More or less consciously, every one is a reader of handwriting! If we have not devoted thought and study to the subject, we merely gather a vaguely favorable, or unfavorable, impression from the first letter written to us by a new acquaintance, and store it up with the other impressions we have already gleaned from their personality.

When, however, time and thought are given to the fascinating cult of Graphology, it will be found to reward its students, by letting a thousand little sidelights on to character—and if the most “proper study of mankind is man,” then assuredly is Graphology a most helpful adjunct to that end.

One must crawl before one can walk, and learn the alphabet before one can master a language, therefore an impulsive learner must not grow disgusted because his laborious reading of a handwriting is disjointed, and may be obviously unlike the writer. By the time he can read a character from a letter, without gathering a word of that letter’s sense—which is what every graphologist worthy the name can, and does do—he will have come to see how one sign outweighs or counterbalances another, and so learn to read a human character from a sheet of paper and the more or less erratic tracings of a pen.

As a home entertainment, any amount of fun is to be got out of it. One unfailing source of amusement is to notice how all are willing vaguely to accept the ownership of every failing save the one you ascribe to them.

The jealous girl is “perfectly horrid,” she knows. But she certainly “isn’t jealous.” The lazy man is “bad tempered, perhaps,” but “no one could call him indolent.”

Friends and relations will, however, be ready to assure you of the correctness of your delineation.

The first thing to notice when studying character from handwriting, is the direction of a hand. Is it even, upward, or tending to meander down the page? The even hand suggests honesty, conscientiousness, and a calm, well-balanced nature. The upward hand tells of will power and ambition, cheerfulness and energy. The hand that slopes downward tells of a timid and weak nature, depression and melancholy. It must always be remembered, however, that temporary ill-health, and even a temporary wave of depression, will frequently alter the direction of a hand.

Sometimes a beginner is puzzled by the varying direction—now upward, now downward—of a hand; generally this betokens a mind struggling at the time with adverse circumstances or ill-health.

Capital letters and terminals are both important. The more clearly formed and beautiful the letter, the more refined and artistic the nature.

The graphologist picks out certain letters as being especially important—M, A, L, and D in the capital letters. The small d and e in terminal letters are certainly the most important.

The Principal Letters

Taken in alphabetical order, the following are the principal letters to study:—

A. Well made, and simple in outline, indicates refinement, gentleness, intelligence, perhaps poetic feelings. Flourishes are always bad, and tell of pretension and egotism. If a small a is unjoined—open-mouthed as it were—the subject is something of a gossip. This also applies to the small o.

B. This is a letter that frequently tells of ostentation and kindred failings. If the small b is well looped, look for an affectionate nature.

C. A well-rounded C shows a kindly, perhaps indolent nature. A curly tail suggests selfishness and egotism.

D. The small d is very truth-telling. A small d united to the letter following shows a good sequence of ideas. Too much flourish tells of an ill-balanced imagination.

E. The capital letter shows egotism, even as the letter C does, in the curled back tail. A long tail to the small e tells of imagination, good-nature, ardor; if exaggerated, carelessness.

M is the next really important letter—in some respects the most important. The first high loop means ambition, pride, discontent. A big flourish to the termination shows egotism; a moderate one force of character.

T, or rather the particular method of crossing the T, is always of immense interest to the graphologist. Energy, strength of will, temper, perseverance, obstinacy, may all be shown or found to be lacking. The thickly crossed T indicates energy; the little hook back at the end, perseverance; a thick abrupt ending, temper. Impulsive people cross their T’s high. Those who make long bars are energetic and quick in thinking.

Wide spacing between lines suggests extravagant tastes; accompanied by rounded terminals to the letters, good-nature and generosity.

Short tails and a tendency to make as much as possible out of a sheet of paper, show the opposite characteristic.

Misleading Signs

It cannot be too emphatically impressed on the beginner, that it is fatal to judge from one sign alone. Study them all ere you commit yourself to an opinion; above all, study the signature.

A specimen for delineation should always consist of about six lines, not of copied matter. It must be written on unlined paper, and have the writer’s usual signature attached.

Never attempt to gather anything from an envelope, as one is so often asked to do. Like copied matter, or indeed anything written specially to order, it is hopelessly misleading.

Flourishes always show a certain vulgarity of mind. A small and graceful one after the signature—particularly in the case of a woman—is, however, quite pardonable, and is indicative merely of love of praise and appreciation. Thick and heavy marks of punctuation are one of the signs of a passionate nature. Caution and careful attention to detail are shown by stops between initials and after the signature, the careful crossing of T’s and dotting of I’s. Frank, impulsive natures seldom, if ever, close their A’s and O’s.

Tender-hearted people invariably slope their writing, and make long tails and loops. The critic divides his letters. The orator and writer invariably join theirs, and carry them on from word to word, even as the sequence of their thoughts follows on.

As a general rule, the more charmingly clear the handwriting, the more straightforward and cultivated the person. Eccentricity, however, naturally mars many of the cleverest hands.

It will perhaps simplify matters for the student, if a list is compiled of the principal human virtues and failings, and the means of discovering them by the handwriting, described:—

Ambition.—This is shown in the upward tendency of the hand. Should will power be lacking, expect discontent.

Business.—A businesslike person is always to be recognized by the care of such details as stops, spacing, crossing of T’s, the general air of law and order in the hand. Look for perseverance and will power to insure success.

Brutality.—Thick, heavy, ungraceful handwriting, impulsive and lacking in intelligence.

Candor.—Clear, well-spaced lines and open rounded letters. Well and firmly crossed T’s.

Caution.—See Business.

Coldness.—Upright hand, closed up letters, no graceful “loop.”

Criticism.—This is often found allied to a good sequence of ideas. The separated letters of criticism and the carried on T crosses, &c., betray the quick thinker.

Deceit.—This is always indicated by the screwed-up, badly-formed letters, that run into one another; lines uneven, and words that trail off into a mere scrawl.

Determination is shown by the firmly crossed T, and the general firmness of the whole handwriting.

Eccentricity.—Always betrays itself in a weird signature. Economy, short tails; careful hand, short terminals.

Egotism.—Look for a flourish—for the curl back in capital C’s and E’s; for the curled back small d.

Extravagance.—Wide margins and spacing, a rounded, rather flourishing hand; few stops; generally somewhat thick. Compare other signs.

Fun.—The love of fun is usually indicated by quaintly-rounded terminals and oddly shaped, and often rather illegible capitals.

Generosity.—Curled up terminals, bounded hand, M’s and N’s written like U’s.

Honor.—Even handwriting; might almost have been written over lines. See Candor; and for honesty also.

Imagination.—Good capitals; small d’s joined to following letter bear a hurried look; flying crosses to T’s.

Indolence.—Bounded hand; short terminals.

Intelligence.—Shown by the small attractive hand; clear and firm good capitals.

Jealousy.—A weak hand; sloping, long-looped, flyaway T’s; egotistic C’s.

Loyalty.—Of course you cannot expect to find much character in handwriting until the age of seventeen or so, but the lad who is loyal to his friends and his sense of duty—the typical Boy Scout’s hand, for example—will ever be found firm and boldly ascending the sheet.

Melancholy.—Downward tendency, not only to lines but even words.

Music.—Look for imagination, tenderness, and refinement.

Neatness.—Easily to be seen.

Obstinacy.—Heavy; crushed down as it were on an imaginary line; thick.

Originality.—Imagination marked; unique capitals and flourishes.

Pride.—The exaggerated first loop to the M.

Perseverance.—Clear running hand; well crossed T’s, with little hook to end their crossing.

Selfishness.—Upright hand, generally heavy.

Sensitiveness.—A very sloped, rather weak, and long-looped hand.

Temper.—Thickly crossed, flying T’s; uneven and rather angular handwriting.

Truth.—See Candor.

Vanity.—Look for flourish beneath signature.

Will Power.—Straight thick little bar under signature; thickly crossed T’s; purposeful-looking hand; no return to tails of G’s and Y’s.

In conclusion, one might truthfully say that the more closely one studies the handwriting of one’s friends, the more converted must one become to the belief in Graphology. Go slowly. Compare carefully. Remember always that human beings inevitably suffer from the faults of their qualities, therefore search and you will be rewarded by the enthusiasm of those to whom you give your delineations.