The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-03
ABOUT SHAKING HANDS.

Tho Latest Evoiuaon of a Worry Ancient
CuStor.
We arc moro given to shaking handa
than other nations. Where the French
man or German would contont himself
with comprehensive bow that includes
. whole companyso people in one court
eons sweep the Englishman, especially
af he is country bred. will patiently and
perseveringly shake hands with every
one present Perhaps it is owing to a
feeling that an unnecessary use of tho
practice is provincial that we may trace
visible decline in it at the present day.
But it is difficult to say to what cause
Is attributable the present extraordinary
form which it takes among certain peo-
pie when they do practice it-a form
which is especially prevalent among
those people whose ambition it is to be
known as smart" When two members
OF this class, or of the far moro numer-
GUS class that initiates them, meet each
other. they go through ceremony
which certainly bears faint resem-
biance TO that of shaking hands, but is
In all real essentials absolutely differ
ont Tho lady lifts her elbow as high
as tight sleeve will permit her, and
bangles a little hand before her face.
carefully keeping the wrist as stiff and
high as possible. while she allows the
fingers to droop down. The man con-
trives to lift his elbow little higher
and, bya dextcrous turn of the wrist
touches her fngcrs-that is all Tho
reason assigned for this is curious
1t is said that ladies who arc biddcn
IN nj ,rh< -
change gree tings with royal personages
find 1T ifilcult to combine Il courtesy
with shake of a gracious hand with
ou5 raising their own hands to the level
of their faces. Hence their too frequent
communications with illustrious poo
pie have corrupted their good
manners; they acquire habit
and are so forgetful as to introduce it
into their ordinary life and their rcla-
tions with more ordinary people. But
they forget the courtesy, while they for
got to remember to lower their hands
Another reason that has been suggested
for this gree ting, as it is practiced by
the bost society, is that they have bor-
rowed it from the coachman. With his
relns in one hand and his whip in the
other, the only approach to a saluta ton
that a coachman can make is by Il sharp,
upward movement of tho elbow and
whip hand Indeed, this explanation is
very plausible, for there is kind of
natural affinity between the manners of
the stable and those OF tho very smart
people
How ancient custom is tho shaking
of hands no ono can say. The giving
and clasping of right hands had its
origin most probably in Il wish to show
that tho right hand was unarmed, and
that no danger need be unprecedented
from its owncr. There is evidence to
show that the clasping of hands was an
ancient lIindoo usuagc in legal trans
actions, AZ it was also among the
Romans in such matters as II marriage
contract. As Il mode OF salutation it
certainly existed among the latter; for
we have Horace description of bore:
Arrcptnlno manu-, "Ouii agis, dulcissimc
rerumt'
The modern idea of the science of
politeness is science that will save
time. No ono would wish to bring back
the stately obesances. the sweeping
courtesics, and tho hollow compliments
OF last century. But at least they were
a pretty comedy while they lasted
whereas this last fashion of hand shak-
ing is grotesque farcc.-London Spec
tabor.