ment made at that time will show the existing muscular tenseness and express the inward state of the maker of it. The physical adjustment peculiar to an emotion influences the character of any posture and movement at the time the emotion is experienced.

Then there are reactions which are natural to certain situations and which have been handed down through the ages. When aggressively angry we thrust out the chin, draw back the lips, and throw the body forward. This was the threatening attitude which our prehistoric ancestor presented to his foe. When we feel in the same way, even though we are not preparing for a physical encounter, we assume the same attitude. It is a reflex or habitual response which goes with the situation. When a disagreeable odor is near, the edges of the nostrils draw up. When we are experiencing the emotion of resentment or offense, the nose is turned up also. Consequently it is clear that there is a deep biological and psychological basis for involuntary gestures, for the attitudes which we promptly and unconsciously take when the mind is assailed with certain thoughts with strong feeling associations. These gestures show themselves promptly just as quality changes of the voice do, and they are also almost entirely out of the control of the speaker.

On the other hand, the voluntary gestures are made deliberately because the speaker considers that they will help him express his ideas. Thus one says, "The box was about so long and so wide," holding his hands apart the appropriate distances. One might say, sweeping his hand before him, "There stretched the vast prairie as far as the eye could see." He deliberately makes the gesture to enforce the idea of expanse and to cause the picture to arise more vividly. But even many of these gestures are made without previous intent on the part of the speaker; they simply take place as he utters the words in harmony with them. Consequently we can say

that by far the greater number of gestures are made without conscious direction and come into existence as certain ideas and feelings flood the mind of the speaker.

This is an important thing to know because it will enable us to view the study and practice of gestures in a sensible light. From it we gather that the study of a system of gestures is not of value to enable a speaker to make a gesture deliberately (though it does serve this purpose for the actor), but it is valuable (1) because it affords an orderly and well arranged group of exercises, (2) because the movements made consciously in the exercise may become a part of the speaker's expressional equipment and take place spontaneously during delivery,' and (3) because it will offer a systematic basis for the criticism of other speakers. But before we take up the significance of particular gestures, it will be well to outline some general exercises to give readiness and grace of movement.

2. GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND EXERCISES

The first principle to note is that when a gesture is made, there is a combined and harmonious movement of the whole body, the arm, and the hand. The contributions of all these three are most evident in large, sweeping gestures, but they exist in varying degrees and proportions in all gestures. To make this clear and also to afford a helpful exercise we recommend the use of Indian clubs.

Observe the diagram, which gives five simple movements to be tried separately at first and then in various combinations. If you have no clubs, you can make the movements with the free, open hand. In that case, the palm should be open and flexible and there should be an easy give in both wrist and fingers. Indeed, after practicing with the clubs, the free hand exercise should be used as a transition to gesture execution.

Exercise A. Stretching the hand up as far as possible, describe a giant circle with the shoulder as the center. Notice the slight sway or accommodation of the body. Notice also the flexible give of the wrist. The weight of the club makes these things not only evident but inevitable. Practice without the club and get the same sympathetic sway of the body and turn of the wrist. Do not stiffen the fingers but keep them fairly limp. Now do the exercise with both arms at the same time, first with both hands crossing in front together, then timed so that while one hand is stretched out to the side the other is crossing in front. The arms then pass the face alternately. In connection with gesture work, the movements should always be in the directions indicated by the arrows. Never reverse.

Exercise B. Stretch the hand up as far as possible obliquely as though the man in the diagram were trying

to touch the letter B. Then with the elbow as the center make a movement of the hand that describes what is roughly a circle. Notice the accommodating motion of the shoulder and upper arm as well as the sway of the body. The last is less in this exercise than in Exercise A. Practice with and without clubs, with one hand and with both as in Exercise A. Observe the greater finger and wrist flexibility needed here.

Exercise C. Begin by stretching the hand out to the side at the level of the waist. Describe the ellipse. Notice that both shoulder and elbow come into equal play. The sway of the body is slight and there is some wrist and finger flexibility.

Exercise D. This is the most valuable of all, for it calls for shoulder and elbow rotation and movement in all parts of the arm as well as a high degree of flexibility in wrist and fingers. Notice how the back of the wrist seems to lead the way in the movement and see that the hand on the return movement, down and toward the body, seems to float palm down, while on the outward sweep it is palm up. Yet each position of hand and fingers melts almost imperceptibly into the next.

Exercise E is similar to D, but it is in the lofty plane and calls for even greater hand and wrist freedom, with less elbow and shoulder action. It is the typical "hurrah" gesture.

As soon as the student gets a sense of whole bodily coöperation and flexibility, the clubs should be used less and less and the free hand movements resorted to more and more. It will be observed that we cannot call a movement wholly hand, or wholly forearm, or full arm; one may predominate, but a gesture is an integral part of an entire body change and attitude.

Having cared for the larger aspects, we may give a little more detailed consideration to the hand. First consider the supine hand, with palm up (see figure 2). A

gesture terminating with the palm in this position is called a supine gesture. Observe that the thumb is fairly

free of the palm though not sticking out at right angles. The fingers fall naturally as illustrated, being neither spread wide apart nor stuck rigidly together. Certainly the palm is not stiff. The whole appearance is of ease and flexibility with no suggestion of cramp or stiffness.

Fig. 2.-Supine Hand.

Some students have a tendency to stiffen the palm, cup the palm, spread the fingers, stick out the thumb too far, or turn the thumb in. The following exercise is designed to overcome such defects and cause the hand to fall in the proper disposition at the stroke of a gesture:

Exercise F. Hold the hand before you, with back of the wrist up and the finger drooping limply (figure 3). Then wring vigorously as though to flick off water. Continue this for some time and then terminate it by having the hand fall in the supine position. Then practice a number of gestures calling for the supine hand, with appropriate words such as:

I-I present you with this.

II-That is all the information I have.
III-Behold, how simple.

(Note-Gesture on word in italics.)

Fig. 3.

After this, repeat exercise D with particular attention upon the supine hand at the part of the curve farthest from the body.

If the free movements and the supine hand position, practiced for in exercises A, B, C, D, E, and F, are perfected, other movements and hand positions, to be