National Republican., 1882-12-13
THE HENRY v KISS.


Oscillation Extraordinary in the "Pnssion's
Slave" Compnny--nIiss Carlyon Frees Her
Mind on John A. stevcns's style OF
Bussing.
ST. Lo,ds Post Dispatch.
"Do you know why Miss Carlyon left the
John A. Stevens company, which has just
closed at the Pcople's?" asked a play-actor man
of a Post Dispatch reporter this morning.
fNo"
"Well, it was all owing to the way in which
Mr.. Stevens insisted on kissing her in Pas
sion's Slave Miss Carlyon's husband, Mr..
Melville, is exceedingly jealous, and he in
sisted that hereafter his wife should be kissed
on the ear or behind It, instead of on the lips,
and out of this fuss the trouble began which
ended in the division of the company"
Miss Carlyon whose name off the stage is
Mrs. Melville was found at the Southern
hotel. She is particularly pretty little lady,
with the goldest of golden hair, dark eye
brows, and a smile that would melt wax.
| Likewise she observes the biblical maxim
"If your foot is pretty, show it," and through
out the interview the scribe sometimes found
| himself enthralled with the curves of pair
| of Joyous CATERS, and then with the curves of
an exhilarating pair of lips. He told his
story, and the lady pouted very perceptibly
when it came to the statement that her hus-
band wanted her kissed on the ear, but laugh
| ingly declared there was nothing in it.
"Of course have left Mr.. Stevens" said
she, "but it was because did not like him or
that exceedingly fiat melo-drama PASSIONS
Slave"
And then it was not question of kiss
ingPI
II must admit that did not like the way
| ba EiScn1 mn Vnn Mr. o1xy We
used the Henry " kiss and it was decidedly
unpleasant, as he was neither husband, u
| relation, nor lover"
"That is kiss that has not reached us
YETI"
"Oh, it's the kiss that Rignold uses in
Henry " AS he does it it is not so bad, but
Mr.. Stevens is not the actor that Rignold is,
and the consequence is that every time he
uses the kiss the whole house titters, and
there is q suggestion of indelicacy about it
that is very annoying Now, don't imagine
that am a prude, for Iam not. delight in
love scenes on the stage, but there is art and
there is awkwardness."
"What is the Henry v kiss?"
well" she blushed and laughed, "what
we call the Henry kiss in England is this:
The gentleman comes behind where the lady
is standing, and puts both his arms over her
shoulders on her cheeks, so that tho fingers of
both meet just beneath her chin. Then he
pulls HeT uedu DdCk 10 Ills ana
kisses her fully on the lips, keeping his mouth
to hers for fully two minutes. After he kissed
me that way once, always afterward moved
my mouth, so that he kissed me on the chin,
and not on the lips, but it was unpleasant in
the extreme. As l say, i am not at all prudish,
but am an artist, and / do not want to use
stage business that has descended to the low
variety theaters. 1t is stage etiquette that no
gentleman should kiss a lady on the lips. Mr..
Stevens has violated this rule over and over
again.
"Did your husband tell Stevens that he
must kiss you on the carr"
""On my honor, no. My husband never
spoke to him about it, and it would be absurd
to ask him to kiss my ear or to kiss me behind
the ear. My husband never spoke to Stevens
on the matter at all. OF course, he didn't like
it, and / didn't like it, but l had made up my
mind to get away from Mr. Stevens's company
as soon as l could and so we resolved to say
nothing about the kiss. 1t would only put
me In most ridiculous attitude All the
other members of the company spoke to me
| shout it, but made up my mind to let it go
and get away as soon as | could"
And what will you do now?"
y" We intend to rest here for few days, and
th en- i shall put company of my own on the
road, in which, by the way, the Henry Vkiss
Will not go. l intend to produce English
comedy. We have all the funds we need and
l have no doubt we will succeed very well. i
don't know what to do about this absurd re-
port about the kiss-of course you must deny
it for me. The reason that l left Mr.. Stevens
was that his play was very poor-awfully poor
he insisted on nine and ten performances in
the week, and there were other reasons.
That's enough for you to say, isn't it? ?" and
the dainty gaiter tapped imploringly on the
floor.
"Of course" said she, az wouldn't mind
about the kiss if it didn't put me in such an
absurd light The idea of wanting to be kissed
on the ear is positively dreadful. don't know
how people can imagine such things"