Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-04-14
NM LADY,S HAND.
A FavOrite Subject for Poets and 10
mancerp In All Times.

T. c. Harbaueh In New York Mercury
Ny ladys hand occupied prominent place In
romance and history. II is the lover Fiorizen who
| says to the coy Perdita In "a Winters Tales"
take thy hand. this hand.
A. A. soft Is doves down and az Whit As IL
That's boited BY the northern blasts twice DER
We know that Aphrodite's hand had s.rosy,
slender fingers" and that the hand Of one OF Cleo
patras women threw Antony into raptures but
not long enough, however, to break the spell
thrown around him By the GLORIOUS sorceress Of
the Nile" The hands OF the Egyptian women were
celebrated for their contour, and the Old NEGRO
mancers OF Ramesan days used to hold them 10
awe for their delicate lines.
Old history says that the hand OF Anne Of Aus
tr1a was as 'wh1te as snow" while the world
knows that good Queen Bess was not very proud
OF the shape Of her royal fingers II was not
the golden age OF literature. AS she grew older
her hand grew more and more unshapely, much TO
her chagrln, and the ladies OF her court VINO were
more than one rebuff. Yet her hand could sign
the death warrants OF Essex and Of Mary OF
fafrer than her English Cousins lured the harper
R1zzlo TO his death where ye Queenes staircase
| doth oegin."
Queen Bess had not the only faulty hand to be
found In history. Josephine was similarly afflicted
| but Josephine was not so "touchy' on what was
considered royal misfortune. Possibly It was
because the negress OF Martinique looking at that
hand, saw the crown OF an empress and the hon.
age OF world. II was not hand like Lady Mac
oceu "uiCu tAc poIlutucS VI aTdUy' cOulQ
not Sweeten-
II Is old Cover who sings:
I saw her the seided silk
With fingers long. small, white milk
and the willy Vivien with her hand cast Merlin into
the enchanted sleep. In the ArtEurian tales we
see the snowy fingers OF Iseult, and going back to
the Bard Of Avon Romeo breaks out into captures
over Juliet's hands.
Ny iady'S hand as an adjunct OF beauty has had
certain value In all chimes and ages, II was
never hidden by gloves by the beauties OF Rome
and Cicero stepped aside from oralory long enough
10 speak or "the subtitle devices or the fingers az
ter seeing them at the lutte. The old writer's have
left on record the assertion that IL was POppsp'S
shapely hand more than her eyes that enchalI ed
Nero, and we know that my lady's hand sent the
ogre Marat TO his final account at the bar OF
heaven.
know Of nothing that occupies In romance and
history so prominent place as the hand Mrs
Siddons used 10 go TO the clenched hands OF the
carved Egyptian gods for expression" and Bell
sarius Is said TO have leaped from his charger dur
ing march 10 rave over the beauty OF the hand
OF peasant girl. Students Of Shakespeare know
Of whose hand IL Is said:
In whose comparisons all whites are ink
writing their own reproach. to whose soft seizure
The eygnets down Is harsh and spirit of sense
Hard Is the pam Of ploughman
Wherever my lady's hand Is It viii assert its
powers Whether at the head OF armies with Zeno-
Ola, or avenging the Innocent WIN Charlotte Cor.
day, or en1gntenlng the world OF literature with
De Stael it keeps ITS place, target for poets and
the lode-Stone Of love. Was II not OF fingers or
friendship that the good gray poet laureate
thought when he pennrd one OF mis- finest stanzas;
Oh, for the touch of q vanished hand
Inc sound Of q voice that Is still.