Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-12-28
THE ETHICS OFF HUGGING.

a lew days ago young gentleman
residing on Polk avenue Rugged his
grandmother with such fervor that
three of the old lady's ribs were dislo.
Gated, and she now hes in a precarious
condition. This, | may add, is an un-
precedented case. Men have Rugged
the opposite sex with such ferocity as
to endanger their lives, but then the
operation was not performed upon the
grandmother. About a year ego
young man in the East embraced his
sweetheart, and when the hug was
over he found she was dead. But she
had long suffered from disease of the
heart; so he was only in part RESPONSE
BILE for this melancholy occurrence.
Hugging is comparatively modern
institution. Our ancestors never hug
'ged. They calmly and demurely EN-
braced. Now, here l pause to draw
the line between the hug and the en-
brace. The hug is On earnest, quick,
impetuous contraction of the muscles
of the arms and chest when the object
to be Rugged lies within the circle
bounded by the arms, while the chest
is the goal or final point of the hug.
The warmth of the hug is determined
by the extent of muscular contraction.
But the hug is not, as ANTAGONISTS as
seIt, terminated when the object is
brought in contact with the chest. On
the contrary, the sweeping in is but
! the shell of the operation. The kernel
is reached when the space between the
hugger and the huggee is aEnihilated,
and the blade OF knife could scarcely
be inserted between both surfaces.
This is, perhaps, the most dangerous
stage of the operation. A pound, nay
a few ounces, Of extra pressure may
result, if not in the displacement of a
rib, least IN the bursting Of corset
string, with the almost inevitable de-
struction Of bangs, montagues, and
such like hcadgcar. The release, if not
skilliully managed, is also attended
with danger, and should be as gradual
as the elementary pressure.
| Expressions of anguish on the part
of the huggee may, as rule, be re-
garded as hypocrtical, and should
have no effect in inducing the hugger
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 before receiving the
attention the genuine arrival ola parent
or guardian might command. This
may be done by quick glance ovel
the shoulder, and this rapid change o
the direction of the head may be &C
complished by little practice withou
making any Relation of pressure
necessary. If the warning shoull
prove to be without foundation tn
deceit may be punished by from two y
; three pounds additional pressure, bu
so gradual that none of the adorn
!, ments of the person Rugged may suffer
For these little acc dents rutfle til
i temper and embilter the memory u
the operation. The small affairs @
the toilet are not accomplished easily
= and the female mind is rufiied by th
destruction of the laborious embellisll
ments of the morning hour.
; Near relatives should be embraces
and not Rugged. The embrace
merely luC tuTUhlDB Out uuu puI Tia
, contraction of the arms, without an.
\ special attention to an objective point
An especially young and pretty aun
, may be excepted, and / have know
!. cases where an extremely juvenil
and goodlooSing stepmother has bee
:, the occasion OF the merging OF the EN-
= bra into the hug. But this is rarel
done, and is attended with much dan
!, ger, particularly if the embracer is dt
2 pendent on the purse of the old ina
for the necessities, as well as the luxl
= ries, OF life.
\ To embrace a mother-in-law is
hollow mocSery, and should be a
tempted only when some importal
!. object has to be attained, and eve
then we doubt if it is excusable.
e. cousin may be either Rugged or en-
T. braced, as the fancy of the operate
J. may dictate, the choice dependin
solely on the age and good looks
- this most convenient and delightful r
J lution