第3部分(第1/7 页)

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

perfe