Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-03-09

general rule, bigoted and narrow.minded
DO not mean bigoted and narrow minded
because they condemn dancing but this ;:
-seiect from any community those per-
sons who are strongest set in their opin-
IONS, who are the least open to reason. who
md the most beams in their neighbor's
eyes and the least notes in their own. who
are the most tyrannical as fathers. who are
the most selfish and least sympathizing as
neigh bors, who possess in their breasts the
least OF the Hmilk of human kindness
and almost universally they condemn dan
cing, and, IT professors of religion, are its
rost violent denouncers The reason is
obvious They are too selfish to enjoy or
10 be willing that others should enjoy.
good society. This expression may, by
some be considered unwarranted but it
| is too true
Ask any one of its opposers what there
is IN the simple act Of dancing that is
wrong, and they can hardly mention any
thing Some might say that it is fool
ish waste of time others that it looks sill
ly to jump up and down; and others stil'
like the good old woman, that '.it amt the
hoppin' up and down, but it's that cussed
fiddle l'
Every living creature, from the most
humble to the highest, has its playspell
It's hours when the spirits of life and ac.
/ tivity which are bounding within it require
active demonstrations in physical exerci-
ses and recreations and can the time
so spent be properly called wasted If
SO, the allwise Creator has implanted in
animal nature principle which absolute
/ ly requires waste of time. Ever since
the race of man was created, in every ma
ton of which We have any definite account
dancing has been prominent amusement
The reason is obvious it unites physical
exercise with social hilarity, and gratiies
in its enjoyment a large number of the
faculties of the mind. The Gymnastic
exercises, sports, games, and dances Of the
ancient Greeks, were scenes of intense in
terest and enjoyment. The wild Indians
who once possessed these hills and valleys,
often gathered together on the grassy turf.
and while the merry shouts of laughter
burst from their untamed hearts, they
danced in strange and uncouth figures be-
meath the blue vault of Heaven Was
4 4 -, IL Al
outpourings of their joyous hearts res
ponse to the will of God, who designed
that man should be happy2
But" says some one, ''they were sava-
ges. and had no other or better use for
their time We are civilized and should
employ our time and money in some more
useful business than dancing" What does
useful mean2 Does i. consist in getting
moneyE Money is good for nothing, en-
cept for what it will buy and what it
will buy is good for nothing, only SO far
as it will conduce to the qualification of
some physical or mental desire of man
The miser certainly cannot be considered
as making good u of his time un-
derstand that to be the most useful which
produces the greatest aggregate amount of
happiness; and it may well be questioned
whether young person of a lively, active
temperament, and cheerful, social disposi-
tion, can invest two dollars in any manner
that will produce more real enjoyment,
than by paying it for ball-bill Those
whose tastes are different, who have out
lived or never possessed relish for such
pleasures, can use it in manner that will
give them more pleasure, and they ought
to do SO, or else they do not make the best
use Of it but they have no moral right
to interfere with the enjoyments of others,
who mind their own affairs and do not in
terfere with theirs.
Long ago It passed into proverb that
"Deacon's children are the Devils grand
children" and there is some truth in the
remark The old folks have lost the rel
ish for the amusements of their youth.
and think they see the folly of youthful
pleasures. They try to bring up their
children to be old folks while young, and
deny them the pleasures which they once
took such delight in. But boys will be
boys, and girls will be girls, and any at
tempt to make old men and women of
them before their time comes, is just as
useless as to attempt to turn the Missis-
sippi up stream. 1t only serves to make
them sly and cunning, to make them dis
respect their parents and disrespect relig
ion, and calls into special reqaisition the
services of that busy: meddlesome and
much abused cloven footed old fellow. who
is said to be their grandfather. How much
happier, how much more in accordance
with the principles of true Christianity
are those families in which there is mu