Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-14

point necessary for naming the day. The rest
that Ia seyenty-seven couples, or 1G people
are married. Now. IL you will take any other
forty days in the year you will find that they
did not average moro than twenty-six couples
engaged, the proportion of casualties to pre-
vent consummation of engagements being the
same as In Lent. Therefore Lent. simply be-
cause it was Lent, produced eighty engage
as any other season Of the year was able to pro-
duce. Verify, Lent is good thing sometimes.
HARSH ON DANCING.
And Dancers, Too. Receive Little Mercy from
awestern Clergyman.
From the Kansas City Times.
The Rev. Frank d. Altman Of the Lutheran
Church preached upon 1.-THE Modern Dance
last evening. He chose his text from Ecclesi.
astes, lila Sand time to dance
He said: 'In the early ages the dance was de-
vout, appearing in the garb of religion as the
minister Of God. The Hebrews were accus-
toned to express their religious Joy and emo
ton in its rhythmic movements. As q religious
ceremony tine dance is recognized in the Scrip
lures, but as o social amusement it is nowhere
approved. 80 completely has the dance
changed from its ancient religious character
that the church now recognizes it as one of its
most dangerous foes. All who wish to main
tain godly life are warned against its insidi-
Gus charms
''The Roman Catholic church has been driven
by the observed evil influences of the dance to
forbid it in many Of its popular forms. The
Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and, indeed,
all evangelical churches, give their testimony
to the perils to vital goodness lurking in the
surroundings of the social dance. All dances
are not equally dangerous to good morals.
The dance in the home under the eve of par
ents and friends, select company, may be con-
sidered less injurious than the public hail.
And yet the dance is condemned without excep-
ton. If it shall ever appear that the dance
leads as many people toward godly life as it
now leads from it the church will no doubt
withdraw its protest, but while the drift is all
away from God toward the world and sin that
protest must stand.
"The dance is unfavorable to intellectual and
social development. The love and practice Of
this fascinating Amusement supplants and de-
stroys the love of solid study good reading, in
telligent conversation and the higher and bet
ter forms of social intercourse. Studies in
school are neglected, solid reading is aban-
doned, the growth and development Of the
nobler powers are stopped and life becomes
succession of frothy, unsubstantial sensations
and excitements. There is neither time nor dis
position left for the best work of life. Bring
together a company OF people accustomed to
gage them in intelligent conversation and the
mental vacancy will be apparent. An intelli-
gent lady said to minister on this subject:
but what can do with my company The
people of fashionable society do not read, they
are not capable of sustaining an interesting
conversation and there is no way Of entertain
ing them but by letting them dance This diff
fculty no doubt exists. People usually find
their highest Joy in the exercise Of their strong
est faculty, and If novel-reading, theater-
going. dancing, idle, goddess company is
brought together they would doubtless be
pleased with an invitation to use their heels
rather than their heads.
"The dance requires q wasteful expenditure
Of money. The dance has q large place in his
tory, in the work Of individual family and
national degeneracy and bankruptcy. 1t is in
close alliance with the goddess OF fashion and
worships at her shrine. 1t must have cos
tunes. equipages, splendid apartments and
feastings on an elaborate and expensive scale.
The grocer must hold his bill little longer,
the landlord must wait for his rent or look in
vain for the bird that has flown, the tailor may
collect his accounts as best he may, while
society wrings its demands from its victims.
take the reports OF one of our fashionable
balls, as they may be found in the daily papers,
and study the question Of expense. 1t discred-
its straightforward living. It stimulates the
thirst for fashionable life for display, luxury
and fast living, which wrecks more families
morally and financially than anything.
1.-THE associations Of the dance are evil. It
was nursed in the lap Of the wine god, Bacchus;
has kept company with the theater since they
were children together 1000 years ago. You
may almost always find it in the lettering
places Of the novel reading. the wine and beer
drinking, the profane and licentious classes,
but rarely may it be seen in the assemblies of
earnest students, great thinkers or devout
Christians. II we judge it by the company it
keeps you will hardly feel like introducing
your sons and daughters to its acquaintance.
The best people in society do not dance, and
for the reason that they think it unworthy Of
them. In the lowest and vilest grades OF So
ciety the dance is most popular and most COM
mon; as you rise in the grade Of intelligence
and moral excellence its popularity and use
decline, till you reach . point where it disap-
pears altogether.
''It is unfavorable to the right relation Of the
sexes. 1t requires neither brains nor good
morals to be q good dancer. In ancient times
the sexes danced separately. Alcohol is the
spirit of beverages. So sex is the spirit Of
the dance. Take it away and let the sexes dance
separately and dancing will soon go out OF
fashion. Parlor dancing is dangerous. Tip
ping leads to drunkenness and parlor dancing
leads to ungodly balls.
1.-THE dance is destructive to Christian life.
Many excellent people who are examples of
erful Christian soon finds that be must choose
between the dance and his religious life; he
cannot maintain both. Eighteen hundred
years of Christian history have worked over
and over again many OF the perplexing prob
lens with but one result"
Natural Gas Weather.
"The natural gas theory" laughingly said
Charles J. Person of Indiana in the New York
Telegram. "Have you heard Of that? Well. 1t
is exciting good deal Of comment with US and
think deservedly so. You know that Indiana
is now held responsible for the lack Of cold
winters in Detroit ana Chicago and along the