Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1860-02-29
MRS. sWlssHELM ON DANCING.

OuT 1Fleuu, U1FS. !iOW4SSn0lln, OF Tie
|St. Cloud Democrat, has chapter on
dancing. She is most decidedly in
favor Of that kind of amusement.
Hear how she talks to the one-idea
gentry, who think it all we'll enough to
beat time with the hands, but that it is
a terrible thing to do it with the feet:
Few people think it wrong to tand
keep time, to the music, with head,
hands and feet, then how is the nature
of the motion changed when they stand
or run about and do the same thing?
1t is worthy Of notice that those
churches and people, who most siren
iously oppose dancing, have always en-.
couraged and practiced it under other
names. Like the temperance man who
would not driuk cider, but had no OBJ
lection to glass Of apple juice, our
opponents Of dancing have their chill
|dren taught the art under the ii.iilc
|of "Calisthenics,'' and practice it
when it is called ssPlays." For, it is a
remarkable fact that those old time
favorites of religious communities
Dear Sister Phoebe; ssRing-Around
Ia Rosy :" "All a marching to Quebec"
The Wnlte COcKade OuponilaSo",' =
&C., &c., &C., are, every one of them
Cotillions and Contra Dances, pretorm-
ed to vocal and instrumental music.
The difference between the religious
dance and the profane Is, that in the
former, every man in the room is like
lily to Be compelled, on pain Of breach
Of etiquette, to kiss every woman in
lin the room and vice versa, that it is
quite in order tor married women to
sit down on the knees Of young men,
put their arms around their necks,
bring two pair of lips together with a
smack and do any amount of hugging.
While, in profane dance, even those
Of most familiarity, between persons OF
opposite sexes, is a gentleman placing
one hand on alady's waist while she
rests one hand on his sholder and holds
his disengaged hand in the other
The churches, therefore, who set up
rules against dancing, are all fairly
and squarely committed to the doctrine
that promiscuous dancing is all right
and Fious and innocent, provided, it is
accompanied by promiscious kissing,
with suitable allowances of hugging
and general rough and tumble. While
without those refining and elevating
additions tits evil on evil, and that
continually. There is no escaping
this conclusion, for the anti-dancins 9
churches and christians are too open
lily committed in favor of these vulgar
plays for an intelligent man to deny
that either they have acted blindly or
that the kissing and hugging satisfies
the dancing. sl.s 1s SIS
Now, since all the experience of the
|pastproves that people ,oiN dance, even
grave and reverend deacons, we are
in favor of the dances without the
ct ceteras. But apart from all com.
Jparisons, we regard dancing as a pos.
tive good, as something which requires
no apology, but is inherently right in
itself an efficient means Of peneoting
refining and cultivating, the crown
ing work of Gods creation means
appointed and directly approved b,
the Creator himself! 1t is liable te
labuse, and the object Of reformer.
should be to regulate, not abolish. 2til
We must say that we think Madam
thead is as nearly levelupon this subjec
las it we'll can be-, She has given on