Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-03-16


hat tucked up my dress, and began
dancing. The favorites of the bal
room followed each other in quick sue
cession, and these being exhausted,
resorted to the fancy rote. The seen,
must have been rather picturesque; m,
light curles falling to the waist, clothes
tucked up to my boot-tops, and for {
framework, the old ruined mill. As
knelt in ore figure, assuming listening
attitude, l glanced upward and behelC
Mr.. Grave, reclining on a rafter over
head. In confusion, / caught up m,
hat to beat hasty retreat when the OBJ
ject of my discontinue swung hlmsel
down in front of me-
81 am sorry to have distubed you
Miss Elsie. Do not be displeased
for I assure You shall never forget tn,
pleasure you unconsciously afforded
me- s
Thus reassured, I could not forbeal
laughing.
"You must have thought me dement,
ed to rush in here, throw down my hat
and set'to dancing as If for a wager.
my admiration conquered ever,
other emotion" was his gallant rejoin
der
"Well, the truth is, the spell was OF
me, and 1 embraced the nrst opportu
nifty for its indulgence"
"Ithank the fates for allowing me tc
be present.
"What were you doing hersl
thought the old mill deserted.
$50 it is by others. came here tc
read
"I regret that disturbed you"
"I am glad. The treat was all the
more acceptable for being unexpect
ed"
Don't you dance, Mr.. Grave Z"
"Not at all"
"Then you must let me teach you,
and wen begin notO."
He blushed to the roots of his hair.
exclaiming
"Oh, no, Miss Elsie, II indeed
you must excuse me. 1t is inpossi
Die"
Nonsense. You are not conscien-
tiously opposed to it, are youl"
Eyes; our sect prohibits it."
saw but subterfuge, and resolved
to carry my point.
"Well, if that's so, just sit down
here, and I'll relieve you of all religious
scruples."
Ensconced upon the sill of window
overlooking the dam and watercoruse,
began my proselyting.
"The prejudices religious people have
against dancing are separately and col
lectively based upon the idea of ercess.
/ mainta n that those who have good
common sense are the best regulators
have not, will never be benefited by all
the rules in Christendom, sacred ol
secular. No one can teach an ertremis
moderation. If he does not dance, he
will show his propensities in Other
things, even more prenicious."
"You are evidently versed in argu-
mentative logic" laughed Mr.. Grave.
Let those laugh who win," 1 re-
torted; "but to proceed: Dancing
seems to be as old as the world. AL
history speaks of it and 1 think il
very likely when the morning stars
sang together at creations birth, they
danced Also"
"Bst, Miss Elsie, you do not seem
to be getting TO the point. Does not
this amusement, which you are en-
deavoring to uphold, feed vanityl ex-
pose ladies to ill-assorted company
cultivate the taste for dressl for ex.
citementl and, worse than all, do not
the exposure and WEAKNESS following 9
night of revelry unfit its devotees fol
the life before them for many subse
quent days, and, in some cases, lead t.
premature death Z"
"Your questions shall be answered
to the best OF my ability. So far as
uanity is concerned, we all have 0
greater or less share. Since L was foul
years old, / have been dancer, Snd
the pet of our gay circle, yet am con
fident, In your Quaker community,
cannot be found a young lady near my
my own age as impernous to fattery
is myself, simply because familiarity
breeds contempt, and / will ask you
candidly, If, with your knowledge o.
me, you can say I display more udnits
than the girls with whom you have
been bred, although they do no
dance 2r
81 cannot say that you do, or, il
fact 30 much"
Then for company. No lad.
should attend social gathering with
out being well informed as 10 thos'
she is likely to meet, and any woman
who has not character enough to selec
appropriate partners for the dance, can
not safely be trusted at a church fes
tival, picnic, Or public promenade
Anv woman can draw around her sucl
companions as she may please, and i
her inclination is for the fop, it is b,
no means necessary she should b,
versed in dancing to crafty that taste
Dress and excitement are among th,
necessaries of life. Women who hav,
only home matters to occupy their at
tention are apt to become fault-fnd
ers." N3+e l
"But surely you do not believe il
this extravsgant display so common
among the fair sex2"
"No, and yes. / believe we woul,
be better without it, but when one
social standing and influence depend a
much upon dress as they now do,
think il should receive due attention
You know the habit does not make tn
, priest, whether costly or not. So ia
as dress is connected with dancing, lie
me tell you that part of my wardrob
intended for church is far more extravs
gent than all my ballroom attires
: Lastly, the fatigue and exposure
which you refer is not half SO dele
terious among the wealthy as lack {
/ exercise and proper excitement
among the poor and mediocrity. y
' Then, you approve of this aimles
: life, with it's selfish ends; this whir
! pool, which engulfs 80 many who hay
not the common sense of which yo
speak q"
; "No. 1 cannot say that 1 do. Br
you are taking too wide sweep, an(
as usual, embrace the excess. Still,
t do approve of dancing, both as an e.
J ercise and social amusement. To m
it is exceedingly invgorating. 1 ofte
2 thank the Lord that can dance. 1t
, frequently more expressive than lal
r g,iage-
e "You are an odd little creature.
/. Uparhane I am. buk my fiold A