More intense slide of an octave. Let the emphasis be rendered still stronger upon the 'I,' and let the interrogation be rendered still more piercing and expressive of excessive surprise, and the slide will reach through the rising octave. Children and females whose emotions are particularly lively, frequently ask a question with the intense piercing slide of the octave.

2. FALLING SLIDE.

Simple falling slide. If the imaginary sentence, "Good evening Mr. I." be uttered with the natural fall which the voice always assumes at the end of a common sentence, and without the least emphasis on the 'I' conveying an expression of antithesis, that word will display the falling slide of a second.

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If the sentence 'He said it was 'I' be uttered with just such a degree of emphasis as will place the 'I' in antithesis with you (understood,) it will exhibit the falling slide of a third.

Intense downward slide upon the 'I.' Let the emphasis be made so strong as to express a considerable degree of positiveness upon that word, and the slide will fall through a concrete fifth.

He said it was '1' [not you.]

Most intense downward slide. Let the highest degree of dictatorial positiveness and energy be now given to the 'I' and it may be made to reach the downward octave during its pronunciation.

If a syllable be uttered with a plaintive expression, it will have the slide of the semitone. In solfaing on the

common scale, a plaintive expression is constantly heard when the third and fourth, or seventh and eighth notes are sounded in immediate succession; and if the voice slide through the concrete interval of a semitone it will have a plaintive expression, whether it ascends or descends. The converse is true, or, in other words, whenever a plaintive expression is heard in speech the voice moves through the slide of a semitone.

Let a plaintive or mournful expression be given to the word I, but to no other, in the following sentence, and that word will exhibit the rising slide of a semitone, the contrast of which with the slides of a tone, upon each of the other syllables, will be very striking.

Let the word "boy" be rendered plaintive or mournful with a fall of the voice, and it will show the falling slide of the semitone.

CIRCUMFLEX SLIDES OR WAVES OF THE

VOICE.

the same

THE Voice may rise and fall in its slide upon syllable. This rise and fall is called a Wave. If there are only two parts to the wave, that is, if the voice rises and falls only once in its slide, such rise and fall are called a single wave. If there are three parts and not more, that is, if the voice rises and falls and rises again, or falls and rises and falls again upon the same syllable, the slide is called a double Wave. If there are more parts than three, the wave is called a continued Wave.

If the rise and fall of a voice on a wave are through

If it rises

If it

If the

the same interval, it is called an equal wave. first and then falls it is called a direct equal wave. falls first and then rises, an inverted equal wave. interval of the rise and fall of the voice upon a wave is not the same, it is called an unequal wave. If it rises first and then falls, a direct unequal wave: if it falls first and then rises, an inverted unequal wave.-See Philosophy of the Human Voice.

If the word "hail" is uttered with long quantity with a perceptible downward ending, and without any emphasis except that which arises from its prolongation, it will show the direct equal wave of the second.

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High on a thrōne of rōyal state."

If this sentence is uttered with extended quantity it will show the inverted equal wave of the second on the syllables "high," "throne," " roy."

"I said he was my friend."

If this sentence is deliberately uttered, with very long quantity upon the "my" and an exclusive emphasis implying that the person spoken of was not your friendthat word will show the direct equal wave of a third.

If the answer is "your friend” and the word "your" is uttered with very long quantity, with a slight degree of surprise and an interrogatory emphasis, it will show the inverted equal wave of the third.

If the sentence is reiterated, "I said he was my friend," with a strongly positive emphasis on the "my," together with very long quantity, the direct equal wave of the fifth will be heard.

By increasing the emphasis of surprise and making the interrogation more piercing, together with extended quantity upon the word "your" in the sentence, "your friend," accompained with the former example, the inverted wave of the fifth will be heard.

"I said he was my friend." If the word "my" is uttered with a strongly taunting and at the same time positive expression, that word will show the unequal direct

wave.

If the word "your" in the sentence "your friend” is colored strongly with scorn and interrogation, it may be made to show the inverted unequal wave.

Practical Remark.-The degree of scorn will be increased by adding force to the wave; and will bear a proportion to the extent and inequality of the slides which constitute it.

The wave of the semitone remains to be mentioned. If suspensive quantity together with a plaintive expression is put upon the words "poor" and "old"-of the following sentence, they will display the direct wave of the semitone.

The word "man" may be made to display the inverted wave of the semitone by making it plaintive, with long quantity, and causing the voice to fall upon the second part of the wave.

ELEMENTARY EXERCISES ON THE SLIDES OF THE VOICE.

As a command over these elements of the voice is of the utmost consequence, and as the power of making the

deeper downward slides, at will, is possessed by few persons, we subjoin a table of alphabetic sounds for exercise, and we recommend diligent practice upon them. Let the rising and falling slides of a second, third, fifth, and octave be each in their turn shown upon the following elements: also the direct and inverted equal and unequal waves described above.

I conclude this display of the slides of speech by recommending a diligent practice upon the elementary table. These slides give conspicuous expression to syllables. The downward slide is (as will be seen hereafter) one of the most striking means of emphasising words, of expressing positiveness of conviction, indignant resolution, and other affections of the mind, which cannot be conveyed by mere writing, and which the voice alone can. exhibit. A discriminating perception of the difference of these respective elements of the voice, and a full command over them will be best attained by the tabular exercises here enjoined. They should be frequently repeated and not abandoned until the objects for which they are instituted are accomplished.