The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-19
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quired to pro-ong the kiss as long as the kissing
music continues. That takes forty-fve seconds-
What made the Merry Widow" such sue
cess, the waltz or the kiss In such questions
Of psychology It is dific1lt to tell But after
the delicious waltz the audience Just hug on the
seemingly interminable kiss Ct Ethel Jackson
and Donald Brian
People gasped again when they saw the @Ho-
tel Clerk" 70; Eugene MacGregor and Jeanette
Bageard kissed so passionately, intensely, so
furiously. forsooth. that 1t seemed ike a real
"eat'em-alive" caressI
Then came the Gay Musician" and Broad
way thrilled when Amelia s. ne sank back IN
the arms Of debonair Walter srciveI. and. as
their lips met, even the most base Iailbirds sat
up, electrified, staring.
Next season, stage managers whisper. there
viii be more kisses. The public has found. and
wants to see, its ideal kiss, they aver.
The conventional kiss, you know. Is feet
ing, brief, mere touch Of the lips, and a tim.d
flying apart for fear some one might see Young
lovers usually kiss ike Paolo and Francesca
seizing one drop Of nectar III the stolen seconds
and then trembling for fear lest 1t be discovered
Many still maintain II Is the ideal kiss Il
does not scar the heart nor wound the soul II
is not the kiss of Carmen, which sends mems
blood riOting IN their veins ready to do murder.
When Olga Nethersole delineated this kiss on
the stage some ten years ago its fame spread
broadcast. Years before Emma Abbott piO-
neered the enduring kiss in "Faus'" and made
a million. Whenever kiss was prolonged IN
definitely on the stage, strangely. the play
usually success.
There are some kisses about which there IS
question OF punlic disapprOyaL There Is the
diseased, unhealthy kiss which shocked even New
Workers. In "Salo,ne." There was the scene Of
Salome demanding the death Of John In reward
for her dance before the dissolute Herod: Of
Herod's reluctant assent, and of Salome finally
Selling the charger handed from the cistern. in
which the imprisoned John was beheaded. and
raising the severed head to her lips, exclaiming:
"Ah, thou woulost not suffer Iue to kiss thy
mouth, Jokanaanl Well. viii kiss 1t now"
This was the kiss Of death 1t caused "Sa-
lone" to be withdrawn from the opera house.
1t certainly was not considered ideal
To the contrary, the new kiss of Miss Gar
den was hailed with enthusiasm. Dalmores and
Mary Garden received pay for their kiss at
about S6.S7 per; rate of $9c9-2S hour
When 1t comes to the price Of kisses, posi-
bly, the cheapest record price was thai set by a
jury IN Newark, n. J., IN 1902. A young woman
asked for $500 damages for stolen sass Inc
defendant proved by witnesses that, after 1t was
over the fair lady forgave him Then tire Jury
awarded the lady six cents
Sometimes the price IS very high. A stolen
kiss was appraised at $500 By Recorder W alcott.
of Little Falls, n. Y A court IN Wisconsin.
some years ago, assessed five kisses at $4,000,
or $1,000 apiece
There are few men, indeed who are not
,ratefuI for any kind of kiss In 1894 the
charming duchess of Gordon secured 1000 re
cruits for the Gordon Highlanders by offering
a guinea anu a kiss TO every recruit. Men
sprann TO the front, and, after securing this re-
ward, IN the struggle with France $50 lost theiI
hves-