Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-12
THE DEVILS DANCE.

ssan Francisco Chronicle. !

isan Francisco Chroulclel
The Rev. T.. r. Ollie discoursed, last
eveningupon the "Alodern Dancep be-
fore large congregation in the Cen
tral Methodist church. Tie refuted the
arguments of the devotees OF dancing
that the bible sanctioned 1t, by saying
that in no place in the holy writings
did itappear that the sexes joined in
the may. OF the three Instances
mentiened in the bible, one
was by job, who spoke
in severe terms OF those who
sent out their children like iloc5s and
danced; another instance was where
lewd young woman danced so grace
fully rs TO cause the decapitation of u
good man and the presentation of his
head TO her us a reward Tor her lascivi-
Gus conduct. The history OF all pagan
nations shows that they were addicted
TO dancing, from the Digger Indians
up, and the speaker thought il one of
the causes of their being overthrown
In the race of intellectual and social
development. Among the G rceks the
dance originated with the service of
Bacchus, the wine god, and with
them il was associated with the
drinking of wine and bacchanalian
carousals. Their three muses.
-Terpiechore, Euterpe, and Melpo-
mene-which We're allied with their
dances, were not the three Christian
graces, Hope, Faith, and Charity, but
We're three disgraces, corresponding 20
| the modern thcater, dance, aud drink
! ing. With the Romans, only these
danced who hired themselves
for that purpose; and noble
| Roman or plebeian freeman in Rome's
/ better days would scorn to have been
seen dnncing. Cato said: "Only fools
and drunken men dance.' The
| reverend speaker said the Mo-
hammednns do not allow the
sexes TO mlngle in the dance,
and in Nubia to-day such an exhibition
would be looked upon rs a scandalous
proceeding. OF the merits of the mod
/ ern dance in itself it is harmless, but
the trouble is that ii leaps over all en-
/ closures; IL is injurious TO health in
4 that IL conduccs TO late hours, the IN
/ halation of gin and tobacco-scented
air, and in the modern ballroom the
seeds of consumption and death are
sown. Ii Is not recreation, but Il
dissipation.
The speaker here INDUCED in face
tlous criticism of the course that would
be pursued should prayer meetings or
other religious exercises be continued
until the same late hours rs are dance
parties. why said he, there
would be a convention of doctors in
voked immediately; the secular editors
would sit down 10 their desks and
with heads so swclled from last nights
vine supper that their hats
could not be worn, would bury US
under columns OF editorials about
religious fanatics wearing out
their bodies with long prayers and
predict an unusually large crop of re-
ligious lunatics rs the result. The
love Of display lead young women Ia
dance, and the same desire fills our
streets with fallen women. When two
embrace in the dance all Others should
leave the room. And yet Dame FASH
ion schools society 10 permit the las
ciyious movements of the dance. 1t
leads TO undesirable associations,
and the lower the level OF
humanity the more dancing Is indulg-
ed in; il is the chosen amusement of the
slums of society. Prolessedly select
balls are only so In name Il fine coat
anu uihulpuu pm ui.ty toNNi p'"Nh
heart, and s. viii buy II ticket to the
most select public ball. We have mil
lionaires in this city," continued the
speaker, "whose rottenness taints the
air! How then can a maiden OF a
pure wife or mother allow the public
embrace of such menu In cohcln-
sion he held that dancing il unfavor-
able to intellectual and social develop
ment, leads 10 evil associations, IL
heathenish in its origin, the chosen
sport OF the most debauched class, and
generally detcstable.