Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-10-20
REV. DIR. TALNAGE
THE BROOKLYN DItINES
SUNDAY u

49, oAA@ - o1At@ls IL TX M
ing shereso ara all ablazs with the pomp Of
invited guests. LORDS. captains. merchant
princes, the mighty men OF the land, are
coming TO mingIe in the festivities. Tn
table 10 spread with oil the ls1ures thak
soys, p1.vsy9,s can A, ea,h.,; Thu tn;
Il. table. Nastc. The Jest. evoke
rars Of laughter. Riddles are propoundsd.'
Kepartes Is INDUCED. ToAsts are drunk.
The brain is belonged. The wit rolls on
,n,o ap,os ar, aud slasphemy. They are not
out more wine. Music. Sound all tbs
trumpets. Clear the doc. for a dancei
Bring in Salone. the beautiful and
acconp lished princess. The door opens.
and in bounds tho dancer. The lords arc
enchanted.
, Stand back and make room for the BRILL
ian' gyrations! These men never saw such
poetry Of motion" Their soul whirls in
the reel end bounds with the bounding feet.
Herod forgets crown and throne ard every
thing hut the destinations OF Salone. A!lths
rnagni1cence o: his realm is as nothing now
compared with the sp!endor that whirls on
tiptoe before him. His body sways
from side 10 side. corresponding with
the motions OF the encnantress. His
snul fa thrilled with the puisations OF tina
Ter. and bewttched with the taking posturrs
AMI attitudes more and more amazing. AT.
ter awhile he sits Ia enchanted silence look
Ing AZ the finishing. lea ping. bounding beau
~. eni as the dance closes ana the tinkling
evrnhais cease TO clap and the thunderS
OF applause that shook the palace begin
10 abate the enchanted monarch swears to
the prlncely performer, "Whatsoevcr
thou shalr ask OF me l will give it thee, to
the bali Of my KINGDOM" Now, there was
In prison at that time a minister Of tho Cos
pei o the name OF John tho Baptist, and he
hal been making q great deal OF trouble by
preaching some very plain and honest ser
mons. He had denounced the sins of the
King AMI brought down upon him the wrath
OF the females OF tho royal household. At
the lnS,igaiion OF her mother Salome takes
a vfnthge OF the extrnvaSant promise OF the
King and says, Bring me the head OF John
IN" Baptist on n dinner plate"
Har, to the sound Of feet outside the door
and the ciatter Of swords! The execution
els are returning from their awful errand.
Omen the door, They enter, and they pre-
sent the platter to Salome. What is on this
plaiter? A new glass OF wine to continue the
uproarious mer-iment? No. Something
r-dder and costlier-the CHASTITY. bleeding
head Of John the Baptist. tho death glare
still in the eye, the locks dabblei with tho
gore. tho features still distressed with the
llsl agony.
This woman, who had whirled so grace
fully IN the dance, bends over the awiutbur-
den without q shudder. She gio1ts over tho
floo |. and with as much Indifference rs 8
waiting mali might take a tray Of empty
glassware out OF the room after an enter
tiinmeG Saiome carries the discovered head
OF John the Baptist, while all the banqueters
STOUT with laughter and think it goo l joke
that III so easy and quick a way they have
got rid OF an earnest and outspoken minister
OF the gospel.
You will all admit. whatever you think OF
that style OF amusement and exercise, that
from many circles it has crowded out all in
l tifry W. will n4"~ 0l~t
that it has made the condition Of those who
do not dance, either because they do not
know how or because they have not the
health TO endure it. or because through con.
scientious scruples they must decline the ex-
%ercise, very uncomfortable. You will alse
admit, all OF you, that 1t has passed in many
cases from an amusement TO a dissipation,
and YOU are easily able to I'm terstand the
bewilderment Of the educated Chinaman.
who. standing in the brilliant circle where
there was dancing going on four OF five hours
AMI tho guests seemed exhausted, turne1 to
the proprietor Of the house and said. "Why
don't YOU allow your servants to do this for
you?'
You are also willing TO admit, whatever be
your idea in regard to the amusement that ]
am speaking OF. and whatever be your idea
OF the old fashioned square dance, and Of
many of the professional romps in which /
can see no evil. the round dance is admins
trative o. evil ana ought TO be driven out OF
all respectable circles. / am by natural tenn
peramcnt and religious theory opposed ia
tho position taken by all those who are hor-
ritied at piayfuiness on tho part OF tho
young. and who think that all questions are
decired -questions OF decency and morals
by the position OF the feet, while. on the
other hand. l can see nothing but ruin, tenn
poral and eternal, for those who go into the
designations ofsocial life-dissipations which
have already despoiled thousands Of young
men and Young women Of oil that is noble
in character and useful In lie.
Dancing is tho graceful motion OF thu
, body adjusted by art to the sound anc
d measure of musical instrument or OF tn
human voice. All nations have danced
/ The ancients thought that Castor an,
y Pollux taught the art to the Laced@mo
= mans. But whoever started it all CLINE
have adopted it. In ancient times the
had the fes,al dance. the ~railitar
: dance. the mediatorial dance, the bac
chanalian dance, AMI queens and lord
!, swayed to and 1ro in the gardens, and tn
rough backwoodsman with this exercis
awakened the echo OF the forest. Their
Is some,hins in the sound OF lively must
to evoke the movement OF the han
and foot. whether cultured or Ut
cultured. Passing down the street W
unconsciously keep step TO the souni Of tn
brass band. while the Christian in churc
with.his foot beats time while his soul rise
upon soIIe GREAT uaItlOQy. onlfS tNlS Is =
!: III civilized lands. the red men OF the fores
have their scalp dances. their green cor,
dances, their war dances. In ancient time
the exercise was SO utterly and completed
= depraved that the church mathematical il
The old Christian fathers expressed then
selves most vehem.nily- against it. S
> Chrysos'um says The feet were not give
: for dancing. but 70 walk modes.ly no, {
!. leap ~impudent!y. like canels." One OF ii
doyma's OF the ancien, church reads
q "A dance Is the devils possession. and n
r that entercsh into a ,.auce en;ereth into b
:. possession. As many PAGES as q man max
:, IN dancing, so many passes does he make ,
= hell" Elsewhere the Old dogmas declare
tbs: THE woman that sin4esh ia "a
dance isthe princess OF the devil, and tho:
that answer are her clerks. and the behoide
are his friends. and the music IS his below
and tie dddiers ara the ministers OF II
devil. For. as when hogs are s,rsyed, il Il
6ossnerd call one. all assemble together. {
when the devil cal,e;h Que vonao 10 81.
In the dance. Q. 10 play OF some musical 1
Gruneuts, presently n! tie cancers gath
together" This luAt>c y:1 - aad uuive
"a denuncia:ion o. the exercise cane TT
~" 'sc'ihas IL was utterly aad conpIc;,
cenlyAS