I
do not deceive myself, as I certainly do not seek to deceive you,
when I say, that I acquired the happiest mastery over my person."
"Ah! sir--we see that now--that must have been the case!" said the
youth interrupting him. The other continued, sadly smiling as he
heard the eulogy which the youth meant to speak, the utterance of
which was obviously from the heart.
"My voice was taught by various exercises to be slow or rapid, soft
or strong, harsh or musical, by the most sudden, yet unnoticeable
transitions. I practised all the arts, which are recommended by
elocutionists for this purpose, I rumbled my eloquence standing on
the seashore, up to my middle in the breakers. I ran, roaring up
steep hills--I stretched myself at length by the side of meandering
brooks, or in slumberous forests of pine, and sought, by the merest
whispers, to express myself with distinctness and melody. But there
was something yet more requisite than these, and this was language.
My labors to obtain all the arts of utterance did not seem less
successful. I could dilate with singular fluency, with classical
propriety, and great natural vigor of expression.
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