The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-10-10
EVILS OF THE DANCE.
DR., Tslmage on the Dao gers CT Social
Dissipation.

the world tour, has selected as the SUBJ
ject of today's sermon through the press
s'The Quick Feet" the text chosen be-
Ing Matthew XIV, 6, "Wben HNrod's
birthday was kept, the daughter Of Hero.
dias danced before them and pleased
Hsred." ---
It is the anniZs5s6ry Of Herod's birth
day. (TTe paiace is lighted. The high
-EaYs leading thereto are all ablazs 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 purVe7ors can
gather. The guests, white robed and
snolnted and perfumed, come IN and
sit at the table. Music! The Jests
evoke roars of laughter. Riddles are
propounded. Repsrtee is indu!ged.
Toaats are drunk. The brain is befogged.
The wit rolls on into uproar and bias
phemy. They are not satisfied yet.
Turn on more light. Pour out more
wine. Music! Sound all the trumpets.
Clear the floor for dance. Bring IN
SaIome, the beautiful and accomplished
princess. The door opens, and IN
bounds the dancer. The lords are en-
chsnted. Stand back and make room
for the brilliant gyratons! These men
never saw such poetry Of motion"
The soul Whirls in tile reel and BOUNDS
with the bounding feet.
Herod forgets crown and throne ana
everything but the fasciuations OF Sa'
lone. All the msgnifcence Of his realm
is as nothing now compared with the
splendor that Whirls on tiptoe betore
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 bewltched
with the taking pestuSes and attitudes
more and more amazing. After awhile
hessits in enchanted silence looking at
the flashing, leaplng, bounding beauty,
and as the dance closes, and the tinknng
cymbals cease to clap, and the thunders
of applause that shook the palace begin
to abate, the enchanted monarch sTears
to the princely performer, "WhatsoeVer
thou shalt ak of me 1 will give it thee,
to the half of my kingdon." NoW,
there was N the prison at that time q
minister of the gospel Of the name Of
John the Baptist, and be 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 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 q dinner plate"
Hark to the sound of feet outside the
door and The clatter ofsWords! The ex.
ecutioners are returning from their awful
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 uproarlous mer-
riment? No. Something redder and
costner-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
30 gracefully in the dance, bends over
the awful burden without a shudder.
She gloats over the blood, and with as
much indifference as a waiting maid
might take tray Of empty glassware
out of the room after al entertainment
Salome carries the discovered head OF
John the Baptist, while all the banquet
ers shout with laughter and think it s
good joke that in so easy and quick q
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 amusemeDl and ex-
ercise, that from many circles It has
crowded out 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-
hous scruples, they must decline the
exercise, very uncomfortable. You
will also admit, ali of you, that it has
passed in many cases from an amuse-
ment to a dissipation, andyou ere easily
able to understand the bewildelment OF
the educated Chinaman who, standing IN
the brilliant circle where there was
dancing gong on four Or five hon:s 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 an speaking OF, and whatever be
YOUR idea of the old fashioned square
dance and of many of the professional
romps in which see no evil, the rouud
dance is administrative Of evil and ought
to be driven out of allrespectable circles
I ana by natural temperament and re-
ligious theory opposed to tho position
taken by all those who are horriied at
plaYfulness on the part Of the young,
and who think that all questions are &C.
cided-questions ofdecency and morsla
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 ,dissipatioDs Of social
life, dissipations which have already des:
poiled thousands OF young men ano
Young women Of all that is noble II
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 ol
the human voice., All nations ba75
danced. The ancients thought that
Castor and Pellux taught the art to the
Lace6amonians. But, whoever started
it, all climes have adopted it.
In ancient times they had the festal
dance, the bacchanalign dance, and
queens and lords swayed to and fro il
the gardens, and the rough backWoods-
man with this exercise awakened the
echo Of the forest. There is something
IN the sound of liveIy music to evoke
the movement OF the hand snd foot,
whether cultured or uncultured. Pass
ing down the street We uucoosc!GuSlY
keep step to the sound Of the brass band
while the Christian II church with his
foot beats time while his soul rises upon
some great harmony. While this is so
~ ha