upon the object, the hands one or both are outstretched toward the object-each part of the body expresses that emotion. But if there be an object of aversion, then the body is thrown back, the head up, or turned to the side, the eye to the side, the hand repels-all express aversion.

THE SYMPATHETIC.

One style or manner of speech each speaker should studiously avoid-the unsympathetic, inharmonious, which reflects no feeling, sentiment. Have you not heard the mechanical voice, automatic speech-making, —a tone that might be produced by an instrument of wood, or base metal? Have you not seen gestures that were made as by a jumping jack, where arms move as impelled by pulleys that were revolved by some crank? There are but few parts of discourse that are so thoughtive as to admit no coloring of sympathy. There lies here one danger in practice of vocal exercises-a danger of machine work. The mere development of a voice, sole production of tone or voice power, is mechanical.

You must cultivate that tone produced. It is only raw material for speech. It is the hard, unspeaking rock and you must give it form and expression of statue work. It is the unhewn oak, you must smooth it, give it shape for your higher purpose. Mark this, the unsympathetic, matter-of-fact tone is usually the result of habit. We habitually restrain all emotional feeling and impulse and grow methodical and common-place in speech. A noisy speaker is a nuisance; noise is opposed to intensity.

Do you not observe the differences of the tones of voice; and is it not apparent that the gesture would be

different in the examples? Now, you must increase these differences-you must make the sad more sad, the determined more determined, the lively more lively, &c.

Gesture-Action.

If you utter a sentence firmly, you will observe a strong action of the muscles of the waist and of the organs of articulation at the thought word. Try this sentence: "Time himself grows gray," emphasis on "himself." Try it again and raise the hand as you speak it and you will perceive the hand will complete the movement on "himself." Thus, the gesture goes with the idea, and is completed at the thought word.

Then, each Accent is really a Gesture, and all other movement of hand, arm, limb or entire body is but carrying out the impulse of the idea. So, I may make a thousand gestures and not move hand or foot, and I may move hands and feet a thousand times and not make one gesture. For, if the movement does not accord with the idea, and is not complete at the thought-word, it is not gesture.

This is the law of gesture-The movement is with the idea. If a sentence has six ideas, there are six gestures, and each one may be carried out with movement of hand, arm or entire body.

This action of the body has a wonderful effect upon the speaker as well as upon the audience. It rouses the speaker. It increases the circulation of his blood, gives mental activity and enables him to forget his auditors and be master of himself. Gesture must first affect the speaker. This action, beginning with muscles of the waist, and bringing into play all the

parts of the body, rouses the will, warms the blood, and stimulates the brain. Standing in easy position, try this sentence: I will do this, emphasis on “will." As you pronounce "will," allow the hands to clench, the muscles of the neck to become firm, and the limbs to become braced. Try it again and raise one hand high as the head, or higher, keeping the body firm. Practice vigorously several times. Now, you will observe its effect upon you results not so much from the position of body and limbs, as from the firmness of each part, the contraction of muscles. The audience will not see this gesture-they will feel it. A blind man in your audience would know you made it.

Try these examples, making the body firm for each emphatic accent.

1. Dare! I have dared cry "Come on!" to a cohort of bearded warriors, and is it thy smooth face shall appal me! Dare!

2. Glamis thou art and Cawder, and shalt be what thou art promised.

3. Where is my father? I'll not be juggled with! I'll be revenged most fully for my father.

Man is intelli

Each part of the body may express an idea. Hands are no more dumb than lips. gent to his toes and fingers.

GESTURE.

N. For examples in Gesture practice, use the Selections of Book II.

If objects are material, we designate them in four ways. I. With the eye-we look at them. 2. With the body-we lean toward or from the object. 3.

With the foot-we step toward or from the object. 4. With the hand, we point out the object. We may use one or all of these modes of designating the object; the more interest we have in the object, the more fully should we direct attention to it. Thus, a person passes my window, I see him, I become interested in him; I lean forward to observe him closely; I step forward; I point to him to call attention of others to him.

If things are imaginary, then my work is double. I wish now to have you see what I saw yesterday, last week, last year, or what I have in my mind. I must show my audience what my mind sees. Thus if it be a tree, mountain, river, building, person, landscape, any scene or spectacle, à picture of it all is upon the mind and we describe this picture. As if you should say: Ladies and gentlemen, out there is a valley, down through it flows a river, over there is a lofty mountain; there is a house, here are the people; a boat is on that river, and so on, until your picture is before the audience in detail. When you thus give each object a place, it becomes real to you and to the audience.

AS TO ABSTRACT THINGS.

Thoughts, Emotions, Ideas, Facts, Truths, Joy, Hope, Sorrow, &c., things not material, all these must be treated as material. Treat them as if you could see, touch, handle them. Observe the following: 1. Here are books. (Material.)

2. Here are facts. (Abstract.)
I. This is my watch, (Material.)
2. This is my opinion. (Abstract.)
I. Give me money! (Material.)
2. Give me sympathy. (Abstract.)

Here you will observe that the same movement of gesture can express the two sentences.

Then we treat as if Personages, Joy, Hope, Love, Time, Death, &c., as actual creations of form with powers of mind and soul. So, we address them, reach out our hands to them, repel them, beseech them. And as to location, well, heaven is the source of all our good and as things appear better we place them higher; as they lessen in grandeur or benefit, we place them lower. Thus virtues are angels and vices are demons.

WORD PICTURES.

Pictures make up the alphabet of Fancy, but they spell out many of our best thoughts. Picture language is common to all nations, all conditions of mankind. In the first rude carvings of the savage, the rough hieroglyphics of the ancients, or the polished simile or metaphor of Tennyson or Longfellow, it is the same principle. When we have striking, beautiful thoughts, we use pictures to portray them.

Thus we try to get or give an idea of Time. "Time" is a "stream," an "ocean," a "valley," a "desert," an "old man," a "spirit."

Thus "years" run as "sands," "flow as brooks," "days" fly like "the shuttle." “Liberty" is a “woman,” an “angel," a divine spirit." Ships are "white-winged birds," the "winds of heaven" are "messengers," a "Nation" is a "woman," a "spirit," a "goddess" as the names of nations all go to show. And so, when we think of these things, some picture comes to our minds, and our gesture must be such as to portray that picture. Then, of course, two persons may name the same thing and their gesture be widely different. Suppose they both speak of "Time" and one pictures it as a "river," the other as "an old man with his scythe," the gesture of each must accord with his mental conception.