St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-02-21

their mouths.
Dancing and Dying.
The following communication is ITO tho
points"
Mrs. Sw1ssHrIx.--I understand your COL
umns are open to the discussion Of oil oues-
tons Of public interest," viii you permit me
their use to discuss the propriety Of tho editor
Of the st. Cloud DEMOCRAT making her appear
ance in dancing hail. learn she did not
dance; but her presence there was renewed
sanction Of that device Of Satan, by which he
entr"ps unwary feet.
It is but a few weeks since msnv of Us heard
her speaking words of most solemn import at q
dying bed; and even since that she herself,
has appeared to stand with her feet in the
waves of Jordan. Christians who have been
waiting and weeping for the outpouring Of the
Holy Spirit, in this place, had reason to hope
that, after these solemn events, her influence
would have been e1erted on the side Of Relig-
ion. No wonder there he's been no revival of
Gods work in St. Cloud, while other places
have been blessed with the outpouring of tho
Spirit. SAY no wonder, when professors lend
| their presence to countensnce the midnight rev.
81 instead Of the prayer meeting! No wonder
that Gods people 60 mourning all the day.
No wonder that He has afflicted this place with
sore Affections when His house is deserted-the
dancing hall filed, not only by tho young and
thoughtless, but by those who form public opin-
ion, and profess to believe in Religion
1t is in sorrow, not in anger write thus :;
and if you refuse to print it I, At least, have
done my duty. MARTHA.
St. Cloud, Feb. 18th.
In the first place we hasten to assure
"Martha" that she need not have had a
fear about our publishing her letter.
There is no one whose conduct is more
open to criticism, in our columns, than
"the editor" when any one feels call in
that direction. From onr knowledge of
that individual, We doubt if any one else
can more frequently require public censure,
and fear that good people often neglect
their duty in this matter. So we are
obliged to "Martha" for rapping ''the edi-
itor's" knuckles, although we think her
mistaken about the magnitude Of the sin
in question. "Martha" assumes that. in
asmuch as we have recently been present
at death bed, and said and did what &C.
CURED to US at the time and because We
have since been ill, we ought to change
our lifelong convictions on dancing. She
knows that, at least, ever since we assumed
the conduct of tho St. Cloud paper, we
have advocated dancing, not as lesser
evil, but as good, as being just as proper
as eating or praying. The word of God
says, "Tfere is time to Dance" as we'll as
"a time to die" No one assumes that we
ought to be dancing when it is time for
dying; or that We should feel, or think, or
act at a death bed as we would in dane
ing hall; ard We insist that it is just as
sinful to be always dying as it would be
to be always dancing. No one could
nurse and keep up the feeling appropriate
at death bed, without becoming in a
great measure, if not altogether, cumber-
or of the ground. "Martha" is mistaken
about the St. Cloud dancing school being
"midnight revel." The hours are from
seven until eleven o'clock and they have
no revel. It does not even amount to a
lively romp. They have nothing to eat,
nothing to drink but water; and move
about, or sit about a. prim and polite as
pigeons on perch. ."
Does "Martha" suppose that, at our
time Of life, we have just now been for
the first time at death bed, or seriously
i'll, that these facts should suddenly change
our matured opinions on 80 important a
subject rs the amusement of the people -?
We, who have stood by the open graves
Of nearly all our kith and kin? Few Of
our age, not professor physician or nurse,
has seen more Of sickpes,, and sorrow