Year: 1870

his own character, and not defect III that of (
him who would be friendly with him.


Another hand shaker whose method is in
and with whom it is next to impos |
sble to remain on friendly terms, is the one
who offers you one finger instead Of the tips of /
the whole five as much as to say, | am either |
too pre- occupied in myself. or think too little /
of you, to give you my VIII, l. hand. With such |
a man the Interchange Of any but the bare>t |
and scantlest courtesy is rendered difficult by !
any one whom has a particle OF selfrc>pcct


To present the left hand for the purpose of
a friendly greeting is piece of di>courteSy-
sometimes Intentional on the part of superiors
in rank to their interiors, and an act that no
true gentleman will commit. There is no rea-
son why it should he considered more discour-
teOus than it would be to kiss the left cheek
instead OF the right; but, doubtless, the custom
that makes the right hand imperative in all
sincere SalutatiOn dates from those early times
when hand-shaking first began and the hand
that shook or was shaken in friendship was of
necessity weapOnlesS. The poor lett hand that
one would think ought to be of as much value
and strength as the right, Just as the left foot
or leg Is as strong as the right foot or leg, be
cause they are both used equally has fallen into
disrepute, as well as into comparative disuse,
until it has become an accepted phrase to say
OF any proceeding that is inuspicious, artful,





and that is, lett-handed.


To shake hands without removing the glove
is an act OF dI>cOurt>y, which, if unintentional
and thOughtless, requires an apology for the
hurry or inadvertence which led to it. This
idea would also seem to be an occult remnant
of the old notion that the glove might conceal
a weapon. Hence true courtesy and friendship
required that the hand should be naked as a
proof Of bona ft{eS


To refuse pointedly to shake hands with one
who offers you the opportunity in a friendly
manner amounts to a declaration Of hostility.
And after a quarrel-Or act of open hostility
the acceptance Of the hand offered as alike the
sign and the ratification of peace


The nations of continental Europe are scarce,
ly so much addicted to hand shaking as the
English, while the English in this respect are
far less demonstrative and apparently cordial
than the Americans who shake hands with
one another from morning till night, even if the
slightest excuse or opportunity arises. Since
my arrival in the United States, wrote the
late Mr. Smith q Bren, . have been sur
rounded by crowds of wsll-wiShers, whose
greatest desire seemed to be to shake hands
with me. In Ireland this practice does not
! pevaiI but here it seems to be universal Gus
/ tom. All travellers are equally struck with
the undue prevalence of this custom, as they
cannot tail to be after they have been a few
days in the country. The stranger, if of any
emlnence or renown, is often introduced to forty
or fifty people III a string and to omit to shak,
hands with any one of them would be an act Ot
disrespcct. And even the Irish and German
walters at the great hotels expect you to shak,
hands with them, on your second arrival, i


they happen TO remember your face or name
or have received a gratuity at your hands fu


their previous services or attentions.


~. e. Il. 4.


10y no means enviable office Of President is tn,


Stupcndous amount of hand-shaking which tha


iunctionary has to undergo The late good


natured President Lincoln was serious suffer


er, though it must be confessed that he oitel


took his revenge and gave some too impOrtu


nate hand shakers such SqueCZeS of his power


full grasp as made them remember him wit


pain for few hours after the nfiction Of hi


cordiaIity. Both he and other occupants q


his uneasy and thankless Office have, on Nev


Years Day especially, and on many other occa
! sunS, to undergo an amount of hand Shakin
sufficient almost to wrench the arm off, or a


least to make it ache for fortnight aIterward
Five or six thousand people of all ranks an


classes Of men, from the polite European en-
baSsadors and diplomatic agents at Wa>hin.
ton, and the legislators Bankers merchant
lawyers, newspaper editors and reporters til
! military aud naval officers, down to the con
mon soldiers and sailors, and, lower still, dow


to the very roughs of the street, who are a
J admitted without the intervention Of Col
Stick, or any other kind of stick, or Black
| White Rod, or any kind of usher or ntrodu
: tlon, and in any costume they please, even
g that of the NAVY with his heavy boots and b
: !. working jacket, or the sweep with the SCOT ST
= on his face, Though it must be admitted as
= rule that the rowdies, the sweeps, and the ma
y vicS, put on their best clothes on such great 0
) casionsl pass through the reception hall, eaC
: Of them expecting to shake hands with ii
I Chief Magistrate.


= | have nothing to say against hand -shakin
n 1t is pleasant to touch the hand Of an hone
e man or woman, and to be on such terms Of a
n quaintanceship with either Of these maste
!. pieces of creation, as to justify you in Il
n thought that you are their equal, and that
:, moral sympathy may flow from you to the
;, or from them to you. Even to grasp the pa
= Of an honest and an intelligent dog, who holds
~ up for you to shake, on being asked to do so,
# something For the dog, unlike some me
"a would scorn to give his paw to one in who
N face, he by his tne instinct-in some respcC
.s the equal, if not the superior, Of reasOn-di
N covered treachery or evil.


~ y, l.