The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-09
THE KISSING HABIT.
observations by One Viewing 1t
From an Ethical Standpoint.

From an Ethical Standpoint.
From the Providence Journal
young woman lesturlng in New York
before the Household Economic Associa-
ton startled her hearers by a passiona e
denunciation of the kissing habit. Il hope
to see the day" she exclaimed, when
kissing is unknown. I wish it could be
made illegal 1t is not clean thing TO
do. II should be discountenanced by ev-
cry thinking woman" The members of
the Household Economic Association are
presumably thinking women; but they did
not respond enthusiastically to this sug-
gestion. 81 never let anyone kiss me. :"
said the young reformer But even this
demonstration of Spartan virtue awoke
no answering desire Tor self-abnegation
A kiss is a harmless salutation. the others
doubtless thought; and they only smiled
when the lecturer said; Il hope no one
win ever try TO kiss me, as I shall not let
them" Had they been ll-natured they
might have suggested that the warning
was unnecess ary. But women are always
generous in their treatment of their own
sex
1t Is easy enough TO sympathlze with
objections to kissing up to a certain point.
Englsh-speakng people are not great
kissers in any case. They look with scorn
upon foreigners who use this mode of
salutatlon indiscriminately. Even ia mo-
ments of supreme emotion, Englishmen
merely shake hands. Frenchmen and Ger
mans and SUCH on the contrary, en-
brace rapturously on the most ordinary
occasions. Yet we fancy that II would
be hard TO support the theory that
kissing is unhealthy by showing that
Engishmen escape diseases frequent
among their neighbors. No doubt there
is something in the disease plea: but has
not too much been made of il? We are
finding germs everywhere in these DAYS
and are taking the most elaborate pre-
cautions against them. 1t remains TO he
seen il we are healthier than our fathers
in consequence. In any case those who
really find pleasure IN kissing NAV moi
be deferred by the warnings of science
Many of the things we like TO do are no,
good for us, but we keep on doing then,
just the same.
Those who take less advanced rroun1
than the young woman who does nor nro-
pose to .et any one kiss her NAV still oh.
ject TO promiscuous habits of kissing Tns,
why there is any satisfaction in The toucb
ing of the lips is physiological (and ner-
hops psychologicaD mystery which ",
VIII not endeavor 20 solve. Indlscrimin-
ate kissing certainly makes this satisfoc
-
terehange of kisses among women. the
formal Kisses of matrimony-these thincs
may well be abolished. 1t must he re-.
membered that in former times there was
an element of solemnily in the kiss. m.
KISS OF peace was an element of every no,
OF Chrisuon worship. A trace of This no.
mains In the familiar benediction "rbo
| peace of God etc. and in the Eastern
church the priests sril kiss one anotba,
| during the recita. of the Nicene Crea,l
Kiss ng the altar is a Catholic practi,s
not entirely unknown in this country Tho
| kissing Of the Pope's toe is another cass
in point. High officials at Constorft-
nople are sometimes permitted to kiss ~,
5uItan's toe as a special mark of favor
This, we need hardly add is far ,liqro~
ent kind Of kissing than that again,
which our young reformer is determtnsd
to take a stand
/ Perhaps 10 would be as wen If sbe h, !
her way, at least in a measure ana t1,,
habit OF kissing were to fail into disrsc
except as between lovers or parents ANA
children A loss of self-rcspect is invol,.a6
in kisses lightly given aud taken. We Ia
not say that kissing in such circunostan 49,
is grave moral evil; but nice girls v,.u
feel that TO save their lips for those VIII
have some right to them is the only r,,,a
that scruplous modesty permits AN
men are not as particular as E]fride's la
er in Mr.. Hardy's story, but most Of then,
certainly fan to prize favors lightly won.