The Penn's Grove record., 1896-01-31
STILL AN
EDITOR PENIS GROVE RECORD

Die. Alasl L am again mistaken. Last
week Opinionist was to the fore with a
string of so.called scriptural references
which is, to put it mildly appalling.
1t is not my purpose to make any re.
ply to these, 1 do not know that there
is anything 10 which a reply should be
made, so far as the teaching of the BIZ
BILE for or against dancing is concerned.
1 leave this for those who know.
But Opinionist says some harsh
things about Moses. These 1 repeat,that
your readers may give them a second
reading: Upon the return of Moses
from Mount Sinai finding the children
of Israel dancing and w%orshiping a
golden calf, lie few into a passion,
smashed the tablets of stone against
the foot of the mountain, and slaugh.
tered 1900 of them"
If Opinionist knows anything about
Moses, some of us will have to revise
our opinion of the 'meekest of men,
Somebody has said: 1T is easy to say
bad things of a dead man, Well, Nos
es is dead. He has been dead a long
time, more than three thousand years !
Query-Does this account for Opinion
lists remarksP An infnitesimal guam
tity of courage, might give a a suf-
fcent bravado to enjoy mud singing,
when the target is a dead man, II
dead for thousands of years.
Now about the Prodigal Son. Opin-
ionist seems to be on the inside track.
He seems TO have enjoyed special OPP
portunities for ascertaining all the de-
tails incidental to the return of the
prodigal. Perhaps Opinionist was there.
Once upon a time, a preacher was
telling bis congregation the story of the
PrOdigal Son. Among other things he
said: For many long gears the father
kept the tatted calf waiting for the re.
tarn of his son. A scoffer said, that
zeal must have been pretty tough beef,
after being kept many long years. 1t
does seem a little funny, and yet, Opin-
ionist can go that preacher n better.
He says: 1.-THE return of the prodigal,
st. Luke 1926, being much after the
fashion of the present day, where a par
ty is given and dancing INDUCED in to
celebrate the return of Il son or daugh-
ter, after a long absence from home"
OF course the father knew just what
day the son would return; of course he
sent out invitations two weeks previous
Just as we do after the fashion of the
present day, where a party is given to
celebrate the return of a SOIL or daugh-
ter No doubt this all happened just
as Opinionist says, for there is nothing
Of the agnostic about him. But l would
not have any n think L have over
looked what Opinionist has said about
the benefits of dancing. Not by any
means, for see, here it is; just as l cut
it out of the paper. Read IL over again:
"Dancing is frequently INDUCED in for
| the benefit of the poor in our large cit
les, the results of which are beneficial,
consequently that which renders relief
to the suffering and distressed must
necessarily be in accord with the desire
of 4 Creator"
suppose we should believe that dane
ing is the way to relieve suffering and
distress, to alleviate the misery of pow
erty. If l could believe this, l should
buy a few waltzss and keep them on
hand for the benefit of the poor fellows
who some times ask me for u meal.
And yet, miserable agnostic that l am,
l am inclined to think that beefsteak
and coffee would he more acceptable to
an empty stomach than all the values
ever written.
If however, we a he sure that
dancing will relieve suffering and dis
tress; if Opinionist a furnish data to
prove his assertions, 1 have an excellent
| plan, a wonderful scheme for the relief
| of poverty, distress and suffering. /
hope every reader of the RECORD Will
carelniiy read Tie piah ior L "h very
proud oil II.
here IL 10. Lev hisner Nioiai''y'
Atiiie'e' opli'oh's' anu iUiIn
a league. This league to be called
Inc hi'osol h'o-oocio D"'o
Ing y ih'eh'ois anu ""na0',
ufefs OF Tue oh'y genuine universal
panacea Tor Inc complete cur OF suffer-
ing, distress ana poverty NONE sehu-
Inc unless 'he hame oi 'he ieasuS 10
oio"h Oh the oo.tie'
am serious ABOUT MS 'e"sue. ine
possioi'is'es are hhiim''eu' we Can
adapt our iemedies 10 d." cohui''on'