, 1877-12-30

told mt years ago Of man who, on visiting
large iro,l-1nl, stopped before tho great steam
hammer and watched It, as with almost light
ming rapidity it rose and fell, now th!lndcriu.
down with the weight Of tons, now striking th
bright steel with touch soft aud gentle as tha
OF cuts paw. Suddenly TIC was seized wit, .
Wild desire 10 thrust his hand under the mighty
ham hammer; I'D lie al did it. The pondcroas % weigh M
he drew forth his haud shapcfsss
| mass Ut bleeding flesh. Would any one venture
| to say that every person who might stand be-
| fore hathanmcr wonld have the same thoughts,
describedl Arc there those living foolish
| enough to suppose that every human being
would be SO fascinated by the rising and falling
of trip-hamlncr rs to risk his hant his life, in
| the qualification Of it! Are there not some who
would close their ears to the lcaleninc noise,
| and turn away thcir eyes, that they might not
be conscious of its disagrccablc presence! Why,
then, Is it more reasonable to suppose That the
thousands OF people who go to parties aud
dances are necessarily guilty OF the same coarse
thoughts, the same sensual aopetltcs, the same
indclicate actions, Us these human animals arc,
who, they tell Us, do actually roam at large
ali;ong 1ss
But what lady, young or old, is so unrciincd,
as to allow Of any stlchrroccetlinss Us hare been
suggested, or II such there be, which OF them is
brazen-faceu enough to acknowledge it to the
world! What mau Is there who would care to
risk his socia! reputation by vcnturng with any
lady friend OH such dangerous ground; or what
younggcnticmanisth is there-if wcmay SO misappy
the word--Hho would be aldacious enough to
oiter SO great an indi.nity to u We1i-be'l:lycd,
pure-ninded Young lady IN respectable societyl
Many, you will say have no doubt, but tell
you it is easier far to make atl assertion than tu
prove It,. it Is far easier to- smut onc's good
name than it is to wls, that blackness
of which you Or others may have put on it.
Then l bcscecll you, ! bet. of you, 1csist from
this everlasting rehearsal of the imagined indie
cclcies of round dancing. If it long continues,
it will become SO familiar subject to our ears
that VIC will not even blush ut its mention, and
arguments pro aud con will fow as @libly IRON
the tongue as DO our morning and evening
prayers.
l have taken tho liberty OF changing the quo
ta1ion, which is SO frequently applied to this
subject, So that it reads us follows:
Vice Is monster OF so hdcous n,ien
As to be hated needs hut to be seen;
Hut, talked OF too often, familiar with the sound,
We first endure, then pity, then Come round
Why NOT include in this attack on round |
dancing all the other amllsemcnts: What cab |
he worse for young lady and peut1cmun than [
to intend the opera Or theatre, there to witness
the carrying out Of Il plot roo intuor;sl to be |
seen under any circumstances: TO let their
sensual imasInations- imply they arc
1'1d then, as has been suggested, ride home in a
.arriagc together! Would they tul it ueecs-
;ary to draw the curtains, think yonl
why not US we'll rant about tile playing Of
ards, backgammon, or cilcssl What ,liabo!ra!
actions could not be carried On uuder
,oard By those young I:"lIes Who
roHld: descend to anything. like
: 'tiendsl y ACTIONS in tue hall-roomt After ali,
shat Is there in this wide, wide world which the
[cgraded cannot make more degrading, Or thu
'urc more eleyatin4! Let us rather begin ut
ome, BY educating the minds of our children
p to the standard Of virtue and purity, where