The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-11-14

years voyage, ike Ooion 8, OUT as long as
you lived"
So widely spread was the osculstory
reputation of the English, that when Car
Ginal Wolsey's biographer visited dis
tiDguished French nobleman az his
chateau, the mistress of the mansion,
upon entering the apartment with her
bevy of blooming attendant damsels, thus
aecosted her husbands guest: "Foras-
much as ye be an Englishman, whose
custom it is to kiss all ladies and gentle
women without offense, and although it
be not so here in this realm, yet will be
SO bold as to kiss you, and so shall my
maids"
Puri.ans, Independents, and the like,
sternly reprobated the custom of kissing.
Here is what worthy John Bunyan had
to say on the subject: "The common
saluteticns of women l abhor it is odious
to me in whomsoever l see it. When l
have seen good men salute those women
that they have visited, and that have
visited them, have made my objections
against it, and when they have answered
me that it was but piece of civility, l
have told them that it was not a comely
sight. Some, indeed, have urged the holy
kiss; but then | have asked them why
they have made balks-why they did sa-
lutte the most handsome, and let the i'll
favored ones go 2" But notwithstanding
the efforts of the inspired tinker, kissing
continued in vogue under the reign OF
William and Mary, although we find
Rustic Sprightly complaining in the Spec
tator that since the unfortunate arrival In
his neighborhood Of a courtier who was
cJntented with profound bow, no young
gentlewoman had been kissed, though
previously he had been accustomed upon
entering a room to salute the ladies' all
around.
From the Greek anthology down to our
day, Thousands of lines, good, bad, and
indifferent, have been written on the sub
ject of this chapter. A volume of the
dimensions of Webster unabridged would
scarcely contain them. Shakespeare alone
has above three hundred illusions to
kisses in his sonnets and dramas. Per
haps the best description of kissable lips
ever written are by English and Irish
poets. Sir John Sucking paints to the
very life the pretty, pouting mouth of a
beauty, In his "Baliad on a Wedding -
"Her lips were red, and one was thin
Compared to that was next her chin
Some bee had stung it newly"
And the Irish singer hyperbolically il
kens the lips of his charmer to
"a dish of ripe strawberries smothered ir
crane"
willing to plead guilty to ever having
acted like foolish Robin, whose stupidity
has been immortalized in the following
half dozen lines
''Come kiss me" said Robin. gently said
'Enol
For my mother forbade me to play with men
500
Ashamed by my answer, he gIided away,
Though my looks very plainly advised him
to stay,
Silly swain, not at all recollecting-not he
That has mother ne'er said that he must moi
kiss me-"
How differently the same thing may be
described. The great English poetess
says:
"First time he kissed me, but he only kissed
The fingers of this hand wherewith write !;
And, ever since, it grew more clear and white
Slow to worldgreeting quick with its "Oh,
list !"
When the angels speak. A ring OF am methyst
could not wear it palmer to my sight
Than that first kiss. The second passed in
hight
The first, and sought the forehead and half
missed,
Falling upon my hair. Oh, beyond need
That was the chrism of love, which loves
own crown,
With sanctifying sweetness, did prcecde.
The third upon my lips was folded down
L., 10 ybaT. aa1
l have been proud, and said, "My love, my
own ~
Herr Hackiander, writing on the sub
ject Of OSCILLATION, says: "TheIe are three
kisses by which the human race are blest;
the first is that which the mother presses
on the newborn infants head 1; the second
that which the newly welded bride be-
slows on your lips the third that with
which love or friendship closes your eyes
when your career is ended" After which
rhetorical flourish, he adds l.: ''But I;
more blest than other mortals, have TO
boast of fourth kiss of bliss, that OF
Father RadetskyY p" Hacklander wrote
a description of the battle of Navarro,
which brought him, among other distinc-
tions, kiss from the old field marshal.
The first lesson which the infant is
taught is to kiss it is ut once the Ian
guage of infancy and the currency OF
childhood. The little passionless face as
it rests upon its mothers bosom is mould
ed into smiles by kiss, and thus by loves
fruit sweet echo is produced Wao shall
tell the mystery. the deep love and ear,
nestuess, the quiet JOY, the proud hope oi
a mothers kiss 1? and what brow or cheek,
of all who have gone forth into the wide,
wide world, but wears this heavenly jewel,
as imper:shable as the glance of dia-