The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1874-03-19
The Use ofBOsA Hands.

OUu use luAb nuuu Huu OpV y"S
right hand" are iljuuCtiOnS that The child
hears from The very FIRST, and before be is
old enough to understand the spoken
words, The outstretched left baOd is put
back and the coveted toy given only to the
right.
"Whyf" he ask, ns soon as be is old
enough to demand reason for tho slight
put upon the unoFoudiug member,
Because" replies mamma, sageIy, lit
is awkward, or, ut isu'l polite"
Why il should be awkward or impoliIe
70 use tue LEI! hand, mamma never thinks
to enquire, That tho czigenccs Of militia
~ discipline 10 some fghtiug age Of for
gotten barbarisn made it necessary that
all men should give preference to The same
hand, or some other equally wise and pc.
tent reason established the custom at a
time when one Skilrul hand was enough
for one person, mamma neither knows nor
cares; nor dose il occur 10 her that times
change, and that a good rule for one gen.
Grafton may DO a bad one for another. -
Grant that social convenience is favored BY
uniform use Of the right hand for certain
purposes, that is no Sulicieu! reason for
subordDaling the left hand 10 oil things,
especially when The conditions of our lives
nud occupations make it very frequently
imperative that tue unframed left hand
shall learn to do tho work Of tho ViaabIe
right hand.
From the nursery the boy goes to
school, and here the same unreasonable
prejudice awaits him Through instinct.
accident, or caprice, he grasps bis pen or
pencil With hi, left hand, aud bis knuck.
les are sharply raped forit Why should
he not be taught TO write and draw with
both hands2 It would take but little il
any more time; and lift did, itwould only
keep him busy during moments which be
would otherwise devote TO illenesS or mis-
chief. The acquisition would never be
worthless, aud it might be of immense
convenience to him. He might never
have occasion to use his double capacity
after the fashion Of The popular scientist
and teacher whose two.handcd black board
sketches are such a delight to his auditors,
and who is said TO pursue bis microscopic
studies with pen at one side and a pen
Gil at tho other, drawing with one hand
and writing with the other as tho develop.
mcut Of subject may require; nevertheless
his two.fold skill would ever be possible
source Of satisfaction aud advantage to him
He would DO free at any moment to rest
a hand exhausted by protracted use with
out any interruption Of bis work; be would
be less likely to be disabled by triaiug hur'sj
and, ifone hand were stidcned by heavy
labor, the other might be keptin readiness
for delicate manipulatioDs for writing,
drafting aud the the like.
We have secen more than one ambidex-
trous artiSan whose ability to handle tools
with either hand, as occasion demanded,
gave him constant advantages over his one
handed mates, not only in the avoidance
of fatigue, but in the performance of nice
work and tho overcoming Of difficulties,
hard to come at by those restricted to the
use Of a single hand The right handed
man who can use hammer or a knife
readily with bis left baud, or can tie OIL
unite knot with bis right hand is other
wise engaged, will find frequent use for bis
skill. Indeed the advantages we miss
through the generalization Of the negec'
ted member are Infinite 10 number and oil
inccssant recurrence, They are among
the takes we pay TO custom.
1t would be useless to recommend tbt
nature to undertake the culture Of Their
left hands. They have been cleft" un'
used and unframed too long; and the prop
or time for such work is in childhood aud
youth, when the muscles arc tractable
and time abundant But need it 10 use
less to urge parents to encourage such
training on the part Of their children, OF
,atleast, not to discOurageitH
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WHY'S NEw SLED.-WiIly lives al
the top of hill His father works in q
shop at the foot Of it. Last winter be