The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-03-31
ABOUT HANDSHAKING'
BETTER AS AN INDEX TO CHARAC-
= TER THAN HANDWRITING.

The study Of character as indicated by
handwriting is largely pursued both for
pleasure and for profit, experts claiming
that the hidden nature Of the most re-
served man or woman will infallibly
creep out through the finger ends and
proclaim itself truly to the practiced
eye; that the twist Of an IS" or the cross
of a st" may indicate the soul of saint
or the instincts of sinner, while in the
illiputian dotlet of an 81" may Turk a
whole history of hypocrisy or honesty.
kindness or cruelty.
It may be so. 1t may be that, while
the subject matter is absorbing the
mind, well trained by worldly wisdom
to lie, the unsophisticated soul slips out
in the unguarded formation of the in
finite variety of curve and dash which is
called handwriting.
It seems, then, that, though the eye is
fhe window of the soul, the hand is GER
tainly the door from which it issues
forth into the world, for none need to be
experts to recognize at once the char
acter of man or woman when engaged In
the grand old greeting called handshak-
ing
Variety in handwriting may be infinite,
but is it not so in handshaking? And,
as a means to unveil hidden thoughts or
feelings the latter test must surely be
the better, for people write in truth or
falsehood and their writing remains the
same, but if people greet hypocritically.
though their words follow their wit, their
hands grasp those they greet as their
hearts alone command.
Handshaking, therefore, while in gen.
eral style it may serve to indicate the
character, may also, by individual appli-
cation, mark the true relation in which
the factors stand.
Who has not felt the cold, metallic,
avaricious grasp, devoid of warmth or
feeling, with which man of business
welcomes you? Does not something
creep out of his finger tips, telling you
that while his voice says, ''How do you
dor" his heart feels, elbow much shall l
make out of your"
Have not all experienced the jerk of
the man who Stimulates intense delight
in the meeting, but involuntarily drops
your paw as if he were afraid it would
burn him? He probably owes you money,
and his handshaking tells you that his
Joy in the encounter is all sham.
On the other hand, many are aware,
though the experience is more rare, how
the grip of friend whose heart is sim
cere sends thrill through their own,
and in that moment they know that he
reads them as clearly and truly as they
understand him. Then it is their turn
to drop or retain their warm grasp, as
their instincts dictate. But their in
stincts alone are their rulers.
Again every one knows, or will know
sooner or later, that handshaking and
lovemaking are inseparable. When love
is in the soul, does it not creep out at the
finger tips and tell it's tale of gladness or
woe quicker and more surely than by
any other channel? Come, all you noble
army of experts in handwriting, can you
tell "Does my Phyllis love me truly"
though you are shown gross Of her let
tiers? And can you mistake that ti1nid
yet trustful pressure of her dainty digits
as theymee yours and linger awhile like
kiss, then drop gently away like tears
Examples such as these prove that in
the shaking of hands individual relations
are revealed and thoughts may undoubt-
eddy be read. By a more general appi-
cation this process may typify character
and broad outline of soul.
Old wise women say that "a cold hand
and warm heart" are always ASSOC
ciated. Some venture to think that ex-
perience proves this to be a fallacy, at
least as concerns the method of shaking
hands. A warm, steady pressure, which
reveals the pulsation of life, is surely the
habit of those whose hearts overflow with
the milk of human kindness, whereas a
cold, inanimate touch is the natural style
of those Unconditional machines called
heartless humanity.
This is generally recognized, and as all
virtues are aped and exaggerated so a
certain class, in their anxiety to impress
their friendships, torture their victims to
the extent of the thumbscrew. But the
boarding school miss, who will listlessly
lay her hand in yours, must not be too
hastily judged, for her manner proclaims
that her character as yet is not formed
and matured to the icy cold dame, the
warm, loving woman, or the fast, Eighty.
tickle and insincere ape.
The man who shakes your hand vio-
lently up and down, then drops it with
an air of having done his duty, suggests
such thoughts as nodded into words
might say: "Therel Don't say didn't
shake hands with you, whatever else you
may say" and thus the fact that he mis-
trusts you is implied.
The handshaking of the man who, by
prolonged pressure, causes uneasiness
should probably be read an overweaning
value of the favors he confers and anx-
iety that you should not underestimate
his friendship. Such man may be set
down as victim to conceit, but con-
sciously lacking the fuel on which to
feed his master.
The hasty snatch, and still more hasty
fiingaway, is preferable to either of these
modes, for it betrays self reliant spirit
and happy indifference to good or bad
repute. The man with this method OF
hand shaking is at least no hypocrite, and
that is as near as most men come to hon.
esty.
The absurd practice of giving one or
two fingers only always seems a deliber-
ate insult, and is doubtless so translated
by all students of handshaking. It is a
glazing proof of littleness. The heart
and mind may be judged to be proper
Tomato with the part proffered.
The method of shaking hands adopted
by great men has often been described,
ottbo11 crl, ,pO5a1o in