The Red Cloud chief., 1881-04-07
SHAKING HANDS.

marriage and other solemn ceremonies
prove this 10 have been n custom in
stinctIvcly considered a cmblematic OF
union aud fidelity; unfortunately, just
n the kiss, at any rate beiw women
and relations. has ceased to be a token
81 the trlest and strongest affection. so
has the h~and-saake also fallen some
what from It's high estate, and become
mere idle ceremony not necessarily
converting AL impression of ans special
interest OF regard. In the ancient usage
of striking hands as a pledge of fidelity
in confirming a rgain is no dOu5t TO
be found the origin of shaking hands.
Who is be that viii strike hands with
me2'A asks Job, when complaining Of
the unnler.ted contempt and mistrust
to which he was subjected. We also
learn that in ancient Rome the hand
shake was utilized in a manner not I'M
familiar ID the would-be legislators of
modern times; that, in fact, X was n
of the condescensions practiced by
those who asPired TO n seat in
the Senate. to win the goodwill
and adherence OF their low-born con-
s~tituents; for il is said of Scipio Nasica,
the enemy of TiberiHs Gracchus. that in
canvaSsiny for votes he exclaimed. on
taking the rough hand of 4 laborer-
What, Do you walk on your hands?'
1t Is natural that sayages in their love
of Imitation should conform BY degrees
10 the usages of more civilized nations,
and in nothing is this more marked than
in their adoption of kissing and shaking
hands a expressive OF love and friend
ship A certain facetious ethnologist
declares hat the existence of savage
tribes who do not kiss their women is a
conclusive proof of primeval barbarism.
since. he SAYS. had they once known the
practice, they could not possibly have
forgotten it. The Red Indians have
certainly learnt the habit of shaking
hands in wishing one another good
morrow from the Europeans, but for
MANY centuries previously they seem to
have clasped hands n atoken OF fidelity
in ratifving q bonl. Some nations
have very eccentric. not TO say In
pleasant. modes of saying, allow do
YOU do?' And the further we de-
scend in the scale of race-develop-
ment, the more we find the civilities
exchanged by human beings assimilat-
ing To those of the lower animals, sueh
endearments as pattfng, stroking, sniff
ing. blowing, rubbing noses, etc, be-
ing IN Some Pacific Islanders
who now shake hands used TO show
their joy ut meeting by shifting at their
friends after the fashion of amiable dogs.
The Fuegians pat and slap each other.
The Polynesian takes his friends hand
<Tr foot. and strokes his own fac with
IL. Amongst the Todas OF the Nilgher-
~ hills respect is shown by raising the
right hand ID the face, n placing the
thumb on the bridge of the nose. The
people of lddah greet you By shaking
their fist in vour face. The
of rubbing or pressing noses is common
TO MANY countries; Linnseus found it
( praciiced in the Lapland Alps, while
Darwin describes the aborigines of Aus
tralia Is. invariably pressing the tips of
their noses together on meeting. con
timing the process for a space of time
somewhat longer thar would be re-
quired for n cordial shake of the
hand. and ACCOMPANYING 1t with sun
dry short grunis of extreme satisfac-
tor. Some OF the tribes in Central
Africa take one another's hands on
meeting, but considering this INSULT
Gent, AZ the same time testify their
regard for a friend by gently rubbing
his arm with the other hand. Anything
but fattering TO ones self-lore is the
hand-shake perfunciory. in which the
performer. first raising your hand.
gives il a sharp. quick. impressive
movement downwards, and then drops
II abruptly, as though he would say, !
There, / have done nv duty for
this time, 50 far IS YOU are concerned"
~ -. l.-a L.. H.. ko.l .l.Ha -
p~endicular. in which the whole arm is
Vnoved theoretically I'D and down with
precisely the action Of 4 pump-handle;
and the ha~nd-shake horizontal. in which
the arm is moved with equal vigor from
side 10 side; representatives OF the last
two types produce or meeting an ad-
mirabie illustration OF the mechanical
Rpmbination of forces, the result Of
their Misunderstanding being 4 curious rots-
tory motion so embarrassing to the chief
sectors. so comical TO the spectator. that
no one who has once witnessedthe same
is ever likely to forget it. One man
at least We know who has the Gu !
rious habit of embracing his friend s left
SHOW with his disengaged hand while
the right is employed in the customary
} greeting. a trick which bears = close re-
lationship 70 the ~arm-rubDing at certain
tribes in Central Africa The muscular
hand shaker is generally a very good
fellow, but the vice-like pressure of his
fist, though ii comes from the heart.
and may be in that sense pleasing, yet
causes his victims nearly as much phys
ical discomfort as would the embrace
ID a tame bear. A true. warm hearted
friend is a valuable possession. but one
would prefer being convinced of his
affection in some other way than by
having ones joints dislocated- "B. is
an excellent fellow" said some one, in
speaking of 3 muscular philanthropist
al this type, "but l shook hands with
himScuce, and eve since that. when
eyefI see him, 1 put my hands in my
pocket and keep them there" III
would be impossible to enumerate all
the different modes of shaking hands
with which one has grown familiar, but
II is a subject the consideration of
which. besides adording some amuse-
,kut for an idle hour, may really be
of rse 10 the student of human nature,
since though not an unerring index to
a mans character. it gives q clue TO il
at least as Trustworthy as phrenoloy
and physiognomy; for instance, the
man of an honest, open nature is not
likely 10 use habituaiiy the hand shake
sleretire, nor VIII he of modest kindly
disposition only xouchsafe two fingers
to bis friends. The languid h~and-ehAks
win generally be found peculiar to per-
sous of cold, lynphatic temperament,
ubiIe the hand-shake ~retentive shows
what may be in many respects. a fine
character marred by 8 certain self-sufh-
c;eN and want of consideration for the
feeiInps of others. The hand-shake
muscular generally accompanies warmth
and intensity of affection, combined