The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-02-23
WHOLE NO. $50.

is "bed time: for at our dance every
one seemed to have a time Of his own
for retiring, so that Wesley and l were
powerless before the current of amuse-
ment that swept us on TO the break of
day.
You say the instinct for amusement
is universal, and what is 50 uniyarsal it
was intended should be gratifed out
we found at our party that the desire to
dance until morning was just as uniyer.
sal as the desire to dance at all. You
say that it is question OF use apl abuse
of such pleasures; ali, that is it: but Just
please tell lis where the use of dancing
leaves or and the abuse begins, that at
the next party we may hold in check
those who worship at Gods holy altar.
We have two invitations to other dan
ces, one to Mr.. Browns, where neither
husband or wife make any profession OF
religion and one AT the Dykemau House.
Can we accept them or not f we eau
dance at the deacons who shall say
we shall not attend the party at Mr..
Browns I? If we can dance at Mr.. BIS,
who shall say We shall not 90 TO the
Dyckman House? Who shall say that
it is right to dance with eight, and
wrong to dance with eighty We will
not be bound by such rules.
Hearing that similar sermon had
been preached at the Free Baptist church
a year or two since, we inquired of one
of their young sisters hoping to get some
light on this subject; but their minister
had left it all uncertain and indefinite.
Then she asked us if it was right and
fair after church had labore3 hard TO
get up church lottery, for the worlds
people to come in and draw all the best
prizes: She thought the church. mem
bers ought to have the first chance, and
it would seem so. Is it right for the
goats to crowd in between the sheep and
the wheel of fortune
"Play billiards, yes. Where, at
home? yes; at the deacon's yes; at
the parsons yes. Should we discount
him, or play an even game yes. Is it
right to play billiards in saloon with
the worlds people, where liquors are
sold ? You can have time to think over
those questions, but an answer we must
have. You claim to be a practical
preacher, and these questions are press
ing, gigantic and over-sbadowing issues
of the hour Every day since that ser
mon, we are challenged and deied by
some Goliath Of the Philistines. who
vaunteth that he can discount Us on a
game Of billiards. We have endured
his insults about as long as it is possible
Shall we invite him to our parlors and
defeat him in private, or shall we g on
to bis own ground in the saloon and
conquer him in the presence Of both ar-
mics, the Philistines and Israel, - ihe
world and the church
Shall we wear light fatigue suit, or
the heavy armor described by Paul?
Had we better attack him with bill
lard cue, or the sword Of the spirit ?
Had we better cover our fronts with the
tendency Of that sermon, or the shield
of faith? When he is vanquished, shall
the daughters of Zion sing, The Master
has slain his thousands, John and Jona-
than their ten thousands? Thank you for
that sermon: Wesley and | feel that it
has lifted us far above the crude notions
of our fathers into the glorious liberty
of the nineteenth century, gasped, give
us the particulars that we may write
them on our Phylacteries, to be seen
and read of all men.
Your most humble parishioner.
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