The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-08-12
SUNDAY SERVICES.
Dancing Comes Under Review 1T
Methodist church Card Playing
and Theatres also Touched UpOn.

The Presbyterian church and the Associate
Reformed church and the Episcopal church
we're closed last Sunday The members en,iS ,Sd OF
Methodists and the Baptists.
Rev. P. B. Wells conducted the service In
the Methodist church, and the Rev. Mr.. Buch-
holtZ, the new pastor, led the divine service
ut the Baptist church.
Mr.. Wells got along finely with his sermon
from the beginning until It's conclusion. Dur
Ing his discourse he made some remarks rn
what may be termed tine lesser sins. or the
doubtful amusements. The learned divine
had much TO say about the love OF the world
excluding the love OF God from our hearts,
and he rung the changes on these words from
the beginning to the ending Of his remarks.
The pious divine, however, failed to define
exactly what he meant by the expression
and, therefore, according to the construction
put upon 1t, he may have been perfectly cor
rect.
ON some of his specifications as to what
comes under the head "love OF the world" he
enumerated: The theatre, card playing and
dancing. He thought all these were sinful,
and he inveighed against them, using the
stock expressions In reference thereto.
He did not specify wherein the theatre and
cards were wrong. except that In them were
waste OF valuable time, and these pleasures
He dwelt at great length on dancing and
thought that 1t Was evil. He even went 20
far as to excite the sentiment in at least one
Of his hearers, name ~: That even the
preacher III Tue LOTQ uOly leLllple suOu u Iu-
form himself that he might be just 10 those
whom he was arraigning.
AS TO Theatres.-To condemn all theatrical
performances Is about like commencing all
books or AL newspapers, when we know that
some are good and some are bad.
There are three great forces that rule and
govern the human mind and heart
First-rhe pulpit.
Second-The press.
Third-The theatre.
The pulpit being the fountain head from
which all light should proceed, 1t is neediul
therefore tnat the pulpit should know some.
thing Of the world" that 1t may deal fairly
with all mankind, even as our Saviour was
mindful OF 1.-The world" Our Heavenly
Father 80 "loved the world" that he sent his
only Son TO save "the world" and not to SEN
sshI Whieh our Saviour established for the sava.
tion OF "the world" would not now separate
itself from 1.-THE world" TO organize an exclu.
sive little association which Is made of supe-
rior clay, and whose members were better
than the rest OF US.
Evil creeps into all the walks Of life, and
sometimes even the sacred precincts Of the
holy temple are Invaded by error. No place
on earth is safe from the assaults OF sin.
But there are three great agencies by which
the human heart may be reached, and each
may be a power to bring good TO "the world"
In the human heart responsive cord may be
had in each. The craving for the theatre ts
universal. and will continue as long as 1t Is
peopled by the creatures who now tnhabit
the world or walk upon the face OF the globe.
The theatre appeals alike to the cravings Of
the high and the lowly. 1tis both spectacular
and intellectual. 1t plays upon the senses Of
sll, and appeals to the mind and heart of all,
and II will remain with US for all time. Its
influence will be for good or evil according to
the character OF the play and the manner OF
Its acting.
Instead. therefore, attempting the impos-
sible in the effort to destroy 1t, let us recog.
nize the fact that 1t will exist and continue
if directed to the publication OF the stage and
10 the encouraging Of the demand for purer
acting, might do much good. Without
the presence Of good people the stage would
lore, church people would exercise more care
in selecting the plays which they witness,
their act would have tendency to purify the
theatre.
morality, the theatre, like the press, Should be
utilized by the church, even as 1t uses the
press. to promote to holy ends and purposes
of the church. They could be made the hand.
more destroy the theatre than the theatre can
destroy the church. United, they are the
greatest possible force for good.
We understood the preacher TO say that
dancing bad low origin. and that IT could
be learned and practiced alike by savages
and monkeys. suggesting TO US the Idea that
he had In mind the Indian war dance oil
cruelty and death.
III
herein notice Of the first woman to dance
the round dance In America. 1t will scarcely
be admitted that she, at least, was OF low
origin and 1t will hardly be seriously conten
ded thatthose in the lower walks Of lie are
given to dancing.
Dancing as a rule, Is by the higher
and more cultivated people in society. The
leaders Of Washington society dance. and the
leaders 10 society at the capital OF every State
In the Union do the same thing. The fact is,
best q
everywhere, while the humble and the lowly
seldom dance anywhere.
Here Is quotation about Elizabeth Patter-
son, who was the first woman TO dance the
round dance in America
elizabeth Patterson was the daughter OF
one OF the richest merchants Of Baltimore.
intellectual and ambitious. When II became
known that Jerome Bonaparte, brother OF
Napoleon ! would visit America, his coming
was anxiously looked for, as an event in aris
tocratic circles. Miss Patterson, in order that
she might make herself more agreeable to
him, at once devoted herself 10 the study OF
the French language. and at the time Of his
arrival she was able TO speak TO the foreigner
any other American lady whom he bad met
on the continent This gave Miss Patterson
\ wonderful advantage over rival ladies, and
Jerome was 30 much fascinated that he
stay in Baltimore he learned Miss Patterson
to dance the round dance, and II is said that
she is the frat AmeIican lady who ever en-
gagged in that dance in this country.
Her birth was coeval with that Of the Re.
public. She wept astet the tidings ofMarie An
loinette's tragedy REACHED our shores. She
was woman when Washington died. JET.
ferson was her friend. Lafayette held her
ciated With one "who kept the world at bay
whose game was empire, and whose stakes
were thrones"
"Her marriage to Jerome Bonaparte was In
n21o k4~ hax 1, nt,v h htnn
Of age, woman OF wonderful maturity OF
character. and endowed with wit, beauty, for.
tune and every personal attraction.
"For many years after this Madame Bona.
parte was power In French society. The re-
turn Of the Bourbons removed every obsta.
Gle from her path, except, possibly, the jeal.
GUS eyes Of other beauties who feared an
eclipse. The memoirs and society chronicles
of the time are full OF her. Miss Berry, 1.-THE
blackberry" Madame Recamler, Madame de
Stael, Madame de Genlis, and many others
whose beauty and wit have become tradl-
tion, were her contemporaries and rivals.
lanthropist, an old man at that time. was a
great friend of Madame Bonaparte."
Aswe understand the facts in reference to
the time OF the Reformation the Protestants
were under the impression that to oppose the
things which the Catholics did, was evidence
Of greater purity on their part. For this
cards was forbidden or tabooed. But as time
passed, the objection TO card playing has sub
sided, until now, only small per cent OF the
more Intelligent and more pious people enter
tain serious opposition 10 cards. Whist is In
intellectual game, which the best people on
earth may play with pleasure and profit,
without incurring the least danger to their
morals. But there are other games which are
not quite 80 genteel ranging all the way
down TO the idiotic and seuseless game OF
finch, and about which latter game this
editor knows no more than the average
pulpit orator knows about poker.
To dance to nice music is natural impu lse
of the youthful heart, and may be sincere
pleasure to the pure In heart. A man who