Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-12-07
sstt4ssF3
NO.

~-..-- sss -.a I'D 3g NO. 81.
@ o'nas o Balls and Dancing: "a aas 4
BY request we make the following extract,
from an article appearing in the Chyistiamf
Adcocate and journal, under the above title
It will meet with the full appreciation Of
many of our readers, and those who cannot,
fully coincide with all it contains, will lose,
nothing by its perusal c ga1itc u
Dancing and balls arc Objectionable because
Of their expensivcness. Excess Of ornament
and prodigality Of means seem perfectly GER
main to this exercise. When the terrible fam.
inc ofA. D. 500 dcsolated Rome, Constahtihs
banished oil persons that could be spared
| from the city. The learned men were forced
to go; but three thousand dancers were re.
tanned. We read of a vicious mother and her
daughter demanding the head Of Gods great
est prophet as the price of one dance, and Of
the king swearing to give half of his kingdom
| for the same thing. We read of great ia
panesc jam costing o,0OO besides the fab
ulous SUMS spent in dress. 1T is published
that the dress Of one lady at the recent Prince
Of Wales ball cost $3, 900. The cost Of these
two balls cannot be set down at less than
$500, 900: Such sum would build $780,.
600 worth Of asylums, and the interest Of the
rest support and educate 5000 poor children
as poverty should be in the Garth. It would
set up eighty bronze statues of worthy men
in the Central Park. Better than this |,
| it would cleanse that great augcan stable, the
Five Points, and make il as sweet as sum
mcr field Of clover. But no; If money in TO-
be spent q must go to crafty pride. 1t may
be thought that these persons would not 4
spend thair money for any better purpose il
there had been no balls. Perhaps not. We
are not rcbuking every cxtravagancc at once,
but only one OF the most foolish. If they
| put their money into fine houses it would re-
main lnsting monument of the skill of man =
but to waste il on dress is to develop in thtm-
selves a cursing vanity, and do no one any
good. Do not think that all who thus spend,
money can afford it. The cqample quoted
was not SO great an example OF extravagance
as many who did not spend fifty dollars for
the dress OF the occasion. Many family COM
forts will be cut Oft, many a just debt 10 the
worthy poor be repudated, or payment de-
layed, many poor relations neglected to graf
| ify tho debasing vanity of single night
Yes, unjust It be said y many nominal Chris
tians will delay their payments and beerudger
the money they give to the support Of insti-
renounced the devil and all his works. the,
vain pomp and glory of the world Credit,
suffers, honesty of purpose is blunted, debts
are unpaid wherever such extravaganza is in.
duiged--$3,0O 900 for the dress of q night
Character needs nor desires any such adyer.l
tiscment; the lack Of it does. Real worth
shuns such garish emblazonry. Emptiness
within is compliment.d by show outside
The highest possible taste in dress il displayed
| by persons when they are arraycd 30 as not
to attract any notice, either by one extreme,
or the other. II any notice is desired, good,
taste would indicate that it should be excited
by simplicity Of arrangement and harmony Of.
color The most vulgar women at the Five
Points could equal any piece of ornamental
cxtravagance if she had the means but it
demands refined taste and a pure soul to dress,
neatly. What vanity, when one cannot dress
cxpensiyely, to borrow the jewels Of friend
People that notice such things know they arc
not yours, perhaps know whose they are
And the lender, deprived of the privilege Of,
going herself, is pretty sure to tell that her
decorations went. Hence all that notice such
things see your vanity and set you down
degree in their estimation. All that do not
|
down two degrees. .n.t5 ss.lss,.---.,s,. -,
But balls arc chiefly to be Stunned because
they are sensual. The word is used in its
|bcst and its worse sense. All its fascination
Of color, odor, music, appeals only to sense,
and has nothing elevating or cnnobling in il. !,
The beauty of color in the tiny violet, or that
ovcrspreads the heavens with glory, means,
God. Does arrangement of color, flowers,
and canopes in the ballroom mean any thing
of this? Music in the paIlor. quickens sem,
sibilities, brings glad tears, strengthens love;
music OH the field wakcns patriotism, stirs TO
noble deeds and Thoughts music in the,
church and concert room is welded to the,
holest thoughts of ages and, as fur as man
is, able, makes apprehensiblc the harmony Of.
heaven. Does music in the ballroom mean
anything of this? No, all, from floor to cell.
ing, from first to last, appeals only to sense,
stirs no noble faculty Of soul. This is what
is meant by being sensual in the best sense
Do you shrink from reading how they are
sensual in the worse sense? Not more than !,
we shrink from writing it., But If parents
desire their children to learn to dance, which
will surely lead them to balls, as the ignoble
art Of self-defcnse leads to prize fights, they
ought to be willing to hear the worst Of it.
The religious priest is often accused of be-
1 uS Wv SiISIII vi eucoc SISul SUCiul eVjlS, &uO
it is to DO feared that this shrinking modesty
becomes an ally Of vicc--that by refraininr
to rcbuke an evil we are understood as sane !
tioning it. Bear, with US, then, while We
follow the best preachers Of the world, and
plainly point out this evil. ~
Balls are sensual in the worst sense by the
mode Of dress INDUCED in, by the movements
practiced, and the stimulus of passion always
provided and drank What that mode or
dress is you are well aware. What good mo
tive for wearing dress deemed indecent by
men accustomed to the conrscness Of the police
court? What man of q, fine sense Of honor
can surrender wife or daughter, dressed
1 la mode, to the hands Of o young man, not
over excellent, with q reputation somewhat
peculiar, to be waltzcd with, without feeling
sense Of shame What woman Of delicacy
can submit to II without shame ~ ~
j To this. mode Of dress, this tinkling Of
music, this excitement OF brilliant light, this,
witchery Of motion, this intoxication of every
sense, add the intoxicating cup, and what
4 shall we expcct IN no divine mower il invoked