Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-15
..PERsONAL LIBERTY
German Lovers at a Theater---A
Custom 20 be Introduced
into America.

Berlin Letter to San Francisco Chronicle.
One also sees now and then a pair
Of lovers in the back rows of these
theaters, and as German lovers, espec-
tally among the middle classes, r
privileged characters, and do as their
own sweet wills dictate, it is well
worth the price of admission to see
them enjoy themselves. The first
time we ran across such a couple Chi
cago and | were shocked. Our puri-
tanical bringings.up could not recon
cile themselves to the open love max
ing. We had been used to seeing love
making INDUCED in in c~onservatories
and dark Railways, while all the public
demonstrations that we had ever been
compelled to wink at were sly hand
sQueezes and surreptitious elances
But here the thing was different.
This couple had come to the theater
to amuse themselves, and while
they watched the performance they
did not neglect the other business
on hand. 1t was very warm in
the theater that evening, but the
heated air was not nearly so warm as
their feelings toward each other. Not
only that, but he had his brawny right
arm around her by no means diminu-
tive waist, and every minute or so he
would give her a hug that would nearly
make her black in the face. But she
seemed to like it, for about every sec
ond hug she would look up in his face
with a touching expression of mingled
love, trust and do it again" on her
face. And he, whenever the oppor-
tunity offered itself, would imprint a
large kiss on her upturned face, and
gaze down into her eyes with a look of
love that was truly touching. Between
the fervity Of their love and that Of
the theater air the perspiratiOn was
rolling down their faces in miniature
~cataracts. But that made no differ
ence, they would lay their cheeks to.
gether Just rs atfectionately as if they
had been on the back porch of an East
Oakland cottage, with the balmy air
Of a summer evening playing about
them.
1t seemed to me that kisses under
such circumstances must have been
rather salty. No doubt they we're; but
he seemed to enjoy them for all their
s~altiness, while she fairly reveled in
them. On the table in front of them
was a large quart vessel of beer. Be-
tween hugs and kisses he would hand
her the beer; she would take a good
long pull at it, and pass it to him, and
he, carefully selecting the place where
her rosy lips had touched the glass.
would also drink. And, Though this
sort of thing was kept up during the
whole evening, and was seen by a
large number of people, no one but
Chicago and | paid any particular
attention to it. Once in awhile some
old, steady German would glance that
way, and his face would light up with
a meaning smile as be thought of his
own exploits in the same line $50
many years ago." but that was all.
The lovers kept up their caresses just
as if there wasn't another person
within Thousand miles Of them. But
it gave Chicago and | a great deal Of
amusement, and drew more of our
attention than did the performance on
the stage. Sometimes l envy the
Germans in their possession Of this
liberty, and think Of trying to intro
duce it in America.