Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-02-13
SOME KISSING GAMES.

SOME KISSING GAMES.
There has been for the past twenty
years a certain indication in social life in
New England and other parts of the
country, but particularly in primitive re-
gions. that kissing games were growing
into disfavOr. They were too bOisterous
to suit the more refined taste of the COM
munity, and just little rustic, besides
allowing rather broad licence to anna
tory young men in their relations toward
the fair sex. A kissing game in these en-
lightened days would be retrogression
toward rusticity, but it had, when it ex-
listed in it's prime of being, sanction in
spired by poetic and romantic source.
1t was the outcome of a period when ru-
raj and unsOphistOcated youth had simply
carried the games OfchildhOod into ado
lescence, and joined hands in grown-up
'Ring Around the Rosey," or "Green
Grow the Rushes, o." with the accom-
paniment of kissing. These were the
love games so popular in the Middle
States in circles where cards were looked
upon with holy horror, and dancing con-
sidered asin. The young people could not
sit out an evening with folded hands, and
the games had been in favor with their
parents and grandparents, and they gave
their youthful spirits, longing for fun and
entertainment a chance to make merry
without the prospect of q reprimand from
church and state. There were verses to
all these games that were as simple and
formless as possible, but they were sacred
with age. They had come from foreign
country and been translated into an An
glO-American tongue. The most popular
of these metrical compositions is called
''The Knights of Spain," and there are
few middle-aged people who will not
find line or two of it yet lingering in
their memories, no matter what language
they speak. The New England version
runs thus:
We are three brothers fromSpain,
Come to court your daughter Jane.
My daughter Jane is yet too young
TO be eOurted by your fattering tongue.
There is a controversy then between
the mother and daughter as to the eligi-
bility Of the sutton, and the daughter is
bought, not with gold as in the rhyme,
but with a kiss.
This game is still played in Cincinnati.
Another favorite love or kissing game is
'The widow with daughters to marry"
One of the parties is selected to represent
the widow; all the other girls follow her
in single file as she walks around singing:
There comes poor widow from Barbary-land
With all her children in her hand;
One can brew and one can bake,
And one can make a Wedding-cake.
Pray take one,
Pray take two
Pray take one that pleaSeS you.
Another version of the "poor widow"
rhyme leaves her with only one daughter:
Sister Phoebe how happy we be-
As we go under the juniper-tree;
Wen put on our night-caps, to keep our heads
warm.
And two or three kisses will do us no harm.
am a poor widow, a-marching around,
And all of my daughters are. married but one;
SO rise up my daughter and kiss whom you
please,
And kiss whom you please to marry.
"Philander's March" is another New
England game done with much ceremony
of marching and kissing:
"Come, Philandei, let's be marching,
Every one his true love Sarching,
Choose your true love now or never,
AND be sure you choose no other.
so, my dear, how do love you:
Nothing on earth do prize above you;
With kiss, now let me greet you,
And | will never, never leave you.
An innocent and popular amusement
for the winter evenings used to be count
ing apple seeds. There was always cider
to drink and apples to eat at the young
peoples gatherings, and much amuse-
ment was derived from eating an apple
with favored sutton, and counting seeds
to this formula:
lone love,
Two l love-
Three love, say
Four | love with all my heart,
And five | cast away;
Six he loves,
Seven she loves,
Eight they both love;
Nine he comes,
Fen he tarrieS,
Eleven he courts
Twelve he marrieS."
Redeeming forfeits is still a favorite
game in many parts of the country and
it is said to be one of the forms Of amuse-
ment practiced most frequently by the
Vassar girls.
TO GO TO ROME.
The boys and girls Of country society
are very fond of this game, and nothing
delights them so much as to initiate
city belle who may chance to be visiting
them into its mystery by beginning the
game with her, to which she gives
questionable consent, not having the
least idea what going to Rome means.
It is to kiss every girl in the room, and
the country youth do not hesitate to car
ry out the contract to the full limits.
Flatirons is for couple to join hands on
the wall and kiss. Measuring yards of
imaginary tape and cutting it off is to
join hands and extend the arms, cutting
off a kiss each time.
A rather silly love game is Little Sally
Waters the heroine of a faVOrlte dance
in present vogue. The girl is the center
Of ring of young people, seated on a
chair, her face covered with her hands.
The "ring" gives the song, and when the
singers come to the word ''rise" she turns
to the one she has selected and salutes
him:
'Iittle Salle Waters,
Sitting in the sun,
Crying and. weeping
For young man.
Rise, Sally. rise,
Dry your weeping eyes;
Fly to the east,
Fly to the west,
Fly to the one that YOU love best.'
Newell in his excellent compilation of