The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-09-23
DANCING ADVOCATED.

81 have been young and am uow older
and have discovered great need of finding
! home entertainment for the youth about
me. Dancing is natural expression of
iov of any kind, either animal or spiritual
] 1t is also the generator of JOY, in the glow
and eScitenen which pleasant exercises
of any description afford.
"Now, if asked the meaning of the pas
sage, "A tiue to Dance | should say 1t
stood there, because there IS "a time 70
dance as well as "a tine TO die and "a
time to weep | should say the time to
dance is on the evening of rainy day,
when all the family have the blues for
want of exercise An hour or two of
dancing. after tea, would send them to
their roous cheerful, happy, aud if Christ,
ans, grateful and devout, instead of dole
ful, aud disconteuted with home and
home friends
Il should say "a time to dance was any
time in :ha day, or before ten O'Clock at
night. for all ycung womeD engaged in
sewing, drawing, designing, or other sed
entary enpIoyments, that may have vital
ity enough in thel blood to bless God.
and rejoice with, instead of grOaning over
doubts and fears, begotten often by a
wretchad state of health. a time to
dance is when you take fifty OF hun,
dred children 10 the woods on pic c
excursion or when you are shut up on
board of a ship for weeks together; or
for the patients of hospital when they
are convaleScent or when son, hus.
band, brother, or lrlend comes home safe,
and with honor, from the war When
peace is established, and slavery is abol
ished, shall be "a time TO Dance and II
will be religious dancing, according to
the feelings and emotions of the hearts
of those engaged.
"Now. no ONE can look on such dane
ing as here described. and at the e'eveu
commandments, including the Saviour :
own new commandment, and make it
out breach of either of them. The real
and only difficulty is the great faScino
ton Of this amusement, winch renders l.
so difficult of contr,l. Yet Scotch fres
byterians have danced for centuries
Swiss Calvinists before their own cottage
doors French peasants dance, and sleep
with quiet conscience; and cannot We
Americans learn an equal amount of self,
, control in lch matters
There are one or two items worthy OF
note in the Bible view of the question
First, that the historic dancing naued il
not condemned, but the ido'atrg or lcen-
tiousneSs connected with il. Now, thai
dancing and sin have gone hand in Q love
from the beginning of The world, needs
no proof; but so has music and sin, eat
ing aud sin. What we want is an eye
clear enough to discover rhat and uhich
is the sin, and sterugth of will or grace
enough to leave the one alone while tax
ing the other
In the glorious lists of graces and
virtues named by the various Apostles as
the fruits of the Spirit, dancing is not one
of them, therefore | have 20 faith in 're-
ligious dancing;' but neither is it named
in any list of the fruits of the carnat
mind. The just Inference, then. seems
that it has IN itself no moral character
whatever, and that its right or apro"g is
dependent altogether upon circumstances.
Mote, also, that Solomon makes no
mention of "a time to lie, or "a time to
blaspheme,' or "a time to be drunk. real
immorallries. The fact is, the subject of
aChdt is sin, and rh0t is not, il still greatly
Ystided-nundreds of men whose con
sciences are quite easy while those who
reap down their fields receive naught for
their work, would be horror stricken to
see son or daughter skipping about the
paror to the music Of the piano. Hun
dreds of women will keep girls working
in their kitchens cooking heavy dinners
on the Sabbath, who would be shocked
not to be seen in their own seats in the
church themselves, and yet have never
pointed one soul TO Christ during all their
life, aud DO not feel condemned
Nv hen shall We cease tithing mint and
cumwin, and attend to the weightler mat
ters of the law?
"Let al young persons take especial
notice that make no plea or excuse for
balls, masked balls, expensive dressing,
and aiways planning abou, dress, late
hours, and beng SO fatigued by 'recrea
ton as to require, perhaps, more than
all the next day to recover from it. Liv-
ing an and for pleasure IN any form OIL
shape, is often enough condemned bv bo.h
Moses and Christ; but learn, young
| friends, to use the world as your own
and Christs servant, resisting all its at.
| tempts to overcome"
Says Jones, eve have had the age of
iron, the age of gold, and the age of