The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-05-07

from the public declarations Of promi-
nent residents. visitors to the ventose
village by Michigan's western shore need
not be surprised to see more than half
the population going about with a labial
protrusion that seems pleading for am
putaton.
This symposium is called forth by the
odious confession of that inconsequential
Crook person, whose motto seems to oe:
Don't give me any of your lip The
value of this contribution to labial liter
allure in large measure redeems the
grievous fault of giving habitat to such
an unclassited personality as the Evans
ton professor.
The women doctors whose expressions
should be considered eX cathedra because
of knowledge gained in 'practice.' for
the most part speak out valiantly for the
therapeutic virtues of kissing. Some are
dignifedly conservative. of course. but
the significance of their diplomatic opin-
ions is unmistakable.
Here's Secret.
DR.. Sarah Hackett Stevenson, a cousin
of former President Stevenson, and
one of the most eminent practitioners Ii.
the entire west, says several good things
about the Indulgence, and then adds: IF
any of my ratinets have the kissing
habit and want to be cured l could tell
them great many thinks about kissing
in private that | could not discuss for
publication This is encouraging and
should greatly increase DR.. Stevenson's
practice.
DR.. Julia Smith Holmes. whose profess
sional standing is but little less than
that of DR.. Etevenson. says: kissing
cannot be stopped. This dogmatic pro-
nouncement is pleasing. but scarcely
worth consultation fee. Il hardly think
it is unhygienc.' This is better and
will not be protested as an time in the
bill. Il do think that kissing. except in
purely platonlc sense, is very vulgar
This is not so acceptable, because it is c.
Iaipabie atfectation, and the collector Is
going to be subjected to rude remarks,
when he presents the doctors statement.
This opinion is more ethical and meta
physical in character than professional
Besides, it lacks the seeming of sincerity.
DR.. Smith, in common with all other in
telligent persons. knows there can be no
such thing as pjlatonic kiss between
persons of the same approximate age not
cnnsanguinely related. But she might
have added that no OSCILLATION is ostensi
! bly, vulgar, for the pretense of platonic-
ism covers any pOSSlDle cOafSeneSS even
as the mantle of an ostentatious charity
covers the mu!titudinous sins of mil
| ionaire.
Just Like Pie.
| DR.. Effie L. Iobdel, as her baptiSmal
name would indicate, is sweet and SUM-
| ny optimst, as witness these words from
| her:
kissing is anything but harmful.
I 4 l.
! as there are different kinds of pie. Some
| people have their favorite kind of pie,
While others eat no pie at all. Some peo-
| pie do not eat pie because they do not
| like it, and some do not eat it because
they can't get it,
| There are some adverse opinions, to be
sure, but they come from officers of the
| w. G. T. u, therefore are not worth
!! quoting. One of these women, however,
is not rabidly radical, but says, in her
non-commital white ribbon way: "A Ju-
! das kiss l despise.' This justifies the de-
hghtful inference that the dear thing
| just dotes on the other kind.
In the medical sisterhood there is some
opposition also. but it is not wholly OBJ
| jectionable. Dr. Caroline Geisler says:
''Ther is too much kissing among wom-
en-; also too much kissing of babies and
small children The doctor is quite right
| in her diagnosis of the difficulty. There
: is altogether too much kissing among
women-that is, young women. 1t is a
practice that should be discouraged as a
shameful and wholly unnecessary waste
| of sweetness.