The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-05-08
Fashions
The Coming Nan.

The coming man VIII certainly be
a marvellous creature. His prophets
are on every hand, and to n and
all the omens are full Of the wonder
ful thing he will devise and do. He
is. to be sure, long 10 coming; we
evidently have not yet een him
but his progenitors, AZ least, may be
said to have arrived. II is amusing,
indeed, to e how the propbesied
coming man, as be is portrayed by
this OF that locker into the future, is
sf5und to be endowed with the pecu-
liar tastes and accomplishments, aud
often even with the idiosyncrasies, Of
the po.trayer. The balloonist, for
instance, is sure that the coming man
will ride the air and send serene
midway betwixt sea and armament;
the skeptic doubts not that when the
man comes, be Will be wholly eman-
cipated from tradition and supersti-
ton; to the socialist, the coming map
will, with angelic cOmp3suce, divide
up bis yearly gains with his neigh
Dor: The II lthusian viii have the
coming man cease 10 recklessly
over populate the globe. Much
might be said, too, Of what the com
ing woman will do and be. She has
her prophets and prophetesses toe.
She will, no doubt, arrive at the per-
feclion Of combined convenience and
grace in dress: perhaps she viii vote
and preside over Legislative w%rangles,
and dine as envoy at royal tables.
Mr. Charles Reade, with a wit and
Invention that might be expected
from his performance in imaginative
literature, has discovered a new at
tribute, which be thinks is certain
the coming man and woman viii
possess. What is remarkable is that
this attribute, though suggested by a
brain which is above all faucifui, is a
severely practical one. He s9ystha'
the human phenomenon of the future
viii be an ambideXter, or both-hand
ed person. Bringing the whole fore,
Of his brilliant rhetoric to bear upon
/ his subject, Mr.. Reade arrsigns ID,
distinction between the right and the
left hand as a relic Of remote barbar.
ism. To think, he SAYS, that the lefi
hand is unlucky, is to subscribe to
heather mythology. 1t vas a ira
dition Of the juvenile world, as b
calls what we commonly know a.
ancient times. The according 0
distinction and superior skill to The
right hand has no warrant, either il
the structure of the organs, or ever
10 the human instinct. 1t is wholly
a matter Of custom by inheritance
Yet 10 a long array Of very rich his
torical learning, be shows how Uni
v~ersal, in time and place, the custom
has been. We find 10 the Bible. ia
cob was the son of Rachael's rigb
band.-Jacob blessed Ephraim will
the right hand. According to Mo
ses, il was the Lords right hand tina
gave the law.-Solomon seated hi:
mother on his right as 8 mark Of hon
or. Homer and the Greek writers
Virgil and the Latin ones, closely
follow the traditional use and sym
bolism of the two hands. Dexterou
came from the latin word meaning
right hand, and sinister from tha
nearing the left. Even in moGerI
tongues the same superstition is GxeI
, deep: The French use droit, th
} English right, Cor a mural attribute
/, as well as for a physical locality; th
French gsuche, or awkward, mean
als6 left. The same signiecan. pc
!, euliarity is to be found 10 SpanisI
snd Italian. Always it Is seen tina
words derived from right are eulo
/ Cystic, those frcm the left uocompli
mentary aud sometimes ~6isgracefuI
Mr.. Reade unlocks al this store O
learning to prove that IL dist.inctio.
? is traditional, and not instructive
sad be urges the world to hasten To,
coming Of the hoth-handed, bv be
ginning nov to teach children 20 US
each hand with equal skill. Their
would, no doubt, be great advant
ages 10 this; but we fear bat Nj
Reade'sown exposition shows man
kind to be too closely welded I
Fight-handedness TO make the reforn
a rapid or easy Spe.-Erom APplc
, fo1's Journal far HqU