Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-03-10
proper and Improper Anuse-
InentM.


lily and tremendously the faculties Of the
mind and organs of the body at the same
time. Among these may be named a,h
Iletic sports and games in the open air
running, sliding, skating, riling, etc, dnr
ing day light, for both ladies and gentle
men. Among in door amusements none
is so appropriate,s so far,asI am able To Judge
as dancing. do noe mean the miserable
shufling Of this day, when delicacy and
Aaziness are, fashionable, but the regular
/ i cut down of quarter or half a century
ago. Waiting is objectionable, as whirl-
ing around is an unnatural form OF exercise.
/ If there were no other objections TO this
form of dancing it should not be practiced
or countenanced. Dahcing is an orderly
form Of recreation; if it is to music, and i
gaceful, and tends tolmprove the mariners
and where the two sexes join in anuse-
ments, it is even in the polka far less OBJ
iectionable than the various plays, coan-
tenanced by those who discard dancing.-
But let no one FOR moment suppose thai
am an advocate for midnight revels, or
Of the ball room adjoining the bar room
or of midnight, or until broad day light
dances; or even of our fashionable parties
of folly and extravaganza, whore vanity
sits enthroned. Our amusements should
be with our own families, friends, and
neighbors, in our own parlors, or beneath
oul own vine and shade trees, or in the
fields aud groves, on the silverY lake, the
gliding stream, or upon the mountain Top
Young and old, hand in hand. Our amuse-
ments should never be carried beyond ten
or eleven o'clock at night, at farthest, thaf
they need not encroach upon the hours re-
CURED for est.
FREQUENT, are far more useful than oc-
casionai and long continued exercises. Our
late suppers are destructive alike to. health
and MORALS, and should be discarded entire
ly. They are generally composed of high
seasoned, stimulating dishes, tea, coffee, and
ofen even fereented and alcoholic drinks,
all of which excite the passions and appe-
tites, and are a fruitful cause OF vice and
dissipation. No one should ever eat, even
wholesome, plain food, after six in the
evening; ard if refreshments are to be
furnished to party, it should be either
at dinner at noon; OF supper at six O'Clock ;
for no one can eat and drink, especially
such trash as is furnished, at midnight
with impupity. / can hardly conceive Of
any fundamentally better calculated 10
destroy young men and women, both spir,
ituaIly and physically, than our fashiona-
BILE parties, as at present conducted. Il
there is any one passion or faculty, which,
in the American people, does not require
10 be cultivated, or stimulated 10 Its per-
versions, il is love of APPRECIATION. Vanity
is the form Of infernal fire which threatens
to consume the very yitals of our Chris
tiauity and morality, and it destroys the
physical health and lives of more Of our
Ifvmales, and, perhaps, of our males by the
destructive fashions and habits it induces,
than the peryersions of any other passion
The introduction of young persons, at a
lender AGE, before the rational faculties
are fairly developed, into such hot beds Of
evil as our fashionable parties, Is certainly
an abuse of no small magnitude. The
yonng are there taught, practically, that
lii is right to strive 10 excel others in the
way Of expensive supsers, fine furniture,
extravagant dresses, and in following de-
structivs habits, such as tight dressing,
eating stimulating and late suppers, and
gossiping, and even backbiting g ch 9TH
er. AS the great end end aim Of such
parties is generally, beyond all question,
the grauiicalion Of vanity, and not any
particular good use, the evils resulting
from them can hardly be enumerated
Perhaps more than any other instruments
atty they uphold the present destructive
habits of dress and Incidence among oul
ladies. They beget an appetite which
tends TO lead our young men to our drink
Ii ing and eating saloons at midnight, te
lspend their time in worse than useless
qualification aud carousing. They bege'
4 love for useless display, and habits o.
Extravaganza in the youngof both sexes
which tend to discomfort, poverty and
crime. They beget love Of riches foi
the sake Of selfish, sensual qualification. =
They deter young men from marrying be-
cause they feel that they are not able to
meet the extravagans mode of life encour-
aged BY such parties. They are expensive
aud cause so much trouble, that no family
can afford to give them often, and for the
Young 10 have amusemeuls as often as
they need social recreation, their circle Of
acouantances, or those who give and re-
ceive 10 urn invitations, must be large
and consequently these amasements rarely
occur at home,immediately within parental
Influence, even though The young gentle
men aud ladies may attend several even.
ings during week; and if they do attend
such parties, thus often, late hours and
dissipation soon unfit them for the actus
duties and uses of Iife,and destroy health.
They ara frequent cause OF jealousy, en-
Ivy, and hatred. They take the place o
smaller and less expensive gatherings q
friends and neighbors for proper amuse
lments; and, from their glitter and display
they render the latter tame and unsatis
T factory 70 the Young, and the quiet o
4 nome, where amusements frequently are
: not encouraged OF practiced, little more
/ satisfactory than the gloom Of prison walls
They bring young ladies and gentlemen
Ifn1athar amid afnnatnral ,,l;,..--. j