, Nov. 1862.

DEAR CONTINENTAL:

Did you ever study the language of signs?

I have--and a queer language it is. It is divided into two great
families.

The first is of street signs.

The second of signs manual, optical, and otherwise by gesture
sign-ificant.

An excellent illustration of this latter class was witnessed lately in a
police court of this city. I give it as narrated to me by a friend.

A deaf mute, whose banged and battered face spoke for itself, lately
appeared before a local magistrate to complain of the sufferings
inflicted upon him by certain iniquitarians to ye court unknown.

'He's deaf and dumb as a nadder, your honor,' remarked the solemn
policeman who introduced the silent man. 'But he kin tell his story
bully.'

And he did.

Striking an attitude the dumb one pointed to his bruises, and then
struck out one, two and three _a la_ Heenan, to signify that his sorrows
had been caused by a pugilistic attack.

The court nodded its perfect comprehension of the business thus far.

Raising the two fingers of his left hand, the mute bowed them up and
down, so that they seemed to be human beings with solidified legs,
making salaams to the court.

The court nodded.

Then the two fingers precipitated themselves fiercely against the
forefinger of the right hand, which at once fell down, and was danced
upon and bumped in a variety of ways by the inhuman digits of the
sinister party.

The court nodded. It understood that the dumb man had been attacked by
two persons.

But who were the two?

Elevating the forefinger of the left hand, the plaintiff first pointed
to its face--or the place most suggestive of one, and then pressed his
own nose flat.

The court nodded. One of the assaulters had been flat-nosed.

'A nigger, your honor!' exclaimed the constable in breathless
admiration.

Raising the second finger the dumb man after a second crossed his two
forefingers, and made upon his breast the sign of the cross. It was
catholically done.

The court nodded.

'An Irishman, your honor!' exclaimed the constable, who like the
complainant argued very promptly from religion to nationality. An
Irishman and a nigger--and I'll find out in ten minutes all about it.'

And he did--a warrant was issued, and the guilty men punished.

"Thus he by gestes made knowne hys sufferance."

Yours devoted,
JOT.

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