The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-26

festai dances and funeral dances and mill
'ary daoces and "mediatorial" dsnoes, aud
bacchanslian dauces Queens and Lords
have swayed to fro in their gardens; and
the rough men OF the bsckwoods have in this
way reused up the echo OF the forest. There
seems TO be something In lively AID c1hrent
sounds TO evoke the mogement of hand aud
foot. whether cultured or uncultured. Men
passing the street uDcoDsciously keep step
10 the music OF the band; aud Christians in
church unconsciously find themselves keep
lg time with their feet, while their soul is
oplfted by some great harmony. Not only
is this tue IN cultured life, but the red man
OF Oregon have their scalp dances and green
corn dances aud war dances The IL
The ancient fathers, aroused by the indecent
Dances CT those days gave emphatic evidence
AGAINST any participation in the dance. st.
Chry sostom says: The feet we're no. given
for dancing bat to walk modestly; not to
leap imprudently like camels" One OF the
dogmas OF the ancient church read: "a
dance is the DEVILS possession; and he that
entereth into dance entsreth into his Dos
session. The devil is the gate TO the middle
and the end OF tie dance. AS many passes
as man makes in dancing, so many passes
doth he make to hell" Else where these old
dcgmss declare: The woman that singeth
in the dance is the princess of the devil; for,
as when hogs are strsyed, IL the hogsherd call
one, all assemble together, so the devil call
play on some instrument, and presently all
the dancers gather together" This whole
sale and discriminate denuncletion grew out
OF the utter diIso,uleness OF those ancient
plays 60 great 81 one time was the ofense
TO all deecncy that the Roman Senate de-
creed the expulsion or all dancers and dane
ing maste rs from Rome.
Yet We are not 10 discuss the customs OF
that day, but The customs OF the present.
We can net let ths fathers decide the ques
ton for US. Our reason, enlightened by the
Bib e. shall be the Standard. / am not ready
20 excommunicate all those who lift their
feet beyond certain height. / would not
visit { ur youth with a rgor of criticism shat
would put out all their ardor OF soul. | 90
not believe that ali the inhabitants of Wales,
who used TO step to the sound of the rustic
Unicorn, went down to ruin. / would give
to all OF our youth the right to romp aud
play. God meant it, or He would not have
surchsrged our natures with such exhuber.
ance. If a mother join hands with her chill
dren. and, while the eldest strikes the keys
fills all the house with the sound of agile
feet, l see noharm in it. Ifa few friends, gath
cred In happy circle, conclude to cross aud
recross the room to the sound Of the piano
we'll played see no harm. II q company of
people, all of whom are known to the host
or hostese as reputable, move round the room
to the sound OF musical instruments, [ can
see no harm. l for long while tried TO
in it harm, but never could and probs-
bly, never will | would to God men kept
young fer greater length of time Never
since my schoo.boy days have L loved SO
well as now the hilarltes OF life. What il
we have felt heavy burdens and suffered
multitude of hard knocks, is it any reason
why we should stand in the path of those
who, unstung by life's msfortunes are OK.
hilaiated and full of glee?
GOD BLESS THE YOUNG.
Will havo tn
want to hear me say one word to dampen
their ardor or clip their wings or to throw
oud upon their life by telling them that If
IL hard AVID dark and dOleful II is no such
thing. You will meet with many q trial;
but, speaking from my own experience, let
me tell you that you will be treated o great
cal better than you deserve. Let Us not
erudge to the young their joy. As we go
further on in life, let rs go with the rem5m-
brsnce that we have had our gleeful days.
When old age frosts our locks and stiffens
our limbs, let us not look back upon the
way. bat say I'VE had our good times. now
let Others have thsirs." AS our children
come on let Us cheerfully give them on.
places. How glad will be TO let them have
every thing-my house, my books, my place
in society, my heritsgel By the time We
get old We will have had our way long
enough. Then let our children come on aud
we'll have it their way. For thirty, forty or
dfty years we have been drinking from the
CUP OF life, and we ought not to complain If
called to pass the cup along and let others
tsse drink.
But while we have a right to the enjoy.
ments OF life we never will countensnce sim
fol indulgence. / here set forth a group of
what might be called the designations of the
ballroom. In some com munities these dis
sipstioDs ontinde all the year, while they
do the chief work in summer at the wa tering.
Places and therefore the subjsc has wide ap.
Ill To- I'll 1T
death. Are We TO stand idly By aud LET the
work go on lest in the rebnke we tread upon
the long trail of some popular vanity? The
whirlpool OF the BALLROOM drags down the
life, the beauty and the moral worth of
cities. In this whlrlwind of imported silks
goes out the life OF many good families.
Bodies and souls innumsrable are annually
consumed in this c0nha2ration OF ribbons.
This style OF dissipation is the abettor of
pride, the instigator of jealousy, the secri-
fetal altar OF health, the de6ler OF the soul,
the avenue of lust and the curse OF the
town. The tread of this wild, in
toxicsting, heated midnight dance lara all
the moral hssrthstones OF the city. The
physical ruin is evident. What will become
OF those who work all day and dance all
night? a few years will turn them out Derv-
Gus, exhausted imeeciles. Those who have
given up their mldnights to spiced wines aud
hot supTers, and rode home through winters
cold, unwrspped from the elements, will at
last be recorded suicides.
There is but short step
FROM THE BALL ROOM To THE GRAVEYARD.
There are constructions and fierce neurslgias
C ose on the track. Amid that glitteriDg
axe of ball room splendors, diseases stand
right and left, and balance and chain. a
sepulchrsl breath floats up amid the perfume
sDd the froth of deaths lip bubbles up in the
champagne Many of the brightest homes
are being sacrificed. There are families that
have actually quit keeping house and gone
to boarding, that they may give themselves
more exclusively to the higher duties of the
ballroom. Mothers and daughters fathers
and sons, finding their highest enjoyment in
'be dance, bid farewell to books, TO quiet
culture, TO all the amenities OF home. the