I murmur under moon and stars And out again I curve and flow For men may come and men may go, THE BELLS OF SHANDON With deep affection and recollection, I often think of those Shandon bells, Francis Mahony. Whose sound so wild would, in the days of childhood, On this I ponder where'er I wander, And thus grow fonder, sweet Cork, of thee,— I've heard bells chiming full many a clime in, While at a glib rate, brass tongues would vibrate; For memory dwelling, on each proud swelling I've heard bells tolling old Adrian's Mole in, But thy sounds were sweeter than the dome of Peter Oh! the bells of Shandon sound far more grand, on The pleasant waters of the river Lee. There's a bell in Moscow; while, on tower and kiosk-oIn Saint Sophia the Turkman gets, And loud in air calls men to prayer, From the tapering summits of tall minarets. Such empty phantom I freely grant them; THOSE EVENING BELLS Thomas Moore. Those evening bells! those evening bells! Those joyous hours are passed away; And so 'twill be when I am gone,- I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER I remember, I remember Thomas Moore. The house where I was born, He never came a wink too soon, I remember, I remember I remember, I remember And summer pools could hardly cool I remember, I remember The fir-trees dark and high; I used to think their slender tops It was a childish ignorance, But now 'tis little joy To know I'm farther off from heaven XVII. Unity The Teacher very often finds that the Student who has mastered the Grammar of the Spoken Word and the Technique, pushes out some words in his reading so that they seem to stand apart from the selections and there seems to be little or no connection when the word picture is complete. Wrong delivery is sometimes brought about because of physiological conditions; or it may be the result of untrained organs; or it may be through mechanical training of olden days, which at the present time is not a little prevalent among students. I refer to the superfluous use of the pencil in underscoring certain words or making an upward or downward sign to signify a rise or fall of the voice. All such mechanical propositions have worked and forever will work destruction upon all natural interpretation. There should be a perfect blending and grading up to the supreme peaks, as well as a gradual descent into the subordinate abysses; no jumping from peak to peak, or from valley to valley without the ascent and the descent, for such mental contortions create havoc not only in the mind of the speaker but in the Auditor's mind as well. When the individual has a Harmonious, Unified understanding, a well controlled mind, voice, and body, he must necessarily present the Forms of Literature in such a harmonious and unified manner that the listener, however ignorant, will unconsciously pay tribute to the Artist apart from the Artisan, the Master, from the Mechanic. XVI. Bible and Hymn Reading In order to read the Scripture, it will be found absolutely essential to master all the steps in the Grammar of the Spoken Word; and in order to make all Scripture or Hymn reading effective as in all other good reading, it will require an identification on the part of the reader; also an absolute belief and understanding in what he is endeavoring to interpret. The accomplishment of this is no easy task and it will require considerable concentration and prayer upon the particular passages which the individual may wish to interpret. The Scripture, being the true foundation and example of all secular literature, it will be readily understood by the thinker that he must not only be familiar with the Grammar of the Spoken Word, but also the different forms of poetry and how they should be delivered. While there should be the ideal suggestion in the voice and manner of the speaker, yet he should under no circumstances allow himself to drift into a tune or mood, for the one thing, above all others, which Scripture stands for, is to uplift and ennoble humanity. I take pleasure in submitting some portion of Scriptures; also a few hymns which have received the stamp of time's approval and the Litterateur's highest recognition. TWENTY-THIRD PSALM The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalm 91. SECURITY OF THE GODLY He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. |