Huntsville gazette., 1889-01-05
DANGEROUS KISSING.
Why School-Teachers Should Beware oi
Their Chubby-Faced Pupils.

Why School-Teachers Should Beware oi
Their Chubby Faced Pupils.
The subject of kissing is again ab.
sorbing the attention of experts and
scientists. They have hitherto devot
ed their time to specialties in the kiss.
ing line, but this time it is promiscuous
osculation that claims their investiga-
ton. The dangers that attend kissing
are held by authorities to be legion,
and the operation, as confined to pub.
lie schools, will interest many parente
whose children attend these institu-
tions, and also the teachers who be.
stow favors freely upon their scholars.
The investigation of labial contacts
in the public schools was begun by a
young man whose best girl Is teach
er, and who, in the exchange of loving
embraces, communicated to him a very
sore throat, which has destroyed his
singing voice. He was much hurt al
the lady's mode of suspending his
vocal efforts, and vowed that he would
get at the bottom of the plot. The
young teacher admitted that she
had on the day previous kissed
a favorite scholar plump on
the mouth-just where she kissed
the young man. This scholar was suf-
fering with a sore throat, and in the
interchange of embraces communi-
Gated her trouble to the pretty teacher
The young mans sore throat was the
natural outcome of his affection for
the teacher, and he started the investi-
cation with the philanthropic motive
of preventing any other young men
who have pretty school teachers for
sweethearts from becoming victims Of
bad practice. His inquiry showed
that while the practice is not general,
there is still enough kissing done be-
tween scholars and teachers to create
an epidemic of sore throats among
schoolmarms' lovers, and he will take
active measures to stamp out entirely
the last trace of public schools
kissing.
A number of grammar-school pPin-
cipals, whose long experience makes
them reliable authorities of the subject,
were interviewed, and they unani-
mously agreed with the revengeful
young man that public-school kissing
was risky pleasure and should be
abolished
Il would discountenance any thing
Of that character" said Principal
Gideon of the Meade Grammar School,
who holds the reins of the Twenty
ninth section, where pretty children
are the rule, and the temptations to
kiss chubby checks are manifold 81
don't belong to the free-kissers, and
would not allow the practice, be-
cause of the dangerous results that
might follow. Among the higher
classes there is no kissing, but in the
lowest primary grades, where the chill
dren are very young and affectlonate,
the teacher may kiss them occasional
hearty sympathy with the young man
who wants to eradicate kissing from
the public schools. In some cases the
teachers are so much liked by the
scholars that the little ones annoy
them, and to avoid being rude, they
offer the cheek, which answers all
practical purposes. do not think the
practice extends to kissing the boys,
although loving young teacher might
kiss manly pupil on certain occa-
sions. The subject is a very delicate
one, and | will let you interview some
of my young lady assistants on the
peculiarities of osculation and it's ef-
fectS
The reporter was too bashful to in
terview the young lady teachers. They
had heard of the subject the prin cipal
was talking about, and were breath
lessly expecting to be called on for
opinions. The reporter said he would
take their word for it.
Charles H. Brelsford, supervising
principal Of the Claghorn School, was
also opposed to the kissing practice.
Besides being inconvenient. it is an
unhealthy diversion" said he. land
very annoying to teachers. What kiss
ing there is done is confined to the
primary grades. 1t would be especial
ly unhealthy at this time of the year,
| where sore throats are plenty and the
germs Of diphtheria are abroad"
Principal Charles Boyer of the North
west School and Prof. Ridge, of the
Stevens School, united in condemning
promiscuous kissing as a dangerous
practice, and one that should be abol-
ished where it existed. They thought
that the instances were comparatively
rare, and always confined to the pri
mary schools, where the children were
fresh from home and wanted to be
kissed more than Older Scholars
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