mine. Then we can quarrel about them, and fight and scratch and have a lovely time. I will begin. Those stones are mine." Very well," answered the other, gently, "you are welcome to them."

"But you must talk back. We shall never quarrel at this rate," cried the first fox. "Don't you know it takes two to make a quarrel? Let us start once more.”

So they tried again.

"I own the whole of this forest," said the first fox.

"You do!" exclaimed the other fox. 66 Well, then, how do I happen to be here? Of course, I'll get out," he added politely. No, indeed, you won't," said the first fox, "for you are my brother, and we share equally. What is yours is mine, and what is mine is yours."

So they gave up the quarrel and never tried to play the silly game again.

XXII. STRONG IDEAS AND LONG INFLEXIONS

Hie away, hie away,

Over bank and over brae,

Where the copsewood is the greenest,
Where the fountains glisten sheenest,

Where the lady-fern grows strongest,
Where the morning dew lies longest,
Where the black-cock sweetest sips it,
Where the fairy latest trips it:

Hie to haunts right seldom seen,
Lovely, lonesome, cool, and green,
Over bank and over brae,

Hie away, hie away!

Sir Walter Scott

If you observe how you say "I saw George last night," you will find not only change of direction of inflexion but a longer inflexion on the word "George." In the preceding selection notice that you not only change the direction of inflexion at the word "copsewood " to indicate the centre of attention but that you give that word a much longer inflexion than any other word in the line.

If you observe the every-day conversation of people you will find that inflexions are constantly varying not only in direction but in length. Both are necessary elements of naturalness. We give long inflexions to convey our central

ideas. In fact, the length of an inflexion indicates the importance of an idea or word.

A short inflexion is one that goes through a small part of the voice, while a long one comes through a much wider range. Make a very short mark and a very long one, sloping downward toward the right. Now do you notice that in following a short mark you go through only about three notes of the scale while in a long one you may go through five notes or even a whole octave?

Everyone should try to realize not only the difference in direction of inflexion but also the difference in length of inflexion. We can do so by making marks, short and long for rising or for falling inflexions, and making our voices follow them. We can do this also by listening to people as they read or talk.

The point has already been noticed that in giving a phrase we usually change the direction of our inflexion just where we fix our attention. If I say "I saw George last night " "I" and 66 "" saw have a rising inflexion because the mind is looking forward. I have not arrived at the point where my attention is centred. But on the word " George," on which the mind has been resting while speaking the other words, a falling inflexion is given, and more than that, it passes through a wider range of voice than the other words. “Last” and “night" both have a short falling inflexion on a lower pitch. This makes the word George the centre of the phrase.

If the sentence, on the other hand, means "I" not you saw George, this longer fall would come on the word "I"; if "I saw "" not heard him, the long fall would come on saw, if "last night" - not the night before, — it would come on "last"; if "last night" - not this morningthe long fall would come on "night."

In every sentence there is something asserted while the rest is assumed or included. Your attention is focussed on the word as near as possible to the idea which you are asserting, and you reveal this assertion by the length of your inflexions, as well as by their direction.

Again, if I say "the robins have come," "the" will have

a short rise and the word "robins " a long falling inflexion, while "have" and "come" will have short falling inflexions on a lower pitch. For another instance, in this sentence "Did you see a bluebird this morning?" the words before "bluebird" have a short rising and there is a long rising inflexion on "bluebird" because this is the point which I want to introduce as the centre of the question. "This " and "morning" have shorter rising inflexions on a higher pitch. In all cases the short subordinate inflexion follows the emphatic one, and the change of pitch in the direction of the long inflexion follows also, that is, the "have " and come are not only falling and short but are on a lower pitch.

It will be observed in the last sentence that the attitude of the mind changes the direction of the governing inflexion and of course of the inflexion following this in the same clause. The inflexion, however, that precedes the central inflexion is usually the same in both the affirmative and the questioning sentence.

We see therefore, that either a rising or a falling inflexion may be lengthened and serve as the logical accent. Lengthened inflexion whatever may be its direction denotes an increase in the relative importance of an idea from a logical point of view.

If you give this sentence indifferently or as a trivial statement, and then as a deep thought of great importance, the direction of inflexion may remain the same but the length will greatly differ.

The first test of a truly great man is his humility.

From this we learn a most important lesson, — that the degree of earnestness is naturally revealed by the degree in the length of the different inflexions. We find also that it is the central inflexion that increases in length. Subordinate inflexions may be given with more decided touch or more abruptly but without additional length, while the length of the important inflexion may be greatly increased. Observe all these facts in giving some emphatic passage with a great many degrees of emphasis or of earnestness.

LETTERS

Every day brings a ship,
Every ship brings a word;
Well for those who have no fear,
Looking seaward well assured
That the word the vessel brings
Is the word they wish to hear.

Emerson

You are made to be kind, boys, generous, magnanimous. If there is a boy in school who has a club-foot, do n't let him know you ever saw it. If there is a boy with ragged clothes, don't talk about rags in his hearing. If there is a lame boy, give him some part of the game which does not require running. If there is a hungry one, give him part of your dinner. If there is a dull one, help him to get his lesson. If there is a bright one, be not envious of him.

Horace Mann

In such a passage the pauses are increased in number and length, the touch is more vigorous, changes of pitch are more extended and still other modulations of the voice are involved, yet length of inflexion seems to be the primary agent for expressing intellectual earnestness.

A general misconception is that earnestness is shown by loudness. Volume is in proportion to the degree of demonstration. A man trying to be earnest will speak with great volume; but genuine intellectual earnestness and intensity will tend rather to lessen the volume, and to cause very long straight inflexions. Great earnestness makes contrast at times between the length of inflexion on certain words and the shortness on others.

Observe how some thoughtful passage may be made very earnest and emphatic without the least increase of loudness. Observe especially in such cases the tendency to accentuate the length of the inflexions on certain words.

Physical excitement, great resolution or endeavor, lack of control or abandon to emotion, may cause increase in volume, while on the contrary, control, dignity and intensity may decrease volume and extend the range. In every case, however, the length of the inflexion will indicate the degree of genuine earnestness.

If ye are beasts, then stand here like fat oxen, waiting for the butcher's knife! If ye are men, follow me! Strike down yon guard, gain the mountain passes, and there do bloody work, as did your sires at old Thermopyla!

"Spartacus to the Gladiators."

E. Kellogg

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Bible

Observe also the dignity imparted by long inflexions. In the preceding passage loudness would be discordant and antagonistic to the spirit, but the pause, touch, change of pitch and length of inflexion may be increased to any extent without marring its dignity.

Dare to do right! Dare to be true!

You have a work that no other can do;
Do it so bravely, so kindly, so well,
Angels will hasten the story to tell.

As a further proof of the difference between loudness and length of inflexion render the preceding first with great loudness, declaiming it, and then with great quietness and intensity, and observe some of the differences. Especially note the necessity of long definite inflexions, long pauses, wide changes of pitch and a decided touch in the word.

The first is undignified, declamatory, empty. The second is earnest, emphatic, intense. People will listen to the second. It makes them think and feel. The first is a pretence of earnestness and will tend to eliminate inflexions and all the other modulations. The second will make it necessary to bring all of these elements into unity.

The

From all these illustrations we can see that the direction of inflexion indicates the attitude of your mind. length of inflexion shows the degree of your earnestness, your seriousness or positiveness.

Render many passages, taking short extracts from them or single lines, and work out your inflexions as definitely as possible. Let them be long and free. Increase also changes of pitch between words and between phrases. Lengthen your pauses and changes of pitch naturally and sympathetically. Do not work mechanically, but give your