News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1894-10-04
THE DANCE OF DEATH
DR.. TALMAGE FINDS A WARNING IN
THE DAUGHTER OF HERoDlAS.


Cases, but In All Ages 1t Has Been As
ISOLATED with the Lower Forms of Dis
sipation.
BROOKLYN, Sept. 30.-Rev. DIR. Tai
mage, who is still absent ON his round
the world tour, has selected rs the sub
feet of today's sermon through the
press THE Quick Feet, " the text chosen
being Matthew xiv, G, when Herod's
birthday was kept, the daughter Of He
rodias danced before them and pleased
Herod.''
1t is the anniversary of Herod's birth
day. The palace is lighted. The high
ways leading thereto are all ablaze with
the pomp of invited guests. Lords, cap
tains, merchant princes, the mighty
men of the land, are coming to mingle
in the festivities. The table is spread
with all the luxuries that royal purvey-
ors can gather The guest, white robed
and anointed and perfumed, come in and
sit at the table. Music The jests evoke
roars of laughter Riddles are PROFOUND
ed. Repartee is INDUCED. Toasts are
drunk. The brain is befogged. The wit
rolls ON into uproar and blasphemy.
They are not satisfied yet. Turn on
more light. Pour out more wine. Mu-
sic. Sound all the trumpets. Clear the
floor for dance Bring in Salome, the
beautiful and accomplished princess.
The door opens, and in bounds the dan
Ger. The lords are enchanted.
Stand back and make room for the
brilliant gyrationsl These men never
saw such poetry Of motion" Their
soul whirls in the reel and bounds with
the bounding feet. Herod forgets crown
and throne and everything but the fas
cinations of Salome. All the magnifi-
cence of his realm is as nothing now
compared with the splendor that whirls
ON tiptoe 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 bewitched with the taking
pastures and attitudes more and more
amazing. After awhile he sits in en-
chanted silence looking at the flashing,
leaping, bounding beauty, and as the
dance closes and the tinkling cymbals
cease to clap and the thunders of APP
plause that shook the palace begin to
abate the enchanted monarch swears to
the princely performer, Whatsoever
thou shalt ask of me will give it thee, to
the half of my kingdom. " Now, therewas
in prison at that time a minister of the
gospel of the name of John the Baptist,
and he had been making great deal Of
NV
and honest sermons 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 a dinner plate. "
The Head of John.
Hank to the sound of feet outside the
door and the clatter of swords! The eX-
ecutioners are returning from their aw-
full errand. Open the door! They enter,
and they present the platter to Salome.
What is on this platter? A new glass
of wine to continue the uproarious mer-
riment? No. Something redder and
costlier-the CHASTITY, bleeding head OF
John the Baptist, the death glare still
in the eye, the locks dabbled with the
gore the features still distressed with
the last agony.
This woman, who had whirled sc
gracefully i'll tho dance, bends over tho
awful burden without a shudder. She
gloats over the blood, and with as much
Indifference as waiting maid might
take tray of empty glassware out Of
the room after an entertainment Salomt
carries the discovered head of John the
Baptist, while all the banqueters shou
with laughter and think it good joke
that in SO easy and quick way they
have got rid of an earnest and outspo
ken minister of the gospel
You will all admit, whatever yo'
think of that style of amusement ant
exercise, that from many cicrles it ha
crowded out all intelligent converse
ton You will also admit that it ha
made the condition of those who d.
not dance either because they do no
know how or because they have not tn
health to endure it or because through
conscientious scruples they must declin
the exercise very uncomfortable. 4o
will also admit, all of you, that it ha
passed in many cases from an amuse
ment to a dissipation, and you are east
ly able to understand the bewildermen
of the educated Chinaman, who, stand
ing in the brilliant circle where Their
was dancing going on four or five hour
and the guests seemed exhausted, turn
ed to the proprietor of the house an
said, "Why don't you allow your SCI
wants to do this for you'll"
The Accountable Re und Dance.
You are also willing to admit wha
ever BIO your idea in regard to til
amusement am speaking of, and wha
ever be your idea of the old fashione
square dance, and of many of the pr
cessional romps in which l can see L
evil, the round dance is administrator
of evil and ought to be driven out I
all respectable circles. l am by natur
temperament and religious theory o.
posed to the position taken by all tho
who are Mortified at playfulness on Il
part of the young and who think tn
all questions are Neutrality-suspicious.
decency and morals-by the position
the feet, while, ON the other hand,