The Portland daily press., 1896-07-11
WOMAN'S HAND GROWING.
1t is Spread By the Exertions Of the
Athletic Bra.
AN INTERESTING CHAT WITH A
GLOVE MAKER.

Its Shape and Size Said To Be NieidlnS
Rapidly to the Demands of Wheeling
Golf, Tennis, Handball, and the Other
Sports of the Modern American Girl
Nos. and in women's gloves are
going the way of No. and No. 2 shoes
and of No. IS and No. 10 corssts. They
are sinking into desuetude, because
womens' hands are growing larger at the
same time with their feet and waists.
They are spreading out and becoming
more muscular every day, SO the glove
men say to the New York Sun.
A chunky, middle-aged woman wear
ing q very broad and heavy wedding
ring learned some astonishing things
from a manufacturer and retailer Of
gloves the other day.
"Have you finished altering those
gloves left hsre2" she asked as she
seated herself on stool in front of the
counter.
Eyes, madam" was the polite re-
Spouse.
Let me see how they do now," she
commanded rather impatiently.
II hope they are all right now," said
job, can tell you. How a regular glove
maker. man who pretends to make a
study of woman's hand, ever cut such
shaped glove for your hand is mystic
~ to me. No wonder you were dNsatis-
fed. for these gloves" producing a pair
nf black 1laca o. over ~o,,r J,,,, ~
look much shorter and fatter than they
really are. We've altered them, and I'll
just try shem on to see il they are satis-
factory in every way"
IF they aren't PHI just throw them in
the ash can, and five other pairs that l
answered the customer petulantly, "for
this much is certain, Pm not going to
wear q glove that makes my hand look
three times bigger and shorter than 1t
really is, for goodness only knows it's
grown SO much in the last three years
Doesn't 1t strike you as being pheno me-
nal that my hand should take o sudden
start and grow at my time of life when
haven't increased a pound in weight in
five years either?"
NO." answered the glove man; sit
grow at your time of life. It's an every
day occurrence. Women's hands are
growing larger as well as those of child
rem and young girls. You ride wheel,
don't you''
Yes" admitted the customer as she
looked up in surprise, but what has
that to do with the size of my hands,
and how did you know it anyway
''Oh it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes
to tell that you are an enthusiastic wheel
woman. Your hands show it, and that
also accounts for their Increased SIZE
desire of every woman to have a pretty
hand-a long slender hand with tapering
fingers. But the craze for athletics is go
ing to make 1t very hard for those who
are born with such hands to retain the
shape of them, and 1t will be even hard
with short fingers to cultivate long slend-
er hands. Women use their hands more
today than ever before since America
was discovered, and when I say that
include women of all classes. First of
all, take society women. While they do
not do any actual work, still they use
their hands. They row. play tennis and
golf, ride wheels and horses, drive,
swim. and work in gym asiums. These
things are bound to deyelope the hand.
Then think Of the hundreds of women
who are employed in offices, stores, res
taurents and factories. They are con-
stantly using their hands. and oven if
1t isn't very heavy work it makes the
hands grow. Of course menial labor de-
velops and ooarsens the hands. and we
expect to find domestic servants with
large hands, although some of the ne
groes In the Sogth, whose ancestors have
worked in the fields for several genera
tions, have the most beautifully shaped
hands to be found in the world. They
are not always small, but are symmet-
rical in every way. The only thing is
that negroes do not have pretty nails. in
aSucA as the nalI I1Oou III lever w Uc
found On one Of them.
''Three years ago I wore 5Z glove, !"
interrupted the matron, "and now I
wear a seven, SO my glove man says.
Think Of It'll But L shan't go back to
him any more. I wouldn't think that
riding wheel three or four hours every
day would make my hand grow like
that.
Yes 1t will," answered the glove
man. as he tuFged to get the altered
glove on, land 1t is reasonable that it
should. You grip the handle bars firm
~ and wear very loose glove. because
steering the wheel in tight gloves would
be decidedly uncomfortable. Your hand
is in spreading attitude, Its muscles
are all brought into action, and they
harden in that shape
ooh, these gloves make my hands look
beautiful, che exclaimed enthusiastioaI-
ly. as he buttonsd the last button. How
did you ever do it Why, they look as
they did before they grew to such enor
nous thickness and breadth. You must