Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-26
GIRLS and DANCING.
Marion HarIand on the Influences OF
the Ball Room Old Time Pfeju-
dices Against Dancing How
airls Should Dress In the Ballroom.
H5dsrn 'ERysRIsg Bress"-When
Dancing Becomes luxurious
ssIf-Oisd Beautiss-sOcisI Oods OF the
RalI-ReOm-Men With Whom Modest
Girls cannot WRllE.
Written for Gazette.
(CopyUfiEhted, 1889

In days that are hardly yet "yore," but
rather of middle sge, good people in and
ant Of the pulpit preached sgsinst
dancing as sin per Sc.
When committed by church members, it
called for the descending arm of dis
cipline IN strokes IS heavy as if the
eRense were sgaInst section of the
Dscslogue. Sermons, tracts and oral
hcmi!ies deslt with the amusement as
with an sgency subEersive of morality
sud decency. "Envy, wrath, malice aud
all unchSritsbleness" got the gO-0y when
once the criminal recreation WAS
named or defended. 1 have said that
commandments in Christian churches were
disciplined If they so much as walked
through 5 set to I'LL cut quSdrille or
cotlliOn. Sometimes they were indicted
before minor ecclesiastical courts for al
lowing informal carpet dances in their
houses, and at least one Presbyterian
alder OF note was cited for suffering his
children to dance. Proving coutumscious
70 the reprimand administered for the of
fence, he WAS deposed from his Cfi1ce and
denied the right TO "communicats" until
be 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 a
disputed subject. Those of US who
shared in the Prejudices inSt!lled by
church and churchmep, can testify to the
sincerity tnst made that PREJUDICE prin-
ciple. We ourselves were firmly and
eonscientiously "opposed to dancing"
discriminate and indiscriminate; set our
faces with pietistic fiutiness against
dsncing-schosIs; saw in the waved
doors Of the ballroom slippery decline
AVern1sWarc.
Chsncing one Sunday morning, thirty
Ave years ago, TO walk behind TWO "ladies
Of color" Respondent in the tulipiferous
bravery Of their church clothes, I over
heard this dialogue:
"Brer' Rylano" Qong the faithful white
pastor Of the First African church in
Richmond, We } Hwar' might s'vere 'pon
da-A.Ancin' ClriEhtyuns, g msWnin'. N
yit ne do read n de Bible Is how de
S-s-ngils n heGben does da-a.pce beto' de
LswCl"
"Dsps true, Sis 'Mely. But de
s-s-ngils doa' cross dey feetl Dat make
De d.f'runce tween holy N onrighteous
ds-s-ncin'. Crogsin' de feet g Whsr de
sin come mi"
At our calm distance from the desd and
gone issue We can eco no more valid ree-
son for condemDing the measured beat Of
heel aud toe TO merry music in good cOE-
pAnY and in good hours than fer prohibit
inc the rythmic stroke Of soldiers feet in
"mArking time" on parade. The differ
ence as expounded By dignjf2d divines
and sanity women resolves itself into
something 30 analogous to our colored
SISTERS distinction IS to reduce the whole
sISument to al aosurdity. The wicked
AN Of dancing is no longer insisted upon
Ay1 sny who are not fanatics or fools.
The eXpediency of the amusement in GER
tain aspects doubted by fair minded and
thoughtful people Of former generation
Is still in some minds an unsettled ques-
hon.
The heslthfulEess Of the pfsctics Gomez
naturally into prominence in series of
articles on girls, lSnd matters pertaining to
them. The deVotees of Terpsichore con-
slider this point triumphsntly disposed of
when the ballroom is compared to the
gymnGsium-so mauifestlY are the ad-
Yautsges Of the two modes Of exercise
with The hrst-,Gmed. The resching, lift
ing, and swinging required IN the latter
eften oVertsx 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 has the further recommendation of
being so far voluntary that one can
sbridge 1t without transgression Of rules.
That girls and boys do overtrain them
selves more or less in ambitious gJmnas-
tic snd cslisthenic exercises, Is q serious
fact. II they brought to these, bodies
equipped IS for the ballroom, permanent
Injury, II not cesth, iwould be the almost
csF!sin result. II, !nstesdsof the binding
corsage, voluminOus skirts, and tight
shoes she wears in the gsy throng Nef
evening, the girl would devise costume
for such occasions that should leave lungs
and heart as free to act as does thk plant
Jersey suit hanging on the pail .iH the
gymnasium wardrobe, she might Skint
the superiority Of the exercise she loves
aoose that performed by rule and meas
are for mere physical deVe opment. <
What enemy Of race, dependent for
stamina aud stability upon the health of
It's women, invented and ordained -Four
i'eveuing- dresses?" l sketch one Of nine,
setting of, not enVeloping that number Of
insns-lol king dsnosels pressed fat on q
fsshion-plste Of recent date. The mate
rial OF our Glove Of q gown" Is white
satin, oyerlsid with tulle. The long-point-
ed bodice-Wbst there is OF lifts like q
kid glove; q cath of roses fast on tina
Left shoulder, drosps low below the bust
until it finds safe lodgment on
the protuberAnt right nip. Folds
Of tulle meeting the garland, In "surplice"
style fsr below the breast Done, are con-
lined on the right shoulder by bow Of
ribbon. Sleeves there are none, unless
the obsolete articles are Indicated by the
said bow on one shoulder, and the flowers
on the other. The N-shAped exposure of
the chest is cOrroeorkted at the back BY
q pyramidol (inVertvd) vacancy between
the shoulder blades, which has the spinal
column as . visible centre. Long
gloves strain, il paroIysmal lmodesty,
to reach the ribbon knot and roses,
and fail by four inches of tender flesh. It
Is winter, apd undervest of merino or
sanitary flannel was stripped from should
ers. chest and arms before the wearer
"dressed" for the ball. She is padded
and pInioned, and her skirts are tied
painfully back over steel ribs that outbear
5 satin and tulle train.
In this rig-"cribbed, csbined snd con-
dRed'-she is to enjoy invigorating exer-
else, the poetry of motion, In q
roon heated by furnace, gas
and 8 crowd of steaming hunzh
bodies; the modlcum Of afr for which
her stays leave room in her lungs wfll be
bresthed fifty times Ovsr before her turn
comes. Some dozen years sgo enter
prising science bottled, when at its vilest, (
specimens Of the stuff inhaled by attend