Stamering And Cognate Defects Of Speech Vol - Ii

" STAMMERING-SCHOOLS " 271

and they invariably contain the proviso that the
student must "in all particulars strictly follow the in-
structions.' ' '£ Following the instructionsJ' may mean
anything whatever. It may mean beating time, sing-
songing or drawling one's words, carrying and speaking
to the beats of a metronome, and in general comport-
ing oneself in a preeminently asinine manner. The
instructions may require the pupil to talk "on rule"
or "with the method" for a year or more after he
leaves the institution, — and they may even require
him not to stammer. When the student follows the
instructions to the best of his ability and fails to obtain
relief for his impediment, he will almost invariably
find, if he requests a refundment of his money, that
the "iron-clad" guarantee is worthless. In the first
place, the guarantee is usually not issued to the stu-
dent unless he makes a point of asking for it at the
time that he " enrolls." In the second place, if it is "is-
sued," it is kept in the possession of the principal till
the student is discharged as "cured." In the third
place, if the guarantee is ever delivered to the student,
he will find that it contains a clause releasing the
principal in case of non-permanency of the "cure."
It might be interesting to note, too, in the fourth
place, that if the student inquires into the matter, he
will find that he has signed away his rights in his
original" Application Blank." Signing this iniquitous
instrument is part of the formal enrolment. Usually