Stammering, Its Cause and Cure

ould bring relief. My teacher, Miss Cora Critchlow, handed me an advertisement one day, telling me of a man who claimed to be able to cure

through my nose, whistling before I spoke a word, and many other foolish things. It was at this time that I learned once and for all, the

le to the most highly educated, and practically impossible of interpretation by the average stammerer who was supposed to follow the course. Even after I had, by persistent effort, interpreted the ins

ng cannot be successfully treated by mail. The very nature of the difficulty, as well as the method of treatment, mak

mbs drawing themselves into all kinds of unnatural positions. There were violent spasmodic movements of the head, and contractions of my whole body. The muscles of my throat would swell, affecting the

breath was exhausted. Then I would gasp for more breath, struggling with the words I desired to speak, until the veins of my forehead wou

ese attacks, the cold perspiration would break out on my forehead in great beads and I would sin

people did. I appeared unnatural. I was nervous, irritable, despondent. This despondency now brought about a peculiar condition. I began to believe that everyone was more or le

around me unhappy, although I did it, not intentionally, but

d many a night I can remember crying myself to sleep-crying purely to relieve tha

on, a mirage in the distance, a new road to lead me astray. The affliction always returned, as every stammerer knows-returned worse than before. All the hopes that I would outgrow my trouble,

g to animals when I was alone with them. I remember very well that we had a large bulldog called Jim, which I was very fond of.

everything seemed to be going against me, I used to go out and talk things over with Old Sol. Somehow he seemed to unde

tammering could be cured, if I could be kept by myself for several weeks. With this thought in mind, he suggested that I go on a hunting and fishing trip in

satisfaction by actual trial, this idea was entirely wrong. You can not hope to restore the proper action of your vocal organs by ceasin

f his muscle. He is conscious of an increasing strength in the muscles of his arm not because he has faile

keen anticipation, for I had never been up in the northwest and I

for it is that it quieted my nerves and put me in somewhat better physical condit

us state for a few days. Today, after twenty-eight years' experience, I know that it would be just as sensible to say that a wagon stuck in the

ousehold was, for a time, very much broken up. For a while, at least, my stammering, though not fo

ialist in the Cure of Stammering." He may have been the world's greatest specialist, but not in the cure of stammering. He did succeed, however, by the use of his absurd methods, in putting me through a course that resulted in

ut results. Still I refused to be discouraged. I kept on and on, my mother constantly e

ch people as these laughed at Fulton with his steamboat, they laughed at St

be done"-but it is

done. I had a firm belief in that old adage, "Where there is a will there is a

I