Middletown transcript., 1898-08-13
HEROIC OSCILLATION.


thrust upon him by an aior:ng public,
it is mole than likely that even his un-
flinching courage would have failed,
and that he would have prevailed upon
Admiral Sampson to send some other
officer to make plans for raising the
half sunken Spanish warships. It has
been one long ovation for the hero OF
"that little incident Of the Merrimae,"
as he himself has called it. He has
been cheered and feted and dined and
interviewed to distraction; his hand
has been wrung until it must be well
nigh palsied, and thousands are now
tumbling over themselves to grasp a
hand that has grasped Hobson's. BIT
the young officer is modest man, and
all these ordeals must have been as
nothing when compared to the oscula-
tory trial be was compelled to undergo
at Long Beach, Long Island, one day
last week.
The osculator was Miss Emma Ar
mold, Of st. Louis, and there are sew
eral versions Of the affair. One says
that Miss Arnold bluntly requested to
be kissed, and that the lieutenant
blushingly complied. Another AYERS
that the officer was kissing some chill
dren, and that Miss Arnold remarked
eoyly, that "one could almost wish to
be child again." whereupon the lieu
tenant opined that such a formally
was not indispensable, and kissed her
on the spot. The exact spot is not men
toned. But, anyhow, Miss Arnold
was kissed, and several scores Of hotel
guests who witnessed the sight have
since been gleefully singing:
'They kissed, saw them do it,"
while others respond musically
'He held that kissing was no crime;
She held her head up every time"
Incidentally, the public is informed
by special correspondents, who were at
once hurried to the scene of osculation,
that Miss Arnold has 'sWealth of coal
black hair and rich olive complexion
So far as the dispatches from Long
Beach have informed the country, Miss
Arnold is somewhat reticent regarding
her achievement. But reticence is not
especially characteristic of st. Louis,
and we may hope that in time the pos
SCISSOR Of the "wealth Of coal black
hairn and the well-to-do olive complex
ion may te prevailed upon to describe
her sensations. We doubt if the kiss
Of heroic lips differs in any material de-
gree from that obtainable from lips less
distinguished. But Miss Arnold can
give ex-cathedra opinion on that point.
Was this particular kiss like that de-
scribed by Tennyson's Fatima, who re-
marked concerning it
30 love! fire! once he drew
With one long kiss my whole soul through
NV lips, as sunlight drinketh devil"
We doubt it. We are inclined to
think that the lieutenant's feelings
were more accurately described by the
titled lady who wrote
ssIn short, my deary, kiss me and be quiet
and that the kiss was
"-snatched hasty from the sidelong maid"
Anyhow, Miss Arnold has been made
Immortal with kiss"
But we fear for the future Of the
lieutenant. Not until the memory of
Miss Arnold has been somewhat
dimmed by time is he likely to ever to
be safe from osculatory assaults. 1t
may be said that the famous off Ger
could not we'll refuse SO simple re-
quest. Granted. But can he well re-
fuse similar requests from thousands of
other young women if they should
make them? We fail to see how Miss
Arnold has the call. 1t looks from the
road as if Lieutenant Hobson's favorite
quotation would be
"Or leave kiss but in the cup"
He cound find it in the cup when he
had time to look, and depositing it
there would save him deal of EN- bar
rassment. If some such clearing is not
established long cruise would IN
to be the only thing left for Hobson.-
N. Y. Tribune.
The story Of that kiss has been tele-
al hn nd