He placed himself for treatment, although in a frame of mind that did not augur well for his success, but by the end of the third day his mental attitude had entirely changed, he came to realize the immense difference between being able to speak fluently and naturally and being compelled to substitute synonyms.  From that day forth he was one of my best students.  His education stood him in good stead, his enthusiasm was so spontaneous as to be contagious and at the end of four and a half weeks, he departed, as thoroughly changed for the better as anyone could wish.  The arrogance was gone.  In its place was something better—­a sure-footed confidence in his ability to talk—­and this was a confidence based on real ability—­not on bluff.  He was no longer nervous and irritable—­and in fact, before leaving, he had won his way into the hearts of his associates to the extent that all were sorry when he left and felt that they had made the acquaintance of a young man of remarkable power.

Five years later, I met him in New York, quite by accident.  He was in charge of his father’s business, had made a wonderful success of his work and was universally respected and admired by those who knew him.  Even to this young man, who to many would have seemed to have all that he could desire, freedom of speech opened new and greater opportunities.

If I had the space to do so within the covers of one volume, I would gladly give many more cases, with description and diagnosis as well as results of treatment.  Specific cases are always interesting, illuminating and conclusive.  They show theory in practice and opinions backed by actual results.

But lack of space makes it impossible to give additional cases here.  Those which have been given are typical cases—­not the unusual ones.  The out-of-the-ordinary cases have been avoided and the common types dwelt upon with the idea of “giving the greatest good to the greatest number.”

Every reader of this volume who lives today under the constant handicap of a speech disorder, may well take new hope from the thought that “What man hath done, man can do”—­again!

PART IV

SETTING THE TONGUE FREE

CHAPTER I

THE JOY OF PERFECT SPEECH

If you stammer—­if you are afraid to try to talk for fear you will fail—­if you are nervous, self-conscious and retiring because of your stammering—­then you don’t realize the Magic Power of Perfect Speech.  You don’t realize what perfect speech will mean to you.  Listen to this—­from a young woman who stammered—­who was cured—­ and who knows: 

“The most wonderful thing has happened to me.  What do you think it is!  I have been cured of stammering.  You have no idea how different it is to be able to talk.  I just feel like I could fly I’m so happy.  Just think, I can talk I’m so glad, so glad, so glad, it’s over.  I just feel like jumping up and down and shouting and telling everybody about it.  I never was so happy in my life—­I never was so glad about anything as I am about this.”