The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1886-01-16
GESTURES.
A Language which 10 Understood Almost
Everywhere. rf

A Language which 10 Understood Almost
Everywhere. rf
The true character Of the hands Is to
be sought for in their movements. II
Is In their power Of expression that the
orator, the singer, the actor, find the
incxhaustible source Of their finest
efforts. In prayer. In pain, in joy--when
man commands or when he supplicates---
his hands, uplifted, lowered, lowering
in space, scem to be sowing his thoughts
In air, Just as grain Is scattered to tho
winds by the sower. In regard TO tho
movements Of the hand. we can classify
them according to few general prin-
ciplcs. Whatever tends TO open, 10
spread out the hand. signifies clearness,
breadth, truth, simplicity. facility.
Whatever feeling causes the hand TO
clonch itself, 10 close TO diminish lis APP
pearancc, IL connected with obscurity,
Limitation. doubt, complication. Diff
Guilty.
There are certain gestures which have
become SO identified with certain senti-
ments that their mere definition II
equivalent TO verb. We say "show
ones fist" for "threatcn;'' we say
point ones finger at q person" 10 des-
ignatc malice. The gesture OF designa.
ton, Of warning, Of precision, indicated
by more or less tension OF the index fin
ger, are too well known TO dwell upon.
We press the fingers fat upon the fore.
head 10 recall memory; the open hand
TO concentrate thought. We rub. or
scratch the forehead In trying 10 think
how TO get out Of q difficulty; man
often scratches his car when he feels EN-.
barrassed. To finger ones chin, TO
caress Il often In succession. Expresses
In common belief deliberation, the
search for means 10 fulfill purpose.
Finally. 10 rub ones hands together
n sign Of joy--has passed into common
parlance a. an expression Of indicative
Of Joy, self-congratulation. The same
thing may be said Of clapping the hands,
which has always and among al people
been accepted as the sign and the met
apbor Of enthusiasm. To put ones
thumb TO ones nose while the other
fingers are vertically extended and agi.
tated Is q gesture Of mockcry among
nearly all civilized people. Whys I
think u ~ because the principal effect Of
the gesture Is 10 render tho nose temto.
rarily snubbed-which II done by the
pressure Of the thumb, while lhe other
fingers are pointed at the perscn rili-
culcd. "Snub-nosel snub-nose," that Is
the Interpretation Of this finger telegram.
which Is equivalent 10 saying; "You are
q fooli' II Is also interesting 10 note
as vesilge Of antique beliefs that have
long ago disappeared In France-the
gesture which consists In retaining the
two middle fingers with the thumb and
holding In the index and little fingers
what we call fdire ies eornes. The chill
dren who use the gestures for pure mis-
chief or derision doubtless never suspec,
that they are repeating IN ancient slgn
Of adiuration to drive away evil spirits,
or TO conjure the evil eye. This gcstprc
Is still very popular In Italy. especially
at Naples, where many folks believe
themselves hopelessly lost II they had
not about them little amulet Of horn,
or little carved hand with two fingers
open, 10 preserve them from the jslta-
fnra. ~ Christian Union.