The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-17
THE ETHICS OF HUGGING.
AND THE HUG, AND WHERE THE
ONE IS PROPER AND THE
OTHER POSSIBLE.

nento, hugged his grandmother
with such fervsr that three Of the
cid ladys ribs were dislocated. and
she Eow lies in a precaricus coudi
tiop. This, / may add, is an un.
precedented case. Men have hug.
ged the opposite sex with snch feroc.
ity as to endanger their lives. but
then the operation WAS not perform.
ed upon their granam other. About
a year ago young man IN the East
embraced his sweetheart, ard when
the hug was over he found she was
dead. But she ha;i long suffer ed
from disease of the heart, so he was
only in part responsible for this
melancholy occulrance. Huggipg 9
is a comparative modern institu-
tion. Our ancestors never huegs d,
They calmly and dsmurely embrac-
ed. Now, here I pause to draw the
line between the hug and the en-
brace. The hug is An earnest, quick,
impetuous contraction of the mus
cles of the arms and chest when the
object 10 be hugged lies within the
circle bounded by those arms, while
the chest is the goal Or final point OF
the hug. The warmth of the hug is
determined by the extent Of the
muscular contraction. But the hug
is net. as some anatemlstS assert,
teraina ated when the object is brought
liz contact With the chest. On the
contrary, ;ha sweeping in is bat the
shell of the operation. The keinal
is reached when the space between
the hugger and tie huggee is annibll
ated and the blade OF knife cOuld
scarcely be inserted between both
surfaces. That is, perhaps, the
most dangerous stage Of the opera
ton. A pound, nay a few ounces,
OF extra pressure may result. if not
in the displacement of rib, at least
in the bursting of a corset string
with the almsst inevitable destruc>
tion of bangs, montagues and such
Ike headgear. The release, if not
skilfully managed, is also attended
with danger, and should be as grad
ual AS the elementary pressure.
Expressions of anguish on the
part of the huggee may, as rule, be
regarded ss hypocritical. and should
have no effect ln inducing the hug
ger to diminish the pressure. In
like manner all danger signals in
| regard to the arrival of third party
on the scene should be investigated
by the party Of the first part before
receiving the attention the genuine
! arrival Of a parent or gu ardian mig ut
command. This may be done by q
| quick glaAce over The shoulder. and
this rapid change Of the direction Of
the head may be ACCOMPLISHED by a
l,ttle practice without making any
relaxation Of pressure necessary. If
the warning should prove to be
without foundation the deceit may
We punished py from two or three
pounds additional pressure, but 50
| gradual that none Of the adornmepts
OF the person hugged may suffer
For these little accidents ruffie the
temper a ID embitter the memory of
the operation. The small affairs of
the toilet are not accomplished east
ly. and the female mind is ruffled b.
the destruction Of the laborious en-
belishments of the morning hou:.
Near relatives shcula b. embraced
and rot hugsed. Tue embrace is
merely the throwing ouL and partial
contraction of the arms without any
special attention TO an objective
point. An especially young and
pretty aunt nay be excepted, and l
have known cases where an extreme
ly Juvenile and gool-looking step
mother has been the occasion Of the
merging Of the embrace into the hug
But tais is rarely done, aud is at
tended with much danger, particular
lv if the embracer is dcpensen. on
the purse of he old man for the
necessities, as well as the luxories
Of life. To embrace s. mother-ia-
law is a ho' o'Iow-nocksry and shouli
be attempts d emily vixen some lm>
portant object has to be attained
and even then we doubt if it is eX
cusable. A cousin may be either
Rugged or embraced, as the fancy
Of the operator may dictate, th'
choice depending solely on the ags
and good looks of this most con
venient and delightful relatisn.--
Ex.