The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-14

announcing under flashing nead ines
how the guests are dressed, the length
thousand dollars in diamonds sparkied
upon their person. and such other nat
tering notice as tends TO encourage
the spirit of lavish expenditure.
The milliner. the jeweler. the hair
dresser N the dancing master all
have their share OF profits In the prepa-
ration for the popular ball. The ambi-
ton of the belle of the evening is 10 dis
play the gorgeous deckings OF her per-
son. rather than the beauties OF spirit
and excellences of life which are her
only true adornment. The
edged tendency of the dance Is to en-
courage unhealthful extravaganza.
"tb) But again. the modern dance
violates the universally recognized
laws of health. The exercise of dancing
under proper limitations of time. place.
scope and participants might be emf
nently healthfui, but such limitations
are not placed upon The dance. The
hours. the dress, the exposure. the ex-
citing scenes connected with the dance
all are conditions unfavorable TO
health. DIR. Hayden says: 'Proverbiaily
the dance seeks the cover of the night.
Dances are seldom well under way until
IL is time that they were dispersed. m
often do not end until the dawn of the
morning. The hours OF dancing are
thus those which nature and science
declare unfit for exercise. The dancer
seeks not recreation with n due regard
for freshness and vigor the next day.
but. ignoring the laws of health and
rest. INDUCES I'm dissipation which
leaves the body exhausted and ener-
waited. MIR. Wilkinson, writing upon
the modern dance, says: There is no
other social usage that, in my opinion.
is directly and Indirectly ~chargeable
with producing more ill-health. which
destroys the lifelong comfort of our
wives. sisters N mothers, than the
dance And DR.. Hickman says: With
in six months of this writing j have
been cognizant OF six sudden deaths
coming directly from the excitement
of the dance hall The dance is not
necessary to recreation. A woodland
rsmble. a tennis tournament. an arch
cry club, a bicycle or horseback ride
these furnish. in Gods own way. ten
fold more beauty to the eye and har-
mony to the ear than is provided by
the finest ball eve given, n they
leave behind them the red. pulsing blood
OF health and vigor. But the hot air.
the glaring gaslight. the excitement. the
midnight crowd. the loaded upper ia
ble-all OF these unite to leave only
debilitated and weakened bodies. 1t is
stated upon medical authority that the
lady who dances to excess seldom yes
to be over % years of age, and the ave-
rage age of the gentleman dancer Is 81.
"(c) The dance also is a hlndering in
fuence to the intellectual improvement
of society. In the rush and hurry OF
modern life most persons have all too
little time to devote to intellectual pur-
suits and the movements of human
history. Whatever estimate may be
put upon the dance. apart from Its as
IL certainly Is admitted that
participation in IL crowds out all OPP
portunity for intellectual conversation
and il not promotive OF mental vigor. a
French writer on. Bantain)
has. in a recent discussion. been lament
ing the decline i'm France of the art OF
conversation. and attributed ii to the
OF after-dinner smoking. Had he
been writing from the standpoint OF
American society. he would
been nearer the truth In represent
ing the accomplishment OF CONVERSE
ton as in danger of determination here
from the usurpation of the dance. "A
leading thinker says: The dance tends
to dissipation. loose habits OF
thought. weakened conscience n un-
fitness for public duty 1t Is true that
Il is unreasonable to demand that all
of the recreation of life be necessarily
an intellectual stimulus, but IL Is rea-
sonable to insist that our recreation be
not a moral and intellectual blight. In
a world full Of activities.
with interests that reach out to every
hand capable of work. AMI every mind
capable of thought, who would dare TO
filter away life i'm n whirl of sportive
p~leasure?'
"1d) But when I say that the dance
is a menace to Christian life | speak
I'm modest terms. Every writer or note
who has raised his protest against the
dance speaks not from theoretical but
from actual knowledge of its effects
as IL has appeared under their own
observation. Cuyler, Vincent, sinks,
Brand, Wilkinson, Faulkner, Hayden
and a multitude of others all depre-
cate the dance because OF results that
are all too apparent that follow in It's
train. There are many living Wit
nesses who declare that for years the
fascination OF the dance was the
stronghold of their resistance to the
spirit of God. I admit that there may
be. and hat there no are. those
n play cards. dance and attend thea
tiers who are still Christian men and
women. Early training and peculiar
environments have led them To look
upon these as harmless amusements.
But you will agree with me when l
a hat these are not the ones whose
life and influence IL the most heiplul
to the church. ON the contrary. the
common and almos universal fact Is
that in the proportion and to the ex-
tent that the dance. or these other
amusements are engaged i'm, to that
extent their influence Is impaired and
their spiritual life is toned down. DIR.
II. NJ. Penney says 4 have found
that those under the spell of these
amusements are the hardest to reach
and the first to backslide.' The Pres
byterian, Baptist. Methodi n con-
gregational churches are a unit i'm pro-
~nounclng against the dance OF
it's acknowledged blighting effects upon
Christian life. The Episcopal church
which is supposed to look upon the
matter with greater tolerance. gives no
uncertain utterance. as II comes from
the lips and pens of many of it's most
influential men. Bishop Hopkins OF
Vermont says: Its incongruity with
strict Christian sobriety and its ten
aaa,fas IN the love of destination are