Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-03-30
Charm of Gesture in Conversation.


1t is frequently observed by foreign
erS that, while the conversation of
American women is full of vivacitv. they
make hardly any use of their hands
| when talking. Rather along with their
animation they retain Il strict English
repoSc of manner. In doing SO, il is
! thought by many. they completely lose
| the charm of gesture making. indeed.
Ill America there are no national yes
/ lures except the hard and mechanical
ones of nodding and shaking the head
and the use of the fingers for beckouiug
10 reproye another or To affirm the con
versation by shaking the index finger OF
the right hand is regarded as extremely
I pad form. These few are gestures, more
over, lacking in either charm or beauty
On the contrary. the French woman :
shrug of her shoulders her palms held
upward and her face alive i'll piquancy, is
at once picture and volume of ora
| tory. The slight backward movement
she at times gives her head the more
I than slight elevation of her body. lends
command to her pose and expresses a
negative as intleXible as the laws of the
Modes and persianS. The acts OF her
ME, III fact are expressed by French
woman with her hands. and in such "A
way that he who looks on her gestures
may read their meaning. BY one slight
movement she can reanimate or keen
from tagging conversation. As a rule
/ however, the French Woman's hands are
not as beautiful as those Of American
women. They are more thick set. less
flexible. 1t is in the grace of their use
that she creates charm.
But IN the use OF gestures the French
woman Is outdOne by the ladies OF Spain.
who from infancy are taught to regard
their gestures as the practice OF a fine
art. The grace Il Spanish woman yields
| with her fan is proyerbiaI. Without a
/ word she conveys her hatred. her low"
or her Indifference. Generally her hands
are beautiful. often remaining SO long
after her face has faded. She seldom
mars, as she thinks, the outline of her
fingers 10y the wearing of rings
1t Is in Cicily, perhaps. that gestures
have attained their height in acknoIvl-
edged meaning. Certain ones there have
become national, while being So fancifuI
rs 10 battle foreigners in the island The
gesture for Go away" Get out Of my
sight, IS the same as the one used in
America for Come toward me while
the outward turning Of the palm and Il
wave OF the fingers means Come | wish
yon. Strangers in Sicily complain bit
terly that they cannot get rid of the beg
CARS and cab drivers who pursue them
along the streets Ills is because they
use the Sicljan gesture for come. while
thinking they are expressing go away.
Many young man i'll Sicily begs Il girl
to marry him without ever having
spoken Il word to her.
First he makes the gesture of Come.
the one meaning to other nations 60"
and Immediately afterwards places the
points of the five fingers of his right hand
on the palm of his left hand. This indi-
Gates the skirt or petticoat Of the girls
mother for no Sicilian girl can be
properly married unless her mother is in
the arrangement. The last gesture of
the appeal is one of placing the two
palms together rs though for prayer.
but which in this case means the church.
So by three swift movements the young
man has said. Come with me 10y your
mothers consent to the church. The
girl wishing to do 50 drops her chin ou
her chest, thus making the gesture for
Yes When refusing the plea. how
ever. she elevates her chin, throwing her
head back This gesture means NO.
In Sicily the gesture of shaking the
head from side TO side, as indicative OF
No" is not known.
The gesture for You are very pretty;
you please me. is in Sicily a rapid out
lining Of the face with the thumb aud
middle finger Of She left hand I'M
pertinent Young men are quite free III
making this gesture I'M the cheeks WINE
doing So This changes the meaning ="
You are toe thin And on the streets.
when rpbuffed they at once 20 through
the same motion. only pinciHng tmnhe~S
Is not a all admired.