Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-02
GIRLS and DANCING.
Marion Harland on the Influences of
the Ball. Room--Old Time Preju-
dices Against Dancing How
Girls Should Dress In the Ballroom.
Modern "Evening Dress"-When
Dancing Becomes luxurious.
HaIf-Olad Beautiss-social Oods of the
Ball-Room-Men With Whom Modest
GIRLS Cannot Waltz.

nrltteE lor Gazette.
copyrighted, 1881
In days that are hardly yet "yore," but
rather OF middle age, good people in and
out of the pulpit preached against
dancing as q sin per Sc.
When committed by church members, il
called for the descending arm OF dis
cipline in strokes as heavy as if the
ofense were against q section OF the
Decalogue. Sermons, tracts and ora
homilies dealt with the amusement Of
with an agency subversive of morality
and decency. "Envy, wrath, malice and
sll unchsritsbleness" got the go-by when
once the criminal recreation was
named or defended. / have said thai
communicates in Christian churches were
disciplined If they so much IS walked
through q set TO fill out Quldrille OF
cotilion. Sometimes they were indicted
before minor ecclesiastical courts for al.
lowing informal carpet dances in their
houses, and at least one PRESBYTERIAN
elder of note was cited for suffering his
children to dance. Proving contumscious
TO the reprimand administered for the Of
fence, he wss deposed from his Office and
denied the right to "communicats" until
ne gave token of repentance.
We are far enough from this middle
age to get the full outline, proportions,
and perspective of what is no longer q
disputed subject. Those of US who
shared In the prejudices inst!lIed by
church and ~churchmen, can testify to the
sincerity that made that prejudice prin-
ciple. We ourselves were firmly and
conscientiously "epposed to dancing"
discriminate and indiscriminate; set our
faces with pietistic fintiness against
dancing-schools; saw in the wexed
floors of the ballroom q slippery decline
AvernaswarG.
CHANGING one Sunday morning, thirty
five years ago, to walk behind two "lsdies
of COLOR" Respondent in the tulipiferous
bravery Of their church clothes, l over
heard this dialogue:
"Brer' Ryland" Qong the faithful white
pastor of the First African church In
Richmond, Va } "war' might s'vere 'pon
d~a-a.aDcin' Clrishtyuns, Is mawnin'. IN
yit we do read n de Bible g how de
a-a-ngils n heaben does ds-a-nce befo' de
Lawdl"
"Dst's true, Sis 'Mely. But de
IA ngils dom cross dey feeti Dat make
de dif'runce tween holy n onrighteous
d~a-A-Dcin'. Crossin' de feet IS whar de
sin come inl"
Az our cslr distance from the dead and
gone Issue we can see no more valid rea-
son for condemning the measured beat OF
heel and toe to merry music in good com
panY and in good hours than fer prohibit
ing the rythmic stroke of soldiers feet in
'marking time" on parade. The differ
as eXpouuded by digniled divines
and sanity women resolves itself into
something so analogous to our colored
SISTERS distinction as to reduce the whole
argument to ah absurdity. The wicked
n IS of dancing is no longer insisted upon
by eny who are not fanatics or fools
The expediency Of the amusement in GER
tain aspects doubted by fair minded and
thoughtful people of a former generation
Is still in some MINDS IN unsettled CUES
ton.
The healthfulness Of the prsctice comes
naturally into prominence in q series Of
articles on girls land matters pertaining to
them. The devotees of TerpsichOre con-
slider this point t~riumphantly disposed Of
when the ballroom is compared to the
gymnssium-so msnifestlY are the ad-
vantsges of the two modes of exercise
With the first AIMED. The reaching, lift
ing, and swinging required in the lstter
often overtax boys and men, and are con
demned by able physicians IS the origin
of many serious disorders from which
women are lifelong sufferers. The action
required by the liveliest waltz is gentler,
and hiss the further recommendation of
being so far voluntary that one can
abridge 1t without transgression of rules.
Inst girls and boys do overtrain them
selves more or less in ambitious gymnas-
tic and calisthenic exercises, is a serious
fact. II they brought to these, bodies
equipped ss for the ballroom, permanent
iIjury, II not cesth, swould be the almost
C r ain result. II, insteadiot the binding
corssge, voluminous skirts, and tight
shoes she wears in the gay throng of
evening, the girl would devise o costume
for such occasions that should leave lungs
snd heart as free to act as does the plant
Jersey suit hanging on the nsil in the
wardrobe, she might viunt
the superiority CT the exercise she loves
.ooVe that performed by rule and mess
are tor mere physical deve opment.
Whist enemy of q race, dependent for
stamina and stability upon the health OF
Its women, invented and ordained our
''evening-dresses7" 1 sketch one OF nine,
of, not envelopingt that number of
king dsmosels pressed ti.t on Q
plate of recent date. The mate
rial Of our 'floye of 8 gown" is white
satin, overlsid with tulle. The long-point-
ed bodice-what there is Of lifts like q
kid glove; q W cath of roses fsst on the
left shoulder, droops low below the bust
until 1t flnds safe lodgment on
the protubsrant right hip. Folds
tulle meeting the garland, In "surplice"
style far below the breast-oone, are con-
fined on the right shoulder by a bow of
Sleeves there are none, unless
the obsolete articles are indicated b. the
said bow on one shoulder, and the flowers
on the other. The V-shaped exposure of
the chest Is co~rroborated at the back BY |
= pyrsmidsl (inverted) vacancy between
the shoulder blades, which has the spinal
as a visible centre. Long
gloves strain, in pSroxysmal imodesty,
TO reach the ribbon knot and roses,
md fail by four inches Of tender flesh. Il
IS winter, spd underyest of merino or
sanitary flannel was stripped from should
srs, chest and arms before the Wesrer
dressed" for the ball. She is padded
md ~pinioned, and her skirts are tied
back over steel ribs that outbear
|, satin and tulle train.
In this rig-"criobed, cabined and con
ined"-she is to eujoy invigorating exer-
the poetry of motion, in e
.oom heated by furnace, gas,
md q crowd of steaming human
the modicum of sir for which
Ter stays leave room in her lungs will be
)reathed fftv times over before her turn