The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1874-12-23
From the Southern Presbyterian.
A Dancing Incident.

During the Christmas holidays of 1873, lady
member of my church. whose husband is not a
protesting Christian. called at my study and stated
her case. She said that her children, twelve and
fourteen years of age had been at party several
nights before, and at her request had declined to
dance again, some two evenings later, they had
gone to another party. and had again respected
her request, and refused to dance. The next
morning her husband had said to the younger OF
the two children, Daughter, | hope you had a
pleasant evening at the party?" The child burst
into tears. Upon inquiry as to the cause, the
statement was made that every other girl present
had danced, and that this child. as consequence
of her refusal to participate, had sat all evening in
her chair "wall-fower. They were now to at.
tend another party, and upon this statement Of
facts the husband said to the wife, 1--WE must have
some understanding on this point if your church
forbids you to let your children dance, shall not
interfere but your church-oficers have (some OF
them) sent their children to dancing school, and if
that is the way in which it is tolerated shall in
sst that these children have permission to parci-
pate" That permission she felt unable to give,
and hence her call upon her pastor with the ques-
ton, "Wbat shall | do2'' To this replied that
if any of our officers had sent child or children
to dancing school, they had, in my judgment, done
decided wrong, and had certainly embarrassed
her in her efforts to train up her children for the
Lord and that at the earliest proper moment
would call their attention to the matter. Then my
counsel to her was this: that she had no option
in the premises; that if others did wrong, that
was no reason why she should follow; that she was
protesting Christian, holding the most solemn
covenant engagements Nth God that she had
affixed the seal of Gods covenant to her children,
and had solemnly vowed to train them for Him
that the dance belonged distinctly to the world;
that it was fascinating, worldly minded thing,
destructive OF serious, prayerful spiritual tenden
cies, both in the yet unconverted and In the chill
dren of God that to give her children permission
to participate was to give her consent to let them
take long stride towards the world" and very
greatly to lessen the probability of their becoming
Christians; and that saw no other course for heI
but to 90 home and tell her husband and the chill
dren that she had given them to God that she
wanted them to become Christians non, in their
early youth, and that she had no power to consent
to their taking any such step towards the world
and that in doing this she would be acting out the
principles which our church courts have again and
again laid down as their Interpretation of the SOL
emn instructions given in the word of God. She
went home with light heart, and did as advised.
The children then readily yielded their assent aud
at the party that night, when her older child re.
fused to dance, and was twitted with being "a
Christian boy" he replied, like a man. " would
rather uO WltnOuJ tue pleasure OF Tue QaDce, IMAM
to have my mothers acts be inconsistent with her
principles"
SEoUEL-In the month of August that boy pre-
sented himself before the Session, asking to be ad
mitted to the communion, upon profession of his
faith in Christ, and was received. In October,
the daughter told her mother that she desired to
be admitted to the communion also and took q
hearty cry when her mother thought it would be
better under some surrounding circumstances to
defer the public profession for few months, that
she might feel sure she was not acting with too
much haste.
QUERY-If these children had gone into the
dance, and been fascinated and made worldly mind
ed. as is the case with many thousands of children
during the Christmas holidays of erey year, would
they have been likely to seek the communion table
during the year? Was not that Christmas Incl.
dent turning point2 And did not God crown
that mothers fidelity with his blessing? Towards
the Church or toward the world-towards Dhich.
Christian parent, you who are under solemn coUe
nant vo,cs, and hoping for covenant blessings upon
your children towards a0hich of these will you turn
the steps of your children when the Christmas hol
days of 1874 shall come upon you?