Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1886 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter iil of the consistency of hands. By consistency, we mean the impression produced by a hand upon the sense of touch. Thus two hands may be of the same size and shape, the fingers of both formed and terminating in the same manner, but with this difference; that one hand is soft and supple, whilst the other is firm, almost to hardness. Take two hands with spatulate fingers possessing this difference; they both have the tendency towards action, but the soft hand will affect a temperate movement and activity, whilst the hard-handed subject will tend towards energy and powerful action. The soft-handed subject will be active, but take his full share of sleep, whilst the hard-handed one will rise with the lark to be up and doing. Take two artists in the same way; the hard-handed one will execute works showing manly occupations and phases of life; he of the soft hands will be less practical in his subjects, but more diverse, more proneto ideas of the moment and fancy, and possess more delicacy. People with soft hands always have the little fleshy ball on the face of the outer phalanges more developed, and this seems to give them better taste and tact. People with hard hands are seldom, if ever, polished and gentle in manner, but they are often good-natured and sensitive; those with fat, soft hands are usually indolent, luxurious, and of stagnant intellect. As we grow old and careworn, our hands, as a rule, become hard, or, at least, firm-skinned and stiff." This is accounted for by the fact that our imagination fades, our sense of the poetic and beautiful becomes less keen, and from artistic and imaginative amusements we turn to tastes for arrangement of house and home, gardening and the like; and it is particularly noticeable, and...
