The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-05-09
Ghr lrmurraf-S Star
HAND SHAKES AND Kisses.
Kew They Are Regarded In the Best
Society.

says: only n lew years agt
society declared il bad form 10 kiss
in company. Now, if there is any
one thing that woman OF good taste
prefer to all the sweets in the do
mestic bonbonniere it is a dIy,
quick, crisp kiss, and when the
edict went forth il was stubbornly
resisted.
BY degrees and alter much OPP
position the revolution was brought
about, and The altar kiss, The kiss
OF peace, The kiss cordial and the
kiss felicitous we're banished from
the code, and the buds and bells
and The danes and debutantes
took to hand-clasping and arm
athletics with a vigor that aStound-
ed the energetic English, from
whom the greeting WAS copied.
Everybody shook hands-girls
and women, women and women,
women and men, and girls, men
and men, and The Ell Iueile of this
sudden innovation became as pnz,
cling and as complicated as the
etiquette of cards.
At first society shook finger tips |
then the greeting was IA limid, ca
ressing touch OF palms with a single |
movement of the wrist a little
later the shake was from the ell.
bow and The grip close and warm,
and when The fair and ingenious
Frances Cleveland came into pow
er all the world of fashion shook
hands from the shoulder.
Not along ago word from the
White House that Mrs. Harrison
had decided to withhold her deIi-
cate, dimpled hand from The public
in general and from society in com
mon, reserving for her personal
friends that t~ime-honored saluta-
ton.
And now comes the pertinent.
What will The general public and
society in common do about it?
IL will be remembered by the
people who We're at the Knights
Templar reception IN the White
House forty days ago that Mrs.
Harrison began The ant-hand-
shake reform. In her left hand
she carried an immense boquet OF
American beauties. and in her
right a spreading fan of she'll and
crepe lisse, with which she famed
herself all evening.
The crowd filed past. President
Harrison tried his best t. be nice,
and when his hand gave out he
used his head OF his tongue, but
his wife remained as formal as an
iceberg personilied in her superbIy
fitting gown and brilliant blossoms
and diamonds.
Mrs. Harrison never did like I
Misunderstanding anyway. During :
her visit TO New York at the time c
of the centennial parade, she told
a friend, who was one of the com. ]
pany i'll the Judge Building, that
she "haled 10 touch the bare hand
of a stranger, and she hated the
custom any way because it was so
hard on gloves.
The absence of Mrs. Cleveland
al the inauguration OF President II
HARRISON had something to do with b
the disconlinuance of this
fashion. 1t was not courteous p
on the part Of the retiring mistress
10 remain away, and the Harrison
ladies made up their minds to gel r.
even. Pretty Frankie's profile was
put in the console mirror and her |
code OF etiquette under Il magnify
ing glass, and when some one with
II longer tongue than head remark.
ed that there was a reduction Of r
cordially in the new admimslra. -
ton, The answer was This adj
mlnistrltion will not feel 1t oblina- n
tory To make intimales of every U
visitor admitted to the White
llouse"-and from thai moment p
the Misunderstanding that Mrs. Cleye- T
land made so popularity delightful
fell into a state of inrocuous de-
suetude, where it has remained c
ever since, and is likely 10 remain
until the five kundredIh a~nniyer.
Nary of Mr.. G.. Columbus dis L.
cOvery.
Recently | met a chatty society =
dame in a flower shop giving an
You newspaper women don't
seem 10 understand that the socie-
Iy OF ar%istocracy and the society of 81
are different and distinct
organizations and that the forms -
hat are perfectly proper in Wash Is
,nglon would not be tolerated in %
Newport. The one is Democratic. =
other exclusive onei is latltud. IS
NAL, aud the other conservative. q
haven't the time now for further
contrast, but | will say this, that
no innovation will effect the estab- tA
.isled customs of society one way ~
1r the other. | have not the hon
Or Of Mrs. Harrison's acquaintance,
put she must be a very charming
She has a family backing, 7
ana that Is something you cant PA
for any administration Of The
past thiriY-ive years. Ii she does. Co.
wait to shake hands with every =
in the Union who chooses to M
call upon her husband, why that is
her own b~usiness.n I'LL
do you shake hands with your
guests r. Ee
10 be sure | do, with every one.
lhere Is no other wav of extend. st m