Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-25
DANCING AND SKATING.
Words to Girls-The Dance q Mere
Adjunct to Flirting and Marriage.
Social Fishing Ponds Of To- Day The Con-
trast of Skating-why Every Girl
Should Skate-Ice Champions.
Tcopyrieht 1880. bv the Author. !

Copyright $780, by the Author.l
1t has been said by tbs wise OF all age
that men and women may bt
judged by their amusements; that is thai
their character may be accurately teste
by the things which afford them pleasure
! or recreation: because such things are
the expression of their Individual taste;
though it is true that even amusemsnts
are controlled by season, fashion, local.
Ity, and various other determining
| causes.
| However, it may be safely asserted
that during the present winter months
dancing and skating are likely to pre-
| dominate, and if, 81 only think my
thoughts, perhaps they III please to con-
slider whether they will not think that
! they may seem to deserve their consider
| ation.
First, l would suggest to those who
make profession of pleasure, that they
| might find a more satisfactory way Of
seeking it, than by spinning like a tee
to-tum In room of eighty degrees tenn
perature. Dancing that means anything
l have high respect for, not forgetting
the number OF respectable names associ-
ated with the exercise in Biblical history.
But think it must have been o very diff
ferent kind of thing from our shuffiing
of feet-this way, that way, and no way
in particular. Certainly, il Herodias'
doughter had danced a modern cotillicn
John Baptist's head would never have
fallen at her feet.
All ancient dances were symbolical; they
meant something. Every motion was
fnA
The religious dances of Judas were tri-
umphant alteration; the martial dances
of Greece, the very romance of military
enthusiasm; the comic dances of South
ern Europe, better than a play; the fan
dango of Spain. as an expression of the
whole passion of love able to move the
stony hearts of an Inquisitorial Con-
sistory.
Coming nearer to our own time. Sir
John Davis wrote poem Gas good as a
Sermon In favor of the dance; Milton
looked with more pleasure on the feats
of the light, fantastic foot than his Puri-
tan principles warraD ted; Locke advised
that every child be taught dancing; Sully
was himself an accomplished dancer; aud
Richelleu used to pay court to Anne OF
Austria by performing before a saraband
IN which he was dressed IN green velvet,
with bells on his feet, and castanets in
his hand. But their stately movements
and graceful minuets were very different
things from our slouohing, mathemati-
cal dswdling and promNcuous spinning
and bobbing around.
What does our modern dancing mean?
And what is its object? The first ques-
tion l am unable to find any answer to;
the latter. l think, may be more easily
resolved. For If We admit dancing to be
q proper adjunct to flirting and mere
business, its value is EVIL
dent. 1t puts all men upon the same in
tellectual level. It is not given to many |
to talk sensibly and well at q moments |
notice; but they can all "Iook unutter-
able things II also gives shy men an |
easy passport to the proximity of the |
girl they would not dare TO approach |
without its license. And II permits him |
advantages the promenade or CONVERSE
ton simply would not tolerate.
In this light it hasla positive value In
the matrimonial market, and conse-
quently 1t Is q real commercial value.
But it turns q salon or drawing room into
3 social fishing pond, and though being
aneled for may be delightfully."- exciting
game, there Il always the drawback of
being liable to be caught.
Now, the true foundation of amuse-
nent is not Interior profit of any kind
{ is that demand for social intercourse
produced by high animal spirits and
light hearts, and IL our Thermometers do |
their duty below freezing point, this end
will soon be admirably attainable in the
exercise OF skating.
No pursuit 10 90 purely idle. gay, aris-
:ocratio. For it does not depend upon
,leverness, strength or gracefulness 30
nuoh a. upon sslf-confdence and prso-
ice. The nrst OF these qualities is the