The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-12-20
is DANCING REALLY WRoNal
a variety Of Opinions on a Great Question
OF the Day.
Ne,g York World.

With the 1st of December the dancing
season will begin. From that time on.
ward, through the series of public and
private balls, all grades of German society
will send representatives into the mazes
of the newest dancers. If the Patriarchs
will waltz, so will the Pat Diver Asso
citation. If matriarch will tread the
cotillion, the prettiest lass on the east side
| will lead the Virginia reel at the annua!
ball of the Gentlemen's Sons. And of all
these dancers not per cent will question
| the morality of their merry. making. Is
dancing right or wrong?
And yet this is question Of annual
contem poraneous interest. Notwith.
| standing the growing liberality of society
in social indulgences, many worthy peo'
| pile and church organizations still believe
dancing sinful, as some of the interviews
which follow. .abundantly prove. The
opinions obtained, indeed, are of uncom.
mon value and interest.
DIR. Morgan Dix, rector of Trinity
Church and author of that ingenious and
sensational volume of sermons, The
Seven Deadly SiDs,"' was obviously the
first clegyman to be interviewed on this
question as to whether dancing is right
or wrong. aThe WoaM would like to
know what you think of the ethics Of
dancing, DR.. Dix" began the reporter.
a'.WeII, now, that's odd, that's rather
funny, don't you Know responded Or.
Dix, with wide substantial smile.
"Bless me what won't the papers ask
for next? Dear me But haven't you
read my sermons on the Seven Deadly
Sins2' They express my views pretty
accurately"
From handsomely bound volume OF
the "Seven Deadly Sins" DR.. Dix read
these extracts from the celebrated sermon
on atLust - g.tsz .f.......
FROM "THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS"
"'Unto the pure all things are pure ;
but unto them that are defiled and unbe.
.lieving is nothing pure; but even
their mind and conscience are defled.'
Titus, j, Is. Sensational and sensuons
poetry, in which the ideal and the ami.
NAL are one and the same thing, from q
quality of mind and temper which fiuds
further attraction in the drama as We
have it now, In large measure of repeti-
tion of the old, old story of the working
of lust, and garnished with dances which
crafty mans. sensual appetite and attest
Woman's misery and shame. It would
be painful to inquire what kind of life is
developed under these influences thus at
work for our ruin to guage, with the line
s.,x1 ,>1,-,o ,,,at &c NodJo crowd ond low III a
decentralization of society.
sLook how young girls are trained in
softness and luxury, with the one idea of
making q figure in society and brilliant
marriage; Of making the most Of their
physical advantages and alluring the
other sex by the arts best adapted to that
purpose. See them on the drive through
the ::troubled social sea; at their lunch
parties, with q dozen courses and half as
many kinds of wine; at the opera, i'm.
modestly attired; at the ball, giving the
whole night to dissipation; at the sum.
mer haunts of fashion, without due over
sight or sense of responsibility, treated
With easy familiarity by careless men,
and apparently without a vestige Of an
1Q6A OA Hudt OuS W u
from man. How appalling must be the
record Of one night only, when the
shadow lies back on this vast city What
crimes must that deep gloom conceal
what sights to scare good angels away
The slums and the faubourgs, the, dance
halls and the ball rooms; theatres, high
and low, the naked creatures in the
boxes; the men behind the scenes daily.
ing with the actresses; the bauquets, the
champagne supper and the sequel. And
these are the workings Of one and the
self.same sin; and this is the issue when
holy and eternal love, the first of virtues
and the last, is turned into concupiscence
and unholy lust !"
II assume, DR.. Dix" concluded the re.
porter, "that you consider round dances
conductive to immortality as inviting that
physical contact between the sexes which,
to your. mind, invites unchase desires ?''
s'Sir," said the Doctor pleasantly, II
beg that you will consider that you have
my opinion in the views you have read in
that work." /"
so DOES THE REV. M'cHEsNEY.
The Rev. Ensign McC Chesuey, zof st.
ri = = 90