The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-07-19
UNWELC0ME KISSES,
The Crime of an English Lad
Other Objectionable Cases.


Other Objectionable Cases.
A boy Is years of age was trie,
this spring in England for the Grim
of insulting by kiss servant girl
aged %, whom he met on the high
way, says Youths Companion. Be
ing convicted, he was sentenced t.
six weeks Imprisonment at hare
labor. The severity of the sentenc,
excited so much comment in tn,
newspapers that the government
interferred and ordered the RELEASE
of the boy after he had served bu
ten days of his term.
The sentence was undoubtedl,
severe, but the principle upon which
the magistrates acted was sound
and we could wish that all soft ano
alluring cheeks throughout the
world could be guarded by it from
the intrusion of unwelcome and in
sulting lips. If those severe Dew.
onshire magistrates had placed the
offending boy on a platform, and
had him soundly kissed before jeer.
ing spectators by fat and frowsy
woman of 55, his modification and
disgust might have enabled him in
some degree to realize the odious
character of the offense he had com.
mitted.
We have all seen bearded men
stoop and kiss little children with
out considering for a moment how
the children liked it. Generally
they like it about as we'll as that
boy would like the kiss of the fat
woman reeking from the washtub
or stove.
There is brilliant passage illus
trative Of this subject in the works
of the Italian author, Edmondo de
Amicis. He had just seen in the
streets of London for the first time
one of the most hideous and pain
full spectacles that streets ever pre-
sent: namely, "a man drunk with
GIN" In Italy he had known men
made merry and rollicking with
wine, or doing under it's influence !;
but here he saw reeling and mad
dened by "the tremendous liquor" of
London gin shops.
Another sight relieved and con-
soled him-the children of London
those dear little English children,D
he says, "the incest and freshest in
the world"
"From the golden color Of sove-
reign" he goes on to say, ''to the
ashy blonde of the lightest silk, or
the fresh silk on the ear of maize,
you see hair of every blonde shade,
falling in large, almost transparent
waves, which tempt you to take
scissorsful as you 60 by. Then lit
tie cheeks of all gradations of rose
color, from the pale leaves which
clothe the flower to the tiny, dainty
ones which nestle close to the pistil
little mouths so crimson that you
wonder the birds do not peck at
them; eyes so pure and heavenly
rs to put to shame the cherubs how
ering about Nurrillo's conceptions.
eff l do not carry off an armful
If these children it is simply be-
cause / do not know where to put
hem. But had not strength to
resist another temptation.
''One day in Green Park picked
lp one who passed near me and
'natched kisses enough to take his |
breath away, and handing him back
20 his nurse, who had rushed UP to
save him, l made gesture of en-
reaty, as much as to say, Excuse
ne; / had need of it,"
We, who know something more
# English nurses and children than
he enthusiastic Italian could, can
asily conceive what kind of a re-
'ort this nurse gave of this start
ing episode of her morning walk.
Eyes, mum; nasty foreigner,
With an ugly black mustachio, and
melting of garlic, mum, snatched
faster Charles from my harms;
nd If | didn't think e would heat
i'm up-'e kissed him that ard"
1t behooves US all to bear in mind
hat there are two sides to this sub
sct The kiss should be wholly an
xpression of true and pure senti-
1ent. When given under other
it is a violation of cour-
esy, and may be an insult that
lstly deserves criminal punish
lent