St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-01
SHAKING OF HANDS.
It Is Much Better Than Writ
ing as an Indication OF
Character.
The Metallic Grasp of Aware
ice and the Jerk Of
Feigned Delight.
ga Cold Hand and Warm
Heart" Go Together, the
Women Say.
The Practice Of Giving One or
Two Fingers Considered
an Insult.
New York Times,

lOI piCdSutC pol 10
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 "t'' may indicate the soul OF a
saint OF the instincts of a sinner; while
in the liliputian dotlet of an 'i'' may
lurk whole history of hypocrisy or
honesty, kindliness or cruelty.
1t may be so. 1t may be that, while
the subject matter is absorbing the
mind, we'll trained by worldly wisdom
to lie, the unsophisticated soul slips out
in the unguarded formation of the
infinite variety of curve and dash which
is called handwriting.
1t seems, then, that though the eye is
the 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
character of man or woman when en-
gagged in the grand old greeting called
handShaking.
Variety in handwriting may be in
I finite, 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 il people
greet hypocritically, though their words
follow their wit, their hands grasp
those they greet as their hearts alone
command.
Handwriting. therefore. while in gen.
eral stylel it may serve to Indicate the
character, may also, by individual APP
plication, mark the true relation III
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 10 you
d0?" his heart feels, ''HOw much shall |
make out of you?"
Have not all experienced the jerk of
the man who Stimulates intense delight
in the meeting, but involuntarily drops
your paw as if hei were afraid it would
burn him? Het probably owes you
money, and his handshakIng tells you
that his joy in the encounter is all a
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 his warm grasp, as
their instincts dictate. But their in
stincts alone are their rulers.
Again every one knows, or will know
sooner OF later, that handshaking and
lovemaking are inSparable. When love
is in the soul, does it not creep out at
the fuger tips and tell its tale of glad
ness or woe quicker and more surely
than by any other channel? Come, all
you noble army of experts in handwrit-
ing. can you tell "dOeS my Phyllis love
me truly" though you are shown a
gross of her letters?
And can you mistake that timid yet
trusting pressure of her dainty digts
as they meet yOdrs and linger awhile,
like kiss; then drop gently awBy, like
a tear?
Examples such as these prove that in
the shaking of hands individual rela-
lions are revealed and thought may nm
doubtedly be read. By more general
application this process may typify
character and broad outline of soul.
Old wise women say that "a cold hand
and warm heart' are always associ-
ated. Some venture to think that eX-
perience proves this to be fallacy, at
least as concerns the method Of Shak-
ing hands.
A warm, steady pressure. which re-
veals 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 i'm
press their friendships, torture their
victims to the extent of the thumb
screws. But the boarding-schOOl miss,
who will istlessly lay her hand in
yours, must not be too hastily judged,
for ar manner proclaims that her char
acter as vet is nobformed and matured
to the icy cold dame, the warm, loving
woman, or the fast, flighty, tickle and
insincere ape.
The man who shakes your hand VIC
lentIy up and down, then drops it with
an air of having done his duty, sug-
gests such thoughts as moulded into
words might say: "Fhere! Don't say
| didn't shake hands with you, what
ever else you may say" ana thus the
fact that he miStruSt5 you is implied.
The handshaking of the man who by
prolonged pressure causes uneasineSs
Should probably be read an as oyerwean-
| ing value of the favors he cOaferS and
| anxiety that you should not underesti-
mate his friendship. Such man may
| be set down as victim to conceit, but
consciously lacking the fuel on which
| to feed his master.
The hasty snatch, and still more hasty
| flingaway, 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 handshaking is at least no
| hypocrite, and that is as near as most
men come to honesty.
The absurd practice Of giving one or
two fingers only always seems deliber-
ate insult, and is doubtless so translated
by all students of handshaking. 1t is a
glaring proof of littleness. The heart
aud mind may be judged to be proper
tionate with the part offered.
| The method of shaking hands adopted
| bv great men has often been described ;
| although modern interviewers SySte-
| maticaly ignore this, and preference to
| minute details of dress and immediate
surroundings is given.
1t is not proposed to quote examples
| in support of the theory of character
reading by means of Misunderstanding, but
the following description of the manner
adopted by the most popular American
man of the day may just now be found
| OF interest.
| Grover Cleveland performs the oper-
alton in three stages. First he takes
YOUR outStretched member softly IN his
grasp so that the fork OF your stump and
the fork of his are i'll the closest posi-
bic contact and alliance. Then you
learn that the great mans hand is cool
soft, elastic, full of tiny muscles, and al
alive as it were. There is reinsurance
invitation and interrogation, cordiality
| ZeSt and confidence.
| Now comes the grip, which is the sec
| ond stage of the process, 1t is firm anc
decisive, and lasts as long as it takes tt
inquire after your health bid you wei
come. Lastly. you are released with
sorrowfu clutch which delays the de
palture OF your finger tips TO the las
fraction OF second.
! Who shall say that there is not rart