The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
THE KISSING PRACTICE.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox Thinks There's
Too Much Kissing Between Women.

Too Much Kissing Between Women.
The Lips Should Be Reserved For
Lovers-Let All Others Be Content
With Kissing the Cheek or Hands-A
Serious Trial to Kiss Some Women.
(Copyright.)
New York Dec. 3O.-The march of CIV
ilization destroys many things and
changes many long esta blished customs
| The cradle has been trodden under the
ruthless foot of progress for one thing
| The hand that rocks the cradle is no
longer the hand that moves the world
The wise mother of the present day puts
! her baby to bed, and allows it to crow
| itself to sleep. She misses a sweet ro-
mantle experience, but she saves herself
no end of trouble and irritation, and she
brings mp self-reliant children, who have
no fear Of the dark, and who do not tyran-
nize over her if she chances to desire IAN
evening off" Still, nothing is ever gained
without something lost. The mystic hour
when the baby was rocked to sleep in it's
| cradle, and the mother was obliged to tip
| toe out of the room, possessed its charm
which nothing can replace. The results
of the present system are infinitely bet
ter, but the old time spell which hung
about the Landmarks hour' is lost for
ever.
Progress and science now propose to
abolish the kiss Will they succeed 2
Without doubt there is too much kissing
done in the world by the wrong people
! There is a vast deal of mismating of lips
about US. Women caress each other too
freely by relatives, friends and strangers.
| saw pretty young lady taking leave of
her summer friends last season, and fully
twenty women and children presented
| lips TO her while the carriage waited TO
| bear her away. There is no expression
in a kiss of that kind. IL means nothing
but a mere form on the part of the friends,
while it means trying ordeal for the
poor victim. 1t is like tossing a delicate
rose from hand to hand in lieu of a play
ing ball
A kiss upon the cheek given by one
woman to another, or to children is far
more agreeable to the acting parties, and
| means Just as much. it saves all danger
of contracting throat diseases, and it rem
| ders an unpleasant breath less obnoxious
Most people seem to think the matter of
| personal fragrance settled one as far as
they are concerned. l know lady who
is obliged to use bromide for distressing
y
very affectionate and insists always on
kissing her friends upon the lips when
| she meets them. The ordeal for her
! friends is terrible one, yet not one of
| them has the heart to refuse the protfered
caress, or to give the cheek in place of the
| lips. 1t seems misfortune that the lady
does not herself realize what a sickening
odor pertains to bromide, and that she
has not the forethought to save her
| friends this nNnpri1npn Thew would love
her just as deeply, and thank her most
feelingly, if she pressed their hands
merely, and withheld her lips.
Parents ought to teach their children
| from their very earliest years to be
! chary of giving their lips. Parents them
selves ought to avoid kissing infants on
the mouth. The sweet cheeks, the dear
| little soft necks, the dimpled hands all
offer tempting hooks for kisses, without
endangering the child's comfort or health.
| l have seen a father, whose breath was
vile with stale tobacco smoke press his
mouth to that of a tiny infant, never
! thinking that the poor baby's lungs were
being poisoned by the contact
/ have seen woman whose lack of
| health, or whose negligence in visiting
/ her dentist, rendered tete-a-tete almost
uncomfortable, clasp her helpless children
! in her arms and shower kisses on their
| rosy lips
| Parents have, as a rule, a most Gu
| riously unthinking way of bidding their
| children TO go "kiss the LADY, or the gem
| tleman caller. The child will shrink and
hide its face, while the mother will urge
| and even command.
Adainty little girl will be absolutely
forced to offer her sweet mouth to bearded
| lips, and these unwise guardians seem to
| think the daily repetition of this act with
every caller at the home, necessary part
of the child's education.
Every man or woman of feeling longs to
! caress a beautiful child, as one longs to
| put fragrant rose to the nostrils, but a
! tender gardener does not allow every
| passerby to freely handle his flowers.
The kiss upon the lips was undoubtedly
| first invented by lovers, and should be
consecrated to loves uses. 1t can never be
! abolished by fashion or science, while
hearts beat, veins Jingle, and pulses throb
with loves fires.
1t is a spontaneous impulse of two fond
beings drawn together by a mysterious
attraction. Eloquent in its silence it sue
ceeds where words fail. Many a woman
has had her heart revealed through kiss,
and in knowing when to give and when to
withhold this favor, often lies the secret
of winning or losing.
AS many prizes have been lost by the
kiss too long withheld as by the one too
easily given. 10 the woman Jne KISS
means more and less than it means to the
man. The woman who thinks the man
who takes her lips has given his heart;
but the man thinks only that she who has
given her lips will give herself as well.
When the woman finds her mistake she is
disillusionized When the man finds his
he is angry. When the thrill of pleasure
goes out of the kiss for two people, and it
becomes a mechanical duty, love has de-
rtad Friend shiD NAV hind them
spect may unite them, and sympathy
render their association sweet and ten
der; but when lip no longer speaks to lip
in the wordless eloquence of the kiss,
Cupid has sheathed his arrows and flown,
away. ELLA WHEELER Wilcox.