The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-07
evet q or lntter tiay fss1ilonable s,tietv
must admit that Il has not been made With

ever a our hitter day fashionable sof,iets
must admit that II has not been made with.
out provocation.
Indeed. the German, and dancing generally,
mas completely possessed the social world,
and to the exclusion, we think unnecessarily
and too arbitrarily, of all other pleasures and
accomplishments. This is certainly the case
with the young and attractive of both sexes,
VINO vote with one accord everything else In
social intercourse a bore. This complete
abandonment of the social world 10 this one
amusement and accomplishment is neeessa-
rily at the expense of all other higher and
more elevated pleasures and diversions which
bring into play those rarer qualities of intel
lect, which alone can ennoble social inter-
course ana impart to it a true culture and
polish Music is the only diversion that is Mt
all tolerated, and even this is merely tole-
rated and nothing more. while conversation
IS indeed one of the lost arts. The result is
that society adapts itself to the German,
and the order OF culture it requires is fixed
in accordance with the standard the German
prescribes, which is at the best but certain
physical grace and a comparative familiarity
with the latest fashions. Ices and bonbons
I'LL up the intermissions between dances and
afford the sole evidence that mouths were
made for any purpose whatever.
We do not wish it understood that we object
to the round dances, upon moral or any other
grounds, and we are certainly not disposed to
question their rapturous delights. On the
contrary, we regard them not only rs harm
less. but the most graceful and delightful
OF all the amusements of the young, both to
the participants and to lockers on
They are by far the most beautiful of all the
dances, and the German is simply the per-
lection Of physical movement, and seems to
realize that smooth and gliding motion that
Homer gave to his gods. We can easily ap-
preciate the all-absorbing and rapturous
abandon with which the young yield them
selves to 1t, for the harmony and grace of
movement, the physical contact and the very
music and sympathy Of respondent motion
that distinguish it are delights that none can
resist, unless, as quaint old Burton said of him
who had never loved a girlish face. he be ''am
Numen, aM Nebuchadneszer, and hath
pepon for heart and q gourd for head"
Indeed were Thespis himself to step into one
OF our modern bathrooms he would be struck
with wonder and delight at the rare perfec-
ton to which his art has been brought, and
would blush with shame at the memory of
the rude and antique capers he was wont to
cut between the Phallic and Dithyramb of
The Bacchanaia
Still, we think society might be benefited
by divided allegiance, and the cultivation of
some of the other arts. It might even hap |
pen in the course Of ages by some subtle law
)f evolution unknown to scientists, that q |
yard and half of millinery and q pair Of |
agile heels would not constitute the highest |
social development either of man or woman. |
In that happy time the man who can talk |
,ut can't dance may not be voted by universal |
yirldom " flat }" only fit to marry, and not to |
,e compared as gallant with those nice young |
elbows who look as IL they had all been
iressed by the same tailor and let out on con-
ract to dance the German, so utterly devoid |
II personality are they all. 1t might even
happen that these same young fellows
should awaken to q due appreciation of them
selves and compass their own ends through
lisgust at their mediocrity. But these are
lfeamS of ITtODia