Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1898-12-14
on RANDsHAKING
" h Net the Proper Thing e IAv0So-
OAlY Grasp . PeH0OA'O
HOaA. s..

When to shake hands and when not
70 eAAke hands are questions frequent
~ ASked. The subject is a many-sided
one, and cannot be disposed Of by a yea
Or . nay, or by q hard and fast rule. 1t
is q trite saying that circumstances al
ter cases, and yet this adage exactly ap-
plies to the matter in hand, as it entire
y depends upon the circumstances Of
themoment whether a hand 10 extended
or q bow given.
Thedificulty Of not knowing whether
to shake hands or not arises when first
'ntroductions are made, and again at
subsequent meetings between women
but recently introduced to each other
and on many like occasions, such as
when strangers are brought in contact
With each other when staying in a
try house together, or at afternoon par
ties, dinner parties, and SO ON.
This question of when to shake hands
wholly relates to the foregoing situa-
tons, and is outside of the handshak-
ing customary between friends, to
which no reference need be made, as
they shake hand with each other on
meeting as a matter of course, and
again on parting, with this reservation.
that at II second meeting on the same
day the act of shaking hands is not re-
peated.
The term shaking hands" is still in
use for want of q better one, but as far
AS the word Shaking" is concerned it
g almost u misnomer. and taking the
n would be n more eNpiic:: express
sion to apply to the fashion Of the pres
"nt day. When an introduction is made
between two women, whether they
shake hands or not is determined by
hide issues. Generally speaking. the re-
ceived rule is not TO do so, but only to
low, but then follow all the various en-
ceptions that induce women introduced
10 do othcrwise-that is t say, TO shake
lands at once.
When Il girl is introduced TO a mar
ried woman, for instance, by a mutual
friend. the married woman nav or may
not shake hands with the girl; she prob
ably will do so if she is good-natured.
hut she is not certain 20 cvince this
amount OF cordiality. But if. the intro
duction is made by Il relative of the girl
the married woman does not hesitate
10 shake hands, but in neither case
would the girl take the initiative of
shaking hands.
When d man is introduced to n wom-
an, again the exceptions in favor of
shaking hands come in as against not
toing so. For instance, if the man in
PRODUCED is the husband or brother OF
the woman making the Introduction it
would be natural to shake hands with
him, almost ~imperatively so; but were
ne a mere acquaintance it would be
most unusual to shake hands with him
on first introduction. After q little
short and desultory conversation has
taken place between two women or be-
tween n woman and a man just intro
Iuced to each other. the doubt arises
whether they are expected to shake
hands on taking their departure; Meth
crdo they shake hands at future chance
meetings, should they occur, unless
meetings under exceptionally favcra-
Die circumstances for promoting ac-
quaintancc at the houses of mutual
friends and at social functions, etc. On
fhc other hand, the hostess shakes
hands with any and every guest
brought to her house by her friends.
She does so ON their arrival and on their
departure. and again at any subsequent
meeting if she happens to recollect
them, which is not always certain to be
the case.
AS regards dinner guests, when a
man is introduced to a woman for the
purpose of taking her in to dinner she
does not shake hands with him, but
merely bows, and. however we'll they
may have got on together during din
ler, she does not shake hands with him
later on in the evening, when taking
her departure. Indeed, the opportunity
seldom occurs for even bowling TO him.
At q second meeting bows only are in
Icrchanged, and it much depends upon
circumstances whether the acquain-
lance ripens into shaking hands one or
ceases altogether.
Little handshaking occurs between
guests staying at n country house, they
20 not do so on first introduction by
their hostess, neither when separating
or the first evening when Good night"