Chapter II: Introduction: Page

Pronunciation 15

Articulation 16

Accent 19

Time 20

Emphasis 22

Inflection 34

Circumflex Inflection—Monotone 39

Parenthesis and Parenthetical Clauses 40

Tone—Expression and Energy 42

On Reading of Verse 45

Rests in Verse 48

READING LESSONS.

PROSE.

LESSON.

1. Teaching and Character of Jesus Christ _Chateaubriand_, 52

3. The Devoted Son and the Generous Stranger _Brother Philippe_, 55

4. The Christian Mother _Mary I. Hoffman_, 60

6. The Two Roads 66

9. The Young Shepherd _Fenelon_, 72

10. The Same.—_Continued_ 75

12. The Broken Heart _Irving_, 79

13. Little Victories 84

14. The Same.—_Continued_ 86

16. The Widow of the Pine Cottage 91

19. The Bobolink _Irving_, 97

20. The Same.—_Continued_ 99

22. Portrait of a Virtuous and Accomplished Woman _Fenelon_, 102

24. The Avaricious Miller _Goldsmith_, 105

25. The Death of the Little Scholar _Dickens_, 108

28. The Monk of St. Francis _Sterne_, 115

29. My Mother’s Grave _Brownson_, 118

30. Good Counsel 120

32. Reproof to an Affected Speaker _La Bruyere_, 125

35. Our Miseries Often Our Fault _Blair_, 129

37. Influence of Religion on the Tyrolese _Alison_, 133

40. Behind Time _Freeman Hunt_, 138

43. A Storm at Sea _Archbishop Hughes_, 145

44. The Atmosphere 150

46. Discretion _Addison_, 154

47. Stability of Character _Alison_, 156

52. Death of Little Nell _Dickens_, 167

53. Sorrow for the Dead _Irving_, 171

54. Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Spain _Prescott_, 174

59. The Charmed Serpent _Chateaubriand_, 183

60. My Rosary _Sir Humphrey Davy_, 185

61. The Indians _Story_, 187

63. The Friars and the Knight _Digby_, 191

66. Patriotism and Christianity _Chateaubriand_, 196

67. Best Kind of Revenge _Chambers_, 199

68. Queen Elizabeth of Hungary _Montalembert_, 201

70. The Presumption of Youth _Rollin_, 210

73. A Picture of Human Life _Johnson_, 216

75. On the Waste of Time _Franklin_, 223

77. Dialogue with the Gout _Franklin_, 227

79. Edward the Confessor _Lingard_, 232

82. Washington and Bonaparte Compared _Chateaubriand_, 238

83. Character of Franklin _Brougham_, 242

87. The Roman Pontiffs _Archbishop Spalding_, 249

88. Labor and Genius _Sydney Smith_, 251

91. A Curtain Lecture of Mrs. Caudle _Jerrold_, 259

94. God Gave to His Church Charity _Lacordaire_, 270

96. George Washington _Dwight_, 273

97. Conduct of La Fayette in the American Revolution _J. Q. Adams_, 276

99. Sir Thomas Moore _Henry Giles_, 282

101. The Religion of Catholics _Dr. Doyle_, 287

103. Speech of Logan, Chief of the Mingoes _Jefferson_, 293

105. Character of the Irish Peasantry _Barrington_, 296

109. Voluntary Confession of Sin _Lacordaire_, 310

POETRY.

LESSON.

2. Little at First, but Great at Last 53

5. Woodman, Spare that Tree _Morris_, 64

7. The Laborers 68

8. The Boy _Willis_, 70

11. Old Times _Gerald Griffin_, 78

15. Our Titles 90

17. A Psalm of Life _Longfellow_, 95

18. Let Virtue be Your Aim 96

21. Who is My Neighbor? 101

23. The work of To-day _Charles Mackay_, 104

26. God, the True Source of Consolation _Thomas Moore_, 112

27. The Martyrdom of St. Agnes _De Vere_, 113

31. The Sister of Charity _Gerald Griffin_, 122

33. My Birthday _Thomas Moore_, 126

34. Labor _Frances Osgood_, 127

36. True Patriotism _Sir William Jones_, 132

38. Hymn of the Mountaineers _Mrs. Hemans_, 135

39. Exhortation to Prayer 136

41. Evil Influence of Skepticism _Campbell_, 141

42. David’s Lament for Absalom _Willis_, 143

45. The Cherwell Water Lily _Faber_, 152

THE YEAR OF SORROW—IRELAND—1849.

48. Spring _Aubrey De Vere_, 160

49. Summer 162

50. Autumn 164

51. Winter 165

55. Palestine. (Altered from Whittier.) 178

56. Love of Country and of Home _Montgomery_, 180

57. The Heavenly Rest 181

58. Love of Country _Scott_, 182

62. Indian Names _Sigourney_, 190

64. Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way _Eliza Cook_, 193

65. Now, To-day _Adelaide A. Proctor_, 195

69. William Tell _Knowles_, 203

71. Mary Magdalen _Callanan_, 214

72. The Wexford Massacre 215

74. The Doubting Heart _Adelaide A. Proctor_, 222

76. The Reaper Death _Longfellow_, 226

78. The Death of the Flowers _William Cullen Bryant_, 230

80. The Coming of Winter _T. B. Read_, 235

81. The Sister of Charity _Williams_, 236

84. The Last Minstrel _Scott_, 246

85. The Minstrel Boy _Thomas Moore_, 247

86. Army Hymn _O. W. Holmes_, 248

89. The Dying Girl _Williams_, 255

90. The Angelus Bell _Campion_, 257

92. The Song of the Shirt _Hood_, 263

93. Bernardo del Carpio _Mrs. Hemans_, 266

95. Union and Liberty _O. W. Holmes_, 272

98. Paul Revere’s Ride _Longfellow_, 278

100. The Battle Field _Bryant_, 285

102. A Birthday Offering _Dr. Newman_, 290

104. God is Everywhere 294

106. Advice to a Young Critic _Pope_, 300

108. Elegy Written in a Country Church-yard _Gray_, 305

TABLE OF VOWEL SOUNDS.

This table is designed for an exercise upon the vowel elements. These should be pronounced alone as well as in combination with the words given as examples. Let the class first pronounce the table in order, thus:

A long, Fate, ā; A short, Fat, ă, &c.; then pronounce the column of elements alone.

NAME. EXAMPLE. ELEMENT.

A long Fāte ā
A short Făt ă
A Italian Fär ä
A broad Fâll â
E long Mēte ē
E short Mĕt ĕ
I long Pīne ī
I short Pĭn ĭ
O long Nōte ō
O short Nŏt ŏ
O long and close Môve ô
U long Tūbe ū
U short Tŭb ŭ
U middle or obtuse Fûll û
U short and obtuse Für ü
OI and OY Böĭl öĭ
OU and OW Böûnd öû

EQUIVALENTS.

E short and obtuse, like ü in Für Hër ë
I like E long Machîne î
I short and obtuse, like ü in Für Sïr ï
O like A broad Nôr ô
O like U short Sō̇n ō̇
U like O in Move Rūle ū
Y like I long Tȳpe ȳ
Y like I short Sy̆mbol y̆
Y short and obtuse, like ü in Für Mÿrtle ÿ
EW like U long Now̄ ew̄

TABLE OF CONSONANT SOUNDS.

This table should be treated by the class in the same manner as the table of vowel sounds. The sound of a consonant may be ascertained by pronouncing a word containing it in a slow and forcible manner.

VOCAL CONSONANTS are those uttered with a slight degree of vocality, but less than that of a vowel. They are formed with a vibration of the vocal chords.

ASPIRATE CONSONANTS are those in which the pure breath alone is heard. They are formed without any vibration of the vocal chords.

NAME. EXAMPLE. ELEMENT.

VOCAL CONSONANTS.[1]

B Babe b
D Did d
G hard Gag g
J Joy j
L Lull l
M Maim m
N Nun n
NG Sing ng
R (trilled) Rap r
R (untrilled) Nor r
TH soft Thine th
V Valve v
W Wine w
Y Yes y
Z Zeal z
ZH (or Z) Azure zh

ASPIRATE CONSONANTS.

CH Church ch
F Fife f
H[2] Hold h
K Kirk k
P Pipe p
T Tent t
S Seal s
SH Shine sh
TH sharp Thin th

EQUIVALENTS.

C soft, like s Çease ç
C hard, like k Cake c
Ch hard, like k Chasm ch
Ch soft, like sh Çhaise çh
G soft, like j Giant g
Ph like f Seraph ph
S soft, like z Muse ṣ
S like zh Vision s
Q like k Coquette q
X like ks Tax x
X like gz Exalt z̧

Q has the sound of _k_, and is always followed by _u_, which, in this position, commonly has the sound of _w_, but is sometimes silent.

WH is an aspirated _w_, pronounced as if written _hw_.

[1] Sometimes called Subvocals, or Subtonics.

[2] H sounded before a vowel, is an expulsion of the breath after the organs are in a position to sound the vowel.

EXERCISES ON THE VOWEL SOUNDS.

In pronouncing the words in the following exercises, special attention should be given to the precise sound of the letters italicized. The sounds of the letters in Italics are the same as the sound of the vowel at the head of the paragraph.

Exercises upon tables of words like the following are valuable, not only for developing vocal power, but as one of the best methods of correcting habitual errors in pronunciation.

=a=, long, as in _fāte_.—F_a_me, bl_a_me, s_a_il, c_a_mbric,
n_a_ture, _a_ncient, p_a_tron, m_a_tron.

=a=, short, as in f_ă_t.—B_a_t, m_a_t, b_a_d, h_a_d, c_a_n,
c_a_nnon, s_a_nd, f_a_ncy, m_a_rry, h_a_ve.

=a=, Italian, as in f_ä_r.—_A_re, b_a_r, st_a_r, guit_a_r,
m_a_rt, al_a_rm, p_a_rchment, f_a_ther, h_ea_rt, h_ea_rth,
g_ua_rd, d_au_nt, h_au_nt.

=a=, broad, as in _fâll_; and _o_, as in _nör_.—B_a_ll, c_a_ll,
t_a_ll, n_o_r, f_o_rm, st_o_rm, c_o_rn, s_a_lt, _ou_ght,
f_ou_ght, n_ou_ght.

=a=, as in _fàre_; and _e_, as in _thêre_.—D_a_re, r_a_re,
p_a_ir, _a_ir, sh_a_re, sn_a_re, wh_e_re, h_e_ir, st_a_re, p_a_re.

=a=, as in _fā̇st_.—Bl_a_st, ch_a_nce, l_a_nce, tr_a_nce,
br_a_nch, gr_a_sp, gr_a_ft, gr_a_nt, gr_a_ss, p_a_ss, cl_a_ss.

=e=, long, as in _mēte_; and _i_, as in _marîne_.—B_e_, sh_e_,
th_e_me, sc_e_ne, mar_i_ne, p_i_que, k_e_y, f_ie_nd, gr_ie_ve,
tr_ea_ty, C_æ_sar, crit_i_que, rel_i_ef, bel_i_ef, l_ea_f,
q_uay_, l_e_nient, inh_e_rent.

=e=, short, as in _mĕt_.—B_e_d, br_ea_d, d_e_bt, _e_ngine,
t_e_pid, g_e_t, y_e_s, ch_e_st, _e_gg, k_e_ttle.

=i=, long, as in _pīne_; and _y_, as in _bȳ_.—Sm_i_le, m_i_le,
v_i_ne, fl_y_, t_y_pe, def_y_, sk_y_, k_i_nd, fl_i_ght, all_y_,
appl_y_, t_i_ny.

=i=, short, as in _pĭn_; and _y_, as in _my̆th_.—D_i_n, r_i_ng,
wh_i_p, sk_i_p, l_y_ric, serv_i_le, ag_i_le, c_y_gnet, c_y_nic,
c_y_linder.

=o=, long, as in _nōte_.—H_o_me, d_o_me, gl_o_ry, v_o_cal,
m_o_re, g_o_re.

=o=, short, as in _nŏt_.—M_o_b, r_o_b, s_o_b, d_o_t, g_o_t.

=o=, long and close, as in _môve_; and _u_, as in
_rū̇le_.—Pr_o_ve, m_oo_d, l_o_se, r_u_le, tr_u_e, r_u_in,
dr_u_id, m_oo_n, r_oo_t.

=u=, long, as in _tūbe_; and _ew_, as in _new̄_.—T_u_ne, f_u_se,
c_u_re, l_u_re, d_u_ty, c_u_rate, f_ew_, p_ew_.

=u=, short, as in _tŭb_; and _o_, as in _sō̇n_.—J_u_st, m_u_st,
t_u_n, f_u_n, h_u_g, r_u_g, d_o_ve, d_oe_s, r_ou_gh, s_o_n, t_o_n.

=u=, middle, as in _fûll_.—B_u_sh, p_u_sh, b_u_tcher, c_u_shion,
p_u_ss.

=u=, short and obtuse, as in _für_; _e_, as in _hër_; _i_, as
in _fïr_; and _y_, as in _mÿrrh_.—B_u_rn, m_u_rmur, f_u_rther,
h_e_rd, f_e_rn, p_e_rson, m_e_rge, m_e_rcy, s_i_r, b_i_rd,
v_i_rtue, d_i_rk, d_i_rt, m_i_rth, m_y_rrh, m_y_rtle, s_y_rtis.

=oi=, as in _vöĭce_; and _oy_, as in _böy̆_.—B_oi_l, c_oi_l,
c_oy_, t_oy_, v_oi_d, c_oi_n, j_oi_nt, j_oi_st, p_oi_se, n_oi_se,
empl_oy_, rej_oi_ce, av_oi_d, app_oi_nt, embr_oi_l, f_oi_ble,
_oy_ster.

=ou=, as in _söûnd_; and _ow_, as in _nöŵ_.—P_ou_nd, pr_ou_d,
br_ow_n, v_ow_, end_ow_, n_ou_n, t_ow_n, d_ou_bt, dev_ou_t,
pl_ou_gh, tr_ou_t, gr_ou_nd, sh_ou_t, v_ow_el, th_ou_, ar_ou_nd.