The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-25

HAND-SHAKING. the last number of AH
the Year Round we find the following:-
How did people first get into the habit of
shaking hands The answer is not far to
seek. In early and barbarous times, when
every savage or semi-savage was his own law
giver, judge, soldier, and policeman, and had
to watch over his own safety, in default of
all other protection, two friends or acquaint-
ances, or two strangers desiring to be friends
or acquaintance, when they chanced to meet,
offered each to the other the right hand-the
hand alike of offense and defense, the hand
that wields the sword, the dagger, the club,
the tomahawk or other weapon of war. Each
did this to show that the hand was empty,
and that neither war nor treachery was in
tended. man cannot we'll stab another
while he is engaged in shaking hands with
him, unless he be double-dyed traitor and
villain, and strives to aim cowardly blow
with the left, while giving the right and pre-
tending to be on good terms with his victim.
The custom of hand-shaking prevails, more
or less, among all civilized nations, and is the
tacit avowal of friendship and goodwill, just
as the kiss is of warmer passion.
Ladies', as every one must have remarked,
seldom or never shake hands with the cor
diality of gentlemen, unless it be with each
other. The reason is obvious. 1t is for
them to receive homage, not to give it. They
cannot be expected to show to persons of the
opposite sex warmth of greeting which
might be misinterpreted, unless such persons
are very closely related to them by family or
affection, in which case hand-shaking is not
needed, and the lips do more agreeable duty.
''Every man shakes hands according to his
nature, whetherit be timid or aggressive, proud
or humble, courteous or churlish, vulgar or
refined, sincere or hypocritical, enthusiastic
sr1i Hhn min nfxrny 1ay1fu or,I
idiosyncracies of character may not perhaps
be discoverable in this fashion, but the more
salient points of temperament and individu-
ality may doubtless be made clear to the
understanding of most people by better
study of what shall call the physiology or
the philosophy of hand-shaking
''Some people are too 'robustious' to be
altogether pleasant. They take the offered
hand with the grasp of a vice, and as if they
had, with malice prepe7se, resolved to squeeze
all the delicate little bones of your knuckles
into pulp or minced meat. And while the
tears of agony come into your eyes and run
down your cheeks, they smile at you benig-
nantly, like gentle giants, unconscious of
their strength, and of the tyranny with which
they exercise it.
ITO shake hands without removing the
| glove is an act of discourtesy, which, if un-
| Intentional and thoughtless, requires an
apology lor tne hurry anu lnduNertence WHICH
led to it. This idea would also seem to be an
occult remnant of the old notion that the
glove might conceal a weapon. Hence true
| courtesy and friendship required that the
hand should be naked as proof of bona fdes
''To refuse pointedly to shake hands witt
one who offers you the opportunity in {
friendly manner amounts to declaration o.
hostility. And after aquarrel-or act o.
open hostility-the acceptance of the hant
offered is alike the sign and ratification o
peace. .-r....