The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-04-06

words la the original" says DIR. Kit
TO, rendered in our translation by
this term, denote properly, 10 leap
for JOY, and this radical significance,
suggesting the idea OF abrupt and
boisterous gesticulations rather than
aserics OF regular and tasteful move
ments, seems well to cOmpOrt with
what we may suppose to have been the
primitive character OF the dance"
The character Of the ancient Hebrew
dance was very different from that OF
ours, as appears from the conduct Of
Miraim who took Il timbrel IN her
hand and all the women went out af-
ter her with timbrcls and with dam
ces." There are other references to
dancing in the Old Testament, of a
religious and patriotic nature, as
where the daughter OF Jepthah went
out to meet him with timbrels and
with dances" on his return from the
destruction OF the Amm0nites. Jdgs.
ll:34. In Exodus 32:ly we find Il ref
ercnce to dancing, where it is said,
And 1t came to pass as DOR as he
Moses came nigh unto the camp
after he had been on the mount forty
days with God, that he saw the calf
End the dancing, and Moses anger
waXed hot y n and he said unto
| Aaron What did this people unto
thee that thou has brought so great Il
sin upon them p" Read the remain
der of the chapter and let the three
thousand who died that day on ac-
count of their licentious worship of
the golden calf show whether Gods
word always speaks apprOvingly Of
dancing. Again in job 2l:ll, Job is
speaking of the prosperity of the
wicked, and says. They send forth
their little ones like Il flock, and their
children dance" But as a sequel of
their lives, he says in the 18th verse.
''They are as stubble before the wind
and as chatf that the storm carrieth
away" Does that look like approval?
Permit n more reference. "And
when the daughter of the said HerOd-
las came in and danced and pleased
HerOd and those that sat with him,
the king said unto the damsel, ASK OF
me whatsoever thou wilt and | will
give it thee unto the half of
my Kingdom" Mark 6:22-23. 1t was
IA grand offer: a Kingdom and power
and luxury and wealth But John
the Baptist had mortally offended the
wicked mother OF the dancing girl,
charging her with incestuouS rcla-
tiOns with Hcrod, and nothing but
his life would satisfy her hate. And
so at once, before the half drunken
king should have time to become so.
Der and repent Of his rash promise,
she demanded and received the CORY
head of the %forc-runncr OF the Mes
slah. And yet the Bible speaks only
apprOvingly Of dancing 1t only re.
mains to say in the language OF KittU,
that the jewish dance was perform
ed by the seXeS separately. There Is
no evidence from sacred history that
the diversion was pr0miscuOuSly en-
j0yed, except it might be at the cree.
ton of the deitled calf when in imita-
ton of tho Egyptian festival of Apis
all classes of the Hebrews intermin-
glcd in the frantic rcvelry."
The well-knOwn words of Cicero,
that ''no onc dances unless he is eth
err drunk or mad" express the pre-.
vaillng sense OF the improperly of
respectable individuals taking part in
it, and show how great a concession
it was on the part of Il princess, albeit
presumably Il wicked woman, to thus
expose herself in the presence of a
king and his court.
The modern ball room dance must
lind its origin not in the religious feS-
tiyitieS of the Hebrews, but in the H.
rpnt mons nrUinc which voro prrct ;oo1