performing the work of the one who creates them. When you speak thoughts and not merely words, then does mind speak to mind and soul respond to soul. It is then what Demosthenes styled "action" when he cited it as the one great essential of oratory, which thought Daniel Webster echoed in the following burning words: "The clear conception, outrunning the deductions of logic, the high purpose, the firm resolve, the dauntless spirit, speaking on the tongue, beaming from the eye, informing every feature, and urging the whole man onward, right onward to his object—this, this is eloquence, or rather it is something greater and higher than all eloquence -it is action, noble, sublime, godlike action.”

All persons should be eloquent at all times, and not merely the few when addressing public assemblies, because to be eloquent is, above all things, to be earnest. Business men and women should cultivate this quality of earnestness until it becomes a part of themselves. They will find that it will multiply their efficiency. They must bear in mind, however, that earnestness, like all other powers, may be misdirected and overdone, consequently the discriminating judgment should be constantly on the alert guiding and advising. This, of course, is another phase of mental control that should not be neglected, for, while the well-trained mind should always be active when in use, the personal mastery

should never be relinquished. Keep ever before you the fact that you may master yourself at all times by laying firm hands upon the lever that controls your mentality, as through it you have the ability to regulate the great machine of many parts that collectively is known as You.

CHAPTER XIV

THE STRENGTH AND BEAUTY OF SIMPLICITY

Voice and Language Both Reflect Its Charm

TRENGTH and beauty are both to be found

ST

in simplicity. This is true of all things. The woman who dresses with simplicity is always beautifully attired. The architecture of Nature is simplicity itself. Gaze upon the dome of heaven, festooned with fleecy clouds or studded with stars; the towering trees, from which man has copied the spire of the church steeple; the overhanging cliff; the flowing river; the boundless ocean, and behold the simplicity of Nature's handiworks reflecting beauty and strength in their noblest forms.

Study the architecture of man, and you will find that in all its features it follows that of Nature, and that it is strongest and most beautiful when governed by the law of simplicity. From the prehistoric structures of the Pueblos of New Mexico, down through the ages that produced the Temple of Neptune of Greece, the Court Temple of Edfou of Egypt, the Flavian Amphitheatre of Rome, to that of the Westminster Abbey of England, and the Capitol at Washington, the grandest and most en

during, as well as the most beautiful, were and are those that were fashioned in accordance with the laws of simplicity.

The simple tones of the voice are the most attractive ones. He who assumes showy tones, or affects an orotund quality of voice, will only repel and disgust his hearers. Show and pretense are of no more value in the voice than they are in character or in business. This criticism is not meant to disparage the use of expressive tones that enable a speaker to modulate the voice and interpret emotions, but only to discourage the use of exaggerated vocal effects. Pomposity is ridiculous, pretense is shallow, and affectation is disgusting, so be sure that none of these grave errors fastens itself upon you in voice, language or delivery.

So far as language is concerned, no really great production of voice or pen exists that does not possess simplicity. The limits allotted for this subject will not permit me to cite more than a few instances to uphold this contention, but the student who desires to go further into the subject has only to examine any work of real merit in the world of literature to prove for himself that my statement is correct.

Make Your Meaning Clear by Using Simple Words

Words cannot be simple unless they are clear, and in order to be clear they must be such as are readily

understood by the average person. This applies to all language except that which is employed for discussing a subject that is known to the readers or listeners, for when the subject is thus known the language may be more or less technical. Words that are only familiar to experts should never be used when addressing the general public, and any one who thus employs them will not only fail to be clear, but will also be guilty of rudeness.

In order to be clear, make sure that you use the word which best expresses the meaning you wish to convey-not necessarily to your own mind, but to the minds of those addressed. The meaning of a word might be perfectly clear to your own mind, and yet be capable of meaning something else, or nothing, to the mind of another. It is your place, if you wish to be clear, to see that no such word is employed or that it is immediately explained in simple terms. For instance: When addressing the men and women of the business world on the subjects of breath and voice and it is necessary for me to speak of the diaphragm and the larynx, it is proper for me to explain that the diaphragm is a muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and that the larynx is the voice box that is commonly called Adam's apple. In doing this, I do not show disrespect to my readers, nor disparage their understanding, but I acknowledge the fact that such words are