The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-10-04
DIR. TALMAGE ON DANCING.
THE CHASTITY GLIDE.
The Multitude of Midnight Reveiers wno
Become Imbeciles.

TEXT when Herod's birthday was kept,
the daughter OF Herodias danced before them
and pleased Herod."-Matthew XIV, 9.
II is the anniversary OF Herod's birthday.
Tho palace is lighted. The highways lead
ing thereto are all ablaze with the pomp OF
invited guests. Lords. captains, merchant
princes. the mighty men OF the land, are
coming TO minge in the festivities. The
table is spread with all the luxuries that
royal purveyors can gather. The
per'umed, come in and sit a,
the table. Music The jests evoke
roars OF laughter. Riddles are propounded.
Repartee is INDUCED. Toasts nre drunk.
The brain is befogged. The wit rolls on
into uproar and blasphemy. They are not
satisfied yet. Turn on more light. Pour
out moro wine. Music. Sound all the
trumpets. Clear the floor for n dance !!
Bring in Salome, the beautiful and
accomplished princess. The door opens,
and in bounds the dancer. The lords are
enchanted.
sStand back and make room for the brill.
liant gyrations These men never saw such
poetry OF notion" Their soul whirls in
the reel end bounds with the bounding feet.
Herod forgets crown and throne ard every
thing but the destinations OF Salome. Allths
magnifcence OF his realm II rs nothing now
compared with the splendor that whirls on
tiptoe before him. His body sways
iiVh sAhc W hiuFs corresponding WIFI
the motions OF the enchantress. His
soul Is thrilled with the pulsations OF the
feet and bowitched with the taking postures
and attitudes more and more amazing. AZ
ter awhile he sits Ia enchanted silence look
ing at the flashing, leaping, bounding beau
~, and as tho dance closes and the tinkling
cymbals cease to clap and the thunders
OF applause that shook the palace begin,
TO abate the enchanted monarch swoars TO
the princely performer, 'whatsoevcr
thou shalt ask OF me will give IL thee, to
the half OF my kingdom" Now, there was
In prison at that time a minister OF tho gos-
pei OF the name OF John the Baptist, and he
had been making great deal OF trouble by
preaching some very plain and honest SER
mons. He had denounced the sins Of the
king and brought down upon him the wrath
OF the females OF the royal household. At
the instigation OF her mother Salome takes
advantage OF the extravagant promise OF the
king and says, Bring me the head OF John
the Baptist on dinner plate.'
Hark to the sound of feet outside the door
and the clatter Of swords The execution
ers are returning from their awful errand.,
ODen the door They enter, and they pre-
sent tho platter TO Salome. What is on this
platter7 A new glass OF wine TO continue tho
uproarious merriment2 No. Something
redder and costlier-the ghastly, bleeding
head OF John the Baptist, the death glare
still in the eye, the locks dabbled with tho
gore, the features still distressed with tho
last agony.
This woman, who had whirod so grace
fully In the dance, bends over the awiulbur
den without shudder. She gloats overt
blood. and with as much Indifference as
waiting maid might take tray OF empty
glassware out OF the room after an enter
tainment Salome carries the discovered head
OF John the Baptist, while all the banaueters
shout with laughter and think 1t q good joke
that in so easy and quick 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
-, trom %?.ay circ'.s II has crowded oGi All In
telligent conversation. You will also admit
that II 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 1t, or because through con-
sclontious scruples they must decline the ex-
ercise, very uncomfortable. You will also
admit, all OF you, that 1t has passed in many
cases from an amusement to a dissipation,
and you are easily able to understand the
bewilderment OF the educated Chinaman,
who standing in the brilliant circle where
there was dancing going on four or five hours
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 whatever be
your idea In regard to the amusement that l
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 OF evil ana ought TO be driven out of
all respectable circles. am by natural tenn
peramcnt and religious theory opposed TO
the position taken by all those who are hor-
riiled at payfulness on the part OF the
Al. i'll. al. H..
decided-questions OF decency and morals
by the position OF the feet, while. on the
other hand, j can see nothing but ruin, tenn
poral and eternal, for those who go into the
dssipatioDs OF social life-iisspations which
have already despolled thousands OF young
men and Young women Of all that is noble
in character and useful in lie.
Dancing is the graceful motion OF the
body adjusted by art TO the sound and
measure of musical instrument or OF the
human voice. All nations have danced
The ancients thought that Castor ant
Pollux taught the art to the Lacedemo
ninns. But whoever started 1t all cline:
have adopted 1t. In ancient times they
nal tho iesta1 dance, the military
dance. the mediatorlal dance, the bac
chanalian dance, and queens and lord.
swayed TO and fro in the gardens, and the
rough backwoodsman with this exercise
awakened the echo of tho forest. There
- somctnluk III tne sOuuu OF lively muSli
TO evoke the movement of the han,
and foot, whether cultured or un
cultured. Passing down the street WI
unconsciously keep step TO the sound of thu
brass band. while the Christian in churcl
with his foot beats time while his soul rise:
upon some great harmony. While this is sc
III civilized lands, the red men OF the forest
have their scalp dances, iheir green corr
dances, their war dances. In ancient time:
the exercise was SO utterly and completely
depraved that the church anthematized IL
The old Christian fathers expressed them
selves most yehemently against Il. 81
Chrysoslum says "rhe feet were not glvel
for dancing, but 10 walk modestly not I,
leap impudently, like camels." One of tn
dogma's OF tho ancient church reads
"A dance Is the DEVILS possession, and h,
that entereth into dance entereth into hi
possession. As many PAGES as a man make
In dancing, 30 many passes does no make e
hell" Elsewhere the old dogmas declare,
this "The woman that slngeth In tn
dance is the princess OF the devil, and thos
that answer are her clerks, and the beholder
arc his friends, and the music Is his bellows
and the fiddleTs ara the ministers OF th