The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-01-16
THE KISSING CUSTOM
Ella Wheeler Wilcox Views
on the Question.
KISSES ARE FOR LOVERS ONLY
Who We're the First to Discover
the Qualities of a Correctly
Bestowed Smack.

The march of civilization destroys
many things and changes many long es.
tablished customs. The cradle has beer
trodden under the ruthless foot of prog.
ress for one thing The hand that rock.
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 1t to crow itself to sleep. She
misses a sweet romantic experience, say.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Progress and science now propose &c
abolish the kiss. win they succeed
Without doubt there is too much kissing
done in the werld by the wrong people
There is vast deal of mismatlng OF
lips about us. Women caress each other
too promiscuously and meaninglessly
Children are kissed 100 freely by rela.
tives, friends and strangers. 1 saw a
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 kiss of that kind 1t means nothing
but mere form on the part of friends
while it means trying ordeal for the
poor victim 1t is like tossing delicate
rose from hand to hand in lieu Of play
ing ball.
A kiss upon the cheek given by one
woman to another, or to chill lren, is
far more agreeable 10 the nctiay parties,
and means just as much. 1t saves all
danger of contracting throat diseases,
and 1t renders an unpleasant breath less
obnoxious.
Most people seem, to think the matter
of personal fragrance a settled one as
far as they are concerned. / know a
lady VINO is obliged to use bromide for
a distressing malady with which she is
afflicted. She is very affectionate and
insists always on kissing her friends
upon the lips when she meets them.
The ordeal for her friends is a terrible
one, yet not one of them has the heart
to refuse the preferred caress, or 10
give the cheek Ill place of the lips Ii
aaactn q l,oicfo,.tt,na that tha Iod., d,oa
not herself realize what slclkening
odor pertains to bromide, and that she
has not the forethought to save her
friends this experience. They 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
themselves ought to avoid kissing in
fants on the lips The sweet cheeks,
the dear little soft necks, the dimpled
hands, all offer tempting hooks for
kisses, without endangerlng the chlld's
comfort or health.
The kiss upon the lips was undoubt-
edly first invented by lovers, and sh0rld
be consecrated to loves kisses. 1t can
never be abolished by fashion or sci
ence while hearts beat. veins tingle, and
pulses throb with loves fires.
The kiss proper is a spontaneous i'm
pulse Of two fond beings drawn togeth-
er by mysterious attraction. Eloquent
in its silence, 1t succeeds where words
fail. Many woman mas had her htail
revealed to her 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.
To the woman the kiss means more,
and less, than to the man. The woninii
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 we'll When the
woman finds her mistake she Is disillu-
stoned. When the man finds his he is
angry. When the thrill Of pleasure
goes out of the kiss for two people. and
II becomes a mechanical duty, love has