St. Cloud visiter [sic]. [volume] (St. Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1857-1858, 1858-02-18
Alnuserlents.


recommended dancing as a substitute
tor promiacuous kissing, in social par.
ties: For this, the Rev. Mnan, in a
public sermon, has administered
very severe reproof He takes the
ground that dancing is inseperable
from drunkenness and quarrelliug, and
that although the mere act of dane
ing is no more sinful than the raising
and letting fall Of his arm, in public
speaking, yet, the practice should be
abolished on account Of its indispen~
sable Accomplishments Of drinking and
lighting, that when lady was led
cut on floor she was disgraced, dis
honored, &C., &c.
With all due Difference, we must
say, that such assertions are simply
absurd. David called upon the peo-
pie to "praise God in the dane .''--,
Did he mean for them to get drunk,
have knock down and dishonor
their neighbors wives and daughters,
by way Of praising God? Did David
and Miriam and the Virgins Of Israel
have fight and knock down when
they danced and when Solomon Tells
us IS There is time to dance," did
he mean that that was the time
tor a general broil ? All this is sim
! ply ridiculous, and the religious preju-
dice against dancing is without a sha-
dow Of foundation in the bible. The
good book mentions dancing in twen~
~ different places, and never once
with disapprobation.
We think it the best social an1,,so-
ment we know any thing about, and
that SO far from being sill, it is
duty, as It, moro than any other exer~
else, is calculated to promote Iiealtl.
of body and mind. The fact tia: it
is liable to be abused is no more argyll
meat against it than the fact that eat.
ing is generally carried to excess, if
not gluttony, is an argument against
taking regular meals.
Dancing wants to be regulated,
not abolished. Young people should
not be driven from the we'll regulated
family circle to enjoy a relaxation
that nature SO imperatively demands.
This act, as innocent in itself as the
raising of an arm, should not be ba~
nished to |'aunts Of vice, to add the
witcheryotits attractions TO the abode
of the tempting bowl. No family is
we'll managed where the young folks
cannot dance without going to a
tavern where they will be liable to
witness a scene Of drunkenness and
quarrelling. ADJUSTMENTS Of any
kind, at midnight is sinful, Ioccause it
violates the command, (: Thou shalt
not KILL" III that it st,ortans the life
by depriving th: system Of its natural
rest Saturday evening amuscmants
are seldom right, because they can
not always be SO conducted. as not to
hinder proper pre?aratioA for, and
keeping of the Sabbath. But dancing is
not, necessarily connected witt; mid
night, or Saturday night, o.. with any
conceivable wrong, We have been in
the habit, for foil twenty years, Of
attending dancing parties; now and
then, and we never saw any oth2
social gatherings 70 OF n1o>e ;nno-
Gently, with less OF evil and more OF
good. We never saw fight con-
nected with q dancing party, but we
have seen a little child, after dancing
her hour, and then saying her pray
ers, preparatory to going to bed, look
up and say " Mother, is not God good
to make us all so happy Tonight
Reform the mode OF dancing. DO
as the sensible Queen of England has
done. Danish ell dances which permit
personal liberties, and bring to perts T.
ton the art of graceful and joyous
motion, in harmony with inspiring mu~
sic: We say "gracefnl - motion,
and no NOV ement that savers Of indel~
icacy or coarseness, can be graceful.
There are few more pleasant sights
in this world than troop Of dancers,
! as they go,
Like beautiful spirits to and fro.''
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