The New York Times from New York, New York • Page 62

THE NEW YORK TIMES. SUNDAY. DECEMBER ltr. tKy-tac. is THE JOECESMITHS UNO TLETO mil MS ER THE MIS ft mm i a.

The Ml Brown "-Oh, so glad to Wo can only shake bands I iFalr Visitor Oh dear how sad I By William S. Walsh. CHRISTMAS ana kisses so hand In band with holly and mUtletoe. In ruder days klslng could be accomplished openly and publicly to the mutual gratification of oach ax providing botn ti a 11 Coyna may forbid consent tf bo tempted to irant It It at any ttm-durlns ftfty-ona weeks to tha yaar she klasea at all (beforo boeomlns nsaa-d It 1 only In oecret under the roaa. The only period what ehe may publicly yield what eha pretende that sha would fain withhold, is Cbrtstmaa week In selentino lansuaa a klsS ta anatomical Juxtaposition of two orWmUf oris mueclea In a state of contraction.

But If that were all there ts to a MI In the same lansuase, the mleUetoo Is a speolee of yleoum of tha Snu" thacae. which ftrrows as a paraelta. both on deciduous and syerfraen trees and NowV wero that aH that could bo saM about the mletletoe there would. Indeed, be email reason for Its popularity! It ta brcauee the mere prose of science 1a Intertwined with the mystery of poetry. It Is because the mistletoe has become the centre of more than one cycle of legendary and traditional lore, because It was connected Iwlth the hssthen saturnalia and wan adopted Into the Christian JestlylUea which transformed the eoulleea Ucense Of the pant Into the pretty and hermlaai i Indecorum of the preaent-It la for sJl theaa raaona that the very word mUtltoe fla.U tera the ear and appeals to the latent euprtltlon and myatlcism of arsn us beat-balanced mlnde.

Amoni the ancient Druids tha mistletoe waa the object of special veneration, but only when It irrew upon an oatPUny, ho la our earlleat authority on pnadlam, furnishes the earlleat explanation, via: that, as oaks were their a acred trees, whatever waa found rowln upon one the Druids regarded as heaen born and aa a mark that that tree was set apart for special veneration. Hence, -he aays. -llxl the naraslte "all heal." and looked upon It aa a cure for sterility and an antidote for polaona. Alaa for the ranty ox t-nnarian enwv amor historians and archaeologists It Is Insinuated that even In Drtndio times the mistletoe rarely. If ever, arew upon oaks, and that the wily priests would furtively transplant their myaUa shrub from apple trees, where It stow lustily, to oaks, where.

In tha course of nature. It could not be found. We know that the apple tree was held by tha Drulda rest In eacredneaa to the oak. and that apple orchards were ahrewdly planted by them In the vicinity of their oak rrovee. At the present moment It Is eetlmated that In all Knirland there la not half a dosea oak trees on which the parasite inda a lodgement.

That in the elder dava mistletoe waa even rarer aeema to be roved by an ancient manuscript now In he British which expressly asserts that Lord FrewchevlUVs famous mlsseltoe tree" In Derbyshire waa "the only oaks In England that bears missel- toe Jonathan Pwlft testily asked. "Lord. wonder what fool It was that first Invented Johannes Becundus had already attributed a divine oridn to the custom. He represents Cytherea aa floating throutrh the clouds with her snow-white swans, scattering; klsaes over the fruitful soil. As corn, he says, first spransr cp in the fields for the use of man.

so sprang; up also the kisses, the aKauafers Cf love's poisnant flame. The first recorded kiss Is that which Jacob save to Hachel at the well. After bestowing; tt we are told that he lifted up Ms voice and wept. A long- newspaper discussion was once starts'! to decide the reason for this extraordinary conduct but without, reaching; any satisfactory oonclunton. Herodotus tells us thst the Persians when they meet one another In the streets one may discover by the following; custom whether those who meet are equals, for.

Instead of accosting one another they ktsa on the mouth: If one be a little Inferior to the other they kiss the cheek, but If he be of a much lower rank he prostrates himself before the other." Homer. In his Odyssey," the herdsman and swlneheard. when they dlaeoverUlya-eea. embrace him and kiss both his head and h's shoulders, and. adds the poet.

In like manner Ulysses kissed their heads and hands," Whatever Its oridn. however, we find kissing; firmly established In Europe from the earliest ages. Kngland waa somewhat backward In accepting the Kissing customs of the Continent. A mediaeval historian Informs us that the present practice of kissing waa utterly unpractlced and unknown In England till the fair Prlnceas Rowena. the daughter of King Henglst of Friesland.

pressed 'the beaker with her llpkins and saluted the amorous Vortlgern with a klsslet." Ones England had rot a fstr chance. however, tt learned to distance all other countries In this matter of osculation. Krasmus Indicates ss much In a famous letter. Here sre girls," hs says. with angel fscee, so kind and obliging that you would refer them to all your musea Besides, here Is a custom here never to be sufficiently commended.

Wherever you go, tou are received with a kiss by all: when you take your leave you Are dismissed with kisses: you return, kisses are repeated. Thev come to visit you. kisses again; they leave you. you kiss all round. Should they meet you anywhere, kisses tn abundance; In fine, wherever you move there Is nothing but kisses Ah.

Faustue! If you had once tasted the tenderness the fragrance of the.e you would wish te stay In Eneland not for a ten years voyage, like Solon, but aa long as you uve. When Cavendish, the biographer of Caniiral Wolsey. went to France In the relrn of Henry VI he found the ladles thrre were laminar with the Kngllsh custom and not unwilling to have It broucht over by a traveler. Describing his visit to M. Creoura castle he tells how he waited mv ladVa coming In a fair great dining hall where the table was covered for dinner.

And after ehe came thither out of her own chamber she rer-elved him most gentlv. like one of noble estate, having a train of gentlewoman with her. For as much." quoth she, "as ye be sin Englishman whose custom it Is in your country to kiss all ladlea and sren-tlewomen without offence, and although tt be not so In this realm, yet will I be so bold to kiss you. and so shaU'all my maidens." And sbe did. And they did.

Even godly prleets claimed and re-eel ved thta act of courtesy. Chaucer tells how a holv father was enxaxed grnp-sag the conscience ot tha titt pw- if ltil mkmmmMA rail 11,111 ri i -bbsw essasBBrw- i i ii day cuitom and Uw Itself forbid a man to have tola will of mld or matron a Upa without tho lady's eoosont. axproas aa Aiino and ronnrocBUiT sai li av 93 v-jDvV-il'i .1 r. in V4 SPEECHES TO BB LIVED DOWN. rsw i i 1 1 i ar i SB see yo-a, Mary I Bat we've such dreadful colds, we can't kiss you, dear.

I hopo yon haven't tot cold, Mr. Bampnour when that gentleman's spousa appeared In the room. The priest did ncr due reverence, He rlssth up full curtlshly And her embraceth In his arms nar- Andkfsseth her sweet, and ehlrketh ss a sparrow -With his llppea. An established tnstttuMoit at rural Inns tn England In the days of Shakespeare was a pretty hostess or her daughter to kiss the coming guest, without which It would appear- there was slight chance of the hostelry becoming; popular. In The Merry Wives of Windsor the kiss, lng of the hostess Is Indirectly alluded to as a common custom of the period.

When Cardinal John or Lorraine wma presented to the Duchess of 8avoy sns Eive him her hand to kiss, greatly to the dlgnatlon of the churchman. llnw ha exclaimed. Am I to be treated In this fashion? kiss the ueen, my mlatreas, who Is the greatest ueen In the world, and shall I not kiss you, a dirty little duchess I would have mi know have klaaed SS handsome la dles, and of as great or greater family than yours." Whereupon hs made for the Hps of the proud Portuguese Princess, and. despite all resistance, kissed her thrloe.on the mouth before ha released her with an exultant shout. Bomewhere about Queen Anne time kissing aa a general custom hd fled the olty for the country.

Then In The Spectator we find a complaint that tha urban coyness waa penetrating even into rural Innocence. A contributor signing himself Rustlo Sprightly complains- that a courtier from London had wrought havoc with the Bleasant habit of miscellaneous oscu lation. Since his arrival, walls Brother Rnrlvhtlv. no votmr gentleman In that neighborhood had been kissed, though previously every swain had been accustomed to kiss the ladles all round on entering a room. Ths mistletoe tecame the symbol of the custom, it did not long remain an exile in the kitchen.

It speedily invaded the parlor and the drawing room, carrying with It the orecloua Drlvllere of oacular tlon without having reduced the quantity of osculation In the humbler quarters of mansion pr palace. To this dav Merrle England, as renre- fsented by ail classes, all ages, and both sexes, delivers itseir up annually a wining welcome to long-established custom. In many old-fashioned houses the elderly gentleman, in frills and ruffles advances to the object of his Immediate devotion and makes a low bow. The elderly lady rises and achieves a stately courtsey. Then the pair walk band-ln-hand to beneath the mistletoe, end the old gentleman touches with withered lips the wrinkled cheek of the elderly lady.

There Is anothr bow and courtesy, and a third when ths gentleman conducts the lady to her seat. How different this from ths Joyous freedom of the younger people! What romp. Inr. what sfirht. nrettv acreamlnar.

what tittering, what make-believe running away and what Doid standing unaer the mistletoe I The small fry of short-f rocked misses and Jacketed msstsrs are never tired of kissing one another, while another class of determined osculators are the rather scrimp and running-to-seed young ladles of thirty-five, who are getting des-peiraXe. and ths Jolly bald-headed bachelors, who kiss every girl that comes In ueir way. Borne time asro the London Tidbits or- VERY Rival There. If you don't frfve me saw you kiss Charley Turner, Just fered a prise of two guineas for the best definition ot a kiss. The prlxe was awarded to this effojt: An insipid and tasteless morsel, which becomes delicious and delectable la proportion as It Is flavored with love.

This appears to be neither better nor worse than the efforts nf some of the other competitors. A selection follows: am Just two and two, aa warm. am cold. And the parent of numbers that cannot be told. I am lawful unlawful a duty, a fault.

I am often sold deai- good for nothing when bought. An extraordinary boon, and a matter of course. And yielded with pleasure when taken by force. if i Hi'r kit' What the chimney-sweeper Imprinted on the rosy lips of the scullery maid when she told him she favored his soot. Ths sweetest fruit on tha tree of love.

The oftener plucked the mora abundant It grows. A thing of use to no one. but much prised by two. The baby's right, the lover's prtvV- Jf lev fw I TaJrf-sf rT- i owk.si ft wa a a i r-c i jig mRm )m OH, THE MISTLETOE BOUOH (OLD SONa.) areengrocer, Jan. (to whom oar Little Friend In Velvet had applied for a piece of Mistletoe for his own private diversion).

I've ot her a bit. Master Georjra. It ain't a very biz piece, but there's lots berries on It an It's the berries as does it! 11 lege, the parents benlson, and tha hypocrite's mask. That which you cannot give without taking, and cannot take without giving. The food by which tha flams of lore la fed.

The flag of truce In the petty wars of courtship and marriage. The acme of agony to a bashful man. Ths only known smack that will calm a storm. Nothing divided between ua Not enough for one. Just enough for two, too much for three.

A cannon off ths red. A report at headauartersv SHABBY. one, I'll tell your brother, canse I now, in the refreshment room. Contraction of the mouth due te ex- pension, of the heart. The first of lova has a rr.it Mim.

lar reputation, but poetical enthusiasm on the subject Is curiously circumsoect- and when the first kUs floats into the poet a I song he does not often emphasise Its I irstness. Byron's well-worn ode Is a note ble instance to the contrary, bat this was une ox r.is youiniul productions, and. Indeed, is eminently suited for nursery use. Its tuneful little patter leaves ns quite unmoved. Give me the mild gleam of ths soul-breathlng glance.

Or the rapture which dwells en tha first kiss of love Let the young gentleman have It by all means. Tt cannot possibly do him any harm. The "mild beam la a mild aa the mute and water r-f V- ,1111 i table, and the rajitures axe sprinkled wUA The Old Familiar Privilege of the Christmas Season Has Given Rise to Good-Humored Jests, Some of Which Are Given Here. the crumbs of bread and butter. Moreover, the sentiment Is evidently an Imposture which deceived nobody less than Byron himself.

Even In his salad days his taste was more robust than this, as sppears from another of his youthful poems, Remind Me Not." When thus reclining on my breast Those eyes threw back a glance so aweet Aa half reproached yet raised desire. And still we near and nearer pressed -And still our glowing lips would meet. As If In kisses to expire. This may be poor stuff, but it is redeemed by Its genuine sincerity. The bib, the bread and butter, and ths best behavior have all disappeared and are replaced by the natural man.

With far greater fervor, simplicity, and power doeg Mr. Richard Le Gallienne describe the first kiss exchanged between Paolo and France sea: Then' from the silence sprang a klss-Uke flame. And they hung lost together; While around Tha world was chsngod. no more to be the same. Meadow or sky, no little flower or sound Again the same, for earth grew holy ground.

While in tha silence of ths mounting moon Infinite love throbbed in ths straining bound Of that great kiss, ths long delaying boon. Granted, Indeed, at last but ended, eh! so soon. Charles d. Leland has a ray little poem entitled In the Olden Time' which pries vainly Into the mystery of the kiss: What Is a kissT Pray tellt to mee, A daring, dainty fantalsle: A. brace of birds chirps wee would And piping- answer If wee could.

What Is a kiss? Alack at worst, A single dropp to quench a thirst, Tbo' oft It proves in happle hour The first aweet droppe of one Ions; ahowre. Confront the sublime with the rtdte-clous. Contrast Mrs. Iceland's delicate and poetical fancy with ths grosser 1m-sglnUiga of an early Western humorist. He Is describing- a lady's emotions on being kissed for the first time.

She felt, says he. llkw a tub of butter swimming la honey, cologne, nutmegs, and cranberries, and as thourh something was running through, her nerves on feet of diamonds escorted by several little Cupids aud chariots drawn by angels, shaded with honeysuckles, and the whole spread with melted rainbows. In 1784 when Charles For wss contesting Westminster In the Whir Interest one of his keenest supporters was the beautiful Duchess of Devonshire, made Immortal by the art of Oainsborough. Bhe had just begun an attack on a little village, winning votes everywhere by her weet words and Irresistible smiles. One fat butcher waa obdurate: he must have a condition filled If he gave up his vote to a Whig, and his vote was a vote like another.

Determined to get the vote the Duchess demanded to know the condition, A kiss from your ladyship," said the butcher, grinning at the pretty woman. The Duchess was nonplussed for a moment. She hesitated. At last she said simply. Tou may have and the butcher gleefully saluted her full on the mouth.

In 1794 the famous Cordon Highlanders v.ere raised by the lovely Duchess of Gordon, who was directly instrumental tn gaining a thousand ecru lis by the donation of a guinea and a kiss apiece. In a sense many of these kisses may be said to have been fatal, for tn an encounter with the French shortly afterward more than two hundred and fifty of the Highlanders were either killed or wounded. At the conclusion of the Crimean War, when France and England were on the best of terms. Queen Victoria paid her first visit to Fsris. Her meeting- with her ally.

Napoleon IIL, was of the most cordial description, the Queen capturing the French hearts by throwing ceremony to the winds and cordially kissing- ths Emperor's cheek. Alain Chartler, the French poet. Is the hero of a romantic legend. One day he fell asleep In a public place. Margaret of Scotland, the wife of the Dauphin, afterward known tn history as Louis XI chanced to rasa with her attendants.

6 Lis glanced at the unconscious man and recognised la him the poet whose verses she so loved. Then, motioning to her maids to be still, she gently stepped forward, and. stoooplnc Imprinted a kiss on the poet's Upa The mort famous of all theatrical kisses la that which Emma Abbot In Paul and Virginia used to bestow upon her tenor support, William Carleton. Celebrated in Us own day. It has retained Its hold upon popular memory through a vividly hur morous description by.

Eugene Field. "Aha, that kiss thst long. low. lAn- ruisnmg. umpia, nquia.

ungenng- kiss: Twas not a tender kiss, nor a studied kiss, nor an artistic kiss, nor a fervent kiss, nor a boisterous kiss, nor a fraternal kiss, not a gingerly kiss, nor a diffuae kiss, nor a concentrated kiss, nor a diffident kiss, nor a popsrun klaa 'twas a calm, holy ecstatic outbreaking of two fond and trusting hearts, an Intermingling of two gentle souls sanctified by love, a communion of the Intelligible by tangv ble means, a blending; of earth with heaven, in which the latter had a mani fest preponderance. 'Twas such a kiss aa tw.ii,, u. ryjm caxnn, miht fain bare breathed oa Crea- 'J jj ,0 It fS TO J'tinrul i isKbv ri. i kx 1 i I I 11 llllll w. 1 tiiij 1 1 4i i K'i i i ii Aunt Virginia Good gradousM Girls, I declare I'm quite afraid to set mistletoe In his hat side's maiden lip, to the melody of the Joyful nightingale that sung of love ant In the sheen of the round, red moon anu the stars that see, but never telL" At the helshth of the 'popular exclte- m.n av tha KnhAn nlwwi William Bryan was traveling through Texas ana his train stopped at the little town ox Brenham.

Mr. Bryan stood upon the platform and shook the hand of many in the large crowd that had gathered to greet him. Among them was Miss Kuby Gardner the village beauty. Others had greeted the orator In the usual way. Miss Gardner attempted an Innovation.

The strong hand of Mr. Bryan completely surrounded that of the young woman as she up smiling ana blushing In his eyes. Mr. Bryan," said shs, will you kiss me? There was no hesitation In ths reply. Excuse me, my dear young woman." said the orator.

but I am not Hobson." Many persons overheard the conversation. All lauehed. and one or two ap plauded. But whether the applause was for the request or for the refusal has never Deen decided. One day a layman sought Archbishop Whately and complained of the rituaUstio UNDER THE MISTLETOE.

-Miss Gusbing-ton "Oh, don't you like Christmas time, Mr. Brown, and all It dear old customs (Brown don't seem to see It.) practices of a eertaln 'clergyman." After I a compromise of some sort must, as telling of the various offenses against 'was at one time expected, have been You believe it. my lord, ha kisses his stole, waetner wnaieiy approved or disapproved of the practice the layman never knew, for the archbishop replied: Well, Mr. you will be the first to admit that that Is a good deal better than If be stole his kisses." Better Indeed In every sense, and especially where a clergyman Is concerned, stolen kisses have in many notorious -Instances proved disastrous to the thief. In nearly all modern Christendom tt Is sn expensive amusement to kiss a woman against her will.

A ponderous la boo a written In Gtrmcry toward the close of the eighteenth century classifies kisses under two heads, the lawful and the un 1 1 i 1 Mwiui. duhw ausvea rn.imm.jm sun everywhere unlawful. EUU tha relative i 1 Vf tl IB 1 I i ii i ti Tsintsirvti fo fjvnmi iHi ill UK Mi social standing of kisser and kisses roust! be considered In affixing A peasant mlsht be fined or Imprisoned for ravishing a salute from a lady's lips. The same man might escape all but a nominal punishment If he kissed his servant-maid aaainst hur will to how far a woman couia go in ner Own, dsfense this authority limited her to a blow with her open palm. To hit with a closed or Amazonian list mignt cause greater personal Injury to the would-be ravtshar than the circumstances would Justify, wnen tne ruture wiiuam iv.

ox r.n-land was traveling- as a naval officer In Canada he crossed over the border Into Vermont. Stopping; at a harbor's shop to be shaved, he was gallant enough snd rash enough to bestow a parting; kiss upon the barbsr's pretty wife. There, now," he said. tell 1 your countrywomen that the son of the King of England has given her a royal salute. How far the barber's wife enjoyed the salute Is not stated.

History, Indeed, was loo busy recording the manner In which the barber resented It. He promptly kicked Prince -William out of the shop. "Thore, now," said the barber, "go and tell your countrywomen that a Yankee barber has given a royal kick to the son of the King of England." A famous and equally distressing case was that which occurred at Madras In 1S94. Surpeon Major Clarence Smith, a medical offlced stationed In that town, tried, to snatch a kiss from a Mrs. Stanley.

She resisted. He desisted. The husband insisted on an apology, and rscelved It In due course. The Madras Government was less lenient, however, and asked for the gallant doctor's resignation. Governmental action was sustained by Sir Henry Fowler, Secretary cf State for India.

Despite the strenuous efforts of Influential friends MsJor Smith was forced to leave the service. It was about the year 1170 that a eertaln Jeweler named Finch sold to a young woman of the name of Waters a beautiful set of real jet, the price thereof being; duly set down as ope hnndred kisses, payable at the rate of t.ne kiss a day Sundays excepted. For thirty consecutive days Sundays ex-i cepted Mr. Finch called upon. Miss Waters, received the stipulated salutation, and departed refreshed and heart- sneo.

On the thirty-first day came a rebuff. Miss Waters extsnded only her cheek. She refused hsr lips. Vainly did Mr. Finch storm at what be looked upon as nn Illegal evasion of the con-trsct.

The lady waa obdurate. The gentleman brought suit for breach of contract. Many novel and Interesting: points were raised during the course of the trial. One plea set UP by the plaintiff sought to establish a difference between the kiss passive and the kiss active. Miss Wr.ters.

he urged, had contracted to give htm a certain number of kisses, not merely to allow him to taks them, and that the giving ot kisses required actual extension of the Hps. Just when the story reaches the climax of Its Interest the- historian, (an anonymous contributor to Chambers Journal.) cuts short his account in the following fashion: "The case was the subject of considerable controversy In the press and elsewhere, but the writer unfortunately has nsver been able to discover the result of the legal proceedings which were Instituted, and has concluded that A stolen kiss ones brought a fortune to the He was a butcher in dydney, Australia. In a moment of heedless gallantry he had snatched a kiss from a pretty customer. She resented the freedom and prosecuted him for The local Magistrate mulcted him tn heavy damages. The trial was' copiously reported In the newspapers.

Now It happened that a firm of solicitors In Sydney had been In search of a man bearing the batcher's name. Twenty years previous a distant relative had died and had left a snuar legaey to the butcher. The fierce light thC beat upon him when he achieved temporary notoriety made ,1 m. I bk nm. csnipicwua.

in aiivrnvri eommaaicattd with, hint and wtU vent e- ran I oat! Look at the Cabman He's tot little difficulty he succeeded In eiuw lUMns; his identity aa ths mistins Far different was the fate of Talca in Valparaiso. Having klssd i young woman unbidden upon the flats i 1 I wa nuii-u mriure me Aiagisirats, wk. sentenced him to sixty days' menu He appealed. The higher court not only confirmed the Magistrate's o.i tence, but gave him an additional thlrtvi days in jail. To make matters worwCl the court took two hundred days uJ consider the appeal.

During all that D.f rlod the poor Seflor languished la cell. Sadder still la the story of a heerllMi married man who kissed his servant rirl against hef will. To b-Rln with, was brought before a Magistrate tB4 fined. Then he was horsewhipped br the girl's brother and harried into fever by his own wife. The clergyman, of the parish denounced him in a er4 mon and reviewed the case at leneth liV a newspaper.

Finally, the caterpillar took advantage of the culprit's absnc to eat up every blade of his wheat! i They deal more leniently with offont-) ers of this sort In Holland. An unln.1 vited kisser prosecuted by the klscet was flnod a florin by a Utrecht burro-master. But the Utrecht court, and finally the Court of Appeals In Amster-l dam, both dismissed ths case, the JudfM declarlnir that to kiss a lady cannot U' an offer.se, "as it la tn the nature of warm rmrlr of mnnithv 1 That was good, wholesome advice Boucicault gave to the world of loven when ho said to a friend: i "My toy. never kiss a lady throuch i It is advice, however, to which 'tmaj heed Is paid by lovesick swains. Evrr breach Of promise cane brings to Jiarit a batch of letters containing a full complement of written kisses.

Not infrequently the lovesick swain indicate otcu- latlon oil tulTiAP hv vn Arit dashes on the margin of his letter ynvi bols understood by the Initiated, ani: known technically among; lawyer amorous crosses." In a suit tried recently before tha Queen's Bench in England, ninety-nln letters from the defendant were filled with such marks. In 4he Arburlcle-Camp-bell suit, which- set ail New York lauri-lng a dozen years aeo. the 'defendant ended most of his correspondence vlii tha formula. I must cloaa with ll'i tii K's until I see the H's snd Ail meaning-, hugs and klswa and In one burst of supreme sf fectlos i I wrote: -1 scna you a oouquet or vf' with a fond embrace for a centre; flower." i At a fashionable weddlnaj party, as the happy pair were about to at iron their wedding tour, the pretty liti bride was thanking the clergyman, being a friend of the family and of a vm, laughingly Interposed: I But. my dear, you haven't paid as my fee." i .1 "What Is that?" I A kiss.

Won't, you pay It beToil you go? I "Of course I will," she answered el' a blush and a laugh, and suited tUt action to the word. A severe old maidenly lady, standift by, wss terribly shocked at such levttr. in a though every one else. i- eluding the bridegroom, smiled at Incident. A little later, as the old tin-was about to drive away at the door, Sut her heas out of her brougham i ow and said severely, as ths par, among others, bads her adieu: Well.

Mr. Clergyman, how about tha: ecclesiastical kissf" i Not now." he I will ti It you another time. 8o very pub-i: She 'disappeared. Tne guests roarti 4An n-e 1. fn-4 rdndr.n L'tl V.IUL It, AW.V w.

whom he Is a favortte. A charming "tI on this head crmei from cinclui Once, when a pretty Cincinnati girl a child, Mr. Tart, canine at nut uuu She entertained, him a little while, sM when be rose to go, be stooped kissed her. Her asfd "for the Df Here Is snother fOrllttle Jim. Aai-rt a third for The little girl.

drawlnTereir op. aJ haughtily iie naa been raauu novel Mr. Taft you forget yourself! AjAln "So I did." he laughed. Well. one for myself I Very Wervstlnir convertstlos uci I MAr.

jrnici t.jtf lilt UJ. 1 1 K. IU- UVU into the recess where Ethel. Mr. Tonij kins, and little Eva sat very quie(Jy.

I "Tee. indeed," said Ethel, readr fn instant wltbTa reply, "Mr. Tompk and I were discussing- all sur kith kin weren't we, Evaf "Teth. thath what -you wsth." HtOe Eva. Mlther Totnpklnj tbaa May I have a and Ethel -you -tnet Tunnel stories, or, to be mors ft1- stories about kissing, in r-In grooves.

There Is an obvlocss'--ship between the following Joke. printed lr The CleveUnd and a elsseie story related eari century about Horace Vernet, a Frw artist. f. 11 ere is ins mooern vmrmni. There were three at the little UW the cafe, a lady and two men.

Suddenly- the electric lights wntw and the lady, quickly, and noise'e-drew back. An Instant later there was the of a compound As tne lights went up each man wss seen lng complatsantly. 5 1 thought--1 heard a kisL-said f-lafly. "but nobody klesed ma Then the -men suddenly glared si other, snd Hushed, snd lo-ed p-1 Sheplsh.nevefaitid PlsJn-Pealer. Contrast, this with the elassio story Vernet; The artist.

10 rum the comlne; from Versailles to Pri cara In the trams eompsrtment wi. were two ladles whom he ha a but who were evidently ed with bim. They examioed minutely, and commented vpti 0 freely upon bis martial bearing- a--old bis. mSJltary panUloon The painter was annoyed. mined to put an end to the ITr.

tt-r As the train unii.frr. 1 of St. Cloud, the three wrapped In complete darkness raised the back of his kMw07," and kiased It twice violently, on lng from the obscurity be the ladies had withdrawn their from him snd were accusing esca of having been kiased by a a dark! -Barit: Presently they arrived at Far-' Vernet. on leaving them, mr r' I shall puixled "I7 or ICO inquiry, ladies It. that kisssd InnMlpv OI.