The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-30
HINTS TO HANDsnAKERs.
Mr.. Lnbouchere's Expcrience-A Matter II
Which Extremes Are 60 be Avoided.
Prom the Lopdon Truth


l am not unsocable but had rather moi
shake hands with everybody; and am quito
sure u good many people would rather not
1t is Just one OF those unwritton laws which
might with advantage often ho more honored
matter in which people trust their Instincts,
and IN VIII ich their instincts are really not TO bo
trusted. am. dead against the current fro.
qucncy Of handwriting in society
Jones droDs IN for an AFTERNOON call; he docs
not really want to see mo; don't really want
To SOC Jones: when no comes shake hands
win MIN, more OF less: when lie leaves. IN live
minutes, he shakes hands with mo, less or
more. hate Jonos's hand. because 1t ~ al
ways damn; Jones knows, that as, well as do.
and sometimes offers me his hand gloved-but
1 delest gIoNged lMnd. had rather not shake
and no more no one but lover wants to shake
hands more than once in Aye minutes;
But Jones has y detcstable habit of lingering
ON his way out. He gets UP TO 60. | give him
my hand. It's over; No. u.s. not picture
n,nss ny eye bSr t%Ths a nan says nay with
Yeas" say, half ,accompaiylng him to tho
do9r DS %9os d i OG III i3%5bymSSsrSS%a r.
pants nimsaii.I# : liio@ily. "Eaod-6yF sna2oa
tho door he remembers message from his
vito. I'll 500 him out; he shan't Ees into the
lnccompeuy him TO the door. He shakes hands
There ought to be somo rule about this II
should DO understood that once is enough in
QUO visit. OF course l know we often shake
hands with q m3n to finish an interview and
vcnionce. although it does not always act-iust
rs mnn's after-dnncr speech i; sometimes
him sit down. Those people who shake hands
should consider their ways.
hqc MN for instance who cant leave oif
think he VIII soon be done. lie rclaAcs his
grin. you attempt to wlthdraw; but he ,ighteas
ind lie hs DR. dipped your Sand IKE SRs hot po
l,Tt. ,,,,, ~ al. }, su
bad enough, but the wooden shake is almost
worse a hand is stretched out, and you get
nothing but the sensation OF bone-angular
bone: there is no llcsh and blood no grip,,tho
hand might belong to q lay figure. don't
wPl to nbS hands INV WITH lay sIaS suffer-
moro than Gentlemen from this festive =" BORE
because they wear more rings he seizes you
inpueiyeIy, and manages to crunch your fingers
vertically one on the top of the other. You
don't like to scream II YOU arc girl, or to show
dIsplcaanre if you are Il man, hut you arc
dreadtuily hurt, and you suffer what Mrs.
Gamp called, al! the torturess Of the, imposi.
grip. Then there is the ilabby. puseless shake
which means nothing. or means you arc less
thun nothing to me. and hope am the same
am not so absurd rs to suppose that we can
always regulate our hand shaking by rule. or
tendency 10 roducc haudshHking to n Il MINI.
mum and then make it genuine as far as IL
goes, but us formal ~ possible. and think this
j. step in tho right direction and worthy Of
IMITATION Deep !ccHng VIII never lail TO ma
lifting occaeiuns but the less impor alton there
j. OF spurious feeling or Offensive familiarity
iuto what is usually merely polite formaIity
tho better. The damp handed man should re-
member that his hand is damp; the ilabby. ir-
resoiute creature should try and improve his
style OF grip; the impmisvo and musculnI
thrlstinn should reco,lcct the agony OF
scrunched rings; and most people might 10
les frequent and more bricf with advantage.
III EngAud we shukc hands oftcner than we
bow: in France they bow oltcner than they
shake hands. | believe the Two methods might
he more in licously worked. | think | should
like q little more hcartiness aud little less
pslitcness abroad, and PERHAPS u little more
po!itencSS with little less anxiety TO appeat
hearty at home.