LAW OF FORM.

Forms bounded by straight lines are vital in their significance.

Forms bounded by curved lines are mental and reflective.

This subject will be found treated further under the heading" Significance of Lines," in "Science of Speech," page 42.

Examples of Vital Action in Straight Lines,

"Charge for the golden lilies, upon them with the lance." "Then clasp me round the neck once more, and give me one more kiss;

And now, my own dear little girl, there is no way but

With that, he lifted high the steel, and smote her in

the side,

And in her blood she sank to earth, and with one groan

she died.

"The Fate of Virginia."

T. R. Macaulay.

Mental gestures may trace out all the lines of geometry, circles, illustrate shapes, measure, indicate lines. The mystic is suggested in the motion of smoke.

"And my prayer like a perfume from censers
Ascendeth to God night and day.

"

"And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. .. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. "

"And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning when he dresseth the lamps. Exodus, 24, 30.

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LAW OF OPPOSITION.

In opposition of the agents of expression is the harmony of gesture. Harmony is born of contrasts. From opposition, equilibrium is born in turn. Equilibrium is the great law of gesture and condemns par

allelism. In so far as we observe this law may we have grace of motion. Opposition is the balance of parts around the center of gravity. In gesture the chest should be the center of balance. The greater the number of agents of expression acting in harmonious opposition the higher the form of expression.

Study poise in ideal figures in paintings and statuary, observing oppositions of head and hand, of all parts of of the body.

LAW OF SEQUENCE.

Impression precedes expression. We must have before we can give, and give in the order of having. The eye is the central agent of expression. The eye leads in expression, next the face, head, hands, then the rest of the body, the word last.

If the expression be vital it is expressed in shorter time than if emotive.

Vital springs into action quickly.

Mental takes time to consider.

The emotive is influenced by both mental and vital. It is second to the vital in point of time. The gestures of the face should make those of the arm forgotten.

NUMBER OF GESTURES.

Gestures should not be too numerous.

We are moved

by only one sentiment at a time; it is useless to multiply gestures. But one gesture is needed for the expression of an entire thought. The gesture is not to express the word, but the thought. As much expression as is possible should be given to the face.

LAW OF FORCE.

Weakness takes a strong attitude and strength takes a weak attitude. This law applies to the mental and to the moral life as well as to the physical life.

RHYTHM.

Rhythm is the measure of time or motion in regularly recurring impulses or accents, as in poetry and music. In gesture it is the inflection with the unfolding of the parts of the body as the action passes over it from joint to joint. Rhythm of gesture is subjective and objetive. Objective rhythm is expressive of the vital nature.

Examples of Objective Rhythm may be found in various expressions, it delights in beating time with a sharp accent, as in ragtime music. As to gesture, the accent is eccentric, outward. The stroke is as in the old calisthenics, and as in certain gestures known as "sledge hammer" and pump handle " gestures and gestures often used to "pound" the Word, rather than to expound it. Children and savages and natures where the vital is in the ascendency delight in this outward stroke or Objective Rhythm.

Subjective Rhythm is a manifestation of the mental and emotive natures. It expresses itself in subtle pulsations from the center with a return to the center. Pulsations of motion correspond to pulsations of emotion. Subjective Rhythm delights in the artistic- literature, music, heavy and light, making rhythmic inflections.

Subjective Rhythm may be likened to a person who when expressing a thought is mindful of its impression on the listener. The thought sent out returns to its source but is colored in the mind of the speaker with the impression it has made. Objective Rhythm is like the person who speaks hit or miss, unmoved as to the impression it makes. One thing is sent out, nothing returns. It is like the child who delights himself pounding with a stick, even to the distraction of sensitive nerves, is unmoved and satisfied so long as he may give vent to his animal spirits.

Applied to gesture, Subjective Rhythm starts from the center with impulses in turn from each of the bodily agents of expression in natural sequence. For example: the bow begins with a look from the eye. The start in giving the feeling of respect is sent out from the lower chest as a center, passes to the head, the hands, the feet; then the body returns to position with the chest lifting or leading back to the erect position.

DIRECTION OF GESTURE.

It has been said that man stands on one globe and bears another on his shoulders. We may say he lives within a globe limited by his reach from the soles of his feet to the arm's reach overhead and to the tips of the fingers with the arms reaching horizontally. Our gestures are made to correspond with this globe in which we live.

This globe of which we are the center may be divided into three general divisions, the Zone of the Superior, the Zone of the Inferior, the Zone of Equality.

The Zone of the Superior is the region of the Beautiful, the Good, the True, Faith, Hope, Love, Heaven, the dwelling place of God, the Positive Pole.

The Zone of the Inferior is the region of the Bad, the False, the Ugly, the Uncertain, the Occult, the Evil, Fear, Unbelief, Hate, the abode of the Evil One, the Negative Pole.

The Zone of Equality is the region of Here, Now, the Real, Zone of the Senses, Material Things, Our Fellows on our own plane.

Zone of Superior corresponds to Ascending,- Zone of the Inferior to Descending,- Zone of Equality to the Horizontal in Law XCIII, page 144 "Science of Speech.

FINESSE OF GESTURE.

Suggestions of a subtle and delicate character often make a strong appeal, especially is this true of that which appeals to any of the five senses.

The fingers may indicate different kinds of surface as hard like marble, delicate as velvet, the feel of granulated or powdered substance, temperature, hot and cold. of the five senses may play an important part in gesture.

Each

TOUCH can suggest heat, cold, hardness, softness, roughness, smoothness, figure, solidity, motion, extension, agreeable, gentle heat, stroke of a soft body— fur, a zephyr.

SMELL may suggest the odor of flowers, perfumes, etc. In offensive odors an effort is made to close the nostrils, to hold the nose, to snuff the offensive odor out of the nostrils. The unpleasant odor is rejected, scorned. In the impolite turning up the nose " is an effort to close the nose.

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