The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-08-25

Republican. 2s9'8tl&4 }se3
- j ------------.>.~----.-- L. 2eTl
+ To KISS RnNoT TO KIss--Yo OUR
CousIN.-What young man but has
asked himself, when going on a visit to
an uncle's family whether or not he
was expected to kiss his pretty, cousin
whom he had not seen since she was
/ fifteen. .a9sHad 4t44i ag, 9t{f not
d The question is a perplexing one. A
young gentleman wishes to do nothing
which is not expected. On the other
hand, he wishes to show sufficient
warmth of feeling to his uncle's family.
The Question, too, is one which must
be answered, apparently, before reach
ing the presence of his cousin. The
least hesitation is fatal. = To take the
hand ola pretty cousin, and hesitate a
second whether to kiss her or not, is
out of the question. Ifshe expects Won
to kiss her, and sees a hesitation, she
thinks there must be something impro-
per in it, and blush follows that
thought, whether you kiss her or not.
| The slightest hesitation makes il awk-
! ward in every way. Uncle and baunt
smile at each other, and can only think
| OF you both as you used to be---a cum
ming little couple, frolicing together
and making mud pies in the back yard.
Even the, inevitable, the omnipresent,
the irrepressible little brothers see
something queer about it, and there is
no telling in what form he may ex-
press himself on subsequent occasion.
There must be no hesitation. 4ss.,flgs I
/ How, then, must the question be de-
cided ? Two classes of young men
have little difficulty in deciding it, but
between these two classes there is a
larger class, SO large that it embraces
the majority of all young men; those
who belong to this class can never de-
eide the question until the last mo-
ment, and usually think that they have
been made fools of themselves when
the thing is over. f'fli ls45e!0
Our dignified young man, careful of
only etiquette, and anxious not to be
too familiar, fresh from the. gentleman's
guide-book and recently from college,
decides promptly and easily not to kiss
his cousin. He takes her hand, is very
polite to her, repents of his decision
before his eyes are taken away from
her, and makes up for his loss before
the week is out. With rollicking cous-
in Bob, On the other hand, the pipceed
ing is very different. He hardly asks
himself a question at all. He not only
expects to kiss his pretty cousin when
he meets her, but expects to repeat the
ceremony as often as he used to do it,
when she was fifteen. He kisses her
with such hearty good will that all
the questions Of proprlety which had
vexed her disappear, and they are chill
dren together again in q moment. The
kiss becomes purely matter of rela-
tionsbip. a,,3 .,.....,-,
Now, between cousin Bob and the
dignified young man come the majority
of young men, who doubt, and ques-
ton, and worry themselves whenever
the subject of meeting cousin comes
up. Our advice is to take cousin Bob's
course. Kiss your pretty cousins, as a
matter of course. If they do not ex--
,pect it they will be pleasurabiy flisap-
pointed if they do expect it they will
not think you are formal and uncous-
inly. Although an apparently radical
course, it is in reality highly conser-
vative course. If a family objects to
the kissing of cousins, as some families
do, there is time enough after the first
meeting to come to an understanding
At that meeting all are expected to
follow their own customs. Tie only
safe and general satisfactory way for a
young man to meet cousin, ia to kiss
her-frankly, honestly heartily [Ex
change