The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-27

when interviewed yesterday, to say tina
kisses between unbetrothed young people
are pure and good.
She was rather doubtful, at first as to
her ability to cope with the subject. She
said she was not in touch with the kissing
habits of the people of to-day and had not
discussed the matter. She was interested,
though, and finally answered by quoting
Out of the heart the issues of life.
THAT covers the whole matter, it seems
to me-" she added. IF our hearts are
pure. our acts-any of our acts-can only
be pure. Like other perfunctory perform
ances, kissing may be inspired by impure
motives and then it would be bad.
And so l think the kissing of people
who are not engaged is ill-advised The
| formation of compactS will not lessen its
prevalence, though. / don't know OF any
organization to effect that end in San
Francisco, and I think that if there were
one it would fail of its end, for reforms are
not effected by organization but by g
change of motives"
Mrs. NJ. II. Hecht thinks promiscuous
kissing is outrageous.
at is not that anything bad may be in
| tended she said. 1.-The girl may mean
no wrong and be perfectly innocent in per-
hitting the caress, but it takes two to per-
| form the operation and the girl does not
know what the motive of the young man
may be. Then, too, it indicates famili-
arity that is not respectful. There is no
need of it, and I am sure a girl of good
breeding would never for moment dream
OF allowing a caress from man who was
merely a friend"
Mrs. Monroe Salisbury did not know of
any com bination IN San Francisco such as
the Alameda young ladies had formed.
AS to the propriety of girl allowing her
self to be caressed by others than her
fiance she would not talk, since she deeme
that 1t was matter that was settled once
and all by proper sense of delicacy.
The Alan eda girls had only decided on
rule that all young women should follow
Blanche Bates, the young lady who has
so much love-making TO do in the Fraw-
ley Company at the Columbia Tneater,
was intensely interested in the organiza-
ton of the young women of Alameda.
She protested laughingiy that she would
never have joined.
NIT by their protest that they have before
this allowed young men to kiss them
Think how dreadful And then, too, |
think they are very unfiatteringly honest
when they imply, as they do that the
pleasures OF the previous kissing had all
been on the young mems side"
Miss Bates said that she always Hset her
1t highly dangerous because of those
dreadful germs and things" Then
growing serious, she added:
1T Is more important matter than
most girls think. / know there are girls
who allow men to kiss them and who kiss
the men merely as a sort of way of being
entertaining. The girls who do this must
have moments when they loathe them
selves for it. And sometimes when they
meet the man whose kisses they will
really value, the very memory of those
other caresses will fill them with disgust.
Danger also lies in those seemingly in
nocent kissing games of the younger set
/ think.
why? Because when the girl grows
older and young man tries to kiss her,
she will think: What harm is it2' and
submit They are kisses that might be
called property kisses at first. There is
danger OF their becoming intensely real. :"
Laura Willard, the Tivoli's prima donna.
was not inclined to take the action of the
Alameda girls seriously. It was evident
that the very thought of their action
seemed preposterous to her.
Come" she said, "I'll be willing to
wager that that organization of the girls
goes to pieces before a month. Why if
they were to be fined for being kissed, and
if they told the truth, you'd see that all
their pocket money wens into the treas
ury.
kissing wrong? Why, of course not. I
think it's very nice. That is" she added.
"if he's good-looking and one really cares
for him. Why, what harm can there be
In kissing ?''