The morning times., 1897-01-10

oROBABLY no other adjunct of the
drama has given the unbFidled press
agent such prolific opportunities to
let his mind run riot as has the stage
kiss 1t has made and unmade many
star IL has attracted randpa TO the the
ater, and has now and then caused such a
rush to the box-office on the part of the
matinee girl thatthe standing-room sign had
to he repainted Undoubtedly the pre-
cursor and paeemaker of all stage kisses OF
modern times WIS what Was known a IS the
Emma Abbott" This in its day was the
most celebrated of its kind. 1t was given
for the first time without any premedita
ton, but the newspapers attacked ii ad-
yersely; then the managers doomed it, and
IL became part Of the late singers stock in
trade 1t used to be considered intensely
naughty But so did the costumes of Lydia
Thompson's Burlesque Company, yet in the
fight Of later accomplishments in oscillation
and dress tor undressl the Abbotts and
Thompsons were paragons of propriety.
Della Fox described a kiss she once re-
ceived that went right through her and but
toned behind. but she never youchSafed
her audience an exhibition Of this mar
velous exemplar. Passing over little Della,
II we are TO believe the chroniclers of the
stage, the most beautiful kiss ever given
within the realms of the theater in England
was that of Helen Faucit, one of the most
lovely Juliets the stage has ever known.
The town used to come nightly to see, and
indeed to hear, her kiss Romeo, and many
an old man around town OF her epoch has
sworn that he would gladly have joined
Romeo in his fight against the NJ MoDtagues,
with only the faint hope of such reward.
Anyone who has paid attention to theat-
neal affairs remembers the commotion
caused 10y the Julius Steger kiss. This was
about four years ago, and Steger was the
leading baritone in the support of Marie
Tempest lie and Miss Tempest used to
kiss each other with such violence that
the chorus, public and management OBJ
3ected TO il. Incidentally, il broke up the
Marie Tempest Opera Company for good
and all but not until il had gone on record
as one Of the most superb things OF its kind
Mrs. Potter and Kyrle Bellew have q
patent on long, lingering kiss that lasts
six minutes by stop watch. When Henry
Miller was leading man for the Empire
Company, he and Viola Allen, in a most
sensational manner butin such a way that
the Mamma of the Young Person could not
possibly object. Herbert Kelcey's Foot
light Kiss is somethinglike the pecking of a
canary bird on bit OF apple. Maurice
barrymore makes love TO the heroine's
back hair and nc delivers his busses behind
her ear or at the back of the neck Henry
Irving usually iInprinbs a faint salute on
his companions brow or temple, and John
Drew's kiss. although directand tothepoint,
is rather bruSque.
Last season the kiss that took the
theater goer bystormwaso olga Nethersole's
She delivered it to Don Jose in Carmen" :"
1T was so torrid that TIE facetious writer
advised every one intending TO visit the
play to go armed with ice. kiss OF cutie
another kind has this season come rapidly
70 the front (as any well considered
kiss should, except Barrymore's 1t
belongs TO Annie Russell, the fragile.