of trees and ditches, but you steer instinctively, not with a conscious purpose; yet every pressure of your hands on the handle-bars, and every movement of your body in balancing, has purpose and significance although it has become instinctive, or sub-conscious, through habit.

In a similar way every gesture has meaning, it shows some purpose, though it may be sub-conscious. That is, every gesture signifies something whether you make it intentionally or instinctively. The speaker does not intend to twitch his fingers or his cuffs, but those movements signify something; they show that he is nervous or embarrassed.

We occasionally hear some superior person remark: "I prefer to stand quietly, without making any gestures, and speak in a dignified manner." Let us supposé this gentleman has invited a friend to come and visit him. A carriage rolls up, the guest alights, and eagerly comes up the steps. The gentleman stands quietly in the doorway, without making any gesture, and speaks in a dignified manner, (perhaps keeping both hands behind his back.) "I am glad to welcome you on this occasion." But the guest seems to feel a chilliness in this gesture-less welcome, for he stops half way up the steps, and mutters to himself: "His words are good enough but his actions contradict his words. I don't believe he is really glad to have me come."

It is therefore an error to say Mr. So-and-so does not use any gestures. If he keeps his hands behind him, holds the reading-desk with both hands, rises on his toes or heels, or shifts uneasily from one foot to the other, all this is gesture, and it all signifies something. If he stands as stiff as a bit of pasteboard, he is gesturing; just as truly as if he were swinging his arms like a windmill.

The practical question, then, is not "shall I use gestures?" but "shall I use gestures that reveal my awkwardness, my fear of the audience, my desire to be admired; or shall I learn to use gestures that will help me to express exactly what I mean, and exactly how I feel?”

In our study of gesture we shall begin with Bearing because that is the most important part of gesture.

The whole mind is in harmony, and the whole body should be also; all parts unitedly express the same thing.

If the mind is in a questioning attitude, the hand will be also, so will the feet, and the face.

The carriage of the whole body effects and modifies the particular gestures of hand or face. For example, in the type of thought we call Presentation the gestures will be fewer and smaller than in Emotion. In Discrimination they will be more precise, in Volition more firm, direct and vigorous. The gesture of "pointing out" some object or some idea may be made in one case by a slight motion of the hand and wrist, in another by the action of the whole arm. If the mind is calm, it will be made one way: if excited, it will be made another way.

Since one's bearing is largely dependent on the position of his feet, we shall label the different attitudes of the body Feet Attitudes. But there is some danger in using a name that does not fully describe, and we must not forget that these are not merely positions of the feet, but are attitudes of the whole body. Indeed they might truly be called Mind Attitudes, for they show the different attitudes of the mind.

EXERCISES

Describe Exercises 13-15 as clearly and vividly as you would if giving them for the first time to a class of your own. Then lead the class in practicing them correctly.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What are gestures?

2. What are gestures for?

3. Have gestures any definite meaning? Do they convey thought and feeling?

4. Can the same words mean different things when given with different tones and gestures?

5. If a man is frequently touching his cuffs, feeling his necktie, or his mustache, do these gestures mean anything?

6. Will Emotion or Discrimination have the more precise gestures?

7. Will Presentation have quicker gestures than Voli

tion?

8. In which mood will the speaker make the fewest ges

tures?

9. In which mood will the speaker make the largest

gestures?

10. What is the difference between gesture and gesticu

lation?

11. What two other names might we give to the Feet Attitudes?

12. Give these words, "What is truth?" so as to convey different meanings:

a. How does the hardened, careless, sneering Pilate

say it?

b. How would the words be said by the thoughtful, perplexed Nicodemus, who has tried hard understand?

c. How would the eager, adoring Mary say it?

to

d. Is this the same thought in each case, or is the
thought different, though the words
same?

are the

13. When a student says, "I want help on my oration, but I don't want to put in any gestures," what would you say?

14. Do a speaker's gestures ever contradict his words? Ought they to do so?