Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-02-18
Prom the Richmond Wing Of Jan 18th.
A Lay Sermon ON Dancing.


Not emily are dancing and junketting in
tad taste at such time as the present, but
are inhumanly disre-p eclful and foolish
II father or brother lay in mortal peril
in upper caam Der, scu'd it not be trutal
in his children to be getting the pigeon
wing" below stairs? Hundreds ard hun
dreds of fathers and brothers are languish
ing n the hOsuitals in this very city. and
thousands upon thousands OF fathers, sons,
husbands and lovers are exposing their
lives in the field, to save us from suhiuga-
tien, and here VIC are, protected by .he
living wall OF their dauntless breasts, kick
ing up our heels and tripping on the light
fantastic toe IN the most joyous manner
This is not the way to show decent re-
speet or q merely human sympathy Tor our
soldering defenders. This is not the tenn
per which viii CT ought to save people
from conquest.
Far be IL from US to arouse needless fears
or to repress innocen: amusements. Prop
erly guarded, dancing is a delightful,
pastime-iRdehnitely better thpn the dry
sn1 dreary reunions where only converse
tions, half scandal and whole nonsense are
allowed. But it we must dance, let us
confne ourselves to the old fashioned, de-
cert and respectable dances-the cOtiili, n
and the ike. Heaven save us from the
''rOund dances" as they are called the
loathsOme products OF prurient French
taste. We regret extremely to hear that
those "round dances" are becoming all the
rage at the fashionable parties and at the
big hops" at the great hotels Words
cannot express orr detestatiOn and abhor-
renee If these dances They ought to take
Hamlet's advice to O5helia, Get thee to a
nrnnery" They will do we'll enough for
the ronpinE female animals of Yankeeland
tot they ought TO be secuted by every pure
minded and refined Southern lady.
We know that the advocates of these
shameless dances will throw in our teeth
the old adage, "evil to him who evil thinks
eth" A suspected cyprian might do the
same thing. These dances are utterly dis
gusting. They are disgrace to respecta-
tle society. They seem studiously devised
tu prompt the worst suggestions and senSn-
tIous. To say that the wraggling. worm
ing, whirling, sqnlrming, bubbing up and
down mott ms OF these dances are grossly
indecent, is TO say the least of them. No
good man can look at them for the fret
time without being shocked no good wo-
man without feeling her cheeks Jingle with
the scarlet blush Of terrible shame. ONLY
when the frequent repetition Of them has
dulled the natural sensibilitics can thew
be viewed with anything but disgust.
There is a very simple test By which the
round dances and ali other smd<ements Of
young people may he tested without regard
to their decency. Are they proper and
permiss, IL in private? nhat father would
ike to catch his daughter dancing the polka
In the arms OF q young man when by them
selves in parlor? What father, who had
never before witnessed the filthy spectacle.
would not kick the man uut Of doors and
send the young woman to an ASYLUM p
Dancing thd polka in public does net make
1t less intrinsicaly Indecent. We are
mortified and indignant to think that these
sbominabe exhibitions are becoming pop-
ular IN Richmond.
We are getting corrupt too fast. What
with cheating, cxtOrting, drinking. and
dancing the round dances, we are leapiuy
into the foul depths of Washington degrn-
dation at a single bound. If we must be-
come rotten, let US rot little less rapid
Let us taboo and kick out of respectable
circles Immodest and imprudent dances
and them that dance them.