The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-01-15
GESTURES.
A Language which is Understood Almos,
Everywhere.

! A Language which Is Understood Aln,os,
Everywhere.
| The true character of the hands is &c
be sought for in their movements. /,
is in their power of expression that the
| orator, the singer, the actor, find tn,
ineNhaustible source of their fines!
efforts. Iii prayer. in pain, in joy-wheu
man commands or when he supplicates-.
his hands, uplifted, lowered, lowering
in space. seem TO be sowing his thought,
in air, just as grain is scattered to the
winds by the sower. In regard to the
movements of the hand, We can classify
them according TO a few general prin-
ciples. Whatever tends to open, to
spread out the hand. signifies ciearress.
breadth. truth, simplicity. facility
Whatever feeling causes the hand to
clench itself. to close, to diminish its ap-
pearance, is 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 is
equivalent to verb. We say "show
ones fistH for ''threaten;' we say
point ones finger at person" to des-
ignate malice. The gesture of designa-
ton. of warning. Of precision, indicated
by more or less tension of the index lin
ger, are too well known to dwell upon.
We press the fingers fiat upon the fore
head to recall memory; the open hand
to concentrate thought. We rub or
scratch the forehead in trying TO think
how to get out of y difficulty: a man
often scratches his ear when he feels en-
barrassed. To finger ones chin. to
caresS 1t often in succession, expresses
in common belief deliberation. the
search for means to fulfill purpose
Finally. to rub one S hands together
sign of joy-has passed INTO common
pariance rs an expression of indicative
of JOY, self-congratulatioH The same
thing may be said of ciapping the hands.
which has always and among all people
been accepted as the sign and the met
aphor of enthusiasm. To put one s
thumb to ones nose While the other
fingers are vertically extended and agi-
tated is a gesture of mockery among
nearly all civilized people. Why? I
ea''"N ~ 10 pSNau>S thO ChSCG VI
the gesture is to render the nose tempo
rarily snubbed-which is done by The
pressure of the thumb, while the other
fingers are pointed at the perSen ritii-
culed. "Snub-nosc! snub-noser' that is
the Interpretation of this finger telegram,
which is equivalent to saying: you are
a foOl!" 1t is also Interesting to note
as a vestige 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 fare les corneS. The chill.
dfen who use the gestures for pure mis-
chief Or derjsion doubtless never suspect
that they are repeating an ancient sign
of adjuratjon to drive away evil spirits,
or to conjure the evil eye. This gesture
is still very popular in Iialy. especially
at Naples, where many folks believe
themselves hopelessly lost if they had
not about them little amule: of horn,
q little carved hand with two fingers
open, to preserve them from the jetta-
tura.-Chris!idn Union.