e incidents are unexciting.
This medium or standard time may be varied in two ways: first, by the
quantity of time taken in the utterance of certain words or syllables,
and second, by pauses between sentences or groups of words. Rate,
however, usually depends more upon the grouping of words and the length
of the pauses between groups than upon the utterance of syllables. The
rate of syllabic utterance is usually a personal characteristic. Some of
us articulate rapidly, while others of more phlegmatic temperament speak
slowly.

In conversation or in perfectly natural reading, we usually utter with
one impulse of the voice those words which are closely related in
meaning. These words so uttered form groups that are usually quite
independent of punctuation. Punctuation marks are for the eye and are
intended to make clear the meaning. They do not separate the sentence
into units of expression. Only the terminal marks are of any great
importance either in suggesting the inflection or indicating the length
of the pause. A good reader notices the marks insomuch as they make
clear the thought, but largely disregards them in his reading.

The person who reads too rapidly has a mind that is very quick in its
action or one that is not fully occupied with the thought of his
selection; he may have a vague understanding, but does not realize the
full extent and import of the idea. If he reads too slowly, he is
naturally slow in thought, or the words come to him slowly through his
eyes, his organs of speech are not sufficiently under control, or he
does not appreciate the difference between the principal ideas and those
of minor importance. Find the central idea, group others about it in
proper degrees of subordination, feel the sentiment in what is being
read, and the time usually will be correct. There are worse faults in
reading than undue rapidity or slowness, for we can make our minds keep
pace with the reader, if in other respects his expression is good.

The following selections afford considerable variety in rate:

_Exciting Canoe Race_, VII, 79.
_Those Evening Bells_, VII, 340.
_Charge of the Light Brigade_, VII, 147.
_Marco Bozzaris_, VIII, 90.

c. Quality. The quality of the voice is almost entirely dependent upon
the emotions. Tenderness, love, joy, awe, fear, all produce their effect
upon the voice. In an unemotional state the person speaks in normal
quality and in the tone that is natural to himself. If the