New-York tribune., 1896-09-27
SIXTEEN KISSES FOR ~ ERl ONE.
SCENES AT THE FRENCH LINE PIER On
rt,E DrPARTIrRE OF A STEAMER.

Certain physicians of more or less reln'e nave
publicly condemned the practice OF kiss'hs as ''s
tinctlv inimcal TO the persons VINO pursue II. ~
though the fulminations of these wouo-pe re'o'"
ers have attracted good deal OF at'c"''o" ''o
tho comi, papers and from the small army OF peo-
nle xbose preaes; delight in life il is TO seize ana
FOLLOW, fads in apid succession. yet the thihg mas
never been held of sufficient weight TO demand inc
official notice of the health authorizes. bu' "
abolition OF slavery was long III co'nl's' an" 'o
hundreds of years the earth was held 10 DO iid
All reforms rise from small beginnings, and II Is
n,ss,h,o ,ha. In time we shall signs similar to
those that now denounce expectoraton in our pun
lie conveyances. declaring that oscua'ioh II io9'
dangerous to the public wclibeing ana Is hcr'pE
forbidden by the Board of Health
If that day ever comes the first public place 10
reco.:c the attention of the health authorities VIII
ho tho pier of the French Line of transatlantic
steamers at Morton-st. If anybody happens to he
abroad at the unseemly hour OF o ocock ol d
Saturday morning and is looking for an eh'er'a'h-
ING speracle he can do no better than TO HE him
self down TO the river front TO see the french
liner go out. He will get new idea OF the ire
mendous possibilities Of osculation.
He will find the big pier strange contrast 10 the
silent and deserted streets through which he mas
come 1t will he ablaze with electric lights. IL VIII
be thronged with crowd of passengers about to
embark for Havre. and with them VIII II" heari!
every one Of their friends who could by any pos
sjbjlity get there. No passengers so aboard me
steamer until the last minute. and in the time that
elapses between their arrival az the pier and the
moment when is heard the cry Of All ashore tiat 2
going ashore." there Is not instant when some
body is not getting kissed The French are noted
for their efusiveness. but there is probably no oc-
casion when this trait appears to such an extent
when they are about TO commit their irlehus
to the mercy of the They are kisses that are
| felt too None of your half-and-hal milk-and-
| water namby-pamby kisses for your Frcnchman.
| ,1,n h. oharG cd "a
| weeks and months. and not forgotten until the
friends meet again. They are audiblc-those les s.
| AL over the pier, and they make the casual
stranger feel utterly lonesome and dismal
The women are kissed by the men and the men
are kissed by the women. and, strangest OF al. the
men are kissed by the mer il is not one kiss. or
| two or three but and scores OF them 1t is
| n perfect fusilladc. bomba rdment OF kisses. on
The mouth they fan and on the cheeks and or the
of their faces that escapes. Big bearded and
their lips meet time and time again. And between
kisses the air is full OF arms flung about in excited
sion OF shoulders that are shrugged and eyes that
are rolled and eyebrows that are raised and low
the air is full OF Il perfect chaos of exclamation
points and diminutives and all the ter Ms cf endear
the colder blooded native of this iatitnde it is ali
quite incomprehensibe and bewilderng,
! The moments fly and the clock Is on the stroke OF
/ T. It would seem that the possibilities of kissing
! had been exhausted but when the last call is heard
| tornado. Everybody clasps everybody else in his
| arms, and Il really seems certain that they will
all be left the pier while the steamer glides down
the river and out into the sea. without solitary
| passenger aboard But no such thing happens.
| Finally they all break away with final volley OF
kisses. and slowly the great ship begins to move
| back into the stream. DO the kisses stop? Not by
| a jugfu!. They can't give them now. but they can
| throw them. and they do it with d vengeance. And
they keep on throwing them and waving their arms
| and shouting out indefinite number Of "Au
revoirs.' the steamer recedes into the darkness
| of the stream.
| The steamer slowly turns her down the river
| Nobody aboard s visible to those ashore and no
| body ashore is visible TO those aboard, but still
thev stand the rail Of the ship and AZ the edg,
| of the pier and throw kisses kisses kisscs-'n
| teress as the sands of the seashorc." Were the
| kisses as material grains of RICE the steamer
would run aground in the middle OF the river.