St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-02-09
Dancing.

we regret " learn tnaC some OF our re
ligious friends are having serious troubl
on this question. 1t is painful to diffe
with good, earnest people; and did W
regard this matter as unimportant, or loo]
upon dancing as many do, viz. less evi
than something it displaces we should con
denim it at once. But the amusements O
a people arc just as important as their Gre
ligion" All animated beings requir
amusement, relaxation, and will have it -
1t is necessary Of life as much as brca,
and water; and the reason God does no
mention it when promising his people tina
their bread should be given them and thci
water made sure, is; that, from the begin
ming, lie so filled all creation with sour
ccs of amusement; and the capacity to U.s.
them that no combination Of circumstances
can possibly exclude any living creature
from that great fountain Of life. Baroy
Trenck, in Il dungeon, amused himself will
mouse and SO preserved his reason anc
his life.
Dancing is one of the most universal O.
allthe heaven-appointed means ofhappiness
All nature dances, the waves in the sun.
light, the leaves on the trces-evcrything
from the smallest animalcula in a drop Of
water to the Unreasonable system Of
worlds, which "whecl their courses tc
''thc music Of the spheres" The goats
dance upon the mountains, the lambs upon
the hill sides; and, in the meadows, the
lazy kline will skip and play Motion, joy
Gus, harmonious, rapid motion is the order
Of Gods glorious Universe; and when or
where did He ever require His children to
keep step, all this life, to funeral march
even if: they are all walking to open
graves? |:;* 80. :
There is no good reason why any one
should be buried until after he is dead
Many of us are taught in youth to admire
Peter the Great, or some other "the
"Great'- not remember-who was
found Oh all fours, playing horse for the
amusement Of his son and heir; and re-
1ucstcd the ambassador to wait until he
got through. If this was right, why would
it have been wrong if his Majesty had been
dancing like old Daniel "with all his
might" and if it had been good for king
why should it injure u clown?
Few people think it wrong to sit and
keep time, to music, with head, hands, and
feet, then, how is the nature of the motion
changed wh,n they stand or run about
and do the same thing?
It is worthy Of notice that these church
cs and,peoplc, who most strenuously oppose
dancing, have always encouraged and prac.
ticed it under other names. Like the
temperance man who would not drink CT
der, but had no objection to glass of ap
p juice, our opponents Of dancing have
their children taught the art under ths
name of "Calisthenics," and practice. +
when it is called "Plays.' For, it is ;
remarkable fact that those old time favor
tics of religious communities "Dear siste1
Phoebe (: Ring-Around a Rosy" "Al
a marching to Quebec" "The white Cock
adc;" Copenhagen" &C., &C., &c. arc, ev
cry one of them Cotillions and Contr
dances, performed to vocal instead of in
strumeptal music. a... ."
The difference between the religion
dance and the pro1ane dacc is, that in til
former, every mau in the room is likeI.
to DC compelled, on pain Of breach of eli
quctte, to kiss every woman in the room
and vice rc,so, that it is quite in order 70
married women to sit down on the knee
Of young gentlemen put their arms aroun
their necks bring two pairs Of lips togethe
with smack and do any amount Of hug
cling. While. in a profane dance, eve
those of1nost doubtful proprtety the al
est familiarity, between persons Of opposit
sexes, is a gentleman placing one hand o
lady's waist while she rests ono hand o
his shoulder and holds his disengaged han
with the other. The churches therefore
who set up: rules against dancing arc a
fairly and squarely committed to the dot
trine that promiscuous dancing is all RICH
and pious and innocent, provided, it is al
companicd by promisc"oss kissing, wit