The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-03-27
ABOUT DANCING.
Bric-a-Brac mOyeth his Pencil
nimbIy and merriIy on
the subject.

4
the subject.
| To the Editor of the Morristown Gazette:
There are those who believe on
should not dance; there are others
who think taOo should. Yea, this mat
ter shall be discussed in kindly
spirit.
| Peradventure there is the mar
which hath corn, and that corn i
truly, not thorn, but plug in th'
flesh. How doth he nurse that corn
how doth he humor the foot upOl
which that corn resteth. Yea, dotl
not the broad brogan give him ease
Yet in cometh the son of Ham, The
thing with the jay bird heel; anc
that son Of Ham bringeth down the
heel of the bird upon this corn, yes
with much weight. Then doth the
happy corn sporter grasp his corn il
his dexter maniples: and while he
snappeth the thumb and finger o.
the sinister thereof, he danceth !: yes
he doth, and he sweareth by his pat
ron saint and the half bushel.
Then apprOacheth the tiller of the
soil; the mortal which in his hours
Of ease taketh the bacon and maketh
the rail: yea doth he not make the
rail and taketh the bacon? Indeed
doth he sunder the rail cut and a
a portion thereof fiieth with velocity
and striketh him yea with grievous
force ubon the shin. Then doth this
bacon fiend drop his maui the un.
yielding wedge, and the persuasive
gIut: and in anguish Of spirit crieth
he out, i" shin timber, by Jacks J"
And doth he not dance? Yea, much
Iy!
Next cometh the man, who, in the
language of brother Shotwell, hath
a cavity in the Posterior approximal
surface Of his upper bicusp. Into
that cavity, fearfully and wonderful
ly situated, creepeth the boiled juice
Of the sorghum, aud it doth hurt
sore it doth hurt damnably. Then
excIaimeth the vic i'm: "lo! have
the tooth ache :" and with maniple
to maxillary he danceth, yea doth he
and around and about. Then doth
friends rush in: some with creasote
and cotton: some with gargle: some
with tincture Of the deadly night
shade while the philistines cry cut:
"have the damned thing pulled p
yet doth the dance go on
Then appIoacheth the man which
lifteth the tea kettle. which being
hot he drcppeth and with the kettle
a few scalding drops into his shoes.
Doeth he not dance? Does the court
know herself? ? Then we have the
noble army of hot poker lifters;
backlog drappers; and the man
Which walketh in the dark with ex-
tended arm and finds that the coy
door passes between those arms and
meeteth his nose more than half way
so that more in sorrow than in anger
he crieth out: +: Yea, my nose is
longer than my arms" Yet dc they
all dance, for the name or the dancer
is legion.
But how shall we describe hose
who perisalt TO the melody which the
conjunction Of the mares tail and
the grimalkin's intestiues projecteth.
Verify the line between the sublime
and the ridiculous: the beautiful and
the grotesaue. is attenuated. The
violinist and the fiddler diverge. The
shuffier and tn. dancer hunt not to-
gether. The dance is one thing. the
poetry, the language of molten, yet
doth i! not snit the fat virgin nor the
fail-legged son Of Anak. Very pref
ty in the child and the young: yet
when pater and mater famii es Ell
tereth the ring it is not seemIy. Con
demu not the dance as tbs TO the bo-
dy what refinement of thought is to
the mind: for as the sensational lit
erature hurts the mind, SO doth the
mixed assembly pervert the true use
Of dancing So should dancing be
considered not as a means where-
vii tn to make social intercourse friy.
olous, if rot worse; but as train
ing that will supplant gaucherie and
Q eawkiness with ease and elegance.
For truly 'tis not for The oil. the fa':
and the tongs built; bnt for the
young, the beautiful and the grace
full. Yea do we not have the Kitch-
en- Furniture $50 called because it
makes the parlOr furniture only ii
for the kitehen) and stage coach.
Why not introduce the spring board
and flip flap ?
Yet loath would we be to upheld
that is wrong; but while
young folks are young folks, and full
Of quicksilver in the shape of ami
NAL spirits; while lacking in sayeir
faire and conversational skill; SO
long will they claim to pass The eve
ming with the elegance OF the dance:
the rougness of round games: or
glorious pause of stupidity and stage