162 THE E VOL UTION OF L A NG UA GE. 



by pretending to drop two coins from one hand into the 

 other ; if there had been any doubt as to whether they 

 were copper or silver coins, this would have been settled 

 by pointing to something brown or even by one s con 

 temptuous way of handling coppers which at once dis 

 tinguishes them from silver. The mother also gives 

 the child a jar, shown by sketching its shape with the 

 forefingers in the air, and going through the act of 

 handing it over. Then by imitating the unmistakable 

 kind of twist with which one turns a treacle-spoon, it 

 is made known that it is treacle the child has to buy. 

 Next, a wave of the hand shows the child being sent 

 off on her errand, the usual sign of walking being 

 added, which is made by two fingers walking on the 

 table. The turning of an imaginary door-handle now 

 takes us into the shop, when the counter is shown by 

 passing the flat hands as it were over it. Behind this 

 counter a figure is pointed out ; he is shown to be a 

 man by the usual sign of putting one s hand to one s 

 chin and drawing it down where the beard is or would 

 be ; then the sign of tying an apron around one s waist 

 adds the information that the man is the shopman. 

 To him the child gives her jar, dropping the money into 

 his hand, and moving her forefinger as if taking up 

 treacle to show what she wants. Then we see the jar 

 put into an imaginary pair of scales which go up and 

 down ; the great treacle-jar is brought from the shelf 

 and the little one filled, with the proper twist to take 

 up the last trickling thread ; the grocer puts the two 

 coins in the till, and the little girl sets off with the jar. 

 The deaf-and-dumb story-teller went on to show in 

 pantomime how the child, looking down at the jar, saw 

 a drop of treacle on the rim, wiped it off with her 



