Year: 1862

A LAY SERMON FOR THE CITY.


It is not much to the credit of the Confederate
capital that we are feasting and rohcElng uainck-
ing and extorting, as though no war existed.
desperate contest urged against fearful Odds Is 60
ing on, vet we are hilarious as in the midst OF
profound peace The existence OF the nation is lu-
perIlied vet we dance and laugh, eat, drink, and
are merry and seem insenSible to the dangers
around US as BelshazzS banqueterS. We are IN
danger No man in his senses will deny it. Who
can certainly say that the JOINT attack on EvanSport
and Centreville will not succeed? Who VIII say
that the powerful, mercieSS and cunning foe may
not devise a scheme which shall prove successful
in spite of the valor of soldiers the skill OF our
Generals, and the 'wIsdom of the defensive poll
cy? Such catastrophe seems impossible; 1t is
far from our thoughts so far that we do not care
to exhibit common prudence and Sagaclty IN mount
ing and manning our iOrtihcatIons. But commence
is not security. The children of men could not be
persuaded that the Deluge was coming; and the
people on Port Royal island thought themselves
perfectly safe So thou. ht the War Department IN
regard TO Western Virginia, when 1t was stripped
of troops and left to be rayaged by HesSian marau-
ders 1t bv no means follows that we IN Richmond
are safe because think SO, or because we 60 10
dancing and fancy there is no danger. 1t is among
the possibilities and not the most remote possioll-
ties either that the Confederate of government
NAV be in the hands of the Yankees in less than
sixty days from this time. VIII we never wake up?
No we had rather dance, and trust everything to
our invisible Congress and cunctatory Executive.


Not only are dancing and junketng in bad taste
at such time as the present but they are lnhu-
manly dsrespectfui and foolish. If a father or
brother lay in mortal peril in an upper chamber,
would it not be brutal in his children to be "cut-
ting the pigeon wing" below stairs? Hundreds
and hundreds of fathers and brothers are anguish
ing in the hospitals of this very city, and thousands
upon thousands of fathers sons, husbands and low
ers are exposing their lives in the field to save us
from subugation; and here we are, protected by
the living wall of their dauntless breasts kicking up
our heels and tripping the light fantastic toe in
the most Joyous manner. This is not the way to
show a decent respect or merely human sympathy
for our suffering defenders This is not the temper
which will or ought to save people from conquest.


Far be it from US to arouse needless fears or to
repreSs innocent amusements Properly guarded,
dancing Is delightful, healthy pastlme-iufintely
better than the dry and dreary reunions where only
conversation half scandal and whole nonsense is al
lowed. But, If we must dance, let US conline our
selves to the oldfashioned, decent, respectable
dances-to cotilion and the like. Heaven save us
from the "round dances" as they are called-the
loathsome products of rurient French taste. We
regret extremely to hear that these "rouud dances
are becoming all the rage at fashionable parties and
at the "big hops" at the great hotels Words can
not express deteStatOn and abhorrence of these
dances They ought not to be tolerated in the Con-
tederacy. The girl who dances them ought to take
Hamlet's advice to 0phelia-"get thee to a nun
merry" They will do we'll enough for the romping
female animals of Yankeeland but they ought to be
secuted by every pure-minded and refined Southern
lady.


We know that the advocates of these shameless
dances will throw in our teeth the old adage, "evil
to him who evil thinketh." A suspected Cypran
might do the same thing These dances are utterly
disgusting. They disgrace to respectable So
clety They seem studiously devised to prompt the
worst suggestions and sensations 10 say that the
Wrggling, wormng, whirlng, squirming, bobbing
up and down motions of these dances are grossly
indecent, is to say the very least of them. No good
man can look at them for the first time, without
being shocked no good woman without feeling hel
check tinge with the scarlet flush of terrible shame
Only when the frequent repetition of them has dull
ed the natural sensibiities they be viewed witt
anything but disgust


There is very simple test by which the round
dances and all other ainusements OF young people
may be tested in regard to their deceney. Are they
proper and permissible in private? What tathe
would like to catch his daughter dancing the polk
IN the arms Of young man when by themselves ii
a parlor? What father, who had never before wit
messed the filthy spectacle would not kick the youn
man out of doors, and send the young woman to al
asylum? Dancing the polka public does no
make 1t less intrinsically indecent We are morti
ned and indignant TO think that these abOminabl
exhibitions are becoming popular in Richmond


We are getting corrupt too fast What wit
cheating, extortiug drinking, and dancing the roun