The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-11-10
KISSING PARTIES.
How Those Who Think Dancing is
Wicked Enjoy Themselves.


for man to kiss his wife on Sunday Oh
any other day without due notice 8
change has come over the spirit of New
England's social life. No one can have
helped noticing the difference between
the customs of the people Of the early
times, as described by their own histo-
rian, and those which prevail now. In
the rural distriets OF New Hampshire
and Vermont one would expect to find
the least change, for there the "foreign
element" which has come in Is so small
AS to form hardly an appreciable part OF
| the community. Yet this Is the region
in which the reaction of the strained
bow has been greatest and Puritan Sc
verify has given place, among the
younger people at least, to a levity
which would cause Cotton Mather to
| turn in his grave il his ideas of prOpri
ETY. are yet unchanged. kissing par
ties form one of the most COMMON
amusements through many country
town during the winter evenings, al
though those who participate Ia them
would hold up their hands in horror if
that name were applied TO the gathering
The term usually employed is "s0cia-
ble," or Surprise party" and the COM
paaY wall be made up OF some twenty or
thirty people, ranging III age from fif-
teen to thirty. An hour or more Is de-
voted to conversation, and then every
body begins to run short of subject
matters the weather has been discussed,
past, present and future, SeonoT's pre-
dictiOHs have been com pared with
those OF LeaYitt's sold Farmers Alma
mack" the girls have taken sn inysnto-
~ OF each others best clothes, and the |
boys, who have done little but gaze at |
Fl 81
upon their fair companions, now begin |
to fidget uneasily. One of them, pei |
haps, has the temerity TO suggest plain |
dance, but Is instantly frOwncd down,
and may consider himself thankful If I
not looked upon as a hardened repro
bate by twO-thirds OF those preseut
Dancing and theatre-going are among
the things which the taboo of the Pill
grim fathers still affects. One dancer
has broken the ice, however, and one of
the girls suggests that "post Office"
would furnish amusement for a time as
a substitute for that wicked dance. A
dark room, countless letters and unlim-
tied postage supplies happiness to the
assembled company, two at a time.
Part Of the others, meanwhile, are pay
ing forfeits and "going to Rome"
measuring tape" shooting flies" and
making loggiDg-sleds," the sounds OF
which occupations would cause q per-
ION to think that half-dozen horses
we're stuck in the mud back of the
house and trying to get their feet loose.
'Choosing husband and wife in the
lark,n Copenhagen" and numerous
'ther games go TO make up the eve {
ling's list, which finally closes at about
midnight with "Clap in and clap out"
This is considered the acme of rural
One chair per couple, a kiss ,
when they find each other, and when
III are mated q grand chorus By the
roEd go up and make this elevating
musement. Anyone who hasn't had
lis share is expected to get now, and
Usually does.
Thus closes the evening, which the
-oung men assured the hostess that
they never enjoyed themselves MORE"
nd that the girls say was perfectly
plendid." A desire to kiss may be in |
orD, though there is no record of
dams kissing Eve, possibly because
4 those days he meyer hung oyer the
ront gate by moonlight two hours at a
me. Then again 1t may be said in ex- G
use that q
Ifit was net lawful, J
Lawyers wouldn't GLOW il; l.
II it was not holy, Il
Ministers would not do it; c
II it was not modest, il
Maidens wouldn't take it, "A
And il it were not plenty, =
Poor folks wouldn't get it. .
Be that as it may, the facts are as Civ r
D, with the exception that all Is not as D
ure bliss as might appear. Now and v
ZEN some unfortunate wight is SEN L
,nced to fill a sugar bowl with an angel Q
petticoats OF the genius wallflower, II
nd il that fellow had his choice he Q
ould probably take his chances in n
orInlng a battery rather than undergo /
lie present ordeal. His wounded feel q
lgs are healed later on when he comes II
, the maiden of his choice, and that I
Ioment of bliss makes up for all past y
'iRls.
These parties are not to be found d
1erywhere in New England, but in the
,gion spoken of they are so common
to excite no remark unless some To- d
Il lyceum orator seeks nOtoriety in OPP h
osing them. One of these worthless j
as said: "PrOmiscuOus hugging and n
lssing Is highly commendable and e
roper but if anyone will succeed in &
musing and entertaining mixed party .
forty in any other way, he deserves n
IL thanks of the community. Those o
no object to any change are recon- II
lended to try the old plan of limiting II
he membership to two and the place of a
leeting to the doorstep" <