Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-10-05
THE DANCE OF DEATH
DIR. TALMAGE FINDS A WARNING IN
THE DAUGHTER OF HEROpIAS.

Dancing Might Not Be Sinful In Some |
Cases, but In All Ages 1t Has Been As |
ISOLATED with the Lower Forms of Dis
sipatlon.
BROOKLYN, Sept. 90.-Rev. DR.. Tai
mage. who is still absent on his round |
the world tour, has selected as the sub
iect of today's sermon through the
press 1.-THE Quick Feet, " the text chosen
being Matthew xiv, 6, 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 mlngle
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. Musicl 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
eoul is thrilled with the pulsatlons OF
the feet and bewitched with the taking
nostures and attitudes more and more
amazing. After awhile he sits in en-
cbanted silence looking at the flashing,
leaning. bounding beauty, and as the
dance closes and the tinkling cymbals
cease 10 clap and the thunders OF ap-
nlonse that shook the palace begin to
abate the enchanted monarch swears TO
the princely performer, Whatsoever
thou shalt ask Of me will give 1t thee, to
the halfof my kingdom. " Now, therewas
in prison at that time minister OF the
GOSPEL of the name Of John the Baptist,
and he had been making great deal OF
trouble by preaching some very plain
and honest sermons. He had denounced
the sins of the king and brought down
upou him the wrath of the females Of
the royal household. AT the instigation
of her mother Salome takes advantage
of the extrayagant promise of the king
and says, Bring me the head Of John
the Baptist on a dinner plate"
The Head of John.
Hark 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 SO
gracefully in the dance, bends over the
awful burden without shudder. She
gloats over the blood, and with as much
Indifference as a waiting maid might
fake tray of empty glassware out OF
the room after an entertainment Salome
carries the discovered head of John the
Baptist, while all the banqueters shout
with laughter and think it a good joke
that in so easy and quick a way they
have got rid of an earnest and outspo-
ken minister of the gospel.
You will all admit, whatever you
think of that style Of amusement and
exercise. that from many cicrles it has
crowded out all intelligent converse
ton. You will also admit 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
conscientious scruples they must decline
the exercise very uncomfortable. You
will also admit. all of you, that it has
passed i'll many cases from an amuse-
ment to dissipation, and you are east
ly able to understand the bewilderment
of the educated Chinaman. who, stand
ing in the brilliant circle where there
was dancing going on four or five hours
and the guests seemed exhausted, turn
ed to the proprietor of the house and
said, "Why don't you allow your SER
wants to do this for yOu""
The Accountable Round Dance.
You are also willing to admit. what
ever be your idea i'll regard to the
amusement am speaking of, and what
ever be your idea Of the old fashioned
square dance, and Of many of the pro-
cessional romps in which l can see no
evil, the round dance is administrative
of evil and ought to be driven out Of
all respectable circles. am by natural
temperament and religious theory OPP
posed to the position taken by all those
who are Mortified at playfulness on the
part of the young and who think that
all questions are neutrality-suspicious. Of
dccency and morals--by the position of
the feet, while, on the other hand,
can see nothing but ruin, temporal and
eternal, for those who 60 into the dissi-
pations of social life-dissipations
which have already despoiled thousands
of young men and young women of all
that is noble in character and useful in
life
The Old Time Dance,
Dancing is the graceful motion Of tho
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 and
Pollux taught the art to the Lacedemo-