The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1901-06-01
THE COURIER.
A STAGE KISS.
From an Actors Point Of View.

Amy (wildly)-I love you! love you!
Sir Athol crossing to her quickly)-l
know it! My own!
They embrace passionately.]
So runs the manuscript, and Sir Athol
presses his lips to hers for several SEC
onds, and Edwin and Angelina in the
pit-for it is Early Closing Day in Bri1-
ton-squeez, each others hands and
look into each others eyes and yearn.
"You bet he's pretty sweet on her in
reel life," observes the sapient Edwin on
the way home, "or he'd never kiss her
like that"
"Oh, do 'ushw replies his divinity
coyly. "Not but what l thought 90
too"
And the ardent young stockholders
clerk. who has q reputation in his home
circle as a regular flirt," feels that he
is being wasted in mere business; that,
loving the stage. he would make splen-
did "stage lover" and, with no other
qualification than that OF suburban Dom
Juanism, he forthwith joins Mr.. Squeeg.
er's X Company-"fit-up" towns-and
starts on his theatrical career at Sails
bury Town Hall.
In reality. stage kiss is thing OF
little ecstscy to the parties concerned.
1t is. as rule. dreaded by both. Where
the artists are Of a nervous tempera-
ment, the thought Of the stage kiss keeps
them awake at night. Never since the
days Of Judas has anything in kisses
been invented 30 completely giving the
lie to the real article. In the first place.
however it may seem from the front, it
is not easy to put much "soul' into the
affair under the eyes Of several hundred
spectators. 1t would not be easy. l
imagine, in actual life; it is doubly diff.
ficult when all these hundreds of specta-
tors-many Of them themselves expert
enced in tho art Of osculation-hsve
nothing else to attract their attention,
and, having paid their money, mean to
see the thing properly done. The audi
ence forgets that, which is probably the
case, these ardent lovers are the merest
acquaintances, possibly even not on
speaking terms outside the theatre. es-
pecially if there be q great discrepancy
in their respective salaries. No, the
dress circle sees nothing but a sweet,
pretty girl clinging to her lover, her
blue eyes wet with tears, her sunny
ringlets falling on his manly bosom.
But what does he see, poor fellow? He
is the earnest lover. He has exchanged
vows with her, three inches from her
nose, believing into her face in order that
the gods" may hear and understand.
She has assured him, in the same below,
that bis love is not in vain; she has
loved him, oh! ever since before che saw
him. He -"thrilIs"-a stage thrill is
comparatively easy-and starts on the
kiss. He looks her full in the face (for
now he is bound to-. and what does he
see?
Glazing into his, two unesrthly look
ing eyes, the lids painted dark blue,
with q touch Of red body-color in each
Of the inside corners. The lashee are
thickly coated with a black substance
not unlike burnt cork. On her brow he
can discern the line Of the wig with the
sunny ringlets attached. He knows tho
sickly taste Of the ultra sanguine, rose.
bud lips. But, loyal to his author, he
plays the man. He strains the yielding
form to his heart; he "kisses'' her; the
curtain falls on picture Of unexam-