Chapter VI: Part II: Readings and Recitations

How to Read and Recite 113

Cultivation of the Voice 113

Distinct Enunciation 113

Emphasis 114

Pauses 114

Gestures 114

The Magnetic Speaker 114

Self-Command 114

Typical Gestures for Reading and Reciting 115

Malediction 115

Designating 115

Silence 115

Repulsion 115

Declaring 116

Announcing 116

Discerning 116

Invocation 117

Presenting or Receiving 117

Horror 117

Exaltation 117

Secrecy 117

Wonderment 118

Indecision 118

Grief 118

Gladness 118

Signalling 119

Tender Rejection 119

Protecting—Soothing 119

Anguish 119

Awe—Appeal 120

Meditation 120

Defiance 120

Denying—Rejecting 120

Dispersion 121

Remorse 121

Accusation 121

Revealing 121

Correct Positions of the Hands 122

RECITATIONS WITH LESSON TALKS.

Song of Our Soldiers at Santiago _D. G. Adee_ 123

Lesson Talk 123

The Victor of Marengo 124

Lesson Talk 125

The Wedding Fee 125

Lesson Talk 126

The Statue in Clay 127

Lesson Talk 127

The Puzzled Boy 128

Lesson Talk 128

RECITATIONS WITH MUSIC.

Twickenham Ferry 129

Grandmother’s Chair _John Read_ 130

Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel _H. Clifton_ 131

A Brighter Day is Coming _Ellen Burnside_ 132

Katie’s Love Letter _Lady Dufferin_ 132

Dost Thou Love Me, Sister Ruth? _John Parry_ 133

Two Little Rogues _Mrs. A. M. Diaz_ 134

Arkansaw Pete’s Adventure 135

PATRIOTIC RECITATIONS.

The Beat of the Drum at Daybreak _Michael O’Connor_ 137

The Cavalry Charge 137

Great Naval Battle at Santiago _Admiral W. S. Schley_ 138

Hobson’s Daring Deed 139

General Wheeler at Santiago _J. L. Gordon_ 140

The Flag Goes By 140

In Manila Bay _Chas. Wadsworth, Jr._ 141

My Soldier Boy 142

The Yankees in Battle _Captain R. D. Evans_ 142

The Banner Betsey Made _T. C. Harbaugh_ 143

Our Flag _Chas. F. Alsop_ 144

That Starry Flag of Ours 144

The Negro Soldier _B. M. Channing_ 145

Deeds of Valor at Santiago _Clinton Scollard_ 145

A Race for Dear Life 146

Patriotism of American Women _T. Buchanan Read_ 147

Our Country’s Call _Richard Barry_ 147

The Story of Seventy-Six _W. C. Bryant_ 148

The Roll Call 148

The Battle-Field _W. C Bryant_ 149

The Sinking of the Merrimac 150

The Stars and Stripes 151

Rodney’s Ride 152

A Spool of Thread _Sophia E. Eastman_ 153

The Young Patriot, Abraham Lincoln 154

Columbia _Joel Barlow_ 155

Captain Molly at Monmouth _William Collins_ 156

Douglas to the Populace of Stirling _Sir Walter Scott_ 157

Our Country _W. G. Peabodie_ 157

McIlrath of Malaté _John J. Rooney_ 158

After the Battle 159

Great Naval Battle of Manila 160

Sinking of the Ships _W. B. Collison_ 161

Perry’s Celebrated Victory on Lake Erie 163

Capture of Quebec _James D. McCabe_ 164

Little Jean _Lillie E. Barr_ 165

Defeat of General Braddock _James D. McCabe_ 166

DESCRIPTIVE AND DRAMATIC RECITATIONS.

Quick! Man the Life Boat 167

Beautiful Hands _J. Whitcomb Riley_ 167

The Burning Ship 168

The Unknown Speaker 169

Child Lost 171

The Captain and the Fireman _W. B. Collison_ 172

The Face on the Floor _H. Antoine D’Arcy_ 173

The Engineer’s Story _Eugene J. Hall_ 174

Jim _James Whitcomb Riley_ 175

Queen Vashti’s Lament _John Reade_ 176

The Skeleton’s Story 177

The Lady and the Earl 179

My Vesper Song 180

The Volunteer Organist _S. W. Foss_ 180

Comin’ thro’ the Rye _Robert Burns_ 181

Joan of Arc _Clare S. McKinley_ 181

The Vulture of the Alps 183

The Old-fashioned Girl _Tom Hall_ 184

Nathan Hale, the Martyr Spy _I. H. Brown_ 184

The Future _Rudyard Kipling_ 186

The Power of Habit _John B. Gough_ 186

Died on Duty 187

My Friend the Cricket and I _Lillie E. Barr_ 188

The Snowstorm 188

Parrhasius and the Captive _N. P. Willis_ 189

The Ninety-third off Cape Verde 190

A Felon’s Cell 191

The Battle of Waterloo _Victor Hugo_ 192

A Pin _Ella Wheeler Wilcox_ 194

A Relenting Mob _Lucy H. Hooper_ 195

The Black Horse and His Rider _Chas. Sheppard_ 196

The Unfinished Letter 198

Legend of the Organ Builder _Julius C. R. Dorr_ 198

Caught in the Quicksand _Victor Hugo_ 200

The Little Quaker Sinner _Lucy L. Montgomery_ 201

The Tell-tale Heart _Edgar Allan Poe_ 202

The Little Match Girl _Hans Andersen_ 203

The Monk’s Vision 205

The Boat Race 205

Phillips of Pelhamville _Alexander Anderson_ 207

Poor Little Jim 208

ORATIONS BY FAMOUS ORATORS.

True Moral Courage _Henry Clay_ 209

The Struggle for Liberty _Josiah Quincy_ 210

Centennial Oration _Henry Armitt Brown_ 211

Speech of Shrewsbury before Queen Elizabeth _F. Von Schiller_ 212

Prospects of the Republic _Edward Everett_ 212

The People Always Conquer _Edward Everett_ 213

Survivors of Bunker Hill _Daniel Webster_ 214

South Carolina and Massachusetts _Daniel Webster_ 215

Eulogium on South Carolina _Robert T. Hayne_ 216

Character of Washington _Wendell Phillips_ 217

National Monument to Washington _Robert C. Winthrop_ 218

The New Woman _Frances E. Willard_ 219

An Appeal for Liberty _Joseph Story_ 220

True Source of Freedom _Edwin H. Chapin_ 220

Appeal to Young Men _Lyman Beecher_ 221

The Pilgrims _Chauncey M. Depew_ 222

Patriotism a Reality _Thomas Meagher_ 223

The Glory of Athens _Lord Macaulay_ 224

The Irish Church _William E. Gladstone_ 225

Appeal to the Hungarians _Louis Kossuth_ 226

The Tyrant Verres Denounced _Cicero_ 227

HUMOROUS RECITATIONS.

Bill’s in Trouble 229

“Spacially Jim” 229

The Marriage Ceremony 230

Blasted Hopes 230

Tim Murphy Makes a Few Remarks 231

Passing of the Horse 231

A School-Day _W. F. McSparran_ 232

The Bicycle and the Pup 233

The Puzzled Census Taker 233

It Made a Difference 233

Bridget O’Flannagan on Christian Science and
Cockroaches _M. Bourchier_ 234

Conversational 235

Wanted, A Minister’s Wife 235

How a Married Man Sews on a Button _J. M. Bailey_ 236

The Dutchman’s Serenade 236

Biddy’s Troubles 237

The Inventor’s Wife _Mrs. E. T. Corbett_ 238

Miss Edith Helps Things Along _Bret Harte_ 239

The Man Who Has All Diseases at Once _Dr. Valentine_ 240

The School-Ma’am’s Courting _Florence Pyatt_ 240

The Dutchman’s Snake 241

No Kiss 243

The Lisping Lover 243

Larry O’Dee _W. W. Fink_ 243

How Paderewski Plays the Piano 244

The Freckled-Faced Girl 244

When Girls Wore Calico _Hattie Whitney_ 245

A Winning Company 246

The Bravest Sailor _Ella Wheeler Wilcox_ 246

How She Was Consoled 247

That Hired Girl 247

What Sambo Says 248

The Irish Sleigh Ride 248

Jane Jones _Ben King_ 249

De Ole Plantation Mule 249

Adam Never Was a Boy _T. C. Harbaugh_ 250

A Remarkable Case of S’posin 251

My Parrot _Emma H. Webb_ 252

Bakin and Greens 252

Hunting a Mouse _Joshua Jenkins_ 253

The Village Sewing Society 254

Signs and Omens 255

The Ghost 255

A Big Mistake 256

The Duel _Eugene Field_ 258

Playing Jokes on a Guide _Mark Twain_ 258

A Parody 260

Man’s Devotion _Parmenas Hill_ 261

Aunt Polly’s “George Washington” 261

Mine Vamily _Yawcob Strauss_ 263

At the Garden Gate 264

The Minister’s Call 264

Led by a Calf 265

Tom Goldy’s Little Joke 266

How Hezekiah Stole the Spoons 266

Two Kinds of Polliwogs _Augusta Moore_ 268

The Best Sewing Machine 268

How They Said Good Night 269

Josiar’s Courting 270

PATHETIC RECITATIONS.

Play Softly, Boys _Teresa O’Hare_ 271

In the Baggage Coach Ahead 272

The Musing One _S. E. Kiser_ 272

In Memoriam _Thomas R. Gregory_ 273

The Dying Newsboy _Mrs. Emily Thornton_ 273

Coals of Fire 274

Dirge of the Drums _Ralph Alton_ 275

The Old Dog’s Death Postponed _Chas. E. Baer_ 275

The Fallen Hero _Minna Irving_ 276

The Soldier’s Wife _Elliott Flower_ 276

“Break the News Gently” 277

On the Other Train 277

Some Twenty Years Ago _Stephen Marsell_ 279

Only a Soldier 280

The Pilgrim Fathers 280

Master Johnny’s Next-Door Neighbor _Bret Harte_ 281

Stonewall Jackson’s Death _Paul M. Russell_ 282

The Story of Nell _Robert Buchanan_ 284

Little Nan 285

One of the Little Ones _G. L. Catlin_ 285

The Drunkard’s Daughter _Eugene J. Hall_ 286

The Beautiful 287

Trouble in the Amen Corner _C. T. Harbaugh_ 288

Little Mag’s Victory _Geo. L. Catlin_ 289

Life’s Battle _Wayne Parsons_ 290

The Lost Kiss _J. Whitcomb Riley_ 290

Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots _Lamartine_ 291

Over the Range _J. Harrison Mills_ 292

The Story of Crazy Nell _Joseph Whitten_ 292

Little Sallie’s Wish 293

Drowned Among the Lilies _E. E. Rexford_ 294

The Fate of Charlotte Corday _C. S. McKinley_ 294

The Little Voyager _Mrs. M. L. Bayne_ 295

The Dream of Aldarin _George Lippard_ 296

In the Mining Town _Rose H. Thorpe_ 297

Tommy’s Prayer _I. F. Nichols_ 298

Robby and Ruth _Louisa S. Upham_ 300

RECITATIONS FOR CHILDREN.

Two Little Maidens _Agnes Carr_ 301

The Way to Succeed 301

When Pa Begins to Shave _Harry D. Robins_ 301

A Boy’s View 302

Mammy’s Churning Song _E. A. Oldham_ 302

The Twenty Frogs 303

Only a Bird _Mary Morrison_ 303

The Way to Do It _Mary Mapes Dodge_ 303

We Must All Scratch 304

Kitty at School _Kate Hulmer_ 304

A Fellow’s Mother _Margaret E. Sangster_ 305

The Story Katie Told 305

A Little Rogue 306

Mattie’s Wants and Wishes _Grace Gordon_ 306

Won’t and Will 307

Willie’s Breeches _Etta G. Saulsbury_ 307

Little Dora’s Soliloquy 307

The Squirrel’s Lesson 308

Little Kitty 308

Labor Song 309

What Baby Said 310

One Little Act 311

The Little Orator _Thaddeus M. Harris_ 311

A Gentleman _Margaret E. Sangster_ 312

Babies and Kittens _L. M. Hadley_ 312

A Dissatisfied Chicken _A. G. Waters_ 312

The Little Torment 313

The Reason Why 313

A Child’s Reasoning 314

A Swell Dinner 314

Little Jack _Eugene J. Hall_ 314

A Story of an Apple _Sydney Dayre_ 315

Idle Ben 315

Baby Alice’s Rain _John Hay Furness_ 316

Give Us Little Boys a Chance 316

Puss in the Oven 316

What Was It? _Sydney Dayre_ 317

The Cobbler’s Secret 317

A Sad Case _Clara D. Bates_ 318

The Heir Apparent 318

An Egg a Chicken 319

One of God’s Little Heroes _Margaret J. Preston_ 320

What the Cows were Doing 320

Mamma’s Help 320

How Two Birdies Kept House 321

Why He Wouldn’t Die 321

The Sick Dolly 322

Days of the Week _Mary Ely Page_ 322

Popping Corn 323

How the Farmer Works 323

The Birds’ Picnic 324

A Very Smart Dog 324

Opportunity 325

The Little Leaves’ Journey 325

The Broom Drill 325

RECITATIONS FOR SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.

Little Servants 332

Willie and the Birds 332

A Child’s Prayer 332

God Loves Me 332

The Unfinished Prayer 333

Seeds of Kindness 333

A Lot of Don’ts _E. C. Rook_ 333

Little Willie and the Apple 334

The Child’s Prayer _Mary A. P. Humphrey_ 334

“Mayn’t I Be a Boy?” 335

Give Your Best _Adelaide A. Proctor_ 335

The Birds _Myra A. Shattuck_ 335

“Come Unto Me” 336

There is a Teetotaler 337

An Appeal for Beneficence 337

Address of Welcome to a New Pastor 337

Address of Welcome to a New Superintendent 338

Opening Address for a Sunday-school Exhibition 338

Closing Address for a Sunday-school Exhibition 338

Presentation Address to a Pastor 339

Presentation Address to a Teacher 339

Presentation Address to a Superintendent 339

Address of Welcome After Illness 340

Welcome to a Pastor _May Hatheway_ 340