The Nevada Democrat., 1860-09-26
AMuaEMENT,s.

The Rev. Mr.. Bitterly, pursuant 20 notice pre-.
viourly given, delivered discourse last Sunday,
at the brick church, on The subject Of popular
Amusements.p The acknowledged talent Of The
preacher, and the novelty of pulpit discourse
upon such subject, attracted large audience
The reverend gentleman took bis text from
passage in Eolesiastes, tbeipurport Of which
is to advise young people to rejoice while they
are young. but to remember that they would be
brought to judgment. The discourse, in eener.
al was characterized by good sense and liberal.
ity. He held that certain amount Of amuse.
ment was not only right and proper morally,
but physically necessary as relaxation from
severe labor or study. 1t had been said that
Christ never smiled, but this he thought was
without sufficient authority, as we have but
scant records of the personal history OF the
Savior. 1t is recorded in Scripture, however,
that Christ once attended a wedding, and they
who suppose there was no music and dancing
at that wedding have but little idea of Jewish
customs Bnt pleasures and amusements should
be restricted within proper bounds. They should
be used to recuperate the mind and body when
fatigued by the more serious occupations of life,
spend an hour or two in social dance ,andin pro-
per company, would be healthful recreation
from more exhaustng tolls and enable us to re-
turn to our usual avocations withrenewed vigor;
while dancing until three or four O'Clock in the
morning was not only injurious physically, but
carrying amusements beyond reasonable limits.
Thus far, we believe Mr.. Brierly's opinions
conceded with those Of all well-informed per-
SONS, whether church members or not, who are
in the habit of attending places Of amusement.
But IN speaking of dancing, he advanced some
very strange ideas in regard to what he called
"modern fashionable dances''-such as values,
polkas, mazourkas, etc. He thought these dan
ces had tendency to excite impure thoughts !;
that no respectable lady could engage in them
and leave the ballroom as pure as when she
entered, and that if the ladiesawere cognizant
of the remarks made by the gentlemen standing
around while they were going through the may
waltz they would seek their chambers and weep
sealding tears. His ideas upon this subject
were all wrong. The fancy dances are more
exciting and afford more vigorous exercise, but
they have no more tendency to excite impure
thoughts than the stad cotilon or contra. dance.
He might have advanced one step further and
adopted the theory of the Turks, that the sight
of woInan's face tended to excite evil passions,
and for that reason she must keep constantly
vailed. From what Mr.. Briefly said, we Judge
be had formed his idea Of fancy dances from
some burlesque description which he took for
sober earnest. Such sight as gentleman
with one arm round lady's neck the other
round her waist, and his whskered face resting
on her flushed cheek, and the two whirlng
around like cat after her toll, was never wit
in any respectable ball room. A little better
knowledge of human nature would teach the
reverend gentleman, that, to pure mind, there
is nothing impure in the modern fashionable
dances and on the other hand, the passions of
the deUraved may be excited by the mere sight
of face. flo
In commencing bis discourse, Mr.. Briefly
said he did not expect that any one person
would agree with him in everything he should
say. In this respect we think be was right, for
his remarks on fancy dances we're strangely at
varience with the general tenor of his discourse,
and could have suited only the most straight
laced puritans-atbose who believe that all amuse-
ments are wrong