THE VOICE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 327, 5 September 1879, Page 2

THE VOICE.

America is certainly the land of specialities in journalism.. Every phrase of *• thought, every branch of study has its special organ or organs. We have received a specimen copy of a new journal " The Voice, a monthly journal devoted to voice culture." The periodical hails from *" Albany, N.Y. The number befoca us deals largely with stuttering and kindred defects in the vocal organs.. There is a paper by the editor on "Stuttering; its causes, manifestations, effect, cure, and early history," and two short articles on the cure of stuttering. There is also a story of "some of the afflictions of a young man with an impediment of speech." From this latter we make the following extracts:

"It don't bother me," he said, "except when I get excited, or have been taking a little too much to drink. I could sit down * and talk to you an hour without stuttering ; but it got me into an awful scrape a while ago. You see, I was going home on last Thursday night—" —i " Or Friday morning ?" I suggested. '* No—l was early enough that time. Not later than 11 o'clock, ifust after I turned into Spring street I met a party of three men, who iiad been drinktng pretty hard. They seemed to be strangers in th© city, and there was no doubt that they had ** lost their way. " They stopped as I came up, and one o£ them, a big, broad-shouldered man, faced me and addressed me in this style : » "' Will you p-p-please to t-t-tell me the way to C-c-c-canal street ?' " When I perceived that he stuttered I was afraid that there was going to be trouble; but what CQiild Ido ? He would have, been sure to go for me if I had tried to pass on without answering, and I was ashamed to turn about and run away. I felt that I was getting , excited, and was sure that a fit of stammering would follow ; but I tried to keep cool, and it out in this shape : "' Therp is B-b-broadway, and Canal street is f-f-four. blocks farther down. , "I know that my face turned red, but don't believe it was near as red as his. Hewas as wild as a tornado. "' Y-y-young man," said he, 'you are t-t-trying to m-m-mock me. , •" N-n-o, I ain't,' said I, more excited than ever. ' P-p pon my word, I ain't.'

"' You lie J' he shouted, as he was too mad to stutter any more,' and I mean to teach you better manners.' " With that, before I could either run or dodge, he hauled off with that big fist of his and let me have a thumper light between the e3'es, jusfwhere the black was , bound to spread finely on both sides of face. I thought that lightning had struck me, and felt as if uiy head was caved in, or my nose broken, at least. He dropped me another on the left cheek, while I was gazing at a street full of stars, and theiw one of the fellows with him took a hand in the game, or a foot, and lent me a kick that landed me on the other side of the • gutter. "After that I don't know what happened, until one of my friends found me somewhere up town, wandering about like a blind man. He asked me what was the matter, and I begged him to take me to a doctor. He got some raw oysters, which *, I put to my eyes, and then took me to, a doctor, but I couldn't get any leeches, and it may be a week or so yet before my face recovers its natural color." "And do all stutterers, when they areli answered by stutterers, imagine that they are being ntocked ?" " Every mother's son of them, and every mother's daughter, too. I don't believe they can help it. It is as natural as for sparks to fly upwards. Even those with whom I am well acquainted, knowing that I usually speak straight enough, suspect me of putting up a game on them, if I stammer in their presence. One of my saddest adventures in that line occurred to to me last winter- I was at a ball one night, a real nice ball, and was enjoying myself remarkably well. There waa a very pretty young lady at the ball, of a good family, a fine dancer, and quite the rage, to whom I was anxious to be introduced. I secured an introduction with-** out much trouble, and asked her for the pleasure of a dance' with her, in my sweetest manner and without the slightest shade of a stutter. She graciously assented, and handed me her tablets, on which there was plenty of room, as the dancing had just begun. ■

_" ' Please to p-p-put your name down,' said she,' f-f-for whatever dance you p-p-prefer. , ' ' * / " What a pity it was that she stammered so ! What a pity, too, that. I didn't have sense enough to put my name down where I wanted it without, saying a word! But I was sure that I could speak without stuttering, and this is what I said : " ' I will t-take the f-f-first waltz, if you p-p-please.' "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," and of course she supposed that she was scorned. I don't think that my face could possibly have been redder than hers was just then, i3ut I know that it burned like fire. '"How dare you m-m-mock me V she exclaimed, as the sheet lightning shot out of her eyes. ' You are n-n-no gentleman, and I wish my b-b-b-big brother were here, to p-p-punish you as you deserve.' " What could T'tio ? I. tried to explain the trouble to her, but I stuttered worse than before, and she only got madder and madder. She called the floor manager, told him that I had insulted her, and asked him to order me out of the ballroom. But he happened to be a particular friend of mine, and he assured her that I had an unfortunate impediment in my speech, and succeeded in pacifying her. I doubt whether she more than half believed him, as she not only refused to dance with me, but would never after that speak to me, nor even look at me."