The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-05-11
ETHICS OF KISSING.
A woMAWs VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT
or OSCILLATION.


whou. she shouid riay the Missr.
2 There are atill occasions, however
rsre. when inactivity. much as It has
fallen into disfavor. continues TO be
mastery. when a modest maiden IL In
noubt as to whether or no she should
Mss OF allow herself to be kissed by
asy man not related TO her by close
tkes OF consangulnity. she best displays
her Wisdom by giving herself. not him.
inc benefit OF the doubt aud so refrain
fng from esculatIon.
An absolutely safe list ot men whom
Gt Is allowable to kiss might be com.
p;Ied frem the list given In the Book OF
Common Prayer OF persons whom II Is
forbidden 10 marry. There can be no
possible improperly In any womsn's
being kissed by her father. grandfather.
brother, uncles. etc. whenever occa.
sion may offer. stlll. public opinion Is
much less I'm favor OF kissing than OF
yore and afectionate greetings are
no longer considered good form In mar
ket places or what answers for them In
me present generation.
To the prayer book may be added
cousins within the degrees forbidden In
marriage by the Roman Catholic
church. but these In moderation. The
young man cousin who Is greedy 10 the
matter OF kisses from his pretty cousin
Ia not to be trusted. He
Should be denied
And set aside and mortified.
Kisses OF greeting or parting, Of good
night. good morning and OF congratu-
lstion are still general, although by no
means so frequent as they were for
merly. Indeed. kissing as a practice is
much less popular than II once was
Between doctors and the moralists II is
constantly falling more and more into
disfavor while. still more fatal. Fash
ion, with a big II, sets her face as a
nlnt against all demonstrations Of feel
tng as III bred.
All the same, the man who becomes
engaged to be married. as usual
thing, expects kiss from his 1ancee
20 seal the bargain, not for publication,
30 20 say. but as guarantee OF good
faith on her part. II she Is willing to
promise to marry him. he reasons. she
ought TO be willing to let him kiss her.
Moreover. he desires a kiss or kisses
ppon general principles as something
10 which he Is entitled by the unwrit-
ten law OF tradition. On the other
hand, the party OF the second part has
herself TO consider 10 the matter.
woman should be sure OF her own bona
bde Intentions OF matrimony and dou-
bly, sure of those OF her lover before
she sets such a sign and seal to the
contract. engagements OF marriage are
by no means irrefragible. and she who
Kisses least Is likely to have least
cause for future regret. At all events
n prudent woman will wait until the
engagement Is announced before she
permits any kissing. There are men
who have serious objections to marry
ing any woman who has been engaged
10 another man. for the simple reason
that thcy do not choose that any man
shall be able 10 say OF the woman
whom they take TO wife that he has
Kissed her as her lover. II matters lit
tle, rather more. that the kisses have
been given In good faith TO an atiianced
husband. It's a way men have.
Sir. she's yoursL
You have brushed from the grape It's soft
blue:
From the rosebud you've shaken the dell.
cate dew.
What you've touched you may take
A noted "lady killer Of a past gener'
alton who had been engaged many
times and who boasted to his intlmates
that no woman had ever refused an Of
fer OF his hand In marriage was once
asked why I'm that case he was still a
bachelor Because am waiting until
can find woman who will not per
init me to kiss her before we are mar
ried.' he replied.
Even though a woman he fully as
sured OF the ineyitableness In due time
OF her marriage she will be wise not to
be too liberal OF her caresses. Most
things In this world are rated as valua'
BILE In direct proportion to their rarity
Were diamonds as common as pebbles
they would be worth no more CONNER
cially than fhe common stones OF the
beach and highway. Moreover, one may
have too much OF a good thing. Kinl
Midas story is an old one. TOO much
water drowned the miller" II is a com
mon practice with confectloners 20 al
low new apprentice all the candy
which he or she can eat. certain that II
a little while the surfelt OF sweet viii
destroy all taste for sugar In any form
IL is human nature essentially 60 tir'
OF what we have much OF and TO prlz'
most the fruit which hangs highes
and is most difficult TO obtain.
Consequently the woman who II
chary OF her favors, who is nlggardll
even with her caresses, will find tha
her lover values them all the more. and
that his respect. as well as his affec
ton. for her becomes the greater IL
proportion as he hopes rather than 4
sure OF her. II has long been maxim
that no man shall kiss and tell; never
theless. the woman Is safest by far o