Part 3 (2/2)

In Fig 76 an ambulant secretary or public writer is seated at his little table, on which are the er tools of his trade He wears spectacles in token that he has read and written much, and has one seat at his side to accommodate his customers On this is seated a married woman who asks him to write a letter to her absent husband

The secretary, not being told what to write about, without surprise, but somewhat amused, raises his left hand with the ends of the thuers naturally open, a con for _inquiry_ ”What shall the letter be about?” The wife, not being ready of speech, to rid herself of the e her estures all that is in her ht hand to her heart, with a corresponding glance of the eyes she shows that the theme is to be _love_ For emphasis also she curves the whole upper part of her body towards him, to exhibit the intensity of her passion To con of _asking_ for soe 291) The letter, then, is to assure her husband of her love and to beg hi affection The other woman, perhaps her sister, who has understood the whole direction, regards the request as silly and fruitless and ison her feet, she takes a step toward the wife, who she thinks is unadvised, and raises her left hand with a sign of disapprobation This position of the hand is described in full as open, raised high, and oscillated frons have the same idea of oscillation of the hand raised, often near the head, to express _folly, fool_ She clearly says, ”What a thing to ask! what a fool you are!” and at the san of _money_ This is made by the extreainst each other, and is shownand counting of coin This e 344

So the sister is clearly disapproving with her left hand and with her right giving good counsel, as if to say, in the combination, ”What a fool you are to ask for his love; you had better ask hi 78--Neapolitan hot-corn vender]

[Illustration: Fig 79]

[Illustration: Fig 80]

In Naples, as in Areen corn are vended with78 shows a boy who is attracted by the local cry ”_Pollanchelle tenerelle!_” and seeing the sweet golden ears still boiling in the kettle frorance, has an ardent desire to taste the saht open hand is advanced toward the desired object with the sign of _asking_ or _begging_, and he also raises his left forefinger to indicate the nuive irl is by no means cajoled, and while her left hand holds the ladle ready to use if he dares to touch her lio da no cuorno!_” freely translated, ”I'll give you one _in a horn!_” This gesture is draith clearer outline in Fig 79, and hasto the subject-matter and context, and also as applied to different parts of the body Applied to the head it has allusion, descending froh antiquity, to a marital misfortune which was probably common in prehistoric times as well as the present It is also often used as an aeneral, and directed toward another person is a prayerful wish for his or her preservation from evil This use is ancient, as is shown on medals and statues, and is supposed by sohtered in sacrifice The position of the fingers, Fig 80, is also given as one of Quintilian's oratorical gestures by the words ”_Duo quoque medii sub pollicem veniunt_,” and is said by hiument In the present case, as a response to an ireeable petition, it siive you nothing but what is vile and useless, as horns are”

Fig 81 tells a story which is substantially the foundation of the slender plot offorth from their chrysalides of Harlequin, Coluirl, with the consent of her parents, has for some time promised her hand to an honest youth The old ive her daughter to another suitor The father, though much under the sway of his spouse, is in his heart desirous to keep his engagement, and has called in the notary to draw the contract At this reater perspicuity and brevity, e names as follows:

Cecca, diminutive for Francisca, the mother of-- Nanella, diminutive of Antoniella, the betrothed of-- Peppino, diminutive of Peppe, which is diminutive of Giuseppe

Pasquale, husband of Cecca and father of Nanella

Tonno, diminutive of Antonio, favored by Cecca

D Alfonso, notary

[Illustration: Fig 81--Disturbance at signing of Neapolitan82]

Cecca tries to pick a quarrel with Peppino, and declares that the contract shall not be signed He reminds her of her promise, and accuses her of breach of faith In her passion she calls on her daughter to repudiate her lover, and casting her ar off friendshi+p--”_scocchiare_”--which, she has herselfthe hand with the joined ends of finger and thu the the union This the latter reluctantly pretends to do with one hand, yet with the other, which is concealed fro with eesture vocabulary, on the sign _scocchiare_ beingto accept the breach of former affection, he replies in the sa the index of the other hand between the index and thu the separation by the presence of aout the hand in any responsive gesture is sufficient to indicate that the breach is not accepted, but that the party addressed desires to continue in friendshi+p instead of resolving into enative, however, does not suit Peppino's vivacity, who, placing his left hand on his bosoation This consists of the palm turned to the person addressed with the index soers, the whole hand being oscillated froesture appears on ancient Greek vases, and is coation shown by the horizontal oscillation, the whole being translatable as, ”That thing I want not, won't have, reject” The sign is virtually the same as that made by Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians (see EXTRACTS FROM DICTIONARY, page 440, _infra_) The conception of oscillation to show negation also appears with different execution in the sign of the Jicarilla Apaches and the Pai-Utes, Fig 82 The san is reported fro 83--Co home of Neapolitan bride]

Tonno, in hopes that the quarrel is definitive, to do his part in stopping the cerehted candles, which are an iood old man Pasquale, with his hands extended, raised in surprised displeasure and directed toward the insolent youth, stops his attempt The veteran notary, familiar with such quarrels in his experience, s in his quiet attitude, extends his right hand placidly to Peppino with the sign of _adagio_, before described, see Fig 68, advising hiet excited, but to persist quietly, and all would be well

Fig 83 portrays the first entrance of a bride to her husband's house She couid ht hand loosely holds a handkerchief, ready to apply in case of overpowering ens to be, so timid and embarrassed as to require support by the arm of a friend who introduces her She is followed by a male friend of the family, whose joyful face is turned toward supposed by-standers, right hand pointing to the new acquisition, while with his left he79, which in this connection is to wish prosperity and avert misfortune, and is equivalent to the words in the Neapolitan dialect, ”_Mal'uocchie non nce pozzano_”--may evil eyes never have power over her

[Illustration: Fig 84]

The feuides her es her left hand into the sign of _beautiful_--”See what a beauty she is!” This sign is htly touching each side of the lower cheek, the other fingers open It is given on a larger scale and slightly varied in Fig 84, evidently referring to a fat and rounded visage Aln is made by the Ojibwas of Lake Superior, and athe cheeks alternately down to the tip of the chin with the palers

[Illustration: Fig 85]

The n _n, made with the hand clenched and the point of the thuers, is in, being found on Greek antiques that have escaped the destruction of time, more particularly in bronzes, and undoubtedly refers to the _pudendum muliebre_ It is used offensively and ironically, but also--which is doubtless the case in this instance--as an invocation or prayer against evil, being esture before described With this sign the Indian sign for _fee 357, _infra_, may be compared

The mother-in-law also places her left hand hollowed in front of her abdo a pantomimic representation of the state in which ”wo plainly an expressed hope that the household will be blessed with a new generation