The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-11
KISSING.
An Extraordinary Dissertation from
a Learned Source.
rLondon Saturday Rexiew1

London Saturday Reyiew.l
Kissing is an ecstaey, insolvable problem.
1t goes by favor, we are told, and goes
through favored and favorite with that cleo
trifying subtlety that no language can ex-
press. 1t is science as old as creation. Eve
learned in Paradise from an angel with a
whith fur collar and wings Of light. who
taught her all its beauties, virtues and varle-
ties.
A kiss has as many definitions as the world
has people. In every grade Of society there
is kissing; 60 where you will, to what coun-
try or among what people, and you are toler-
ably sure Of finding some facilities for kiss
ing. A kiss Is the seal of affection. Byron
valued kiss by Its strength and measured
its strength by its length, but the men
suration OF kisses went out Of fashion long
Sydney Smith found much virtue in a well
delivered kiss, and the Earl Of Chesterfield
looked the world over for, cool, earessing
kisses. Harriet Martineau, who never had
any to kiss but the vagrant bluestockings
and the neighbors' babies, wrote about "the
kiss Of the mouth that touched not the
mouth" Kisses have been called the
hearts tongue, and, though lover be never
so great an orator, kiss on the lips OF his
idolatress is often more eloquent than a
library Of words OF cant0 Of verse. A gift
returned Is the voice OF displeasure, but a re-
turned kiss betokens esteem. Dickens valued
a kiss above thousand kicks. Sir Sidney
Garth lived to learn that kiss might prove
traitor in an angels dress. Walter Savage
Landor seems to have passion for kissing
crying women, for he thought 1t delightful to
kiss the eyelashes Of love with fresh tears on
them. Poor John Keats wrote one evening
as he sat with his knees in his arms t0asting
his toes In front Of Jeannie Weleh Carlyle's
hearth fire: 81 came TO feel how far above
all fancy pride and tickle maidenhOod, all
earthly pleasure, all imagined good. was the
warm tremble Of a devOnt kiss"
De Lewis calls kiss the door that opens the
citadel TO the heart and poets and people Of
all ages have found mysterious virtue, bitter
sweet, magic and elixirs, and lotions Of
greater or less potency, but the acme OF
human happiness, wrote a pOetess, Is that
we may kiss whom we please and please
whom we kiss.
A kiss, TO be a success, must have mutual
interest; there must be reciprocity In the
operation, OF somebody suffers the punish
ment of disgust. Kissing an unwilling pair
of lips Is as mean a victory as rObbing a
birds nest, and kissing too willing ones Is
about as unfragrant a pastime as making
bouquets out Of dandeli0ns.
At the start the average man makes abotch
of kissing. The beauty Of kiss lies in It's
impulsiveness and its impresSibility nor iSit
possible to make the first one too brief.
There is danger in the attempt to make the
initial kiss complete. The girl won't have it.
The thing to do is to go at the fair creatures
lips slowly, so as not to frighten her IL Is to
be expected that she Will draw them away
from the point Of attack, but instead of re-
treat the thing for her0ism to do Is to kiss
her on some place-on the cheek, the temple
behind the ear or on the hair. A wOman's
fancies are as branching as the trees of the
forest, and however unsatisfactory TO the
swain the misplaced kiss may have been.
1t will, If left to itself, make the recipient
wonder0us indulgent next time. She will
caress the spot where your lips have been,
and dream Of the one who placed Il there.
When sufficient progress has been made In
love making to warrant the ideal kiss. take
it methodically, with both hands, and 'the
gentle touch that love can teach" Let the
left arm go about-n0t her neck to wrinkle
a eTepelisse ruehe but about her shoulders.
lake her chin in the right hand, allowing
the three fingers 10 touch the pretty white
throat, holding the face with the thumb aud
forehnger. which will form sort Of vice for
loves conquest. Move her head to one side
and little backward, and. approaching so
as to make the quartet Of lips describe the
diameters of an Imaginary square, Kiss her
twice-the second double the length Of Its
short predecessor. This double kiss Is q
illbred lover kisses as he learned 10 count
by fortune 10 be born in am atmosphere OF re-
finement makes duet Of his first and final
salutation, whatever may be the numerical
value of the Intermediates. The well-bred
girl wants short, sharp, swapping kisses.
that pop inaudibly, but still pop. A kiss on
the hair Is the kiss Of a poet; tenderness Is
Implied when the lips press the eyelds; rev.
erenee Is spoken when the brow Is caressed
and protecting love when the cheek Is en-
pearled.
Nothing can sanctify a kiss but love, with
out which the sweetest lips are unsavory
and unwholesome.