I

XV

ARTICULATE SPEECH AND WRITTEN

LANGUAGE

N considering the many powers and gifts to man showing the goodness of God we find the power of articulate speech stands out, contributing largely to his welfare.

To add to the social, domestic, commercial, political and industrial life of man, this power of speech as a means of communication has been one of the outstanding features marking the progress of the race. This power, together with the written signs or letters, is one of the manifestations of the goodness of God in His gifts

to man.

From the dawn of history and the most remote traditions of man, we see this gift in use as a means of communication called language. Man through the ages has been jealous of this power as noted in the effort of parents to teach their children. It comes as a concomitant of the power to walk uprightly. Children are taught these two powers as soon as the mind and physical body can receive instruction. And great is the joy of the parents when the little one can show his power of speech and makes sure that this gift is his own. What a handicap when it is lacking! It is so keenly needed and so highly prized among men, and so intimately associated with man's activities that it appears to be kin to the five senses. So, in passing, we would suggest that language and power to walk upright with ease, differentiating man

from the lower animals, are two of the wonderful manifestations of the goodness of God to mankind.

In promoting this great power of speech we spend billions for the education of our children in teaching them to speak the language correctly; the lack of such education stamps and marks one as lacking in all the associations and activities of life.

Then, the power of translation of language into type or letter sounds, so that communication may be had by means of printed or written page, is an advance marked in the progress of the race toward the higher things of life. The invention of movable type by Guttenberg marked another gift to man for expediting communication by means of the printed page, so that education could become more general. The thoughts of man are preserved, as it were, in form of books or printed page for use at any time and to be opened at his pleasure. Just as the song of the singer is recorded and preserved for reproduction upon the record of the phonograph at any time and in any place, so books may be likened to these records.

So pronounced and so necessary to man's welfare has this gift become that all peoples with any pretension to civilization have adopted a system of rules or laws of speech known as Grammar, showing the methods by which the language may be spoken correctly.

Unlike the senses, the ability to talk, walk and think methodically and correctly requires much training and special education. Many men never acquire the gift of speech to a degree that they can stand before an audience with poise, confidence and ability to present a subject without embarrassment.

The power of articulate speech has filled a large place in history. When great principles have been at stake and

the life of nations have been in the balance, men with keener vision thus gifted, so moved the peoples by eloquent appeal and clear presentation of fact, that monarch and populace alike have trembled and quaked before them.

In early Roman and Grecian history, before the invention of movable type, the orators such as Mark Antony, Demosthenes and others could move the populace to dangerous degrees of fury, and kings feared and trembled before their appeals.

Also note Paul's wonderful pleadings before Felix and Drusilla; "Felix trembled," and again his wonderful defence before King Agrippa and his great oration on Mars Hill.

In later times, and during the period of our Revolutionary War, the speeches of Pitt, Edmund Burke and others in the House of Parliament in England made King George III quake on his throne. They aroused the people of Great Britain to the injustice of their cause that enthusiasm was dwarfed and their ardour checked in the prosecution of the war against the colonies. As a result England was required to employ Hessian mercenaries to help her cause and fight her battles.

And to-day we read with great delight the great ora. tions of our fathers and the statesmen of our country as they plead the cause of our nation in times of stress and strain. We never tire of reading and hearing Lincoln's Gettysburg address or Patrick Henry's note of defiance, and the utterances of others as they voiced their sentiment in no uncertain tones in times when the opinions of men were challenged.

Again we may consider this gift in its relation to song as showing its great contribution to the welfare of man. From the earliest times the Hebrew people were accus

tomed to chant their praise of Jehovah and send forth their songs of Thanksgiving in articulate speech, as in Miriam's song of praise, the song of Moses in his expressions of praise for deliverance. We see it in the many Psalms of David who sponsored the cause of Jehovah on throne and battle-field.

In the life of church, in worship, the Psalms and songs voiced in unison move the people to high spirit of exaltation. Women and children alike unite in the spirit of reverence and the higher and nobler sentiments of life as they join in worship and voice their aspirations and hopes in song.

In all gatherings of social and political character song also fills a large part of the service and program. The articulated words set to music, accompanied by instruments of various kinds, mark a phase of articulate speech leading to exhilaration and higher moral ideals.

In public appeal, in presenting the higher ideals of life and character from church pulpit or from political rostrum to influence people to action or observance of any program, the power of persuasion can be emphasized in address or oration by personality and appropriate gesture, making the appeal more effective.

In domestic, industrial and commercial life this gift is almost incalculable in that it supplies and facilitates all means of communication, expedites expression and purpose, and lubricates the wheels of action. The training of children in the home or school, church or business world would slow down, the movements halt, and life would be dwarfed without this gift so essential to effective expression. The wheels of industry would move very slowly were it not for the power of men to exchange ideas and plan through speech. The building of the Tower of Babel and confusion of tongues, as ex