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spin not and toil not； and yet are not beautiful。 Beneath their soft；
smooth roundness what a chaos of undeveloped character！
I am sure there is no hand parable to the physician's in patient
skill； merciful gentleness and splendid certainty。 No wonder that Ruskin
finds in the sure strokes of the surgeon the perfection of control and
delicate precision for the artist to emulate。 If the physician is a man
of great nature； there will be healing for the spirit in his touch。 This
magic touch of well…being was in the hand of a dear friend of mine who
was our doctor in sickness and health。 His happy cordial spirit did his
patients good whether they needed medicine or not。
As there are many beauties of the face； so the beauties of the hand are
many。 Touch has its ecstasies。 The hands of people of strong
individuality and sensitiveness are wonderfully mobile。 In a glance of
their finger…tips they express many shades of thought。 Now and again I
touch a fine； graceful； supple…wristed hand which spells with the same
beauty and distinction that you must see in the handwriting of some
highly cultivated people。 I wish you could see how prettily little
children spell in my hand。 They are wild flowers of humanity； and their
finger motions wild flowers of speech。
All this is my private science of palmistry； and when I tell your
fortune it is by no mysterious intuition or gipsy witchcraft； but by
natural； explicable recognition of the embossed character in your hand。
Not only is the hand as easy to recognize as the face； but it reveals
its secrets more openly and unconsciously。 People control their
countenances； but the hand is under no such restraint。 It relaxes and
bees listless when the spirit is low and dejected； the muscles
tighten when the mind is excited or the heart glad； and permanent
qualities stand written on it all the time。
FOOTNOTE：
＇A＇ The excellent proof…reader has put a query to my use of the word
〃see。〃 If I had said 〃visit；〃 he would have asked no questions； yet what
does 〃visit〃 mean but 〃see〃 （_visitare_）？ Later I will try to defend
myself for using as much of the English language as I have succeeded in
learning。
THE HAND OF THE RACE
III
THE HAND OF THE RACE
LOOK in your 〃Century Dictionary；〃 or if you are blind； ask your teacher
to do it for you； and learn how many idioms are made on the idea of
hand； and how many words are formed from the Latin root _manus_……enough
words to name all the essential affairs of life。 〃Hand；〃 with quotations
and pounds； occupies twenty…four columns； eight pages of this
dictionary。 The hand is defined as 〃the organ of apprehension。〃 How
perfectly the definition fits my case in both senses of the word
〃apprehend〃！ With my hand I seize and hold all that I find in the three
worlds……physical； intellectual； and spiritual。
Think how man has regarded the world in terms of the hand。 All life is
divided between what lies _on one hand_ and on the other。 The products
of skill are _manu_factures。 The conduct of affairs is _man_agement。
History seems to be the record……alas for our chronicles of war！……of the
_man_oeuvres of armies。 But the history of peace； too； the narrative of
labour in the field； the forest； and the vineyard； is written in the
victorious sign _manual_……the sign of the hand that has conquered the
wilderness。 The labourer himself is called a _hand_。 In _man_acle and
_manu_mission we read the story of human slavery and freedom。
The minor idioms are myriad； but I will not recall too many； lest you
cry； 〃Hands off！〃 I cannot desist； however； from this word…game until I
have set down a few。 Whatever is not one's own by first possession is
_second…hand_。 That is what I am told my knowledge is。 But my
well…meaning friends e to my defence； and； not content with endowing
me with natural _first…hand_ knowledge which is rightfully mine； ascribe
to me a preternatural sixth sense and credit to miracles and heaven…sent
pensations all that I have won and discovered with my good right
hand。 And with my left hand too； for with that I read； and it is as true
and honourable as the other。 By what half…development of human power has
the left hand been neglected？ When we arrive at the acme of civilization
shall we not all be ambidextrous； and in our _hand…to…hand_ contests
against difficulties shall we not be doubly triumphant？ It occurs to me；
by the way； that when my teacher was training my unreclaimed spirit； her
struggle against the powers of darkness； with the stout arm of
discipline and the light of the manual alphabet； was in two senses a
hand…to…hand conflict。
No essay would be plete Shakspere。 In the
field which； in the presumption of my youth； I thought was my own he has
reaped before me。 In almost every play there are passages where the hand
plays a part。 Lady Macbeth's heart…broken soliloquy over her little
hand； from which all the perfumes of Arabia will not wash the stain； is
the most pitiful moment in the tragedy。 Mark Antony rewards Scarus； the
bravest of his soldiers； by asking Cleopatra to give him her hand：
〃mend unto his lips thy favouring hand。〃 In a different mood he is
enraged because Thyreus； whom he despises； has presumed to kiss the hand
of the queen； 〃my playfellow； the kingly seal of high hearts。〃 When
Cleopatra is threatened with the humiliation of gracing Caesar's triumph；
she snatches a dagger； exclaiming； 〃I will trust my resolution and my
good hands。〃 With the same swift instinct； Cassius trusts to his hands
when he stabs Caesar： 〃Speak； hands； for me！〃 〃Let me kiss your hand；〃
says the blind Gloster to Lear。 〃Let me wipe it first；〃 replies the
broken old king； 〃it smells of mortality。〃 How charged is this single
touch with sad meaning！ How it opens our eyes to the fearful purging
Lear has undergone； to learn that royalty is no defence against
ingratitude and cruelty！ Gloster's exclamation about his son； 〃Did I but
live to see thee in my touch； I'd say I had eyes again；〃 is as true to a
pulse within me as the grief he feels。 The ghost in 〃Hamlet〃 recites the
wrongs from which springs the tragedy：
Thus was I； sleeping； by a brother's hand。
At once of life； of crown； of queen dispatch'd。
How that passage in 〃Othello〃 stops your breath……that passage full of
bitter double intention in which Othello's suspicion tips with evil what
he says about Desdemona's hand； and she in innocence answers only the
innocent meaning of his words： 〃For 'twas that hand that gave away my
heart。〃
Not all Shakspere's great passages about the hand are tragic。 Remember
the light play of words in 〃Romeo and Juliet〃 where the dialogue； flying
nimbly back and forth； weaves a pretty son about the hand。 And who
knows the hand； if not the lover？
The touch of the hand is in every chapter of the Bible。 Why； you could
almost rewrite Exodus as the story of the hand。 Everything is done by
the hand of the Lord and of Moses。 The oppression of the Hebrews is
translated thus： 〃The hand of Pharaoh was heavy upon the Hebrews。〃 Their
departure out of the land is told in these vivid words： 〃The Lord
brought the children of Israel out of the house of bondage