Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-07-16
DUMAS ON THE HAND.
The French Novelist Gives an i"'ereS'"s
Chapter on Chiro,nancy.


Chapter on Chiroinancy.
new and distinguished professor
OF palmistry has arisen in the person
of VI. Alexandra Dumas. who contrib
utes to Art and Letters an interesting
paper on The Hand or rather
chiromarcy, for he discusses the saio
member in relation to character
Even we're this article not signed II
would be easy to see that it Is written
By man, for it treats solely OF tfmi
nine hands-iust as the fair author
ess of the numerous ''paimlstry
pamphlets now so much in vogue
deal mainly with those OF men. But
NJ. Dumas brings fresh interest to the
subject. investing it with all his we'll
known verve and originality.
He has restricted himself, he tells
us, to five types OF hands and has
studied, by observation and investiga-
ton. a science which he holds to be
'.exact and positive" The worst of IT
is that in the outset this science Is
calculated to inspire gloomy feelings.
There is apparently only one really
happy hand for a woman, and that
is according to NJ Dumas. an ugly
hand-large. red and knotty; IA dread
full hand, like n MANS" With this
..happv hand the wife will be always
| busy. exemplary and capable; she will
so henpeck and domineer over her
| husband that after her death he win
| tr-
vive her No one can doubt that to
possess such hand would indeed be
happiness such as is seldom vouch-
safed to mortals. As for the other
four types. they have certainly more
beauty to boast of, but, as they are
alternately expressive of ''mere ami
NAL" "Mes-alina." a Charlotte
Cordayn or "Montespan. they can
not be said to be exactly enviable.
But 1.-The hand is the ideal of the
human soul" says M. Dumas, and
though people whom we have an in
terest in knowing can. by their coun-
tenance and skill, often mislead us,
their hands betray their real selves. :"
The hand can not deceive.
.'From no one who is willing to take
pains to be attentive. can man or wOm-
an, however reticent they try to be with
their eyes. their mouth, with their
features. whatever mastery they may
have over their physiognomy, hide any
longer even the profoundest the most
mysterious. part of their inner being.
L.. F,,1 ,,I.e,.
the thumbs of the man she marries, Nj.
Dumas insists. Concern yourself
above all. with the thumbs; one al
ways has to come back to the science
of the hand to the study of the thumb.
Upon its length depends mans
reasoning faculty and wiil upon the
protuberance from which it springs
depend his power and energy. Fits OF
enthusiasm, of discnuragement i'm
pulses, regrets, mighty resolutions
not to give way, sudden relapses, such
is the character OF little thumbs
Notice. then. very attentively, made
moiselle. the hands of those who
aspire to yours. When the wooer i,
dining at your house. or in the even
Ing after dinner, do not move YOU
eyes from that ambitious hand ant
make your representations accord
iugly."
Type No. 2 is the happy hand be
fore mentioned-the ugly, health,
nand denoting well-balanced mine
and an iron digestion. 1t is "a rattle
large hand. white in warm weather
red in cold, whose fingers, longer thai
the palm, have very plainly marked
knots at the joints and short nails
kThe little is almost as long as the rim,
finger The palm is broad. and tn
whole hand is somewhat hard, al
Dough the skin is soft and AWAY
cool With hand like that, madame
whatever the hand of your husban
might be, it is you who would be tn
man, because you would add to tn
influence of your sex, even If you wer
not very pretty, the power of reflet
, ton, will and invincible perseverance
May God give a hand like yours t
our mothers, our sisters. our daugf
tiers, our wives, our housekeepers, on
. servantsin
Type No. 3-This is "a short hant
with Il highly developed palm. til
size of which will be altogether out
: proportion with the other parts; TIL
hand will be, so to speak, square. tn
fingers being nearly all of the sam
q length With gloves it seems quit
. small A child's hand-only when
, is bare. and you squeeze il, it war;
you, by its resistance and hardness,
the danger you may incur, if yo
are one of those who can take war;
9 ing. This hand. kind of vic,
denotes brute instinct. egotism, crue
: even in the midst of pleasure. Lt
men with little thumbs avoid tn
, hand; let men with big thumbs II
p and eNtermiuate it! 1t is theshand
O. Messalina of Phedra, of Sappho. -
4 Glasgow Herald.