_Henry Ward Beecher_

Henry Ward Beecher's method was to practise vocal exercises in the open
air, exploding all the vowel sounds in various keys. This practise duly
produced a most flexible instrument, which served him throughout his
brilliant career. He said:

"I had from childhood impediments of speech arising from a large palate,
so that when a boy I used to be laughed at for talking as if I had a
pudding in my mouth. When I went to Amherst, I was fortunate in passing
into the hands of John Lovell, a teacher of elocution, and a better
teacher for my purpose I can not conceive of. His system consisted in
drill, or the thorough practise of inflections by the voice, of gesture,
posture and articulation. Sometimes I was a whole hour practising my
voice on a word--like justice. I would have to take a posture,
frequently at a mark chalked on the floor. Then we would go through all
the gestures, exercising each movement of the arm and throwing open the
hand. All gestures except those of precision go in curves, the arm
rising from the side, coming to the front, turning to the left or
right. I was drilled as to how far the arm should come forward, where it
should start from, how far go back, and under what circumstances these
movements should be made. It was drill, drill, drill, until the motions
almost became a second nature. Now, I never know what movements I shall
make. My gestures are natural, because this drill made them natural to
me. The only method of acquiring effective elocution is by practise, of
not less than an hour a day, until the student has his voice and himself
thoroughly subdued and trained to get right expression."