The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-10-10
EVILS OF TIE DANCE.
DR., Tslpnase on the Dangers Of Social
Diss.patton.

DR., Tslmage on the ;Dsrgers OF s,cis
D1ss.psttos.
BROOKLYN, Sept. 30.-Rev. Dr.. Tai
mage, who is still absent on his roune
the world tour, has selected IS the sub
isct of today's sermon through the press
s'The Quick Feet" the text chosen be-
ing Matthew XIV, 6, "When HArod's
birthday was kept, the daughter Of Hero.
dias danced before them and pleased
HereG.'
It is the anniversary Of Herod's BIRTH
day. The palace Is lighted. The high
ways lesaing thereto are sll ablaz, With
the pomp of invited guests. Lords, cap.
tains, merchant princes, the mighty men
of the land, are coming 10 mingle IN the
festivities. The table is spread with al
the luxuries that royal purveyors can
gather. The guests, white robed and
snointed and perfuned, come II and
sit al the table. Music! The jests
evoke roars of laughter. RIDDLES are
propounded. Rspsrtee is lndu'ged.
Toasts are drunk. The brain is befogsed.
The wit rolls on into uproar and bias.
phemy. They are not satisfied yet.
Turn on moro light. Pour out more
Eine. Music! Sound all the trumpets.
Clear the floor for g dance. Bring IN
Sslome, the beautiful and accomplished
princess. The door opens, and IL
bounds the 5arcer. The lords are en-
= ehanted. Stand back and make room
for the brilliant gyratlons! These men
never saw such ''poetry Of motion
The soul Whirls in tie reel and bounds
with the bounding feet.
Herod forgets crown and throne anc
everything but the fasciuations OF Sa'
lone. All the msgnifcence Of his realm
is as nothing BOW compared with the
splendor that whirls on tlptoe before
him. His body sways from side to side,
corresponding with the motions Of the
enchantress. His soul is thrilled with
the pulsations of the feet and bewltcheo
with the taking pestuzes and attitudes
more and more amazing. After awhile
he:sits in enchanted silence looking ST
the flashing, leaping, bounding beauty,
and as the dance closes, and the tlnkllng
cYmbals cease to clap, aud the thUnders
Of applause that shook the palace begin
to abate, the enchanted monarch sWears
to the princely performer, "Whatsoever
thou shalt ak of me I will give it thee,
to the half Of my kingdom" Now.
there was IN the prison st that time s
minister of the gospel Of the name OF
John the Baptist, and ne had been
making great deal Of trouble by
preaching some very plain and honest
sermons. He had den ounced the sins
of the king and brought down upon him
the wrath OF the females OF the royal
household. Atthe instigation OF her
mother, Salome takes advantage OF the
extrayagsnt promise Of the king and
says, 'sBring me the head OF John the
Esntist on dinner plste."
Hark to the sound Of feet outside the
door and The clatter ofswords! The ex.
ecutioners are returning nom their sWtol
errand. Open the door. They enter,
and they present the platter to Salone.
What is on this platter? A new glass
of wine to continue the uproarious mer.
rinente No. Something redder and
Dcosther-the CHASTITY, bleeding head OF
John the Baptist, the death glare still Ii
the eve, the locks dabbled with the gore
the features still distressed with the last
agony. This woman, who had wh!rled
30 gracefully in the dance, bends over
the awful burden without shudder.
She gloats over the blood, and with as
much indifference as q waiting maid
might take tray Of empty glassyscse
out of the room after s:erIertalnment
Sslome c:s.sslss me discovered head Of
--o;,n the Bsptist, while all the banquet
ers shout with laughter and think it q
good Joke that in so easy and quick s
way they have got rid Of en- earnest sno
oatspoken minister Of the gospel.
You will all admit, whatever you
think of that style amusement aid ex-
ercise, that from many circles 1t has
crowded ont all intelligent conversation.
You will also admit that it was 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 conscien.
tlous scruples, they must decline the
exercise, very uncomfortable. You
will also admit, al of you, that It has
passed in many cases from an amuse.
ment to dissipation, andjou are easily
able to understand the bewilde1nent OF
the educated Chinamsn who, standing IN
the brilliant circle where there was
dancing gong on four or FIVE hcnrs and
the guests seemed exhausted, turned 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, what
ever your idea in regard to the amuse'
ment am speaking Of, and whatever oe
your idea of the old fashioned square
dance and of many of the professional
romps in which I see no evil, the rouud
dance is administrative Of evil and ought
to be driven out of sllrespectable circles.
lam by natural temperament and re.
ligious theory opposed to the position
taken By all thcse who are horriied at
playfulness on the part OF the young,
and who think that al questions are de-
cided-ouestions Of decency and morsls
by the position OF the feet, while, On
the other hand, I can see nothing but
ruin, temporal and eternal, for those
who go into the dissipations of social
life, dissipations which have alreacy des-
poiled thousands OF young men and
young women Of all that is noble IN
character and useful in life.
Dancing Is the graceful motion Of the
body adjusted by art to the sound and
measures of musicul instruments or OF
the hurnaa voice. ell nations have
danced. The ancients thought that
Castor and Pelux taught the art to the
Lace6emonians. But, whoever started
it, all clirnes have adopted It.
In ancient times they had tbs festal
dance, the bacchanalian dance, snd
queens and lords sWayed to and fro in
the gardens, and the rough bacKwoods-
man with this exercise awakened the
echo of the forest. There Is something