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Show DESTROYED- DONE- GLAD- DISCONTENT. 35 writing, eating, drinking, & c, and never with the negative idea of silence. The special character for " child" always has the above- mentioned part of the sign with reference to nourishment from the breast. An uninstructed deaf- mute, as related by Mr. Denison of the Columbia Institution, invented, to express " sister," first the sign for " female," made by the half- closed bands with the ends of fingers touching the breasts, followed by the index in the mouth. Destroyed, all gone, no more. The hartds held horizontal and the palms rubbed together two or three times circularly; the right hand is then carried off from the other in a short horizontal curve. ( Long.) " Rubbed out." This resembles the Edinburgh and our deaf- mute sign for " forgive" or " clemency," the rubbing out of offense. Several shades of meaning under this head are designated by varying gestures " If something of little importance has been destroyed by accident or design, the fact is communicated by indicating the thing spoken of, and then slightly striking the palms and open fingers of the hands together, as if brushing dust off of them. If something has been destroyed by force the sign is as if breaking a stick in the two hands, throwing the pieces away, and then dusting the hands as before. The amount of force used and the completeness of the destruction are shown by greater or less vigor of action and facial expression." ( Dodge.) Done, finished. The hands placed edges up and down, parallel to each other, right hand outward, which is drawn back as if cutting something. ( Dunbar.) An end left after cutting is suggested; perhaps our colloquial " cut short" The French and our deaf- mutes give a cutting motion downward, with the right hand at a right angle to the left. Glad, phased, content. Wave the open hand outward from the breast ( Burton), to express heart at ease-" bosom's lord sits lightly on its throne." Another gesture, perhaps noting a higher degree of happiness, is to raise the right hand from the breast in serpentine curves to above the head. ( Wied.) " Heart beats high." Another: Extend botli hands outward, palms turned downward, and make a sign exactly similar to the way women smooth a bed in making it. ( Holt.) " Smooth and easy." Dissatisfaction, discontent, is naturally contrasted by holding the index |