Gentle Persuasion: Mary Roberts Rinehart’s Short Story, ‘Gentle Hand’

One’s soul is seen through tenderness. “Never Mind,” 1884, by Frederick Morgan. Public Domain

Too often, when someone disagrees or opposes us, we respond with force or harsh words. Yet in her short story “Gentle Hand,” Mary Roberts Rinehart demonstrates that gentleness is far more persuasive and moving than any amount of force that we can conjure up.

In this story, as the day draws to a close, a weary traveler seeks to find refuge for the night. He approaches a house that has warm light emanating from its windows.

A Harsh Welcome

As the gate latches shut behind him, the traveler is greeted by a slender girl and an extremely ferocious dog. The immense dog barks and gets ready to spring upon this intruder. But as the dog prepares to lunge, the small girl gently passes her hand over the dog’s fur and whispers to him. In the same instant, the dog stops his attack.

After she sends the dog into the house, a very “heavy-looking” man (her father) confronts the traveler. He questions him in a harsh and challenging way.

The traveler, afraid of the father’s wrath, tells the man where he’s journeying to, which is six miles away. While the father growls, the girl steps next to him and gently rests her hand on his shoulder. In response to this touch, “there was a change in the man’s voice,” and he welcomed in the weary traveler.

When the mother hears that they have a visitor who wants to stay the night, she objects that they don’t run a boarding house. The little girl subsequently approaches her angry mother and places a gentle hand on her mother’s hand and whispers. The mother’s demeanor changes with the touch.

Seeing so much change, the visitor wonders: “Was there magic in that gentle touch?” The mother changes from repulsion to kindness. She welcomes the visitor and inquires whether he has eaten, to which he responds that he hasn’t. Without saying another word, the woman gives him a good meal.

Peace Maker

While the traveler eats his food, he notices two of the other children quarreling. The father angrily tells one of them, John, to go to bed, but John looks “the very image of rebellion.” He doesn’t attempt to obey his father.

Before the argument reaches the climax, the little girl takes John’s hands and, with her gentle hands, “the young rebel is instantly subdued.” Humbly and obediently, John follows the girl to bed.

Before the night ends, the traveler witnesses the girl’s gentle touch turn her family away from anger, violent words, and actions several more times.

In this story, Rinehart shows that the girl’s soul is manifested in the gentle touch of her hand. The little girl proves, as Shakespeare says in “As You Like It,” that ”your gentleness shall force/More than your force move us to gentleness.”

When we’re gentle, we not only demonstrate the disposition of our souls, but we also act in the most persuasive manner. For gentleness acknowledges our neighbor’s tendency and ability to be civil and gentle as well. Gentleness cultivates in us the ability to be good.