Richmond planet., 1899-10-21

Corrupt than that of Greeks and 20
maus-lRtoxication Of Moment DeadenI
| Womsnly Sense Of ModestY..
The following sermon which wa,
published in the Washington Posr O,
Octooer 9Th, has created much com.
ment in Washington circles. It has
been the subject for an editorial in the
columns OF that journal and Rev. Mr..
HOUSE has found it necessary 10 write
two articles since in defense of his DO
sition:
| "A large audience was present At the
twelfth Street Methodist Chureh eo
hear the sermon OF Rev. @. n. House
on the subject OF The Dance" The
minister did not stop to varnish his
statements. and, as he warmed up 70
MS Topic he made G scathing attack on
the the evils OF the dance aud the fri
voilty OF society in general. He
traced the history OF the :pastime from,
early history TO the present, and at
tempted to show the utter depravitv
OF tne dance as practiced by the socfe
ty OF to-day.
is sad in the Bible," began the
dance. This is favorite text with n
grest many ueople. How they build
arguments upon 1t. They sesm better
acquainted with it than almost anv
other passage in the book. One would
CONSIDER from the way they seem to
love and rovere these few words that
they really considered it to De a nosf
soiema and binding commandment,
and actually feel that the Lord made q
mistake In not making il q part of the
oScAIogue- They grow still happier
When they read how David, the proph-
et, ana q man after Gods own heart,
hears- We find certain class of nea-
pie hght.footee, empty hesrtsd, con
sclence-trOubled professors of relicinn
VINO try to make their doinps appear
as respectable as possible
DANCE OF THE BIBLE.
The minister told how the dancing
spoken OF in the Psalms was a mode ~
religious worship, and was very differ
ent In style from that OF to-day. He
ToIo now Davld danced before the
Lord with all his might Yes"
sAlo tne minister, and he began his
uance with prayer, and in the midst of
It. he prayed and praised the Lord
why don't they have q minister of the
gospe! co open the charity ball bv read
ing the thirteenth chapter of the 1sk
Oorlnthians, which is the charity chan-
ter OF the Bible, and after reading
Gods word in the ballroon offar
prayers for the dancers =? These in
tneir scAnt clothes, expose their nudity
ana saamelessness aud want of true
modesty. and waste ia their outfits
Hucn more than they bring IN for
cuArlIy sake Sham3 upon any man
or woman who would SO baseIv prost;-
tute the name OF charity to ths con.
Venience OF worldly amusement"
The pastor holds that dancTnc ia on.
poseo 60 and destroys true religion.
ana therefore Is an evil. Shall the
church, hequesti1ned, allow its mem
Ders TO mix with the world. tba f1aeh
and the devil in the social dance the
party hop, aud the public bali I? The
dances IN the ancient times differed
from those OF to-day in that they were
performed by the sexes apart, the
women dancing together and the men
day?
IN BALLRooMs AND TzRArERs.
$50 to some of the theaters - he oon-
tinued. 'or to the ballsooms. or to tha
houses Of her whose way leads down
to hell IN this, our land and day. even
IN our own fair city, and you will lnd
dancing associated with sights and
sounds OF debauchery and impuritv
just as rank and just as helI-iike az
were the dances OF Greeee and Rone
In France, for example, we find the
greatest dancers in the world. II is
known fact that all professional dane
ing masters and mistresses are from,
France. and, according to good author
ity, virtuous. pure woman in France
is an exception.
Public dancing and moral iniouitv
go hand in hand. It brings the virtn-
Gus and pure-minded into asEociation
with the vile and low. At puhIio
dances are found people of almost All
grades OF character, from the innoeent
pure minded girl TO the debsuohad fon
and degraded rake.
There are women who dance with
men amid the excitemeflt. and think n
All right, but who would scorn To rec
ognize them on the street or entartsin
them IN their parlor. It is the inkoxi-
ca5ion or the thing that duIls and dead
{ ns she woman's true sense of modes.
" and.propriety, and in the excitement
sne allows liberties taken with her
shat, n attempted anywhere else.
would burn her cheeks with shame and
arcn her brow with contempt. Dane
ing infiames the passions, it deadens
sne womanly reserve and modeetv. and
QeatrOYg the manly reaDaok md -