Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-03-10

salutation throughout the world. Plutarch
says the conspirators before they killed
Julius Cesar kissed his hands and his boz
som. Tacitus says that when his iathor-in-
law, Agricola, returned TO Rome, Domitian
kissed him coldly, said nothing to him and
left him disregarded in the crowd. An in
ferior, who would not aspire TO kiss his su
| perior would kiss own, hand and throw a
kiss to the latter, who would return 1t in the
same mInner. The ceremony OF kneeling
aud kissing the hand of king is disgust
ing; so, too, the still more degrading and
revolving ceremony of kissing the Pope's
toe. The kiss was always used in the wor-
ship OF the gods. Job In his parable, ono
OF our oldest known books, says he had
not adored the sun and moon or suffered
his mouth to kiss his hands to them. In
some portions OF Europe all that remains
of the civilty Of hand-kissing is the sim
plo and innocent practice taught TO chill
dren, that OF kissing their right hands in
return for a sugar plum. The kiss OF Ju-
das has become proverbial, and the betray-
al Of Caesar while saluting him with kisses
renders his assassination odius and horri-
BILE. The beautiful allegory of Judith Ter-
illing her life by stealing into the tent of
Holofernes, the Assyrian captain, cutting
off his head and carrying II to Bethulia, her
native village, is familiar to all the read
ers OF the Apocryphal books of the Bible.
Unlike the assassinations alluded TO In the
Old Testament, for aught that appears, there
was no kissing by the beautiful Jewess be-
fore the decapltaton. Joab, one Of David's
captains, was jealous OF Amasa and said
TO him, "Art thou in health my brother?"
and took him by the beard with his right
hand TO kiss him, while with the other he
drew his sword and smote him SO that his
bowels were "shcd upon the ground"
In the tragedy of Othello the hero gives
Desdemona, his wife, two kisses before he
strangles her. Among the ancients there
was something symbolical aud sacred at
tached to the kiss, since they kissed the
statues Of their gods and the initiated
kissed one another in the mysteries Of &C.
res in token of concord. Tho early Chris
lians, male aud female, kissed with the
mouth at their Agape, or love feasls. They
bestowed the holy kiss, the kiss of peace,
the brotherly and sistorly kiss, upon one
another. This custom lasted for three or
four centuries, and was finally abolished
in distrust OF tue consequences. 1t was the
kiss Of peace and love feasts, and ibeir ap-
pellatious OF brother and sister, which
drew Oh the Christians, while little known,
those imputations OF debauchery bestowed
upon them by the priests Of Jupiter and
the priestoSses OF Vesta. We read In Pc
hat /, ha 4
er brother and sister, and ii was thought
that among Christians the same licentious-
ness was intended and practiced. They in
noceutly drew the scandal upon them
selves. The Pietsts wishing TO initiate the
early Christians bestowed on each other
kisses of peace on departing from their as
semblies and also called one another broth
er and sister. The ancient ceremony was
kiss with the lips, and the Pietists have
carefu lily preserved ii. There is no other
manner Of salutiDE The ladies in Europe
and this country. The lady members OF
Plymouth church in Brooklyn, N. Y, are
said TO salute their pastor, Mr.. Beecher,
with "pGrorysmdr' kiss. The kind and
character OF this kiss we are unable to do
termine, unless we adopt the theory Of the
ancient philosophers, that there is a nerve
which runs from the mouth to the heart
which produces in the kiss an exquiSitely
pleasurable aud dangerous sensation.
1t was regarded formerly as an incivility
in lady to receive the first visit of no.
blcman without kiLsing him upon the lips.
Monlaigne says "it was an unpleasant Gus
tom and offensive 10 the ladies' to be COM
PEELED TO offer their lips TO the three Wallets
in the nobleman's suit however repulsive
1t might be-" If 1t is dlsagreeabe 10 young
and pretty mouth to glue itself to one that
Is old and ugly, there is great danger in
the junction of fresh and rosy lips OF the
age Of eighteen and twenty, truth which
has contributed in great measure towards
the abolition OF the ceremony Of kissing In
mysteries aud love feasts. Virtue might
suffer from q prolonged and ardent kiss
between two pietists of the age of eighteen.
Mankind, turtles and pigeons alone prac-
tice kissing. 1t is delightful to witness The
billing and cooling OF the beautiful turtle
doves Nature sets us an example of cor
dialiiy aud love without any aflectation OF
secrecy
'The fair horizon kisses the red siy."
And so too the ocean-
"when the uplifted water kisses the clouds"
Shakespeare in the play Of Hamlet speaks
OF the "Heaven kissing hill," and in the
Merchant OF Venice he also says
"In such 4 night as this,
When iihe sweet wind did gently kiss the trees,
Aud they did make no noise"
DR.. Heytin, an English author, visited
France in 1925, aud thought it uncivil and
stra ngo that the ladies should turn away
from the profler Of salutation, and he in
dignantly exclaimed "lhat the chaste and
innocent kiss Ofan English gentlew oman is
more in heaven than their best devotions."
Eras mus in letter urging friend to come
to England, very pleasantly makes use of
this custom to strengthen his invitation.
81" says he, "thou knswest the advant-
ages of England thou wouldst run hither
with winged feet, aud II the gout would
not suffer that thou wouldst wish thyself a
Dodalus, for to name ono among many,
here are girls with divine countenances,
bland and courteous, and whom thou
wouldst readily prefer to thy MUSES.. And
besides there Is custom which can never
be sufficiently praised, for if you visit any
where you are dismissed with kisses if
you return these sweet things are again
rendered; If any one goes away with you
these kisses are divided; wherever you go
you are abundantly kissed. In short, move
which way you will, all things are full of
delight"
In the Buffalo Medical COLLEGE Pro-
fessor Mason performed an operation on