The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-07-18

Some time since Charles Reade,
the novelist, wrote an article show.
ing that ull men should be ambi-
deXtrous, ana contending that they
could be taught to use both hunds
from tue cradle. Whereupon a
gentleman Of Cincinnati, repre-
sentod as being very Intelligent
and respectable, wrote lettor to
the novelist taking issue with him.
The grounds of difference, and tho
manner in which the great English~
man flew all to pieces in II passion,
arc shown i'll the following COR
rosponlence. Charles Reade
should take some jalap, or else have
s"1fton poultice put on the pit of
his stomach:
CINCINNATI, U. S., April /, 1878.
ar. Charles Reole, 11uthor, Lou-
don, Euyla'tG -
DEAR SIR-I have seen. in O dis
jointe and imperfect form, some
extracts from your recently pub
hshed papers on the subject of
"Ambidexterity." I have only Il
partial knowledge of what you have
said, )ut concede all you may claim
as to possible equality of develop,
ment of both rignt and left sides of
the body, hands, feet, arms, legs,
&c. In doing this L ignore all tho
arguments which might be adduced
from anatomical or physiological
reasons, as L am equal to them,
lrom IL lorance therein. It seems
to me, however, that no advantage
could Jesuit from the cultivation
OF the equality you seem to lay so
much stress upon, but con ntrarily,
great trouble. expense and incon
venlence, besides loss of valuable
time IN pursuing an ignis ,1atuus,
and IN explanation Of my idea will
cite a few familiar examples, as
they occur to me, and which I
think will confirm my objections to
your dogma, in at least two sub
Jccts with which 1 have some
familiarity -
Eirst-Musical instruments.
Second-Mcchanical tools.
l could extend my remarks much
further, but have not timo to spare
Now as to musical Instruments -
| SEQ that in one OF your papers
you intimate that the violin might
be played just rs we'll with the bow
in the left hand and the violin in
tho right as in the mode prescribed
scc'tn1cna artem, which is vice
Ori'$d.
IT. L fairly un lorstlnd your means
ing you are certainly mistaken on
tins point. There are certain
peculiarities in the construction of
the vio.in which would require an
entire contrariety in the position of
oil the strings as we'll as in the
internal structure Of the instrument
in order to enable a Ieft~hanled
mAn to plly upon it with due effect,
and this difference holds good in all
Instruments played with
the bow or by the swapping of tho
fingers, &C., tho violin, viola,
contra bass, guitar,
banjo, cithel.., Sc. also for all the
lnsti uments, as the oboe, clarionet,
bassoon serpent, &C., and also in
all the fingered brass instruments
with valves the sAme difficulty is
founI, that is to say---that to con.
struct any of these instruments in
such q mannor us to enAb.e a Left
handed IN N to play upon them the
mo les OF construction would have
t be reversed
In instruments of modern form
OF the flute family, with intricate
mechanism, sucn as is necessary
to meet the requirements of execu,
ton demanded by modern COM
posers, the intricacies of a double
arrangement of the keys by the
reversal Of all the appliances as
now used, would present almost
insnperable difficulties, and witnout
any compromising advantage. It is
true that the file and the drum, !
the jewsharp and tho military
bngle may be played indifferently
either by right or left hand, but
these are unimportant matters
when compared to the things
already mentioned. (Cymbals and
castinets may be added to the