davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

tive of history We ought not to overlook
another significant trait-,he overem-
phasis on dancing has usually character
lied a period of political reaction, OF in
difference to public life of social stagna-
ton and Carelessness. when the vol
canoes were rumbing the masses were
always dancing. At all times when ty
rants wanted to divert the atten-
ton of the crowd they gave the
dances to their people. \ nation
which dances cannot think. but
lives from hour To hour. The
less political maturity the more happi-
ness does "A national community show in
its dancing pleasures. The Spauiards
and the Polish the Hungarian and the
iohemlans have always been the great
danCers-the gypsieS dance. There Is
no fear that the New Workers will sud
denly stop reading their newspapers
and voting at the primaries, they will
not become Spanards. But an element
of this psychological effect of careless
ness and reCklessness and stagnat.on
may influence them after all aud may
shade the papers which they read and
even the primaries at which they do
vote.
Yet how one sided would II be If We
gave attention only to the dangers
which the dance may bring to a ma
tion's mind, The credit account ~ the
social dance is certainly not lnsignfi-
cant and perhaps momeutnus jus. for
the Americans Of to-day. The dance is
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

Cuscrs of the tango to-day can find
more heated words against this Argen-
tine importation than the conservatives
of "A hundred years ago chose in their
hatred of the waltz. Good society had
confined its dancing To those forms of
contact in which only the hands touched
each other, leaving To the peasants the
crude, rustic forms, and now suddenly
every mother has to see her daughter
clasped about the waist by any strange
man. Even the dancing masters cried
out against the intruder and claimed
that it was illogical for "A man to he
allowed to press girl 10 his bosom
al the sound of music, while no one
would dare to do 1t between the dances,
Thus the immortality Of our most re-
cent dances may be hardly worse than
the dancing surprises Of earlier fashions,
but who will doubt that these sensual
elements of the new social gayetics are
to-day especially dangerous? The whole
American atmosphere Is filled with
crotc thought to degree which has
been unknown throughout the history
Of the republic. The newspapers are
filled with intra and extra ma rlmonial
scandals, the playhouses commercial LIE
the sexual instinct in lurid molodramaS
sex problems are the centre of public
discussion, all the old barriers which
the traditional policy of silence bad
erected are being broken down, the
whole nation Is gossiping about erotlcs
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

by outer necessities. 1t is simply self
expression, and this gives to the dan
cling impulse the liberty which easily be-
comes Righteousness Two mental con-
dltlons help in that direction; the
mere movement as such produces
increased excitement, and the eN-
element recnforces the movement,
and so the dance has in itself the
tendency to become quicker and wider
and more and more unrestrained. when
gay Vienna began its Waiting craze In
the last century 1t waltzed to the charm-
ing melodies of Tanner in rhythm
which did not demand more than about
1860 movements in "A minute, but soon
came Johann Strauss, the father, ana
he average WALKING rhythm was 23O "A
minute, and finally the king OF the
waltz. Johann Strauss the younger, and
Vienna danced at the rhythm OF 800
movements, But another mental effect
is still more significant than the impulse
to increase rapTtty. The uniformity OF
the movements, and especially of the re-
volying movement, produces state OF
half dizziness and half numbness with
ecstatic elements. We know the almost
hypno.ic state of the whirling derNlshes
and the raptures In the savage war
dances; all this in mllder form Is IN
VOWED in every passionate dance. But
nothing is more characteristic OF such
half hypnotic states than that the indl-
vidual loses control OF his will, He be-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

than the best prepared ballets ON the
stage of to-day. But the popular dan 'es
Of the really dancing nations are no
less bound by traditions and We know
that even the dances Of the savages
are moving on in strictly inherited
forms. Far from the license of hap
hazard movement, the self-eNprcssion
of the dancer is thus regulated and
bound by rules which are taken by
him as prescriptions Of beauty To
dance thus means "A steady adjustment
To artistic requirements; it is an
aesthetic education by which the whole
system of human impulses becomes
harmunZed and unified. The chance
movements are blended into a beauti-
full whole, and this reflects on the en-
tire inner setting. Educators have for
"A long time been aware that calls
themes with its subtly tuned move
ments of the body, develops refinement
in the interplay of mental life. The
personality who understands how TO
live in gentle, beautiful motions through
that trains his mind to beauty. In Eu-
rope, for instance in Hellerau, near
Dresden, they have recently begun to
establish schools for young men and
women in which the main, higher cdu-
cation is to he moulded by the aesthetics
Of bodily expression and the culture
of the symbolic dance.
This aesthetic character OF the dance,
however, leads stll further, 1t Is not
| only the training in beautiful express
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

In such infammabc surroundings
where the sparks of the dance are
recklessly kindled the danger is immi-
nent IL a nation focuses its attention
on sensuality, its vlrile energy must
naturally suffer There is well known
antagonism between sex and sport. Per-
haps the very best which may be said
about sport Is that 1t keeps boyhood
away from the swamps of sexuality.
The dance keeps boyhood away from
the martial field of athletics.
The dance has still another psyche
logical effect which must not be disre-
garded from a social point Of view. 1t
awakes to an unusual degree the inn
pulse to imitation. The seeing Of
rhythmic movements starts similar mo-
tor impulses in the mind of the onlooker.
1t is well known that from the eleventh
to the sixteenth century Europe suffered
from dancing epdemcs. They started
from pathological cases of st. Nitu-'s
dance and released In the eXcitable
crowds cramplke impulses to initiative
movements. But We hear the same
story of instructive limitations on ocCa-
sions Of less tragic character. 1t j.
reported that in the eighteenth century
papal Rome was indignant over the pas
slonate Spanish fandango. 1t was de-
Cided solemnly to put this wild dance
under the ban. The lights Of the Church
were assembled for the formal judy
ment, when it was proposed to call a
pair Of Spanish dancers in order that
every one of the priests might form his
own idea Of the unholy dance. But his
tory tells that the effect was an un-
expected one. After short time of
fandango demonstrat the high clercs
began involuntarily to initiate the move
ments, and the more passonatcly the
Spaniards INDUCED in their native whirl
the more the whole court was trans
formed into one great dancing parry
Even the Italian tarantella probably
began as a disease with nervous dan
cling movements and then spread over
the land through mere imitation which
led To an eCstatic turning around and
around. Whoever studies The adventures
Of American dancing during the last sea-
son from New York to San Francisco
must Ice impressed by this contagious
character of our dancing habits But
this means that the movement carries
in Itself the energy To spread further
and further and to fill the daily LIE with
/ increased longing for the ragtime We
/ are already accustomed to the dance al
| the afternoon tea. How long will II
| take before we are threatened by tn,
| dane" at the breakfast Coffee
We have spoken of three mental eff.
/ f"cts-the license. he eroticism and III,
m.tativeness which are stirred up by tn,
dancing movements. But in the perspec
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

"A wonderful discharge of stirred IN en-
ergy; its rhythmic form relieves the
tension of the motor apparatus and pro-
duces feeling of personal comfort
The power to do this is valuable asset
when so much emotional poverty is
around u.s. The dance makes life
smooth in the midst of hardship and
drudgery. For the dancer the cup is
always overlooking, even though it may
be small. There Is an element of relax
alton and of joyfulness in the rhythm
Of the music and the twinkling of the
feet. which comes as a blessing into the
dulness and monotony of life The
Overworked factory girl does not seek
rest for her muscles after the day Of
labor but Graves to go on contrasting
them in the rhythmic movements of the
dance. SO IL has been at all times. The
hardest worked part of the community
has usually been the most devoted to
the gaycty of popular dances. The re-
1ned society has in many periods of
civilization declined to indulge in dan
cling because 1t was too widely spread
among the lowest working classes In
towns and in the country. The dance
through thousands of years has been
the bearer OF harmless happiness: who
would refuse welcome to such a bene-
factor? And with the joyfulness comes
the sociability, The dance brings peo-
pie near together. 1t is unfair to claim
that the dance Is arlstocratic because
1t presupposes leisure and luxury. on
the contrary throughout the history of
civilization the dance has been above all
democratic, and has REINFORCED the feel
ing OF good fellowship. of community. of
intimacy. of unity. Like the popular
games which melt all social groups to-
gether by a common joyful interest and
! like humor, which break all social bar
rlers, the love for dancing removes mu-
tual distrust and harmonlzes the masses.
This social effect has manifold rela-
| ton to another aspect of the dance.
which is psychologically perhaps the
| d, epest: the dance Is an art, and as
such Of deep aesthetic infence on the
whole mental life. Whenever the 10y
| In dancing comes into the foreground
this art is developed to high artificial
| ity No step and no movement IL left
| to the chance inspiration If the mo-
ment everything is prescribed. and tu
learn the dances not seldom means an
almost scientific study. In the great
dancing periods or the rocco time the
mastery of the exact rules appeared
one of the most difficult parts of higher
education. and as "A real test of the truly
cultivated gentleman and gentlewoman
scholarly books analysed every detail
! Of the necessary forms and the So
ciety dances in the castles of the cigh-
teenth century were more elaborate
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

realistic behavior. From morning till night
ture something in the mil of the ma
ton: but he who dances is satisfied in
expressing himself lie becomes de-
taChed from the cares of the hour he
acquires new habit of disnterested
attitude toward life. who can under
estimate the value of such detachment
in our American life? The Americans
have always been eagerly at work, but
have never quite learned to enjoy them
selves and to take the aesthetic attitude
which creates the wonders Of beauty
and the true harmonies of life. To for
get drudgery and to sink into the
rhythms of the dance may bring to
millions that inner completeness which
is possible only when practical and
aesthetic attitudes are blending in per-
sonality. The one means restless
changes, the other means ropose, per-
lection, eternity. This hard working,
pioneer nation needs the noisy teach
ings of efficiency and scientific manage
ment less than the melOdious teaching
Of song and dance and beauty. In short
the dance may bring both treaChcrous
perils and wonderful gifts to our COM
munity. II depends upon us whether
we reinforce the dangerous elements
of the dance or the beneficial ones. II
will depend on ourselves whether the
dance viii debase the nation, as II has
so often done in the history of civlllza-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

music to nationwide dance. Yet the
problem which faces every one is not
how this dancing craze arose, but rather
where 1t may lead, how far 1t Is healthy
and how far unsound, how far we ought
To yield to 1t or further II, and how far
we ought to resist. To answer this
question it is not enough to watch the
outside spectacle. but we must inquire
into the mental motives and mental
consequences. Exactly this is our true
problem.
Let US first examine the psychological
debit account No one can doubt that
true dangers are near wherever the
dancing habit l. prominent. The dance
is "A bodily movement which aims at no
practical purpose and Is thus not bound
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

r for 's dancing ,"f'P;' Dr. ""' Hugo Jug Nun,
.t,rn,rl has some very pertinent
TING, q, sly n his new book, "Psychol-
ogy and Social sanity" published by
p5ub,lly Page 4 Co.
IN, story Of the dance, says the
author. b., The history Of human civ.liza-
ton % 70, progress and regress. To
=. ,ur.. t- the human mind remains
u.ml ..t the same, mankind has
IT,. .ant.ntionally returned again to
-..I forms. The pirouette, which the
,.,.- u, the ballet invented hundred
,...- ,-u and which was applauded as
..v.uI,r Of its time, as We now know.
,,.,u..l by old Egyptians. Not seldom
,...u.. outer forms referred TO very
Different mental motives. We learn
.r many people danced half naked
a. a.. aggression Of humility. Who
YOU'D I'm that the lack of costume
~ ,u. .a'lot Of to-day j. symbol OF
hmlts too? Moreover, the right per
sp,. 't.. AN nard.y uc gained as long
&. nr 'ls, III, narrow view and think
tuN ~ i..,, few forms of dance which
W. ,tN yesterday in the ballroom and
tl.It. ...slr, yesterday on the stag" OF
IL, url'r. The dance has not meant
10 ml.a.l only socia! pleasure and
ar s.. spectacle. it originally accom-
Tlr..I ... -r..aI life and surrounded the
ind, 1.. 90 every important function.
Du.us Certainly began a. a religious
c.., g. Nl- the form in which every
.l.r,u-. .' emotion expressed itself,
sr.f .. N.A A. JOY awe a. much a.
t.'..-.t-n The primitive peoples
Dag .l ..I .u many places sim dance
H.,r pill. ..rsun. change or whca the
\ fields .. . pee cultivated, when they
} tul . ... hunt or go to wal when
= ar' -h,l for he SEX and when
81, -.I- n. to bee called upon. The
.ropU.- I.l ans have thirty-two chief
up.- - dances and even among civil
lied ul an- for instance the Bohemians,
tA4a...! and thlrty-slN dances may he
d. nwa,'.d. Moreover, at first the
hl... r-1.y one with song, music
and t0u 1909 We're only slowly torn
t,I. And II We look over he
RH.,. t.r..I Of dance If almost appears
80, . 49,. - o,,or al,
''''' remnant h'' '' '''o''
'"! ''.- WR'h seems 10 suggest 'hdt
N" DAM d, To- come to lts own again.
4, .rt-' l- who observes the life along
& 8rYl!N may ind.ad susu,rt that
lr.... -. i,,,o,.,,,.,,,,I ,,, j.,
,..
"'''"'sa VI my "''' JUICY
''' '..t meal ol lie. NO longer can
any ry in New York be found
%.unt ..rlng. and wider stu than
the a.... ..,..,,s tho dt.c,..io,, ,hnu,
l. w .... -. - ,ho
,...
'"'D''''' ~ -
' 'H luncheon TO breakfast II
" d'"a . every newspaper and every
il'p'
b.. .t an this ,,o,oly , r.,v
dem ..., tho, tho s,or,. 80 tho
dane. . s,,r,, 81 oi,.,Ii,otioro Gan
we ..... ..., tb4s raco,,, cr,y. which
like .l..... ..,. ,,,rta hn, u.hirlod o,.or
N, O..... si,,niecort oxnression
OF U.... ..,.,,.,I cLan,,,.., y.bIrh bayn
COM. ,. ,.,..r.,,o onI,, ,or VOWS aoo
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02
Miss Mildred Anderson Pan" in the depths Of the forest

ton, or whether it will help to lead 1t to
new heights of beauty and harmony, as
it has not seldom done before. our so
cial conscience must be wide awake: L
viii not be a bind fate which will decide
when the door of the future opens
whether we shall meet the lady or the
tiger.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02

sion, 1t is the development of an atti-
tude which is detached from practical
effects and from the practical life OF
outer success. The dance is an action
10y which nothing is produced and
nothing in the surroundings changed.
II is an oasis in the desert of our mate
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22

St # pearl gray velours,
TRIM auds Of black marten.
flaH black marten. F1aring
collaa rmins, edged with same
mart
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22

ment, bandages, etc.-while in some cases,
especially where there are no young children
il is good idea to have a little space for
keeping picture books toys and other such
things, which can he produced on the spur
of the moment for the amusement of child
visitors.
And-to carry the idea yet further-what
woman has not experienced the housewifely
agony of having unexpected guests come In
to take pot luck when the larder, if not exact
ly bare, is extremely uninterestnga 10 com
bat against such happenings have little
regiment of good timed and potted stuffs In
the useful little eupboard-som SOUP vegeta-
bes, meat, fruit, and SO on-just such things
as can be quickly turned into an attractive
little meal.
1t is probably unnecessary to say that it
the canned goods are not called for urgently
they should be used and replenlshed period
icaly-if stored for too long the contents of
the tins will become unfit for use at all.
So one might go on indefinitely adding to
the list of things which can advantageously
be put into the emergency cupboard But IL
must be every woman for herself-each must
draw up the list of contents by the needs of
herself and her household and remember
that the emergency cupboard is intended
strictly for use. not for misuse or the storing
of rubbish
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22
Clothes Problem for the Woman
Nearing Half Century Mark.
By JANE BARTON.

NJ OF the least of youths blessings is the
nj simplicity of the clothes problem.
Y Bright eyes, fair skin, and a supple
figure cover a multitude of deficiencies
in dress. The girl looks we'll in every
thng-as rule-her mature sister must put
thought into her dressing to look her best.
But the woman who must dress on lin
tied income, who even must make her own
clothes, need not resign herself into being
dowdy unsuitably dressed Just because
she is nearing the half century mark.
What is to be done?
There are two courses usually adopted by
a woman at such bitter moment Perhaps
she thinks. " What's the use? e" and becomes
careless about her personal appearance. If
naturally neat, she does not let herself grow
slovenly, slouchy but she may go in for only
simple, old fashioned clothes, thinking the
styles - will emphasize her proportions. In
reality she attracts unpleasant notice by her
unattractiveness and the fact of feeling her
self q" back number " in aging.
The other course is to cling desperately to
departing youth-and dress the part. Result,
she looks ridiculous, her friends pity or sneer
at her affectation of girlishness, and the
clothes that are unsuitably youthful accen-
tuate every defect of age.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22
Baby Talks of His Woes.

I AM only a very little baby. and l suppose
don't know what is good for me- Every
body looks at me as lovingly as can be-
and perhaps 1 am an ungrateful little
creature to think of grumblfng Only
well my five aunts have been to tea, and I
can't get over 1t.
1 have been crying ever since they left:
mummy says 1 am dwedful cwoss boy"
but, o dear, 1 can't help it. You see, my
aunts have been trying to amuse me. and
am ever so much too young to endure their
funny ways
They would come and sit beside me while
l was on mummy's lap, and make noises at
me that had to look over the back OF
my head at them. 1t has given me queer
feeling in my eyes. and wish 1 hadn't done
it-but they grown up and do think they
might have known.
AS soon as 1 had finished my tea, one of
the aunts said, 20, Oracle, do let me have
him; and mummy said, Very well, just
while 1 go into the kitchen, but you mustn't
joggle him.
The aunt held me very still for a moment.
then she said, Isn't he solemn? 1 do be-
lieve he's going to cry. and then Oracle will
rush in and say I'm numbering him. must
mt let him begin to cry, must II" Ana with
that she began tickling my feet, and making
little jumps at me. until couldn help puck
ering up my face.
And then she said, o, he is going to cry"
and started jogging her knees up and down
until my teeth chartered in my head (only
! haven't any teeth really) and couldn't
cry, because 1 hadn't the breath-I could
only stare with my mouth open. And she
said. There he's quiet now: don't man.
,ge hin} well?"
And then mummy came in and the aunt
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22
Planning Emergency Cupboard.

ITO do away with a great deal of bother
and irritation and searching. women
should try the plan of having an emer-
seney cupboard. But great care and
restraint must be exercised so as to
prevent ii degenerating into a mere lumber
hole by making II receptacle for all the
odds and ends they come across " which may
be useful one day"
When there is a spacious larder the cup
board can quite well be fitted up on the in
side wall. otherwise women individually must
choose the place in their house that is most
convenient to themselves. The main essen
tials are that it should be dry and cool and
easily got at"
Individual needs. too must settle upon the
precise nature of the contents, but there are
a few odd things which may we'll find place
in every such cupboard. and generally it will
be best to divide the shelves with partitions
and give division to each lot of things
There should be section for brown paper,
string. address labels and such things, all of
which is most difficult to find even after
prolonged search, in the 4" ordinary house.
Another section should be given over to
sewing requisites-various sorts of needles,
cottons, sewing silks. buttons, hooks and
eyes, and other useful little things
A third compartment may wisely hold sim
pie remedies and first aid things-oil, oirt-