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When you have attained this state of perfect pliability, which may require many days or even weeks of persevering practice, shake the hand gently by moving the arm up and down, then sideways, and finally in a circle. Be very careful that the hand and fingers remain passive and are simply shaken about by the arm.

Practise this exercise in various positions, i.e., palm up, palm down, and with the hand held edgewise, until you have gained the ability to put the hand in a passive state whenever and wherever you wish.

EXERCISE II.
Wrists.

Practise the same movements with the arms stretched

CORRECT.

INCORRECT.

FIG. 5.

out at the sides and in front, with one arm at a time at first, then with both together. Be careful to hold the arm straight, without relaxing at the elbow, and to move the arm from the shoulder.

LESSON XIII.

Minor Inflections.

The rising and falling inflections used in ordinary discourse are termed major inflections. We have also minor inflections, used in expressions of pity, weakness, or horror. Good examples of the minor inflection are the cries "Help!" "Mercy!" moans, and similar expressions of physical suffering; exclamations of a dejected character like "Oh, dear me!" "Alas!" and expressions of pity such as, "poor fellow," "poor doggie," etc.

Minor inflections may be either rising or falling.

Oh dear, must I go to school?

Oh dear, I must go to school!

In pathetic passages, readers are apt to overdo the minor inflections, so that the reading becomes little better than a whine. Avoid this; remember that the use of the minor slide always indicates a degree of weakness in the speaker, and that it is appropriate only when we wish to convey that particular impression.

EXAMPLES.

I'm a hopeless, unfortunate creature,
I'm tortured with sorrow and pain,

I'm twisted in figure and feature;

However, I never complain.-Stanley Wood.

Oh, my lord,

Must I then leave you? must I needs forego
So good, so noble, and so true a master?

-Shakespeare.

O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

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-II. Samuel.

Oh, dear," said Father Brown, one day,

"I never saw such weather!

The rain will spoil my meadow hay

And all my crops together."

His little daughter climbed his knee;
"I guess the sun will shine," said she.

Position.-Continued.

EXERCISE VII.

Transition of Poise.

Standing with one foot well in advance of the other, the arms hanging loosely at the sides, change the weight forward and back, always being careful to begin the movement with the hip, and to keep the shoulders as quiet as possible. Do not shuffle the feet.

Practise this exercise with the feet at various angles, until you accustom yourself to a graceful movement of the body in any direction. Be sure to look in the new direction before making a transition.

LESSON XIV.

Flexibility.-Continued.

EXERCISE III.

For Muscles of the Neck and Jaw.

(a) Holding the head erect, close the eyes as if about

Try to feel Now let the

to go to sleep. Let the jaw fall lifelessly. and look as stupid and lazy as possible. head drop forward as if the strength were gone from the muscles of the neck. After a moment, during which you should try to feel, if possible, still more lifeless about the head, neck, and shoulders, raise the head slowly, with the jaw dropped as before and carry it back as far as possible. Rest in this attitude for a moment, then repeat the exercise.

FIG. 6.

The body should assist the movements of the head by bending forward a little for the first position and back for the second, but it must not relax. The exercise is for the head and neck and for such muscles as

connect these parts with the shoulders. We must learn to control each part of the body separately before we can hope to gain command of the whole.

(b) Sway the head from side to side in the same manner as above described.

(c) Circle the head; that is, let it go from front to side, then back, then to the other side, and finally return to the front,-making the movement continuous but with the muscles as passive as possible.

EXERCISE IV.

For Flexibility of the Legs.

(a) Stand with one foot on the edge of a platform or low bench, so that the free leg Be careful to keep well poised.

FIG. 7.

hangs over the edge. Let the free leg hang until you feel all the muscles about the hip relax and the limb becomes a dead weight. Be sure that the knee and foot also are entirely passive. The body should be erect upon the strong foot in a position like that of Respect, so that the hip may be as far as

possible over the free side in order to give plenty of

room for the free leg.

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