The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-03-16
KISSING.

Miss Hill comment ON the surprise or rethers
disgust, awakened in Englshmen by the
oscul try salutations of their continental
neighbors. In his interesting book, The
Indian Eye on English Life, B. NJ. Malabar
has somewhat the same emotionary re-
pugn ,nce awakened by the kissing habits of
our ladies
Chow they kiss one anoth er, and offer their
children, their cats and dogs to be kissed by
the friends departing! Does This last ceremony
show heart hunger or is it affection ~
The Russian, if we may trust Tolstoi, is
less natural y restrained, less under the con-
.rol of prm and proper conve ntionalism than
ii Ii mt Il neighbol. In the more vehe-
J.. If a, owe fiction it is usual for the
e, ii,"' '.'t. IN his blind passion, 10 kiss his
lady 5 l.l, ne, eyes, anywhere and every
where his burDIns nps can fasten on. But in
Russia it is the deliberate custom to touch
with til lips portions ofthe body not sane
toned by our island etlquet'. The shoulder
is favorite place for the labial salute. See
Gamma K trenina," pit. II. chap ri, pit. o. chap
Xxx; "War and Peace" vol. i. PIP 306, 32S
535. The neck, hair, ewes bosvm, are all
frequently mentioned as customary recipients
of the sweet pressure of the. lips. Tolstoi in
variably notes precisely where the kiss was
placed. Has it ever been customary in
England, at any time, to kiss Intentionally
query does not apply to chliren). George
Eliot gives an example of the neck in Daniel
Deronda "
zone day, indeed, he had kissed not her
cheek hut her neck little below her ear.
and Gwendolen taken by surprise, had started
up with marked agitation which made him
rise too and say, Il beg your pardon-did l
annoy you" oh, it was nothing said
Gwendolen rather afraid of herself only l
cannot bear-to be kissed under my eari'-
P. 242
Lately perusing some of Tolstoi's novels,
was struck with the kissing habits, aud the
frequency of the great novelist's references.
For instance. it is the cu-t )m when gentle
:nan kisses lady's hand fol her to return the
salute on forehead. See note "W ir and Peace.
VOL i. p. 232, Vzatelly edition. Kissing is
common tSeen gentlemen, though this
passage marks the revolt against it -
IT he youthful impulse t. escape from bea-
ten paths was strong i'll Nicholas, and
he const anty longed to express his feeling in
some new aud original way, to avoid cor
formity to ordinary iormaities. His 2nd idea
was to do something odd-to pinch his friend
at any rate, so escape the customary greeting
Boris, on the contary, pressed the three regula-
ton kisses on his cheek quite calmly and
affectionately. Ibid p. 249.
The triple kiss is evidently the mode among
males of saluting near friends and relations
See "Aunt ,reniaa,' part Y. chap ii. The
ancient custom of kissing the hand is still
practised -
''W ate just Moment princess allow me
to kiss your hand before you put on your
glove. Nothing pie asses ME so much in re-
farming to ancsent ways, as the custom of
kissing lady's hand."-"Anna karenina
part w., chap. xxi.
Was not kissing capital offence under one
of the Caesars ?-E. Il. Henderson in Notes
aid Queries.