Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-03-20 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

KISSING GAMES."  The Dail y Teleyraph has received some hundreu. of letters with reference to kissing games. The larip. msjority of the writers, including Sunday-scho I teachers and scholars, not only protest against the painful accuaations that have been made, but state that such scenes as those which have been described have never come within their experience. On the other hand, some of the correspondents, who forward their names and addresees,avow that within their own knowledge the moot lamentable results have followed horn meetings at which such practices have been allowed. "J. F.," writing froni East Dulwich, says: 'These so-called 'Social Games' were in full swing among the members of the Benjamin Hill Lodge, 1.0.G.T.,and had been so fir some considerable time previous to my joining that lodge in June, 1880. The custom then appeared to me to be pretty well Eatabliahed and generally known." " Conrad, " a Sunday-.chool teacher, writing from Spalding, says : " My experience is that scarcely ever is a fele in connection with Good Templar lodges of Sunday-schools held at which kissing genus are not indulged in a l'outra nee and with an avidity which, to a mind sober and solicitous for the welfare of young people is appalling. School feasts in Lincolnshire are held in the open air, and longestablished custom has placed in the supreme place the games of the 'army,' bats and beans," jig, and *her games in which o.culation is the only source of amusement. These games are maintained uninterruptedly for as much as four or five hours. Young girls rue encouraged to throw off all that modesty which has ever been deemed the principal grace of girlhood. Of Good Templar and teniperance gatheringsstill more might be said. Married men and young unmarried women mingle in the games in question with zest. I have often, to my intense disgust, been the witness of a married man kissing and embracing all the young girls on the separation of . the company. I remember one occasion in particular when a married man kissed every one of a company of about 60 young damsels or. their leaving a temperance gathering." "One Who Works Hard for the Young" says that he has during the last 19 years been at many meetings where, hr more than two hours, kissing games have qeen the staple amusement of the evening, those played being " postman," "measure six or more yards of love ribbon,' and a game in which the entire company promenade round the room in a circle. each gentleman kissing all the ladies in succession. There has, he adds, unfortunately recently in too many Christian churches been a tendency to mix up Gospel teaching, temperance, concerto, bazaars, comic lectures, &c., all in a jumble, instead of each being kept in its proper place. Other writers admit the prevalence of the games, and " says " These innocent games, in which kissing forms part of the proceedings, are not at all confined to temperance societies or Sunday schools, but are in. dulged in also at soirt'2es of debating, mutual improvement, and other similar societies."  A man named Thema: Keeling, late a farmer, residing at Stanton, near littoreter, after attempting to murder his wife by cutting her throat, took his own life in a similar manner. The parties had a judicial separation in 1881, but recently they lived together again. In the interval Keeling had been in a lunatic asylum. Elizabeth Holmes, aged 11, is under remand at Blackburn on • charge of having broken into the United Methodist Free Church at Rishton. She effected an entrance through a back window, and forced open the contribution-box, but it had previously been cleared of its contents. An attempt was also made to break open a desk The girl admits having committed the burglary, and states that she stole a statehbaek. which she Ore WY