THE HESPERIAN
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In view of nil this mul of other considera
tions mentioned, the "Ragout's estimate for
u museum building is far too low and the
onil of the coming bionium too fur off. A
museum building with proper equipments
for carrying on all work connected with a
museum is needed, not two years hence, but
now. F. C. Ken yon, '5)2.
EXECUTIVE EXCERPTS
ON " OilATOHY. "
All friends of the University, and of sound
sense and sound training, rejoice in the
pluck and grit with which N. U. students
hold to their own stylo of oratory. Under
many discouragements, and in the face of
many defeats at the hands of those who be
lieve in " Oratory " with a big O, and who
play to the grand-stand rather than play
good ball, our own strictly conversational
stylo is never abandoned oven for moment
ary applause, much loss to win favorable
markings. And wo are right, and in the
long run we are sure to win. Even if wo
continue to lose, we are right.
The Darius-Green- and-his-flying-machine
business is emphatically of the past. .1 udged
by any sound standard say Booth in the
drama, or Joe Jefferson in comedy, or Phil
lips or Beecher on the platform the Spar
tacus-Catiline-Regulus-Absalom style goes
down like lead in water. Bathos and roar
and rumble, with wind-mill attachment, is
unendurable to those who have ever hoard
any oratory of excellence or enduring fame.
Of course, people who are so unfortunate as
to never have seen anything but chromos
and bill-boards will find Turner coarse, the
old mastore not enough given to details, and
modern impressionists " unfinished." But
that judgment does not distress the art world
in the least.
The best style is the conversational style
just sufficiently fortified and strengthened to
adapt it to a large audience. The best way
to secure this stylo is to carefully commit the
oration to memory, and then "talk it" to a
friend each sitting near the other, in usual
conversational and tete-a-tete fashion. If
tho "talker " varies at all from tho tone,
stress, inflection, that is usual in his best
social mood, tho listener should at once
check him and point out tho error. Keep at
this practice till the whole address runs
oasily from tho tongno. Then try tho room
in which tho work is to bo done, once and
once is enough. On the eventful evening,
during your first few sentences select a
listener pretty well back of the center; one
just above this, in tho gallery; and one on
each side of tho platform, above and below.
With no regularity as to order in time, hub
with certainty and some frequency, turn to
each of these, and talk as though he wore
your only listener. The voice will instinct
ively adjust itself to tho distance, and of
course will roach all that intervenes. Chang
ing your outlook in this way, to six different
points of the house, will give about all the
movement that is necessary and will leave
you at least apparently in easy command of
the situation.
Contrary to a general belief, the most dif
ficult task in public speaking is this being
natural. It is very easy to imitate, to
.acquire a "style," to take on manner and
mannerisms. But to be simply yourself,
and at the same time to make yourself roallv
worthy to be; that is the rub. To write
the simplest prose or poetry is tho most diffi
cult attainment. Tho effort to paint nature
just as it exists has created an entirely new
school in art. Because nature is perfect,
the natural is perfection. Awkwardness is not
natural, in any true sense of the word. To
be natural is to have all faculties and powers
of body, mind and spirit, working freely and
harmoniously. Training is needed in order
to secure this, but it will always be a train
ing that brings tho greatest individual ease
and freedom; and hence the greatest individ
uality. Stately carriage horses have an acquired (
arch of tho neck maintained by the check
roin! and a pompous, dignified, "impres
sive" gait that attracts the open-mouthed
admiration of the passing throng. But
every true horseman recognizes Nancy
Hanks as she flies by, curbless and checkloss
and free; and knows that she will come
under the wire an easy winner by lengths.
Stick to the University style.
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