The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1883-08-18
Ind:ces of haracter.


There are certain wiseacres who affect
an ability to detect some Of the strong
character sites of individuals from their
handwli ing, or from some other equally
tr fling exhibition of peculiarly. 1t
may be their walk, the poise of their
head, the swing of the arms, or the tone
of the voice-there are some willing to
affirm that with knowlege Of Ole Of
these the y need nothing more to form
trust~ orthy Judgment OF the man or
woman.
Within certain very narrow limits,
something may be accurately predicted
Of these small things and the term
character;stics-whi is so loosely and
broadly applied to al outward manifesto
tlonsof personality, shows how thorough
ly this idea has been woven into te
fabric of our speech. Yet, beyond the
v,ry narrow limits, speculation upon
character from the small id;osyncrasies
is the mt rest guesswork, and is quite as
frequently and as widely erroneous as
guesswork respecting anything else.
The handwriting of man is partly
due to his early training and partly to
his occupation. A boy who has not
shown any special taste for penmansh.p
at school will, if subsequently placed IN
a sition where much and careful writ
ing is require d of him, develop great
facility, and much more Elegance and
precision in the formation of characters
than the lad who at school was the
"biue ribbon" writer of his class, vt
who, by subsequ mt circumstances, Is so
placed that he has comparatively little
occasion TO practice the art.
w zone sees a tealuifu', bod hand,
the D, e. sumption is that the writer is en-
gagged in pursuit which demands
great deal of writing. This would prob
ably be borne out by the facts in a large
ma ority of cases: but, when $50 borne
out, it would afford no clu. 10 the gen
eral mental endowment. Or the strong
traits of the individual. 1t would not
show whether he had or had not any
business breadth whether he was to be
trusted or lis trusted, or what were his
qualifications for any position aside from
his ability to write we'll. The compost
ton would throw some additional light
upon the general intelligence Of the
writ.r, but even this would hot be Of
much service.
When we take up the category OF in
different or had writer's, the difficulty of
forming any Intelligent Judgment there
from is vastly increased. Ii Is accepted
as a general proposition that lawyers
write badly; but there are so many ex-
Is hat rr!nf no
tween the legal profession and any
special form Of handwriting can be
traced.
Some of the most learned and method
ical and eloquent lawyers write ex-
ecrably, while others, who stand at the
very summit Of the profession, write
with graceful outline. So:ae artists,
whose creations have a world wide fame.
scrAwl their names, while others of en-
inence take apparent pride in 81 signature
which betokens nice hand with dett
stroke.
1t is undoubtedly true that the aggre-
gate of little things which men do make
up the sum of their personality. When
one person is familiar with the gem raj
demeanor of another, knows the daily
goings out and comings in, there is a
good basis for an estimate of character,
vet even such an estimate is likely to lie
partial or prejudiced.
An involuntary estimate is formed from
the face of stranger, and as what a
mans life has been is in great degree
impressed upon his features, the intnl-
tive reckoning is often sound. Yet 1t IS
almost as often misleading. ForbiddinSS-
looking men frequently have rare swe' :
ness of temper and charms of mind a, d
heart, while men who were the embo, l.
ment apparently of nanly'beanty ha 9
been as Geld, unconscionabie villains as
ever drew breath.
It is a safe rule never to permit the
feelings to run away with the Judgment
in we; CLING character from slight sur
face indications. No man or woman IL
entitled to the confidence and trust Of
another until tried and proved; nor
should any being be condemned
unheard because his face is "against
him. unless the disqualification is
stamped so empha ically that there can
lie no mistaking the brand.-Detroit
Free Press.