It is self-evident that indifference to ear-splitting noises implies a
lack of appreciation for the exquisite clang-tints of music; for
whenever the acoustic nerve is sufficiently refined to appreciate such
subtle tints, it is affected as painfully by harsh sounds as the
artistic eye is by glaring colours and flickering light. And an ear
which is indifferent to the sweetness of musical sounds is of course
indifferent also to the musical charm of the speaking voice. But a
sweetly modulated voice is one of the most conspicuous attributes of
Personal Beauty—for Beauty refers to sounds as well as to sights—
“Her voice was ever soft,
Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman.”—SHAKSPERE.
There is as much variety in voices as in faces; and in estimating a
person’s general refinement, the voice is perhaps a safer guide than the
face; because the quality of the voice is largely a matter of individual
training, whereas in reading faces the judgment is warped by the
presence of inherited features speaking of traits which have not been
modified by individual effort and culture.
Many young men and women live in absolute indifference to the quality of
their speaking voice, till one day Cupid arouses them from their
unæsthetic slumber with his golden arrows, and makes them eager not only
to brush up their hats and improve their personal appearance, but also
to modulate their voices into sweet, expressive accents. But the vocal
cords, like a violin, can only be made to yield mellow sounds after long
practice; hence the usual result of a sudden effort to speak in love’s
sweet accents is a ridiculous lover’s falsetto.