173 WHEN an old bachelor marries a young wife, what is he to expect? 'Tis now six months since Lady Teazle made me the happiest of men— and I have been the most miserable dog ever since! We tift a little going to church, and fairly quarrelled before the bells had done ringing. I was more than once nearly choked with gall during the honeymoon, and had lost all comfort in life before my friends had done wishing me joy. Yet I chose with caution- a girl bred wholly in the country, who never knew luxury beyond one silk gown, nor dissipation above the annual gala of a race ball. Yet she now plays her part in all the extravagant fopperies of fashion and the town, with as ready a grace as if she never had seen a bush or a grass-plot out of Grosvenor Square! I am sneered at by all my acquaintance, and paragraphed in the newspapers. She dissipates my fortune, and contradicts all my humours; yet the worst of it is, I doubt I love her, or I should never bear all this. However I'll never be weak enough to own it. "School for Scandal." Sheridan. 174 DIDN'T know Flynn — Flynn of Virginia — long as he's been 'yar? Look'ee here, stranger, whar hev you been? Here in this tunnel, he was my pardner, that same Tom Flynn-working together, in wind and weather, day out and in. Didn't know Flynn! Well, that is queer. Why, it's a sin to think of Tom Flynn-Tom with his cheer, Tom without fear― stranger, look 'yar! Thar in the drift back to the wall he held the timbers ready to fall; then in the darkness I heard him call "Run for your life, Jake! Run for your wife's sake! Don't wait for me." And that was all heard in the din, heard of Tom Flynn - Flynn of Virginia. That's all about Flynn of Virginia—that lets me out here in the damp out of the sun—that ar' dern'd lamp makes my eyes run well, there - I'm done! But, sir, when you'll hear the next fool asking of Flynn-Flynn of Virginia—just you chip in, say you knew Flynn; say that you've been 'yar. 175. A WISH. MINE be a cot beside the hill; A bee-hive's hum shall soothe my ear; Bret Harte. Around my ivied porch shall spring The village church among the trees, Rogers. XXII INFLECTIONAL MODULATION. 176 I FIND earth not grey but rosy, heaven not grim but fair of hue. Do I stoop? I pluck a posy. Do I stand and stare? All's blue. THE Browning. HE method by which the voice reveals the action of the mind in thinking has been found to be by means of the conversational form. The elements of this form are very complex, but each element or variation has a meaning, though it may be difficult always to define it. To develop the highest efficiency in Vocal Expression, it is necessary to study the specific meaning of each of these elements, and the various modulations of each in the delivery of thought or passion. Reading over these lines of Browning, we find that there are not only changes of pitch and pauses, but there are also changes in the accented vowel itself. The pitch varies during the emission of the sound. This is called inflection; technically it is due to changes in the length of the sound waves: if they gradually shorten, the voice rises; if they lengthen, it falls. Inflection is the most important of all the elements of conversational form. Inflection bears the same relation to the modulation of the qualities and textures of the voice that drawing does to color in painting, or that melody bears to harmony and polyphony in music. It is not only the fundamental element of naturalness, but the accentuation of inflection is also the fundamental mode of showing an increased degree of attention or vigor of thinking. It manifests the most subtle relations of ideas to each other, and to the person speaking, — his intensity, his earnestness, his purpose, and also his relation to his hearer. The subject of inflection has received very little attention from scientists. Herbert Spencer says, "Cadence is a running commentary by the emotions upon the propositions of the intellect." This is a good definition of all the modulations of the voice in Vocal Expression; but when we come to a specific application of it to cadence or inflection, it is very inadequate and inaccurate. The commentary on the part of the emotions is shown chiefly by the modulation of resonance. The inflectional modulation of the voice manifests more the intellectual relations of the speaker. While the length of the inflection and the degree of abruptness may manifest degrees of earnestness, conviction, excitement, or control over emotion, still the direction of inflection is more mental. Such a statement entirely overlooks the most important functions of inflection; it fails to discriminate between elements which, though simultaneous in the voice, are far apart in meaning. Mr. Gurney has said in his book, "The Power of Sound," that we may say 'I love you' and 'I hate you' with exactly the same inflection. This is true, because the intellectual attitude of the speaker may be the same. He may make either a positive statement, an excited statement, or a hesitating statement, and each of these would vary the inflection; but the difference between the emotions of love and hate are definitely shown by the texture or color of the voice. Such emotional differences are shown not by the modulation of inflection, but by the modulation of the texture and resonance of the voice. The statement, however, is true when applied to modulations of the voice taken as a totality as in comparison with words. To comprehend the meaning of inflection, it is important to find the elemental modulations among the infinite variations. There are others, no doubt, but the chief ones are direction, length, abruptness, and straightness. The most casual observation of inflection reveals the fact that the voice rises and falls. These two directions of inflection have usually been represented thus: Again, inflections vary in length. They may be short or long, which may be represented thus: Thirdly, they may vary in rapidity; that is, while two inflections may be of the same relative length or direction, one may be quick or abrupt, and the other slower, or the change of pitch may be more gradual: Further, they may be straight or crooked. We have straight or direct inflections, and circumflex inflections of various kinds : IVN It is necessary to understand the meaning, the enlargement, accentuation, or subordination of all these in order to be able to trace faults to their fundamental elements, and to secure a deeper consciousness of form, or naturalness, as well as to be able to command effectively all linguistic modulations of tone. The action of the mind in inflection is entirely different from that of symbolizing ideas in words; it is more unconscious, more spontaneous, more instinctive. To teach inflection or any modulations of the voice in Vocal Expression by rule, as grammar or words are taught, is one of the greatest blunders in education. Inflection stands for no process of symbolization of ideas: it reveals the process and not the product of thought; it shows the relation of thought to others; it shows the degree of clearness, the centre of attention, the point of the mind's concentration; it reveals the man himself with his idea. While words reveal the ideas, inflections reveal the mind's attitude toward them. It shows also the man's relation to his auditors; whether he presents his ideas to them, or appeals to them; whether he dominates their attention and endeavors to concentrate their minds upon an idea of his own selection, or expresses his astonishment or surprise at an idea presented by his hearers. Problem XXXVII. Read some extract with the simplicity of conversation, and observe the variation of the voice and pitch within the accented vowels. 177 MUCKLE-MOUTH MEG. FROWNED the Laird on the Lord: "So, red-handed I catch thee? We've a gallows outside, and a chiel to dispatch thee: He met frown with smile, did the young English gallant: "No mile-wide-mouthed monster of yours do I marry; "Foul fare kith and kin of you - why do you tarry?' "Shove him quick in the Hole, shut him fast for a week: Who lion-like roars now, mouse-fashion will squeak, A week did he bide in the cold and the dark Not hunger: for duly at morning In flitted a lass, and a voice like a lark Chirped, "Muckle-mouth Meg still ye're scorning? |