flex-in most cases, a wave of the second, after an upward skip. Yet it is commonly considered as nothing more than a strongly marked rising slide.

In numerous cases, words which we mark by a rising inflexion placed over the word, ought to have it placed under, and passing up beyond it, if such a position could be arranged in printing. The actual slide on the accented syllable, must often begin on a lower key than that of the preceding word or syllable. Beginning thus after a downward skip, the slide extends to a key still higher than that immediately preceding.

CONTRAST OF INFLEXIONS.

One of the most important uses of inflexions, is to express contrasts between ideas. The idea which the mind affirms, not simply, but in reference to another, takes a rising, and that which completes the contrast, has a falling inflexion.

This will be made clear by examples:

1. One of two things may be affirmed, and the other denied. In such a case, what is affirmed, is asserted as true of itself, and its truth or falsehood will hold good, whether the idea which is denied be mentioned or not. The mind may stop and contemplate the truth of the affirmative for any length of time. E. g.

It will not snow.

It will rain.

It will make no difference which idea be first mentioned; the inflexions will still remain the same.

E. g.

It will rain.

It will not snow.

Neither, in earnest or lively utterance, will the grammatical construction affect the inflexions.

E. g.

It will rain; and not snow.*

If both ideas are affirmed in contrast with each other, that which is mentioned first, has a rising, and the last mentioned, which completes the contrast, has a falling inflexion. E. g.

It will either snow

or rain.

Or,

It will either rain

or snow.

QUESTIONS.

In general, the contrast between a question and its answer, is expressed, like other contrasts, by the one having a rising, and the other a falling inflexion.

More precisely, however, when a direct question is asked, to which the answer will be yes or no, the mind of the person who puts the question remains, after asking it, in a state of suspense, and does not rest satisfied till an answer has been returned. The answer is necessary, to complete or teminate the course of thought which the mind has entered upon. Or, the condition of the mind at the close of a question, may be stated as one of the cases before mentioned, in which the course of thought ends with a reference to something that is to follow.

* This sentence may indeed be read with precisely opposite inflex

ions, e. g. it will rain, and not snow. This, however, as will readily be perceived, does not set off the contrast in so striking a manner. It is in fact a case of that substitution of one inflexion for another, which we shall explain at the end of this chapter.

Direct questions, then, which require yes or no for an answer, end with a rising inflexion, according to the common rule of school-books.

But there is another class of questions, which begin with an interrogative pronoun or adverb, such as who, which, what; or when, why, wherefore. These in fact take the form of a command, or injunction. For example: When do you go? is the same in meaning as, Tell me, when are you going?

This class of questions take a falling inflexion on their emphatic word. E. g.

Indeed, any question may be put in the form of a command; just as we may say, I ask you to tell me, or, I demand that you tell me.*

E. g.

Very often also, when an interrogative sentence is very long, the rising tones of interrogation ought not to be continued to the end, but falling ones should be substituted, and the whole be made to end with a cadence. Yet in punctuation, the mark of interrogation must be deferred to the end of the sentence.

* Our word demand is the same word as the French demande; but in French, demande means simply to ask or inquire.

When likewise two questions are contrasted with each other, the contrast is exhibited by a falling inflexion on the last; as,

Do you go, or stay?

Is Cæsar dead,

or is he living?

Other variations from the most common modes of giving inflexions on questions, might be stated; as when the words of a question are repeated, by the person of whom it is asked, in order to be certain that he understands the inquiry. E. g.

When am I going? do you say?

But it is needless to pursue the subject of questions farther. No practical direction, for interrogative inflexions, is needed, except to avoid following uniformly any of the common rules, and to trust implicitly to natural instinct in reading questions, just as is done in extemporaneous speaking.

What makes the common rules still more injurious, is, that by directing attention exclusively to the inflexion at the end, they divert attention from the INTERROGATIVE TONE which characterizes every word of the question.

This interrogative tone running through the whole, is the only essential requisite in uttering a question.

Every question that is not asked in a tone like that of a command or a requisition, is uttered with a peculiar interrogative turn of the voice, on every syllable. This is of course most conspicuous on the accented and emphatic syllables. The interrogative tone consists in the upward slides and skips being carried farther than ordinary. Instead of being simple seconds, they are thirds, fifths, or octaves. This wider reach of the skips and slides, causes the voice to be apparently on a higher key than it really is.

From the very moment, then, of beginning an interrogative clause, a natural tone of asking a question must be made strikingly manifest, and kept up on every word.

CONDITIONAL CLAUSES.

These begin with conditional or hypothetical conjunctions, such as if, though, although, unless. They are also introduced by such words as suppose.

The peculiarity of tone with which they are uttered, was first discovered by Dr. Rush, who thus made a valuable contribution to elocution.

Conditional clauses have a tone running through them similar to that of questions.

Dr. Rush describes it as being precisely the same. To us it seems clearly demonstrable that, while in questions the slides of thirds, fifths or octaves are exhibited upon every syllable, conditional clauses exhibit them only on the accented syllables.

In teaching, we have had our attention perpetually called to the injurious effect of the common rules in school-books, which direct to depend solely on the inflexion at the end of a question, for exhibiting its interrogative turn; such effect being to prevent the natural tone of interrogation from being given throughout the whole. Of equal importance has been the very common fault of reading or speaking conditional clauses without their natural and appropriate tone.

The following example contains two conditional clauses, the first beginning with if, and the second with though. Each of them is inclosed within a bracket.

If the driver of a public carriage

maliciously overturn another

upon the road,

at a hundred [miles distance,

whilst the proprietor is asleep in his bed