Hear the mellow wedding bells-golden bells! Hear the loud alàrum bells-brazen bells! Hear the tolling of the bells-îron bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels! POE. SECTION IV. EXERCISES IN MODULATION. Modulation is the variation of voice according to the sentiment, thought, or emotion to be expressed. In impassioned reading, tones are the most prominent qualities of voice. Thorough drill on the following examples will break up the tendency of pupils to read all kinds of selections in one formal "school-tone." It is left for teachers and pupils to exercise their own judgment and taste in the rendering of these extracts, which embrace a wide range of expression. EXAMPLES. 1. Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying, Blow, bugle, answer echoes, dying, dying, dying. 2. The loud wind dwindled to a whisper low. 3. There is a silence where no sound may be. 4. I hear them marching o'er the hill, I hear them fainter, fainter still. 5. " Cusha, cusha, cusha," calling. 6. To arms! to arms! to arms! they cry. 7. Arm! arm!—it is—it is the cannon's opening roar. 8. Advance your standards, draw your willing swords!. 9. Pity the sorrows of a poor old man. 10. Ring, joyous chords!-ring out again! 11. Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll. 12. Come and trip it, as ye go, On the light fantastic toe. 13. But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes like a rising knell. 14. Away! away! and on we dash. 15. Forward the light brigade! 16. All's hushed as midnight yet. 17. Hail! holy light, offspring of Heaven, first born. 18. Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! 19. Silence how dead! and darkness how profound! 20. Or whispering with white lips, "The foe! they come, they come!" 21. Joy! joy! Shout, shout aloud for joy! 22. Strike! till the last armed foe expires! 23. How like a fawning publican he looks! 24. Thou hast all seasons for thine own, O Death! 25. Ring the alarm-bell! Murder! and treason! 26. Ride softly! ride slowly! the onset is near! Move slowly move softly! the sentry may hear. 27. No! by St. Bride of Bothwell, no! 28. 29. On a sudden open fly The infernal gates, and on their hinges grate Heaven opened wide. Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound, 30. But gentler now the small waves glide, Like playful lambs on a mountain side. 31. With many a weary step, and many a groan, Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone. 32. When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw, The line, too, labors, and the words move slow. 33. Soft is the strain when zephyr gently blows, And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows. 34. Clang clang! the massive anvils ring, Clang! clang! a hundred hammers swing; 35. SONG OF THE SHIRT. Work work! work! Till the brain begins to swim ; Till the eyes are heavy and dim! Seam, and gusset, and band, Band, and gusset, and seam, Till over the buttons I fall asleep, HOOD. How frightful the grave! how deserted and drear! Second Voice. How peaceful the grave! its quiet how deep! 37. MILITARY COMMAND. "Forward the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!" he said. Halt! Charge! Chester, charge! On! Stanley, on! 38. THE HERALD'S CALL. Rejoice, ye men of Angiers, ring your bells, SECTION V. DIALECT READING AND PERSONATION. In dialect reading, the peculiarities of speech should be reproduced with fidelity, but should not be exaggerated. In the reading of dialogues there is, of necessity, a marked change of tone and manner when the reader personates two or more characters. EXAMPLES OF DIALECT READING. 1. SKIPPER IRESON'S RIDE. Scores of women, old and young, Here's Flud Oirson, fur his horrd horrt, 2. THE DEACON'S MASTERPIECE. But the Deacon swore, as deacons do, WHITTIER. With an "I dew vum," or an "I tell yeou," It should be so built that it couldn' break daown. Fur," said the Deacon, "t's mighty plain Thut the weakes' place mus' stan' the strain ; 'n' the way t' fix it, uz I maintain, Is only jest T' make that place uz strong uz the rest." 3. SPRING. O little city-gals, do n't never go it HOLMES. Blind on the word o' noospaper or poet! I, with my trouses perched on cow-hide boots, Ef Dooty tells us thet the thing's to du- Ez stiddily ez though 'twuz a redoubt. 4. THE GRIDIRON. LOWELL. Patrick. I beg pardon, sir; but maybe I'm under a mistake, but I thought I was in France, sir. all furriners here? Parley voo frongsay? Frenchman. Oui, monsieur. An't you Patrick. Then, would you lind me the loan of a gridiron, if you plase? I know it's a liberty I take, sir; but it's only in the regard of bein' you plase, sir, parley voo frongsay? cast away; and if |