The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-07-21
Varieties in Hand shaking.


The manner in which different people
ahake hands varies as much as the
tones Of the voice varies in the same
people, and il as much sn index to the
character as the voice is. We will take
some Of these people as they are to be
met any day on the streets.
The large fat man, who does not wear
Q shirt collar, who perspires 80 much,
and who is always wiping his face with
red handkerchief, reaches us q moist
hand that feels like dimes worth OF
ffft Id II Is q bundle Of that fruit has.
He lays his hand in ours in q slow
Indifferent way, and Immediately ceases
to take further interest in the operation.
He seems to feel that his responsibility
in the matter ends when he deposits
his hands in ours. When we give it O
shake and find no reciprocal action in
il, We drop the thing and realize that
the owner OF that hand is not the kind
Of man We would like to ask for the
loan Of five dollars II We needed it.
Ncxt We meet q man who gives our
hand four or five robust shakes, almost
enough to dislocate our anatomy, asks
n how We do. and does not wait for
an answer. There is no warmth Of
feeling or sympathy expressed in the
shake. His creditors say that he is
. man Of promise. He is the sort OF
q man we would not care to trust with
an important secret or large package
Of uncounted money.
Here comes the man who catches No
BY the hand, begins with crescendo
and keeps on until he reaches the di-
minuendo shake, after which he still
.1sanS .....a Sn s our shoulder and leads us into
Q doorway, while he proceeds to dis.
gorge chunk OF uninteresting news
that was ancient history o week ago.
he does the same thing and tells the
same news to the next man he succeeds
in capturing. He is the confidential
bore and should be avoided.
When We get rid Of him we meet o
wiry, active, quick-gait man who
gives our hand three energetic shakes
without any trills or somi-ouavers
about them, but those three shakes,
somehow, convey the idea that the
shaker Is 4 business man, Astounding in
confidence il himself. He does not in
dulge in useless compliments or stereo.
typed phrases. II he has anything to
say he says it in terse terms as il he was
writing csblegram, and passes on. He
is prosperous merchant, and il he does
not break down from overwork he will
be worth 3 million some day.
Next comes the young old man who
struts as he walks. He holds out two
fingers to be shaken. He is the patrouiz-
ing Drank, and gives us what might ha
~-h.a A. --aA .h.hu. ms grand uncle
was "Hair-cutter extraordinary, by
special appointment, to George the
Third" or something OF that sort, and
he feels that he owes it to his grand.
unele's memory to keep up the dignity
OF the family, which he thinks is best
done by penurious use of his diRits
among his acquaintance. To hand him
two fingers to shake would be a good
way to retaliate il it was not for the
tact that his brain is too small IN grAsp
that amount OF hint all at one time.
The man with long. thin, cold
hand, who seems to grudge the use of
his fingers, AZ only lends about three
inches OF their tips for single shake,
Is not man CT extravagantly generous
impulses, and will never be likely to
lie Of enlargement Of the heart, but
when We meet man who gives our
hand tight grasp and hearty shake,
Who seems to put his whole soul into
II, and to like the exercise 80 much
hat he gives us an encore, so to speak,
We know that he is o friend and to be
trusted.
There are many other varieties of
'hAkes that might be described. We
believe that not only hand shaking, but
he hand itself. would indicate mans
character as we'll as q chronological
hart Of his head would do. Why does
lot some one study the subject? We
uggest that some crank who is in need
i hobby should give the matter i'm
Mediate attention.-1sras SJffings.