in reading. Unemotional reading is difficult.

THE MONOTONE.

The Monotone consists in the repetition of the same musical note, and the partial absence of emphasis and inflection. The use of the monotone indicates great solemnity.

Those who read a passage without any variation whatever, ruin the effect by the monotony of their reading. The correct use of the monotone seems to lie in dwelling upon the same note through a number of words, and, in case of a change to a higher or lower note, in holding the new note through several words.

EXAMPLE.

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

BIBLE.

READING POETRY.

In reading poetry, the phrasing, or grouping of words according to sense, seems to be more difficult than in prose, on account of the rhythm and the rhyme; but the sense is most important and must be preserved.

The cœsural pause is usually preceded by a slight increase and followed by a slight decrease of force.

The regular recurrence of accented and unaccented syllables in poetry-the rhythm-requires no effort on the part of the reader to make it evident.

Rhymed verse sounds better when the rhymed syllables are not emphasized.

Any tendency to emphasize regularly certain syllables in each line, or to repeat the same inflections in each line, constitutes what is called singsong, and must be carefully guarded against.

Suggestion. Members of the class should be called upon to explain, by examples of their own selection, all points relating to elocution. Practice is better than theory.

Soldier FritzN was the little son of a corporal in the Prussian army, and lived in Brandenburg. He loved to play soldier himself, and that is why he was called Soldier Fritz.

His father, during a war with the French, was with his regiment on the Rhine.N Once, when writing to his family, he told them how he sometimes suffered for want of vegetables. "If I only had a peck of our fine potatoes," said he, "how good they would taste!"

By day and by night, Soldier Fritz thought and dreamed of his poor father; and, at last, without