Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03
Charm OF Gesture
In Conversation

r. IS frequently observed by foreigners
that, While the conversation OF AineII-
can women is full OF vivacity. thew
make hardly any use OF their hands wien
talklng Rather along with their animatio,
they retain strict English repose OF man
her. In so doing II is thought by many.
they completely lose the charm Of gesture
making. Indeed. in America there are no
national gestures except the hard AMI nc
chanical oaeS OF nodding and shaking the
head ard the use o: tie fingers for beekoa-
Ing. TO repTove another or TO affirm the
conversation By shaking the index fnge. OF
tie right hand is regarded as extremely
bad form. These few are gestures, more
oVeF, lacking IL cither Charm or beauty.
On the contrary, the French womaa's
shius OF her shoulders, her palms held up
ward ana her face alive in piqulncy, Is az
once picture and volume OF oratocy
me slight backward movement she at
times gives her head, the moro than sight
elevation O: hcr body. lends command 10
Fer Fose ana expresses a negative as IN
flexible as the laws OF the Modes and Per
slams. The ccts of her life, In fact ara
expressed by q French woman vita her
nands, ana in such a way tina. he WAC
looks On her gestures may read their meal
Ing; BY one slight movement SIC cal re-
ANIMATE or Keep from tagging conve.sI-
uon Ac rule. however, the French woI.i.
a. a. hands are not as beautiful as thos,
~
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 recsri
their gestures as the practice OF a fine AIT.
The grace q Spanish woman wields with
her ran Is proverb!al. Without word she
conveys her hatred, her love or her iadif-
ference. Generally her hands are beautl-
lul, often remaining so long after her face
has faded. She seldom mars. as she thinks
Ina Ia,
Of rings
1t is In Sicily, perhaps. that gestures have
attained their height in Acknowledged
meaning. Certain ones there have become
national, while being SO fanciful as to baf-
ne ne t ..r IN the island: The gesture
Tor 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 a wave of the
fingers means Come, 1 wish you
Strangers in Sicily complain bitterly that
they cannot get rid of the beggars and
cab drivers who pursue them along tho
streets This is because they use the ST.
Gillian gesture for come, while thinking they
are expressing Go away" Many a young
man in Sicily begs a girl to marry him
without ever having spoken word to her,
First he makes the gesture OF Come"
the one meaning to other nations Go"
and Immediately afterward places the
points of the five fingers of his right hand
on the palm of his left hand. This ind-
Gates the skirt or petticoat of the girls
Hlotiei, lOf no Siclllan girl can be properly
married unless her mother is in the ar
rangement. The last gesture of the appeal
is one OF placing the two palms together as
though for prayer, but which in this case
means the church So by three swift move
ments the young man has said, Come with
me by your mothers consent to the
church" The girl wishing to do so drops
her chin on her chest thus making the
gesture for Yes" When refusing the plea
however, she elevates- her chin, throwing
her head far back This gesture means
mo" 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 rapid outlIn-
Ing of the face with. the thumb and middle
finger Of the left hand.> Impertinent young
men quite free in making this gesture
in the cheeks while doing So This changes
the meaning to You are too thin" And
on the streets. When rebuffed they at onca
go through the same motion, only pnching
thinness is not at all admired.