Sentence:  Constance endeavoured to get eight little boys to dance also; but the little lads were to shy, what an old woman, speaking of her grandson, calls “too daffish and <WSD>keck-handed</WSD> to learn such aunty-praunty antics,” and all that Constance could get in the way of male support was to induce eight little lads to look on, bend their knees, and bow at intervals, whilst the maidens sang and danced. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Clumsy; inept.