The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-24
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
= HER POINT OF VIEW 3:
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~ seems to be the custom for the
rector of the University to kiss
the brow of the candidate for gradu-
alton honors. The kiss goes along
with the diploma and has always been
considered part of the programme.
At recent commencement when a
degree was about to be conferred on
a young woman graduate, she unex-
pectedly and cmphatically refused to
| submit to the Chaste "brow-kiss' of
| the clergyman, and all sorts of trouble
is likely to result. The authorities of
| the university are puzzled to decide
whether to abolish the clerical kiss or
| the girl. That is, whether to allow
girls the hard-fought triumph of be-
| ing graduated from that venerabl in
stitution, if they can't take all the
| traditional acCompaniments.
What shall a poor girl do? Here
are Ella Wheeler Wilcox and other
| authorities who declare solemnly and
publicly through the medium of yellow
| journals ct al, that it is naughty for
| young person of the feminine persua
| sion to allow herself to be kissed by
man unless she is enga ged to marry
him, and even then it is hinted that
| she should be, a little coy in the mat
| ter of osculation. They even go so
| far as to say that trile of wifely
| l~serVc i'm the way of caresses is a
good recipe for catching and keeping
| n husband and yet here is a vener-
| able institution of learning which per-
| mits and even enjoins kissing at COM
| mencement. The mental picture of a
| sweet, young graduate in cap and
| gown deXterously duckinE her head
| and bobbing around in the frantic
endeavor to dodge an ecclesiastical
| Caress as she seizes her diploma is
| somewhat comiCal. Doubtless the rev.
| erend author of misplaced kisses
| couldn't see the funny side of the situ-
| alton but to most of us it has it's
| humor. The matter of such a little
| thing az a kiss causing the delibera-
tlon Of a wise and venerable faculty
of a great university over the prob
| lem to kiss or not to kiss affords still
| further theme for smiles.
| II has gone out of fashion for the
| officiating clergyman to kiss the bride
| at wedding ceremonies when that used
| to be allowed and even encouraged.
| 1t is hinted that this particular per-
| quSite of the profession has been one
| of the inducements which reconciled
| certain rather worldly young men to
the holy calling and that the older they
| grew the less they cared to relinquish
| the privilege. But now that some very
proper young woman who has been
brought up carefully in the way she
| should go has the temerty to decline
the heredity kiss Of university rector,
there is no telling where the proprie-
| ties are going to stOp-or proceed
whichever way you choose to put it.
| II Is said that there is great deal
more spooning in summer than in win
| ter. Whether people give proprieties
| as we'll as religion a vacation in hot
| weather Is not explained. but the lax
| ity of chaperonage at seashore. lake
| and mountain is probably responsible
to some degree. I heard of one chap
| erOn" who was in great demand this
| season because she was so near
| sighted she couldn't tell five yards
| away girl in shirt waist from a
| man in a shirt waist.
| She wasn't any more popular than
| the other Chaperone who was addicted
| To maps so sWeetly and graCiously pro-
| found that nothing short of a Standard
Oil explosion would awaken her.
| Another was very much admired for
| the first day of a camping party or
| summer excursion. After that her
| popularity was doubled in quality but
! halved in quantity TO be more ex-
| piCit, on day was all that was neces-
| Sary To demonstrate the fact that my
| lady had no need to keep a watchful
| eye on her charges as she pre-empted
| all the attentions of the masculine
members of the Tartt-. After she
| had annexed the men severally and
| collectively there naturally enough en-
sued a season of COOlneSS between the
| ChaperOne and the maidens, who went
| disCOnsolatcly about with their arms
| around each others waist. Some of
| thOSa men are so dense that they don't
| know yet why the charming chaperOne
| of a certain house party has not ap-
peared in the same capacity again this
| summer.
| Yes, the warm weather and the aC-
| tual emptiness of the mind must be
| responsible for considerable ssiddiness
| of behavior. ! heard of a chaperone
who did little cake walk on the TOP
of grand piano one twilight time and
| hadn't been ndulging i'm champagne
and was person of eminent respecta-
| bility and position, while another sat
| in cosey corner an entire evening and
| allowed palmistry y-inclined young
| man to study her hand. 1t was a
| rather dim cosy corner.
But as to spooning-for | digress-an
| extremely proper young man shocked
me ineXpressibly the other day by
| confding the fact that he was rather
| fond of spooning in the summer and
| that he had weakness for girls with
| auburn hair and dimples. "They are
| more kissable, you know" he ex-
| plalned, adding hastily. but they
| won't all be kissed" statement which
| unaccountlbly seemed to afford me
| some satisfaction. ! happen to know
| a few auburn haired girls.
Then he continued sOemnly: But.
| do you know, much as l like to kiss
| them, I'd always rather they wouldn't
| allow II, Funny, isn't it.? Pair o.
ducks, as Mrs Partngton would say.
| Fact, though there was never a kiss
| as sweet as the one a fellow couldn't