Evening star., 1933-06-13

Recently this column contained /,
statement to the effect that IL one die
not care to shake hands, at any time
It was easy enough just to acknowledge
the greeting with smile alone.
, At the time. We wondered Idly II tht
would stir up the animals, and, SURE
! enough. it did. It seems that there are
i some persons In the world, evidently
| very well known to our correspondents
who insist OH shaking hands, regard
less.
One communication tells about 1t thi.
way: Il have enjoyed. and not without
some feeling Of resentment, your article
Ill The Star Of the 9Th instant, under
This and That, OIL Misunderstanding
Your article is well written. and the
ideas urged therein are good However
you intimate that II you do not want
TO shake hands, do not offer your hand
and 1t viii be all right. That. In my
Judgment, is not in harmony with the
facts.
THE fact is. to my notion. that II
YOU meet hand-shaker he will shake
hands with you II he has to walk tC
your back and forcibly grab your hand
Il recently greeted former nessen-
ger. retired from the Government de-
psrtment In which l am employed, and
did my best to avoid shaking hands
with him. l have q supervisory posi-
ton Of considerable Importance. but
ain rather democratic In my inter-
course; but l nearly always have my
feelings hurt, or hurt some one else
feelings. when undertake to have the
slightest say as TO whether / shall shake
hands OIL not.
AT church there are the same peo-
pie who grab your hand when YOU en-
ter the church, when you leave the
church, and when you happen to have
the occasion In the meantime TO ask
them question maybe several ques-
tloi1s are asked at different times) and
each time out comes their hand tt
grab and squeeze your hand.
The stronger their grip the more
they delight In exhibiting their strength
Is there any possible relief from such
q eonditionf I have gone to Bible
class social meetings with the idea
That ! would Try not to shake hands
with Mr. - for several reasons. He
grips my hand until It is almost per-
manently injured: he has Shiny hand
the touch OF which do not like. and
my wife does not like me to shake
hands with him.
so ! get by without shaking hands
with him when we assemble. But an
hour later he will rush up and say
Brother -, I have not shaken hands
with YOU, and you just have to shake
or make an enemy.
Il see did not finish about the for
ner messenger. He exttnded his hand
which pretended not to see, while
displayed the utmost interest in him
and his affairs, until he finally asked
me polnt-blsnk to shake hands ex-
planned that my hand was sore, Or some-
thing Of that kind, and avoided it..
Il am nearly 70 years Of age, and II
there " one thing that has gotten on
my nerves 1t Is the hand Shaking. Is
not there some way In which these ap-
pointed hand.shakers (mustly self
xppointedD In churches and lodges can
be made to understand that there are
people who do not come to church and
TO lodge to have their hands squeezed
until they hurt. Especially musicians.
Il. am just an ordinary citizen. whose
attitude as expressed above Is not DIFF
ferent from that Of other good me-
who have. met In lodge and who have
asked Inc, Who In - u that brother
who seeIns to have the insane idea that
1t Is his duty to shake hands with every
0ns?'"
Every one is acquainted with the
dear brother, Of course.
Every time he sees you, no matter
how many times o day, he extends his
hand In greeting.
He Is the manifestation Of the ex-
treme form of the inalady. but never
theless he is known TO almost every
one. Every organization has at least
one specimen.