Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-20
DIR. TALMAGE0NDANCING
THE REVELEY ON THE NIGHT
OF HEROD'S BIRTHDAY.

Princess Salome's Fascinating Gyra-
tlons-The DecapitatiOn of John the
Baptist-Perils of the Modern Ball
Room-But a step From it to the
Graveyard.
BROOKLYN, n. Y, April 19.-Dr. Tai
mage is now preaching at the Brooklyn
Tabernacle a brief series OF sabbath
morning sermons on "Recreations, Good
ana Bad" His subject this morning was,
Does dancing occupy too much place in
modern society,"" He expounded the
third chapter of Ecclesiastes, setting
forth that there is a time to weep and
time TO laugh, and that smile may be as
sacred as a tear. The opening hymn was
"Hc leadeth mel Oh, blessed thought
Words with heavenly comfort fraught'"
The text of the sermon was from Mat
thew xiv, g. when Herod's birthday
was kent. the daughter of Herodias danced
before them and pleased Herod." Fol
loving is the sermon in full:
tt is the anniversary Of Herod's birth
dav. The palace is lighted. The high
,vavs leading thereto are ablaZe with the
pomp Of invited guests. Lords, captains,
merchant princes and the mightest men
of the realm are on the way to mingle in
the festivities. The tables are filled with
all the Injuries that the royal purveyors
can gather-spiced wines and fruits and
rare meats. The guests, white rObed,
anolnted and perfumed, take their places.
Music. The tests evoke rOars Of laughter.
Riddles are prOpounded. Repartees In
duiged. Toasts drunk. The brain be-
logged. Wit gives place to uprOar and
basphemy, and vet they are not satisfied.
Turn on more light. Give us more mu-
sic Sound the trumpet. Clear the floor
for the dance. Bring in SaIOme, the
graceful and accomplished Princess.
The doors are opened and in bounds
the dancer. Stand back and give plenty
Of room for the gyrations. The lords are
enchanted. They never saw such poetry
u motion. Tueir souls whirl in the reel
md bound with The bounding feet. HerOd
rigets crown and thrOne-evtrythin but
rue destinations Of Salome. The magnih-
,.rnce Of his realm is as nothing compared
With that which now whirls before him
Ha tiDt02. lis heart is in transport with
lone as her arms are now tossed in the
4ir, and now placed akimbO. He sways
with every motion Of the enchantress.
He thrills with the quick pulsations of
her feet, and is bewitched with the pos
turing and attitudes that he never saw
before, in moment exchanged for others
just as amazing. He sits in silence be-
iore the whirling, bounding, leaping,
flashing wonder. And when the dance
stops, and the tinkling cymbals pause,
and the long, loud plaudits that shook the
palace with their thunders had abated,
the entranced monarch swears unto the
princely performer: Whatsoever thou
shalt ask Of me l will give it to thee. to
the half Of my kingdom"
Now. there was in prison minister by
the name Of John the Baptist, who had
made much trouble by bis honest preach
ing. He had denounced the sins Of the
King, and had brought down upon himself
t2e wrath of the females in the royal
family. At the instigatiOn of her mother,
-alome takes advantage of the Kings ex-
tr8Vagaut promise, and demands the head
of John The Baptist on dinner plate. There
is q sound of heavy feet and the catter of
swords outside Of the palace. Swing back
the door. Theleyecutioners are returning
from their awful errand. They hand a
platter 10 Sal0me. What is on that plat
fer? a new tankard of wine TO rekindle
the mirth OF the lords? mol 1t is redder
than Wine and cOstlier. 1t is the CHASTITY,
bleeding head or John the Baptist, its
locks dabbed in gore. its eyes set in
the death stare. The distress of the last
agony in the features. That fascinating
form that just now swayed so gracefully
In the dance bends over the hOrrid burden
without shudder. She glOats over the
blood. And lust as the maid of your
household goes, bearing out on a tray the
empty glasses of the evenings entertain
ment, so she carried out on platter the
discovered head Of that good man, while
all the banQueters shouted and thought it
a grand joke that in such a brief ana easy
way they had freed themselves from such
a plain-spOEen, troublesome minister.
What could be more innocent than a birth
dav festival? All the Kings from the time
of Pharaoh had celebrated such days, and
why not Herod? 1t was right that the
palace should be lighted and that
the cymbals should clap and that the
royal guests should go to a banquet. but
before the riOting and wassail that closed
the scene of that day every pure nature
reyOlts.
am not going at this time TO discuss
the Old question, Is dancing right or
wrong? but, Does dancing occupy too
much place in modern society? and in my
remarks hope to carry with me the con-
viction of all thoughtful people. What
ever you may think OF the amusement
you must admit that from some circles it
has crowded out all opportunity for IN
telligent conversation and made the con-
dition of those who do not dance, either
because they do not know how or are not
in sufficient health to endure il, or be-
cause they must cOnscientiOusly decline,
very uutoiuloilAble. on must ADMIT
also that with many it has ceased to he a
recreation and become a dissipation. With
many IL has become such an oVer-fatigue
that you can understand the bewilder-
ment Of an educated Chinaman who,
standing in "a brilliant house where for
many hours the dance had been going on.
asked the wealthy proprietor: "Why do
you not let your servants do that for
yOuY Furthermore, il will be admitted
by all reasonable people that whatever
they may think OF the old-fashioned
square dance, and many of the process
siOnal romps in which | can see no evil.
the round dance is administrative OF
harm, and deserves TO be hurled out of
respectable circles.
l am by natural temperament and reli-
gious theory utterly opposed to the posi-
ton Of those who are Mortified at every
demonstration Of mirth and playiulness
in social life, and who seem TO think that
everything decent and immoral depends
upon the style in which people carry
their feet. On the other hand / can see
nothing but ruin, moral and physical. in
The designations Of the ballroom, which
have despoiled thousands OF young men
and women Of all that gives dignity to
character orusciulnoss TO life.
DAnclng has been STYLED "the graceful
movement Ol the body adjusted by art to
The measure, or time Il instruments or Of
tie voice" All nations have danced. The
ancicnts thought that Polux and Castor
az first taught the practice 20 the Lacedp-
monians; but whatever be its origin, all
gIimcg have adOuted H.