The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-15

But they do tell us about kisses The
chapter on that important subject be-
gins without preamble, an example
have not been able 10 follow, in this wise:
Zone may kiss the eyes. the cheeks,
the lips and the mouth
That appears TO be the general rule, and
it is particularly Oriental. In India they
do not rush things. an Englishman or
an American would not dream of observ-
ing a formula like that
The chapter goes on to say that it is
forbidden to bite the mouth, but you may
kiss it if you can. never could under
stand what they meant by that, although
1 have studied over it a good deal
The sages made primary divisions Of the
art of kissing. First is the nominal,
which is not described at all. probably for
the reason that it was so ordinary. 1t
probably means a lovers salutation, pos
sibly the modern prevailing greeting Of
pressing cheek TO cheek.
Then comes the moving kiss, in which
the woman delicately takes the tip of the
lower lip of the man between her own
lips as if it were some dainty morsel
that she would eat. She closes her eyes
and, placing both her hands in his, turns
her head aside to say No"
Say I'm weary. say I'm sad.
Say that health and wealth have missed
me;
Say I'm growing old, but add
Jenny kissed me,
LEIGH HUNT
That is the Sanskirt version as nearly
as 1 can make it into English, although
most of the poetry is missing. There is
no vulgarity in these ancient writings,
but when they are done into English the
different viewpoint makes them appear
to have meanings which the Old writers
never intended.
Then there is the direct, the sidewise,
the pressing and the romantic kiss. APP
parently the direct kiss, which is dis
missed with a mere reference, is the com
mon of garden kiss of today, familiar
wherever young people come together in
this country and in fact most countries.
The sidewise kiss is described briefly.
The young woman takes her loved one ;
chin in her hand, bends his head sidewise
and kisses him slowly. 1 should have ex-
planned that India is a land where women
make love to men and make no shame of
It.
There are three subdivisions of the
pressing kiss, and they differ chiefly IN
the degree of feryOr and enthusiasm.
The pressing kiss is a kiss on the mys-
FERROUS lower lip so often mentioned IN
the writings of the old Oriental scholars.
1t is a lovers kiss-a slow, prolonged,
ardent kiss, with arms about each others
neck and the Iove-light shining in their
eyes.
Then comes the very pressing, Wn'ch IS
one of the most charming of all. The
woman approaches her lotus loved,
grasps the sides of his lower lip between
her thumb and forefinger, lightly pressing
it until it slightly projects and then kiss
ing him full on the mouth.
The most pressing is a kiss that cannot
be described but it proves that these old
priests knew all that moderns have
learned about oscillation.
Several kinds of romantic kisses are
described. There is the kiss of magma
ton, that is also called the shadow kiss,
where one kisses a loved ones shadow
on the wall or an image in the water.
Exquisitely lovely is the Oriental imagery
describing these kisses. 1t is curious how
these things are repeated in modern life.
For ton, there is a scene in TEES
OF the d'Urbervilles.' where Tess kisses
a shadow of Angel Clare. that might have
been taken from these old writings. And
there are scores of painters, Burne-JoHeS
among them, who have made pictures of
kissing images in the water. These are
called kisses OF indirect declaration.
If one kisses a child held on the knee,
a picture or a statue, casting sidelonS
glances at another as if wishing that
they were the child. picture or statue, 1t
is called the kiss of transmission. as
much as to say, This kiss is meant for
YOU. but l dare not give it
1t always seemed to me that the kisses
of omission should have been considered
At this point. but the ancient writings are
silent about them. The dissertation closes
with this remarkable paragraph:
when one lays her head on the heart
of her Iotus-loved lord, smiles an ineffahle
smile and kisses his chin it is called the
kiss or provocation.''
Yet. despite the fact that these writings
were copied from manuscripts tattered,
torn and dim with ages, themselves
copied of older ones; despite the fact
that the sages wrote these words Of truth
and wisdom two thousand years ago
any Indian will tell you that kissing. as
we understand il, is unknown in India.