The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-14
REV. DR.. STARR ON KISSING.
He Discusses The Question From a Moral
Standpoint.
SAYS IT IS A RAPIDLY GROWING EVIL.
Indi-crlminate kissing Leads Young
People Into Temptation-What lie
Saws About the Dance. and Foreign
Exchange In Matrlmony.

An audience too large to be comfort
ably seated at the Broad-Street Methodist
church greeted Rev DR.. Starr Sunday
night. Many were turned away.
Mr.. Charles Poindexter was at tho or
gan in the absence Of Mr.. Manly b.
Ramos. the regular organist who was
away by reason Of the death Of his faith
I or.
After the usual exercises Of prayer.
singing. and reading Of Scripture, DR..
Starr gave out his text. in the Epistle
Of St. Paul to the Romans. chapter xvi,
verse l6. Salute one another with
holy kiss" The speaker then delivered
"a remarkably interesting discourse, which
was frequently interrupted with uncon-
trollable laughter.
"A law" he said, lis worth nothing TO
a country unless IL ls obeyed. The stat
utes Of Cod are higher authority than any
civil legislation II the Bible told me
10 walk with heels up and head down
would try to do it, If the civil law tells
me 10 tickle a wasp. ] would not DO II,
because would believe that the law
was entirely unfamiliar with the nature
Of the insect.
with a hearty good will ! turn to the
Scripture injunction and tell you some
facts regarding the kiss in all It's phases
10 is a human. social custom, ] say with
all reverence for Holy Writ. and is "A
most dangerous one as l snai Try ana
show you. DO not wait I'll a Crisis IN
the disease TO diagnose case but DO
/ so before the crisis.
40 INNOCENCE N 1T.
1.-THE youth who thinks that dozen
girls OF his neighborhood are necessary
T 10 his existence. and that he must kiss
every ono. IS not only a model OF indis-
/ erection. but there can be no innocence
| in Il. He may think II fun 10 remain at
"A front gate till 10 =. NJ. with bevy
OF female admirers and emphasizes hrs
gOod-nights with kisses. Then he may
believe il clever TO tell his old mother
that the sound Of a kiss which she heard
was something else. and so she would
never know, or. perhaps. her cap-strings
would CULVER with emotion
Dr. Starr then went into a discussion Of
the evil tendency Of the time and the
desire for absolute abolition Of restraint
OF youth lie spoke Of the need Of mod
esty and virtue and criticised some Of
the customs OF modern society.
THE MODERN DANCE
Referring 10 the dance the preacher
said. What makes the dance or posi-
/ lions I'm Il tolerable and respectable IN
+ public. and not so any where In private
/ II wrong in the private, when paying an
/ evening call why is 20 not wrong In
ballroom, I'm evening full-Gress, falsely
/ so-called These worldly customs have
marred the instinct of the finer sense OF
modesty Comment IS made upon every
/ thing said or done by woman and man
( is to protect and not trihe with female
dellcacy, nor have any sort Of disrespect
for the sacred name Of woman.
Speeches and glances OF certain ma
ture are all calculated 10 arouse de-
sire for adulation and fiattery. There
are many snares In the world TO lead
gentle natures astray. Young girls
/ should be modest. They do not know
the monsters I'm their pathway. The
Bible comes I'm here 10 shelter and pro-
tect them. Christs disciples are not 10
experiment with danger, and are 10
avoid the appearance Of evil"
MANY VARIETIES.
Or. Starr proceeded to tell about the
first kiss recorded I'm history-tnat be-
tween Jacob and his father-and then
went on 10 say that there afe nine va
reties of kisses, which he describes most
! Interestingly. The text alluded % the
| Christian kiss of brotherhood.
THE early christians salutef each
other with kiss on entering and leav-
ing the church. Why. say you. was II
dismissed from the service? Because OF
the abuse OF the custom? No. But
because the congreg cations were too
numerous, consisting sometimes OF two
thousand members. There was danger
of the lips wearing out. There was no
danger feared then from OsculatOry mi
crobes. Then came the kiss Of recog-
milton and the kiss OF love. Recognition
is now shown by shaking hands, In case
of either gender. Christ was betrayed
by the kiss Of Judas, and since then there
are no gentle memories In Heaven re-
garding the kiss Ii is dangerous, this
indiscrminate kissing between the sexes,
as everything else is that tends 10 go
against the sanctity OF the home lite
BE very careful. parents.
II don't belong 10 the brotherhood Of
kissing pastors. and when l read the ether
day that one Of that kind was killed by
a man for kissing his wife thanked Hea-
ven that 7 did not belong 10 H. Don't adj
init the slightest infraction Of this sane
tty Of home life. Allow no undue IA
mililrity anywhere. II Is like the ven
turce0me little boy wading, and going
along safely till he strikes "A hole. and
then somebody has 10 drive for and fsh
| him our. and there is a Sunday school
scholar gone. Don't let the fine sense Of
proprety be worn away. No man has
the right 10 come where Il pure woman
is and bring impure thoughts. Many
know and confess that kissing excites
them TO wrong feelings and thoughts. DO
not trifle with such.
A LESSON FROM THE FLY.
See tho little fly on the wall lie sees
the bright gas jet. and proceeds to IN
vestigate H. He flies back safe twice
but the third time his wings are gone and
ne crawls back lie viii never fly again
The Lord says Lead us not into temp
tation.' The kiss compromises people,
when. finding out they are uncongeniaL
they decide not to marry each other and
SO unpleasant memories are made
Coz has his own Monroe doctrine. and
perm Is no infringement on his rights
10 -