Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-02-03
THOSE CURIOUS DANCES"
Their Merallty.--An lI1ussretisn
In psint--''Mny I pus NY Hand
Around Your Waist :"...The
sGrAtt.l.mce0 View.

A lady correspondent Of tho New ysrk
OJsrrer discoursss as follows upon ths
subject Of those curious dances called
round dances" and the duty OF Christian
parents in relation thereto:
Mrssas. EpIrcRs Your quotation from
The Korarian Oh the subject OF dancing is
timely and sensible. Wha, are Christian
parents doing, Ground dances, a. hey
srs called, have always been objected to By
sober people. WALKING was for . isng time
the suly form known, and in stories Of Eng.
Iish society only fast" young women we're
giSsn to such dancing. calling those who
obi sstsd to them "prudss."
10 10 in thseosOesy Of most Of ~ wheo
The polka and kindred dances we're istfO.
duced. Notes Of preparation were sounded |;
. very peculiar aud fascinating dance had
been discovered in Paris il was 70 be
taught t. . select few, snd frst aads
ksswn TO the world on occasions Of some
great tste. Curiosity was excited, and
presently the new dance was found on his
aide Of the Atlantic, and spread with Amer
lean rapidity. Kindred dances with varia>
tons followed. Children learned them and
forgot TO drop them when they were no
longer children. Evil minded people liked
them, the careless did not find, young peo-
Pile were fascinated, the weak yielded
against their better judgment, and some who
ought 10 have known better were over
ruei. The refined and delicate forget to
say that these dances are borrowed from
the peasantry Of Europe, whose standard Of
manners and morals 10 hardly a true one
for us The truth is that Christian and
right minded parents have not been firm
enough in the matter. They know the
practice 10 inschievous; they cannot tell
young people all the evils. ner wsuM they
il the believed they could, and thsy have
not used their rightfal authority in the mat.
ter. 1t il never easy to Do just right there
are always thsrns and briars in they way
but that 10 ne reason for turning aside.
We know q case in point. A few years
since . man we'll knows In society-not
young. and whs could act dAncs-was sit
ling At . party, near . young lady. and
Watching the mares Of . ''Gsrman" liz
turned 70 her, knowing her we'll, and said
II wish you would let me put my arm
around ysur vast" or course she look cd
at him in Amusement. "Oh," said he, "you
know can't dance, but don't see the diff
ference. All these ysung men have Their
arms about the girls waists. and VII,
shouldn't have the tame privilege, though
! sit atillr'
Christian parents 60 and lock on and sss
no wrong, Or "hsps no harm 10 dsns."-
They know bettss.) And young people q
alons-nO other friend with them-and
dance till morning, and call il the Ger
man." The mischisis are maniiold-tha
late hours, which totally unfit them for the
work Of the next day the long continued
and wearing excitement, making rscrsstisu
toll the absolute need net only Of feed bu,
Of stimulus to keep up fictitious strength
for % many hours work. and 10 We oil
know, these scenes, even in 'goed society,
become slmest orgies. And psrests mourn
and lament and weakly say: "Whst car
We doe Our children must do ~ others
do. We can't he singular. Our children
must enjoy themselves" Not one in Z
hundred has frmness enough to say, at
shall not be" And yet they know the
mischiefs and evils that must Of necessity
spring from these late. exciting promiscu.
Gus dances; and they shut their eyes and
let the devil have his own way and lead
their sons and daughters TO destruction.
What shall We dos Ia many doubtful
questions il is very difficult 10 draw the
line. as when purity is too large, or IN en-
tertainment TOO lavish or too late. or What
is extravagant in dress, equipags or outlay
But here the limo is plain. Round dances
Let them 10 forbidden and banished Il
their Town place." where they flourish
Our police know where to find them in theil
luxuriancc.
IL 10 . marvel that any thing 30 vulgal
ever found place ameng decent people
One thing 10 marked. No earnest. live
working Christian man or woman. was eve,
found. 10 our knowledge, engaged in thes'
anacn