The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-02-26
California Letter.


lAOA AOLuC. ut AAu NO. Il auHISu
up" read it and voluntarily wrote
me as follows:
Il agree with your critics that
the word is not in good taste, but l
take my pen to write you that the
strength of that article is worthy
the brain, culture and heart l have
accorded you for years" He says
again, "But if a minister of relig-
ion in an effort to save the people
speaks forth the words of truth and
soberness, then we must be peunced
upon as a BLACKBOARD. My heart
is beating right up against yours
in all your efforts to promote tenn
persnce and virtue. Pelt the sin
ners, theSe abomniable characters
that evidently make war upon the
happiness and piety of society"
l by no means defend the expires
sion as tasteful. 1t is such an ex-
preston as q serious, earnest, con
secrated moral purpose might half
justify a man in using once in a
lifetime. saw an opportunity to
hit sledge hammer stroke at a
great and popular evil and ventured
with doubt to use it. 1t may have
done more harm than good. l don't
know what good men and women
think of it, except a very few who
have written back. l have had in
timations that some of the classes
who feel that the article in some of
its parts Chit them, think 1t was a
Shame that it was allowed to go
into the paper" fit should turn
out that those whose sense OF pro
priety is most seriously offended,
are the open and weakbacked and
secret supporters of whisky and
the dance, it will excite = suspicion
that the inspiration OF that offended
sense come from the spirit of dark
ness who has suddenly become very
anxious for pure literature in our
families new role for his satan
ic majestey. If, on the other hand,
the ministry and the pious general
ly, look chsritably on the ''offense"
and condoAe it, as did the good man
in the beginning of this article, for
the sake of its strength" against
evil and earnest moral purpose, it
will excite a suspicion that this
charity is an inspiration of the
good spirit of God.
An overwhelming moral purpose
made me use it in order that l
might let the fathers and mothers
and daughters who read the CTTI-
ZEN in the privacy of home, know
what sort Of talk is had about one,
or more, or all the girls that engage
in almost any dance in Pulaski or
elsewhere. Often does some lewd
male dancer laugh and tell his fel-
lows, with = chuckle, how "soft'
some innocent girl was the night
before. There was perhaps never
hop, the recherche affair Of the
season." in which the reputation Of
some innocent girl didn't suffer
Lewd, dirty mouthsd men watch
the fair damsels with lust in their
hearts and filth in their mouths. l
gave one instance of such remarks
but their name is legion and our
dear girls and their mothers ought
to know it.
There was fond mother of two
beautiful daughters. They were
gay, giddy, thoughtless and attend
ed the hops and engaged in the
dance. The minister went to the
good mother aud warned her of the
danger of such conduct. He plead
with the girls-they needed not his
words. Two years passed away
and again he felt it his duty to Wis
it the family. The brokenhearted
mother came to meet him flooded
with tears and overwhelmed with
grief and shame. 1t was no time for
reprOach. The memory Of his warn
ing words were burning like heated
irons the consciences Of the I'M
faithful mother and foolish daugh-
tiers. They traced the cause back
to the evil associations Of the dance.
He sat down and tenderly tried in
the ashes of past dead hopes to
plant a flower of future promise.
A well known Methodist preacher
of Giles county related this incident
and can verify it.
Such liberties in the dance pre-
pare girls to become the victims of
designing, lewd men, as the Stats
tics of houses for the reformation
of women of i'll fame all testify.
The lewd leaders of the dance
know it; the young and thought
less, unaccustomed to analyze feel
ings, do not. They ought to be
warned. l once heard the lamented
DR.. Stoddert preach a whole ser
mon to impress the truths am
now teaching. He used tasteful
words and yet the ladies did not
cast many glances on the male
side of the house during its deliv-
cry. After it was over the devil
said, through his servants, "Such
sermons ought not to be allowed in
tho church." The devil was afraid
the church would be defled. God
ly ministers and grave elders and
deacons did not feel much I'M
sasiness. This is my last letter for
the CITIZEN from California. 1t is
my expectation to leave for Ten
nessee about the 1st of March,
stopping a few days in New Or
leans. California has apparently
done me no good; I am weaker than
when I came.
Ny work seems nearly done.
My accommodating and genial
friend Ed. Harwell will assist me
home. would not like to start
with no company but my two little
girls, as when came. Weigh nine
ty six pounds. see all the posi-
bilities Of the future for me on
earth, and consider them with no
fear, little hope, and no anxiety.
'The will Of the Lord be done"
To my kind readers 1 now bid
adieu. GEO. W. CAMPBELL.
Cotton, Cal, Feb. 18th, '85.
P. S. Correspondents for Eve
days after the appearance OF this
paper will please address me in
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