CHAPTER XXIII

PICTURE WRITING AND SIGN LANGUAGE

The next best thing to seeing one’s friends is hearing from them, and the more interesting the letter the greater the enjoyment, particularly when the communication is intended to be passed around the entire home circle. There is a delightful way in which to express yourself differently from ordinary writing, a method used by the early Egyptians, called picture writing. The Egyptian pictures were not at all like those made by modern artists; their representations were crude and unfinished, yet they answered very well for the people and the times. You have advantages over those ancient people inasmuch as you need not even attempt to draw the designs. All that is necessary for you to do is merely to look over the newspaper and magazine advertisements, select the prints needed, and after cutting out and pasting them on a sheet of paper, with a few connecting words between, you will have produced an odd, interesting letter, and the work will be pure fun.

Fig. 572 gives an idea of such a letter, supposed to have been written on Thanksgiving. Try to read it. For fear you might not quite catch the meaning, here it is interpreted for you:

"Dear Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins: I send you greetings. I know there will be a cooking of tarts, turkey, puddings, and lots of good things. I like sweetmeats and fruit best. Please use the camera and send me a picture of the family while at dinner, and of my cousins standing in a row. Wishing you a jolly time,

“As ever, your ”HOPEFUL ONE."

This is intended only as a suggestion; if you can write your letter entirely with pictures, without the aid of words, it will be much better.

There is another method you might employ; take the well-known

=Symbols=

and compose your missive of these. Such as the dove, meaning peace, gentleness; anchor, hope; ark, refuge; key, explanation; chain, bondage; star, promise; lamb, innocence; scales, justice; horn of plenty, prosperity; heart, love; shepherd’s crook, protection, and hour-glass, time. The list is much longer, but enough has been given to explain the scheme; other designs may be added as needed, but use only those whose significance is well established and commonly understood.

=Flower Writing=

makes a charming letter, the blossoms being placed in rows according to their meaning as given in the language of flowers. Compose a sentence of white clover, oats, and balm, and it will read:

“I promise (white clover) music (oats) and social intercourse (balm).”

This might form part of an invitation to your house-party.

Fig. 573.

For a regular

=Indian Powwow=

letter you must do as the red man does and write in Indian signs, which are usually rudely drawn figures meaning much to our copper-colored brother, but often requiring ingenuity on the part of the white man to translate. Some of the best examples are to be seen on sandstone in Dakota County,