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

HERE Is no Otner KIND or amusement
among what are called the frivolities and
sins of the world, with which people seek
to amuse themselves and pass away time
pleasantly, which seems to be so univer-
sally condemned by church going people,
as dancing. Ministers and laymen, who
when young, spent many pleasant hour
without thought of doing wrong in strip
ping the light fantastic toe,' now regard
such proceedings with holy horror and pi-
Gus indignation. The anathemas of the
Church are hurled against those who In
dulge in such recreations, and hell is pic
tured yawning beneath the feet of the gid
dy dancer. ~
1t is singular fact, to which the expe-
rIence of every one can testify, that neith-
er cheating, stealing, lying, nor in fact the
violation of any one of the ten command
ments, is SO universally deprecated and
condemned by professedly religious peo
pie, as dancing. Why is this SO The
Bible does not say, Thou shalt not dance.
Is it because dancing is so inherently
wicked in itself, or can it be accounted for
in some other way2 A little reflection
viii account for it on plain principles of
human nature.
Our natures change in some respects as
we grow older, and in others they remain
nearly the same. For instance, the child
delights IN toys; they afford him pleas
ure; as he grows older his tastes change,
and his toys no longer afford him amuse-
ment he likes active, boyish exercises,
such as are fitted to develop his physical
nature; as he grows still older, these lose
their charms, and he likes to minele in So
ciety, to dance, to engage in lively CONVEX
sation and in manly exercises few years
more and he becomes settled down in life,
loses in degree his relish for such pleas
ures, and becomes contented with the So
Der duties and business of every day life
These changes all seem natural and right
and in accordance with the principles of
action which the Creator has implanted
IN the nature of man, to afford him the
most proper and rational means of enjoy
ment as he passes through the different
periods of his earthly existence
But with regard to many of the leading
motives and faculties of the mind there is
generally seen but little change. For in
stance, child that is very selfish and
mean with his piaymates, generally makes
an avaricious and unprincipled man. An
honest, good dispositioned boy, makes an
honest and useful citizen. a lazy boy,
makes an indolent man. An industrious
boy, makes an Industrious man, sc.
Another idea with regard to our natures
is, that whatever person takes delight
| in, he generally thinks is right and what
ever does not afford him delight, he gen
orally thinks is useless or wrong. So that
what one person thinks is right another
may think is wrong aud that which per-
/ son once thought was right and proper,
may, by a change in his life appear wrong
and improper.
/ Now, suppose person of large selfsh
organs, and also fond of such amusemeuts
as dancing, should make profession of
religion. This profession we all know, or
else we are blind to the truth, does not es-
sentially change the selfish organization
of the man He acts in his deal with the
world from the same motives that former
ly controlled him If he had a violent
temper then, he has violent temper now
if he was avaricious then he is avaricious
now. But by his profession he renounees
what are termed the follics aud sins of the
world and what are they2 They are, in
his opinion, those amusements in which he
has delighted, and the enjoyment of which,
perhaps, he has nearly outgrown or out
lived. They no longer have the charm
for him which they once had, so he loathes
the pleasures which once he loved, and
they appear to him as the devices of Satan.
He may deal unjustly with his neighbor
in the affairs of every day life he may
make promises which he never intends tc
fulfill andyet hardly feel consciousness
that he does injustice to the religion he
processes. He may see his neighbol
trudging awkwardly through the streets
and no thought of impropriety suggests
itself; but let that neighbor undertake te
step gracefully to the music of fiddle
and no language is toe strong to express
its abominable wiekedness. am net dis
posed to rake up the shortcomings of re
ligious professors, for "to err is human !
but it does not look right to see the scienct
of heel-and-toe-ology Sc awfully condemn
ed. and the ten commandments so shame
fully neglected.
: Old folks say they have seen the fol-,
of dancing. So, too, they have seen th'
/ folly ofjumping the rope, and playing ball
Al J L,