We shall see in the next chapter how these defects can be cured.
In this, which is devoted specially to physical exercises, we will give the mechanical means for overcoming these grave defects.
Just as soon as the difficulties of utterance have been overcome, and one is no longer in terror of falling into a laughable blunder, and thus has no further reason to fear, when undertaking to speak, that one will be made fun of because the object of disconcerting mockery, one's ideas will cease to be dammed up by this haunting dread and can take shape in one's brain just as fast as one expresses them.
Clearness of conception will be reflected in that of what we say, and poise will soon manifest itself in the manner of the man who no longer feels himself to be the object of ill-natured laughter.
One should set oneself then every morning to the performance of exercises consisting of opening the mouth as wide as one possibly can and then shutting it, to open it once more to its fullest extent, and so on until one becomes fatigued.
This exercise is designed to cover the well-known difficulty of those who speak infrequently and which is familiarly known as "heavy jaw."
One should next endeavor to pronounce every consonant with the utmost distinctness.
If certain consonants, as s, for example, or ch, are not enunciated clearly, one should keep at it until one pronounces them satisfactorily.
Now one should construct short sentences containing as many difficult consonants as possible.
Next we should apply ourselves to declaiming longer sentences.