We shall now begin at the first step in hand-reading, and proceed, by successive stages, to consider everything necessary to a thorough comprehension of the science. The space given to the consideration of each subject is in proportion to its importance. It will help you greatly to adopt a method in your examinations similar to that followed in succeeding chapters, and follow it with each pair of hands you read. First, pose, then texture, flexibility, consistency, color, nails, etc., in the regular order given here. By adopting a definite method of examination, such as the above, you will never be at a loss where to begin or how to proceed. The first thing you should consider in reading a pair of hands is the manner in which they are naturally carried. To place yourself in the best position to do this, you should locate your chair on the farther side of the room, opposite the door through which your client will enter. From this point you may observe certain indications given by his hands before they reach you. It is necessary, in order to arrive at correct conclusions in this matter, that the hands should be held naturally, and that your subject should not feel under any restraint or embarrassment.
If the mind is at all disturbed, it will reflect itself in an unnatural carriage of the hands, and you will fail to catch the unconscious gleam, of the real inner self. To further this end, your assistant should have the visitor remove hat, coat, and gloves (it will aid materially if this assistant have also the tact to say a pleasant word), so that as the client crosses the floor, he or she may do so carrying the hands in a natural manner, mind at ease, and unconscious that the reading has already begun. It may be stated here that the hand whose owner has little or nothing to conceal opens itself freely to the gaze, and that the hand of one whose deeds and thoughts will not bear inspection wishes to hide itself, or to close the fingers over the palm, studiously concealing it from sight.
The mind feels the necessity for hiding its workings, and the fingers, obeying the suggestion, close over the palm, Thus to you will come the knowledge that if your client seems bent on hiding his hands from sight as he crosses your room (1), or if he seems anxious to keep the hand closed as much as possible, which he may try to do even while you are examining it, they have ideas which they do not like to have exposed; they have a dark side to their character, and is probably deceitful, hypocritical, or untruthful. You must always give these clients the plain truth; do not fear to wound them. Be sure you are right, of course, and do not judge by any one indication, but look for other indication bearing on the same line of investigation, then tell them all you know, and do not be disappointed when they say that you have entirely misjudged them.

You may next be visited by the man who is merely careful about telling all they know. They are one who can keep a confidence, or closely hold a business secret. They are not, in gently closing their fingers, hiding a bad though or a bad trait, but they do not make a confidant of every one they meet. This subject will cross your room without any effort to hide their hand from sight (2), and without the studies and evident attempt at secretiveness and the lack of openness which characterizes our hypocritical friend. Their hands will be held at their side, the fingers partially closed, and while the hand shows life, and does not hand limp and logy, nevertheless it is not wide open. In this case, the greater part of what the subject knows is kept to themselves; they are self-contained, cautious, trustworthy; one in whom you may confide; who meets you half way in confidences, and with nothing frivolous in his character.
You must, in studying all hands, learn to distinguish a hand that is full of life, is springy, and elastic in its outward look, telling you, even before you have touched it, of the vital energy stored in its owner. By pursuing such a "study of observation" of hands of all the people you meet, not trying to individualize in the analysis of their qualities, not mentally trying to class the into types, but merely seeking to get impressions of strength or weakness, attraction or repulsion, that develop under such a study, you will find that every pair of hands has eyes; that they seem to look at you, asking pity, maybe, for their owners, or, that they have mouths, and beseech you to hear their story. This study of the impression created by the mere sight of hands must be practiced continually. By following this line of observation, and observing the other direction as to method of practice suggested at the beginning of this chapter, you will know the kind of person with whom you have to deal before they take their seat in the chair, and you will thus know better how to handle their case. It has seemed necessary to say this here, for, in hands carried as described by the latter type, it is the life, the spring, the elasticity looking out from them that will say to you, "This is the self-contained, prudent subject; I must be direct in my statements, say nothing that can imply that I am asking them a question, but tell them the story, not let them tell me"

The next client is one who carries the hands at the side, the fingers nearly open, and the hand dangling in a limp and lifeless manner (3). The whole impression of their hand is that of indecision, and a lack of fixed ness of purpose; it indicates one that it would be exceedingly dangerous to entrust with any secret, unless you want it revealed to the first adroit individual who happens along. In this case the mind is lacking in definiteness of purpose; it is ready to receive suggestion, no matter whether they are correct or not, and

the subject, being mentally lazy, will not take the trouble to think for themselves. The mind is without a fixed purpose, consequently the hand is one which, by its lifelessness and dangling look, shows that it is the servant of a mind that is ready to be lazily directed by some other mind stronger in purpose than itself. Its fault is in being life a sieve, through which all that is told pours readily, and is coupled with a lack of ability to be self-contained.

Number 2 and number 3 are respectively the "close-fisted" and open-handed people in money matters: the first thinks before he spends; the second is the one of whom it is said, "A fool and his money are soon parted." These undecided hands, in coming toward you, will tell you that you may easily impress their owner, and the only trouble will be to keep the from instantly telling you all they know.

The next subject for our consideration is the one who crosses your room with their hands hanging at their sides, but with the fists firm closed (4). This does not indicate the bruiser or the bully, for you will find those qualities in another type, but it indicates one who is laboring under great determination. The very act of clenching the fist will indicate plainly that the mind is made up, the determination fixed. The clenching of the fist shows the shutting in of the vital energy, the shutting out of all idea of further parley, and the arrival of the time to act. Thus the degree of clenching of the fist shows the quantity of determination as well as the quality, for if it is merely a gentle closing of the hand, it will show you the firm, determined person; if it is the clenched fist with the ends of the fingers pressing hard into the palms, the person is laboring under some pressing excitement, which has brought with it determination. It will thus portray to your mind very strong resolution, either the habitual strength of that quality in the subject, or its temporary occupancy of their mind at the time.

The next person who crosses the room may carry the left hand gracefully at the side, the right forearm vertical and resting against the biceps, the wrist curving gracefully, the fingers of Saturn and Apollo close together, and gracefully curved, fingers of Jupiter and Mercury apart and showing a space between them and the other fingers (5). This will show you one who is dominated by the artistic qualities.
You will seldom find this pose of the hand in men, but plentifully among women. It is chiefly useful in distinguishing the really artistic nature from the commonplace one carrying the hands in a dead, lifeless way at the side, and it will give you the inkling of a love of the beautiful and tasteful things of life, as possessed by your client. It shows more of the psychic qualities than those belonging to the mater-of-fact housewife. You can pleas this subject at once by speaking of grace and beauty as her mainspring, and it will not be hard to find the way to her heart through these channels. As this pose will be most frequently met among the people of refined society, you will have to inform yourself on all subjects pertaining to "proper form," "etiquette," etc. Thus equipped you will be able better to depict their character and probably outcome than it you were not conversant with the rules of those in the "blue book."
Then there is the "Miss Nancy" who crosses with a mincing gait, the left hand and forearm held across the abdomen, the hand drooping at the wrist, and held loosely, the right arm carried vertically, the forearm doubling back on the biceps, the right hand drooping at the wrist and held loosely, with a pair of eye-glasses, a lorgnette, or a smelling-bottle held listlessly in the fingers, and either whirled or swayed gently as they walk (6). This person if "finicky" in the extreme, hypersensitive, and shows an excess of femininity in either man or woman. It is odd to say that a women can be excessively feminine, and yet this is true, for many lack the elastic, firm femininity that does not mean boldness, but does mean strength. It is the kind which does not give way under discouragement, but with fine womanliness rises to the occasion, and becomes the support and stimulator of husband or family in times when her strength and encouraging words are needed. The excessively feminine woman sinks collapsed when her help is most necessary, and becomes, for the time, an added burden in place of a tower of strength. In a man it means the " Miss Nancy," caring more for the appearance of dress than for the strength of masculinity.
Then were will be the person who seems to find no place for their hands to rest (7); they carry them first up, then down, then in the pocket, then fingering the watch-chain. This person is uncertain in purpose; emotions are passing rapidly through them, and these emotions are not under the control either of mind or will. These people are very often strong characters but need directing.

Then there will come the person who holds the hands in front of the body, or slightly at the side, waving them about as though trying to keep from touching anything (8). If an object should be brought close to these hands, they would instinctively shrink away from it an avoid contract. It looks as though the ends of the fingers contained eyes which were roaming from one place to the other. This person is suspicious, is "sizing up" everything about the, making mental notes of the appearance of yourself, the settings of the room, and is looking for trap-doors and concealed things that are to help you read them. This action of the mind, showing watchfulness alertness, and investigation, is reflects in the hands, which roam around evidently searching for information, and in reading this subject it will be well to point out the places in the hand from which you get your information, give them your reasoning frankly, and conceal nothing from them. Handled in this way, these people become your best advocates.

These will be some who will cross the room with the fingers toying with the handkerchief, a button on the clothes, the watch-chain, or some other trinket or trifle (9). This subject is nervous, and is momentarily under excitement. It is not the calm, placid even temper shown by the one who crosses in a stately manner with the hands easily clasped together in from them, the palm of one hand up, the palm of the other hand resting in it (10).

This is a most eloquent indicator of repose and evenness of temper, one which will present an unruffled front to all exciting circumstances and events. You must no be hurried with this calm person. Their mind acts with dignity, and more slowly than the average. If you should talk fast and not give time for what you said to be absorbed, you would find them saying to their friends in describing your reading, "I suppose it was good, but really he talked so fast I could not catch all of it."

Then you will be consulted by the bullying person, their fists tightly clenched, their elbows bend, with their arms carried in what I have called the "bow-legged" fashion (11). This is typical of a bruiser and fighter, and you must be exceedingly firm in what you say. You will also have the person who crosses the room rubbing their hands together, as is the fashion in washing them; they rub one hand against the other in a most sly, oily manner (12). This will tell you of "Uriah Heep," slippery, adroit, hypocritical, untruthful. You can not depend on them at all, and you must bring out all their qualities, for they are the personification of insincerity.

Then will come the haughty and proud, very much impressed with their own importance. They will cross your room with a stately mien, the left hand held at the side, the fingers loosely closing, the right arm bent at the elbow, held horizontally across the abdomen, the palm held upward with the fingers closing, loosely over it (13). This person is full of self-importance, impressed with their own dignity, and will quickly resent anything life an attempt at familiarity, or anything tending to show that you do not fully agree with them in their estimate of themselves.

And next you may be visited by a pair of hands handing limp, heavy in shape, thick and fat, which will seem to belong to a dead person, and mentally they do (14). All is heaviness density, coarseness, no chance for lightly of fancy on your part, no chance for rhapsody. If you attempt a keen analysis, they will blankly stare at you. No use trying to lift them out of their trough of materialism. It can't be done. They want to know their brother's name, whether they are married, how many children, how long will they live, whether they will be rich, and you cannot lift them above this plane.

Finally, we meet the person who will cross with an investigating air, the hands clasped behind their back (15). They are extremely cautious, does not know exactly what is going to be done, does not want to fall into any trap, is looking over the ground before they "shows their hand." Deal gently with them; they are timid, they mean well, but are suspicious.

From the foregoing illustrations, it is apparent how great an assistance it will b to make a careful study of this chapter .Assume the poses described, and learn to recognize them at a glance. Do not try to commit this chapter to memory, it will do no good unless the mental picture of all these people is in your mind, so that the moment they are seen, that moment they are recognized. Thus before your client is seated, you have much to aid you in your method of handling them.

References
The Laws of Scientific Hand Reading- A practical Treatise on the Art Commonly called Palmistry 1946 Benham, William. Printed and published by R. J. Taraporevala for D. B. Tarporevala Sons & Co. Bombay