Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-02-17
SHAKING HANDS.

AMONG The Romans q hand was the
emblom Of good faith. and the almost
universal adoption of clasped hands in
marriage and other solemn ceremonies
prove this TO have been custom in
stinctiyely considered rs cmhlematic OF
union and fidelity; unfortunately, just
as the kiss, nj any rate between women
and relations, has ceased 10 be atOken
of the truest and strongest affection, 30
has the hand-shake also fallen some
what from its high estate, and become
n mere idle ceremony not necessarily
conveying an impression Of any special
interest or regard. In the ancient usage
Of striking hands as pledge of fidelity
IN confirming bargain "a no dou5t 10
be found the origin Of shaking hands.
~Who is no thai will strike hands with
mepy asks Job, when complaining of
the unmerited contempt and mistrust
10 which he was subjected We also
learn that In ancient Rome the hand
shake was utilized in manner not an.
familiar TO the would-bc legislators Of
modern times; that, in fact, il was one
Of the cOndeseensions practiced by
those who aspired 20 a seat in
the Senate, TO win the goodwill
and adherence of their low-burn con.
stituents; for it is said Of iScipio Nasica,
the enemy OF 1iberius Gracious, that In
canvassing for votes he exclaimed, ON
taking the rough hand Of n laborer-
WHAT DO YOU walk on yourhandsg ?"
IL Is natural that snga9es In their love
of imitation should conform by degrees
to the usages OF more civilized nations,
and in nothing Is this more marked than
in their adoption Of kissing and shaking
hands as expressive of love aud friend
ship. A certain facetious ethnologist
declares that the. existence OF savage
tribes who do not kiss their women is a
conclusive proof OF primeyal barbarsm,
since, he says, had they once known the
practice, they could not possibly have
forgotten H. The Rcd Indians have
certainly learpb the habit OF shaking
handsfin wishing one another good
morrow from the Europeans, but for
many centuries previously they seem ta
have clasped hands as atoken OF fidelity
in iNtifylng a bond. Some nations
have very eccentric. not to say un-
pleasAnt. modes Of saying, "HOw dc
3 you Aop' And the further we de.
scend in the scale of race-develop.
ment, the more we lind the oivilities
exchanged by human beings assimilat-
ing 10 those OF the lower animals, such
endoarments as patting, stroking, sniff.
ing, blowing, rubbing noses, etc, be
ing common. Some Pacific Islanders
who now shake hands used to show
their Joy at meeting BY smiling, at theil
friendsafter the fashion OF amiabls dogs.
The FuegianA pat and slap each other
Tho folynesian takes his friends hand
f,sst n ~.
II, Amongst the Todas of the Nilgher.
~ hills respect sshown by raising the
riglfkhand t0tlie face. and placing the
thumb on the bridge Of the nose. The
people Of Iddah greet You by shaking
their,fst in yohr face, The ceremony
otrubbihg depressing noses is common
toemany countries LinIieus found Il
praetieed in the Lapland Alps, while
Darwin describes the abUrigines OF Aus
tralia as Invariably pressing the tips O
their noses together on meeting, con
< tinuing the process fora space of time
somewhat longer than would be re
quired for q cordial shake Of the
hand, and accompanying it with sun
dry short grtmts of extreme satlsfac
ton, Some OF the tribes in Contra
Africa take one another's hands on
meeting, but considering this INSULT
Client, al the same time testify theil
regard for q friend by gently rubbing
his arm with the other hand. Anything
but flatterinR To one's self-love is the
hend-eluke perfunctory, in which the
performer, irst raising your hand
gives II sharp, quick, impressive
movement LoWnwards, and then drops
y abruptly, rs though he would say
80 Iherel + have done my duty fol
this time, SO far as you are concerned.
Then we have alsothe handsshake per
pendIoular, in which the whole arm ]:
moved theoretically up ndtdowu Wit
precisely the action Of a punp.handle
and the 'hand-shake horizontal, in which