The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-02-22
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To tho Editor Of the Northern Pacific Farmer:
"A time to be merry t0ad time to be sad:
time to mourn. and a time to dance"
Singing :nd dancing are twin accomplish.
ments. and their cultivation comes ma tiralIy IN
the human constitution unless they are obstruct-
OF by internal disease internal prejudice.
Music is the poetry of sound. and dancing is the
poetry of human motion aud these combined
may be called the poetical expression Of healthy
human enjoyment, as their exercise develops all
the sen tirnental ard physical organs. This uni
son of music and motion was anciently en-
ployed in religious exercises; but the musical
parts have been gradually modified, and the
physical exercises which constitute the dance
have been almost entirely expunged from mod
ern devotions But my attention was recently
directed to this subject by hearing dancing
wholely interdicted, under all circumstances, as
disqualitying any person for membership in
Christian church. This unqualified condcmna-
ton of dancing caused the following review Of
my own experience and observation on the uses
aad abuses of this popular evening exercise.
The benefits obtained by educating ard cxer-
cising the lower limbs in dancing was first point
Cd out by a friend, while, with a party Of city
folks, we were approaching great blucberry
mountains, in York State. Large crowds tf
young people f-equentcd those romantic lakes
and .,v-> :, the berry season, end the only
entrance from the carriage road was precarioCs
toctf,a.h through strip of marsh. Part Of this
path consisted Of fallen trees and irregular step
ping stones projecting above the mud and water.
These precarious supports could only be travcrscd
in single file, ana required good rerve and
muscle, and an accurate control of limbs to
gauge the variety of steps and insure safe
transit. In discussing the chances of crossing
over this slough, my friend remarked that al
those who had learned to dance whether ladies
or gentlemen, would Cross over with ease 4end
safety, and enjoy the exercise. But while we
were talking, little lady, who had formerly
been a ballet dancer, was running along the
logs and skipping from one stone to another, like
a squirrel, and directly was dancing hornpipe
on the solid rock beyond.
In striking contrast to this was the experience
of several young ladies' whose physical education
had been confined by prejudice to their hands
and arms. They could walk OF the floor or
pavement all right; but to step over curbstone
or go up and down stairway was the limit of
their locomotive exertion The various adven-
lures and mishaps Of those ladies' and the facili-
| tripped across The SIDugil,
tions of the truth of my friends theory. These
furnished conclusive evidences that. however
helpful devotion may be in getting one out OF
.Thc Slough of Despond," dancing is better than
devotion for keeping one out of that slough.
| BY carefully observing several indications
which this man pointed out, was soon able te
distinguish an educated dancer-male or fema Il
by their gait upon the street. or by their easy
tact and courteous etiquette when introduced
| into certain companies. To educate the hands
| and arms and tongue is right, and to :loF
their capabilities is useful; but it is equally de-
sirable and useful to educate the feet and legs
and develop their easy, graceful action with
perfect harmony and control of all the muscua1
movements. A lack of physical exercise is one
bane of American female soci:ty Ut this time
and taste for dancing tends to counteract thi
defect Young girls who would be fatlgued b1
walking mile or two, may be so exercised BY
the inspiration of music, and the rivalries Of sh'
ball room that tn ~ can dance for many hours
and might soon rival their grandmothers II
physical exploits and endurance My mothel
used to tell us that she walked fortyfour miles II
a day, when she was only fourteen years old, ant
that she felt no more fatigue than she. had some
| times felt after dancing all night. How man!
young girls who are prohibited from the exercis
of dancing could endure such walk as tllat?,
That dancing like love, wine or wealth, j
often degraded to selfish and sensual purposes, i
true; but it is equally true that the little III
trisucs and coquetries which girls cultivate il
the ball room are offsets and safeguards asa1nS
the intrigues and Establishments of selfish anf
sensual men. acknowledge is power as truly II
this case rs in any other, and those young peopl
whe acquire this kind of knowledge gradually
as they grow up in the association of the sexes
are better prepared t. encounter temptation thai
are those from whom all such information
carefully excluded until they 90 out into tn
" ,rlu and learn from the tempter.
| You're, d.