The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-08-21
AN AGE OF KISSING.
The Present Is Prominently n Pc
Rod That Teens with Tales
of Circulation.

One thousand two hundred and thir-
ty-ave kisses in bulk figured rather
prominently in u breach of promise
suit the other day. The suit, as might
be expected, was won by the lady, in
GLIDING damages to the extent of
$1,000 The testimony with regard to
the kisses deeply interested an ambi-
studying with a view to making
breach of promise cases her speciality,
rays the Chicago Inter Ocean.
This student has devoted a good
deal of attention and investiga ton to
kissing, and has discovered that up to
less than 60 years ago the osculatory
privilege was not so highly esteemed
or SO freely granted as in these latter
days. In other words, this is the kiss
ing age.
In pre-revolutionary days parents
rarely kissed their children, and the
Puritan Pilgrims and their posterity
unto the fourth generation, regarded
the kiss as an invention of the devil,
A weak-minded Boston citizen was
heavily fined for kissing his wife on
Sunday, because that was a peculiarly
reprehensiblee Xaggeration of the gen
orally condemned offense.
In Virginia and Maryland laxer
views of kissing as crime prevailed,
but nobody took any stock in the
proceeding. While the fathers near
est approach to affectionate demon
stration was a kiss upon his daugh-
ter's brow, the sons of fine families
were expected to kiss only their
mothers hands.
How lovers progressed in their
courtships without osculatory assist
ance of any sort is little short of
mystery. The novelists and poets are
silent upon this interesting point.
Richardson's, Fannie Burney's, and
SCOTS heroines were wooed and won
without kisses, except those purely
hands--which custom, by the way, was
introduced to England and the United
States and the continent.
1t is not until the rise of the roman
tic school of fervent young fictionists
who contributed to that ancient and
defunct household comfort known as
'Godey's Lady Book" that we get any
evidence as to the rapidity with which
the kiss became popularized in this
country.
By and by the Duchess" novels
arrived, and then the kiss was estab-
lished as a social custom in good
and highly popular standing. Nova
days no novelist would presume to
conduct a proposal without prelim-
mary skirmish line of kisses, leading
up to the final troth, which is usually
pledged In hearty fashion upon the
heroine's ripe red lips. The drama
fist is pledged to afford his audience
similar demonstrations of the art of
OSCILLATION. Frequently, in plays and
operas, it is conducted in fashion
that would bring a blush Of indigna-
ton to the cheek of our great-grand-
parents. Yet the matinee girl looks
on benignantly and applauds the ten
der exhibition.
"Your love. scenes are too cold"
said publisher recently to the author
of a promising manuscript novel.
81 should drop in a kiss or two;
they will warm the situation up Won
derfully," advised the head reader.
The author, being wise in her day
and generation, accepted the sugges-
ton, and heard no subsequent COM
plants from the critics of the read
ing public.
Said the head reader of the publish
ing firm when telling this story: "The
public, the big and sentimental mass
of readers, dearly loves kisses well
and appropriately bestowed. The av-
erage novel reading girl who haunts
the circulating libraries would no
more indorse romance without
strong kissing features than she would
drink soda without ice-cream in it.
The novelist who knows how to intro
duce kisses frequently and with pass
able art can invariably claim an audi
ence to which the publisher is glad to
appeal"