,note3 ,images of the original pages are
 available in the ,american             
,memory ,collection of the ,library of  
,congress4 ,see                         
http3_/_/memory4loc4gov_/ammem_/index4ht
ml            ,,there ,,is ,,no ,,harm  
,,in ,,dancing    by    ,w4 ,e4 ,,penn  
,with an ,introduction by ,rev4 ,j4,h4  
,,stribling1 ,d4,d4    ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo4
  ,lewis ,e4 ,kline1 ,publisher and     
,bookseller4    #ahhd                   
,buy the ,,truth and sell it not2 also  
,,wisdom and ,,instruction and          
,,understanding4--,,prov4 #bc-bc4       
,there is a way that ,,seemeth right    
unto a man1 but the end thereof are  the
 ways of ,,death4--,,prov4 #ad-be       
,this little book is respectfully and   
kindly dedicated to all ,husbands1      
,fathers and ,brothers1 who love their  
,wives1 ,daughters and ,sisters1 by     
,,the ,,author4          ,,preface4     
,during the past seven years ,i have    
delivered the substance of the          
foregoing ,lecture on ,dancing1 as a    

part of my work as an ,evangelist1      
before not less than one hundred        
thousand people4 ,i have been requested 
by hundreds of ,,fathers and mothers1   
young men and girls1 ,,husbands and     
,,brothers1 and pastors of churches to  
publish the ,lecture in the form of  a  
book1 that its influence may be extended
 to fields ,i shall never  visit4 ,it is
 in compliance with these requests that 
the little book is  written1 with the   
hope that at least some good may result 
in begetting  and fostering a better    
state of morals in our day and          
generation1 and in  checking the        
terrible increase of crime which is     
rolling over the earth  like a mighty   
wave of the ocean4 ,if ,i shall ever    
hear that this little  book has had some
 humble part in stopping one poor soul  
from taking one  more step down the     
,,broad ,,road1 or that it has done any 
good in the  world1 ,i shall feel well  
paid for all the time and trouble it has
 cost  me in getting it into the hands  

of the printer4 ,most of persons        
speaking  or writing on the subject of  
the dance1 are hear-say witnesses1 but  
,i profess to having been an            
eye-witness1 which ,i propose to prove  
by  all the bad men1 or those who have  
been bad men1 who may carefully  read   
this book4 ,their verdict will be3 ,,he 
,,has ,,been ,,there4    ,while ,i      
believe that hundreds of thousands of   
fathers and mothers1  husbands and      
wives1 brothers and sisters1 and        
pastors1 and ,christians1  will bless   
the day this little book was written1   
and will offer many  earnest prayers for
 the author1 ,i shall expect many       
,othellos to curse me  with all the     
bitterness of their souls1 because ,i   
hope it may be said  wherever the book  
is read3 ,,othello',s ,,occupation ,,is 
,,gone4    ,,the ,,author4              
,,introduction4    ,major ,w4,c4 ,penn1 
the author of the following treatise on 
the modern  dance1 has requested the    
writer to pen a few thoughts            

introductory to a  theme he has         
presented with such pith and power to   
listening thousands  in his travels as  
an ,evangelist4    ,various inquiries   
have been made as to how ,major ,penn1 a
 lawyer in a  lucrative practice1 and   
with all the attractions of wealth and  
of fame  before him1 and in a quiet1    
lovely and elegant home1 with a wife who
 has  ever been as a guardian angel to  
his pathway1 was led to change his      
vocation to that of a wandering         
,evangelist1 and how it is that he now  
stands before the world beside ,knapp1  
and ,earle1 and ,moody1 and other       
world-renowned ,evangelists of the #aith
 century1 in leading multitudes to      
,christ as a ,savior8    ,it is answered
 and centered in the sublime truth3 ,the
 love of ,christ  constraineth us4 ,as  
the stars are dimmed and lost sight of  
in the  brilliancy of the rising sun1 so
 earthly pleasures1 riches and honors   
fade and dwindle in the glory of the    
,cross4 ,as ,god was pleased to use  the

 writer as an instrument in getting     
brother ,penn into this work1 so  it    
seemed proper that a few incidents and  
facts which led to it1 as  remembered in
 our associations together1 should be   
stated4    ,it was in ,jefferson1       
,texas1 where our brother then resided1 
that ,i first  saw him1 in ,may1 #ahgd1 
during the session of the ,southern     
,baptist  ,convention1 at that place4   
,but it was in ,june1 the year after1 at
 his  own home and during a series of   
meetings in the ,baptist ,church1 that  
,i  began to know more of him1 as he    
brought up in our social interviews a   
review of his life religiously--as he   
told of the time when1 in the  ardor and
 vigor of youth1 in ,tennessee1 at a    
meeting1 he sought to defy  and brave a 
gospel message from the venerable       
brother ,james ,hurt1 by  taking a front
 seat2 and then how his soul was        
convulsed and his heart  melted1 as     
,god's message wrenched the bolted door 
of that heart2 how he  struggled with   

the agonies of conviction for sin1      
during the long1 weary  hours of night2 
and how the joys of pardoning love      
through ,christ came  to his soul with  
the brightness of the morning4 ,as these
 conversations  were reviewed1 he told  
of frequent backslidings1 and how far   
away from  ,god he had been4 ,then he   
told of some things he had done in the  
,sunday  ,school and in the ,church1 and
 then at times gave his opinion as to   
the  best way of conducting a series of 
meetings and other things pertaining  to
 ,christ's ,kingdom4 ,during these      
conversations the question was asked3   
,bro4 ,penn1 are you satisfied and sure 
that you are in full discharge of  your 
duty8 ,after a pause he replied1 as if  
conscience was awakened3    ,no ,sir4 ,i
 am not satisfied1 and have not been for
 years past4 ,then  said he3 ,you are   
the first man that ever asked me that   
question4 ,then  the writer made known  
some impressions about him that must    
have been  made by the spirit of ,god1  

for he never had just such an interest  
to  burden his heart previously1 and    
that was that ,god had a peculiar and   
wonderful work for him to do4 ,but1 said
 ,bro4 ,penn1 at my age1 in my          
profession and in my condition1 ,i      
cannot believe it to be my duty to      
preach the ,gospel--his age being at    
that time forty-two years4 ,among  other
 things said at this time by the writer1
 as he now remembers them  one was3     
,that the ,spirit of ,god leads and     
teaches us in strange ways1  often1 as  
to what ,god would have us do1 and that 
our methods of holding  meetings seemed 
to the writer as being deficient in some
 things1 and  that the good of the cause
 required a change from the ruts and    
grooves  in which these meetings had    
been run1 and that we were making our   
services monotonous and chilling out    
spirituality by common methods of       
conducting divine service1 in protracted
 meetings4 ,another thought was3  ,that 
he and men like himself1 as lawyers1    

that were given to talking and  that    
knew much of men and the world1 if the  
love of ,christ was burning  in their   
souls1 might do a great work in going   
out and helping in such  meetings1 even 
if they never engaged regularly in the  
ministry4    ,but it was in ,tyler1     
,texas1 at a ,sunday ,school ,institute1
 in ,july1 #ahge1  that a new era was to
 dawn on ,major ,penn4    ,it was a     
fixed impression in the mind of the     
pastor that there ought to  be a change 
in our manner of conducting revival     
services2 that the time  had come to    
begin the work1 and that ,bro4 ,penn was
 the man to inaugurate  such a change4  
,in prayer this matter was carried to   
the ,lord for ,his  direction4 ,it was a
 settled impression in the heart of the 
writer1 as  pastor of the ,baptist      
,church1 that the ,church and community 
needed a  series of meetings at this    
time4 ,there were preachers present of  
experience1 piety and ability1 and he   
had no doubt they would remain and  aid 

in such services if invited to do so4   
,but contrary to what was a  common     
practice at the close of such meetings1 
and after imploring the  ,lord to direct
 him1 he could not1 from his heart1 ask 
any of these  preachers to stay and aid 
in a meeting4    ,while singing the last
 song1 at the close of the service on   
,sunday  night1 the writer approached   
,major ,penn1 who had been aiding in the
  singing1 and said to him3 ,bro4 ,penn1
 ,i am going to appoint a prayer        
meeting at #i o'clock in the morning1   
and as your train does not leave  until 
#b o'clock to-morrow evening1 ,i shall  
expect to see you at the  meeting2 will 
you come8 ,to which he replied4 ,i have 
some business with  the clerk of the    
,federal ,court1 and if ,i get through  
in time1 ,i will try  and be here4 ,a   
prayer meeting was announced for #i     
o'clock the next  morning4 ,at the      
appointed hour a fair congregation had  
assembled1 and a  few minutes after #i  
o'clock ,maj4 ,penn came in and took a  

seat not far  from the door4 ,the writer
 approached him and said3 ,i want you to
  conduct this meeting4 ,he replied3    
,you must excuse me1 ,i am a lawyer1    
and do not believe in mixing things in  
this way4 ,you conduct the meeting  or  
get one of those preachers sitting there
 to do it1 and ,i will help in  singing 
or lead in prayer1 if desired4 ,to which
 the writer replied3 ,if  all the       
preachers in the world were here ,i     
could not permit one of them  to conduct
 this meeting1 and ,i am not physically 
able4 ,you must do  it4 ,to which he    
answered4 ,very well1 ,i will conduct a 
prayer meeting4    ,the meeting was     
opened as is usual1 when ,brother ,penn 
arose and read a  portion of the #bjth  
chapter of ,john1 and then talked about 
fifteen  minutes1 which seemed to awaken
 a very deep interest throughout the    
entire congregation4 ,at the close of   
this talk quite a number of wives1      
fathers1 mothers1 brothers and sisters  
arose one after another and in  great   

earnestness asked prayer for their loved
 ones4 ,while singing the  last song1   
the writer asked ,brother ,penn to      
remain and conduct a service  at night1 
which he positively refused to do1      
saying that he must go  home4 ,whereupon
 the writer publicly entered a protest  
against his  leaving4 ,sister ,penn and 
others of the company from ,jefferson   
consenting1 he agreed to remain one more
 day4 ,at night the house was  crowded1 
and great interest manifested by        
,christians and by many  unconverted4 ,a
 prayer meeting was announced for #i    
o'clock the next  morning4 ,at this     
meeting the house was well filled1 with 
a decided  increase of interest4 ,one or
 two conversions-and a number of        
inquiries  were made4    ,at the close  
of this meeting the writer said to      
,brother ,penn1 ,you  cannot leave this 
meeting1 it will never do1 there never  
has been such  an interest in this town 
since ,i have been here4 ,to which he   
replied ,i  am bound to go home1 ,i have

 no partner and no one to attend to my  
business4 ,the writer then arose1 and in
 the name of the ,lord ,jesus  ,christ  
entered another solemn protest against  
his leaving1 saying3 ,i  believe before 
,god that it is ,bro4 ,penn's solemn    
duty to remain here and  carry on this  
meeting1 and it is my firm conviction   
that if he leaves he  will commit the   
great sin of his life1 and ,i call upon 
every member of  this church and of this
 congregation1 who will join me in this 
protest1  to stand up4 ,the entire      
congregation were standing in a moment4 
,he then  said to the writer privately3 
,i tell you ,i am bound to go home2 ,i  
promised my wife yesterday that ,i would
 be certain to go home with her  to-day1
 and ,i know that she is bound to go    
home4 ,the writer said3 ,bro4  ,penn1   
you are mistaken2 ,sister ,penn would   
not have you leave this  meeting to go  
home with her4 ,she will go with the    
young people4 ,he then  went to where   
his wife was sitting and said to her3 ,i

 promised you  yesterday that ,i would  
go home with you to-day1 and ,i am going
 to do  it4 ,sister ,penn looked up in  
his face with tearful eyes and trembling
  lips1 and said1 as only a true1 noble 
hearted ,christian woman could have     
said3 ,i can go home with the young     
people1 ,i do not think you ought to    
go4 ,this seems to have been the last   
hair that broke the camel's back4  ,we  
have seen many striking photographs of  
the ,major as taken by artists  in his  
travels1 and in various attitudes1 but a
 picture delineating his  features on   
this occasion would be preferable to all
 others4    ,as he rose to respond to   
the protest of the pastor1 ,church and  
congregation1 with his head thrown back1
 his eyes dilated1 his lips  quivering1 
his voice stammering and tears coursing 
their way down his  cheeks1 he tried to 
give expression to his astonishment and 
the deep  emotion of his heart2 he      
seemed to realize that it was ,god's    
call1 and  that he could not resist it4 

,it was circulated through the town that
 a lawyer1 and not a  preacher1 was to  
conduct services at the ,baptist        
,church4 ,some thought  it a strange    
freak in the pastor to suggest1 and in  
the ,church to  approve such a thing4   
,various opinions were freely expressed 
as to the  leader in these services4    
,then it was spoken in low tones of     
voice among  some good people1 in       
substance1 after this fashion3 ,did you 
ever hear  of such a thing8 ,here are   
preachers all over the country that we  
know1  good men1 who can preach the     
gospel1 and here they've called in a    
lawyer to carry on the meeting4 ,lord   
have mercy on us1 what are we  coming to
 any how8    ,at every street corner and
 place of business1 in the saloons1     
offices  and homes throughout ,tyler1   
,maj4 ,penn and the services were       
discussed1  while his ,satanic ,majesty 
and his allies were busy in trying to   
cripple  and crush the good effects4 ,a 
mighty and irresistable attraction drew 

crowds to the house of ,god4    ,at     
times it was apparent that the leader   
was embarrassed2 now and then  fretted  
and and chafed2 then at a loss what to  
say or do2 and more than  once was he   
tempted to say he would leave the       
meeting2 and that he had  not remained  
there to be slandered and persecuted4   
,but he was reminded  that the best of  
men had thus suffered1 that ,god had    
furnaces through  which we must pass1 to
 burn up the dross1 and that in the     
midst of this  state of things the      
,church was being revived1 wanderers    
brought back1  souls awakened and       
converted from day to day1 and that he  
had the  sympathy1 prayers and          
co-operation of many pious1 devoted     
hearts4 ,again  the new leader1 after   
wrestling in prayer for grace and       
direction1 took  courage and was renewed
 by the spirit of ,god to go on in      
pulling down  the strong-holds of       
iniquity4 ,but ,satan was not yet       
overcome1 he made  another powerful     

assault upon him4    ,when the meeting  
had been in progress about ten days1    
abuse1  misrepresentation1 lying1       
together with the basest and most       
contemptible  slanders1 were hurled at  
him with unmeasured severity4 ,it was a 
new  ordeal1 and he was tempted stronger
 than ever to lay off his armor and     
leave the meeting4 ,he decided to go    
home1 and so stated to the pastor1      
saying3 ,you have already kept me here  
longer than any man on earth  could have
 done1 and now ,i am determined to go4  
,well1 said the  pastor1 ,i am sorry to 
hear it1 and believe you will commit a  
great  wrong1 and will incur the        
displeasure of ,almighty ,god in leaving
 here at  this time1 and still further1 
,i beg you to bear in mind this truth1  
that  duty never points in two ways4 ,if
 it is your duty to be in ,jefferson    
practicing law1 then it is not your duty
 to remain here and carry on  this      
meeting4 ,god only can guide you aright4
 ,this conversation occurred  in the    

afternoon4 ,at night the ,major was in  
his place1 and said to the  large       
congregation3 ,my friends1 ,i have heard
 to-day of so many  slanderous reports  
about me that ,i determined to go home1 
but  remembering that so persecuted they
 the prophets1 which were before me1    
and that they persecuted my ,master even
 unto death1 ,i have only to say3       
',father1 forgive them1 for they know   
not what they do8' ,i shall go on  with 
the meeting1 'looking unto ,jesus1 the  
author and finisher of my  faith1' to   
sustain1 protect and guide me in all    
things4 ,it was1  perhaps1 the drinking 
of this cup of persecution that passed  
our brother  across the ,rubicon1 that  
burned all the bridges behind him and   
caused  him to bow in humble submission 
to the will of ,almighty ,god4          
',tis ever so thy faithful love    ,does
 all thy children's graces prove2       
',tis thus our pride and self must fall 
,that ,jesus may be all in all4    ,as  
the meeting continued1 and as the scores

 and hundreds came together  at the     
sound of the church-going bell1 from day
 to day the leader  seemed to develop in
 power from ,god to move1 melt and sway 
the hearts of  the listening crowds1 as 
he sung and prayed and talked of ,jesus 
and his  dying love4 ,after more than   
five weeks' continuance1 the services   
closed4 ,scores were converted1 many    
valuable additions were made to the     
,church1 ,christians were renewed and   
developed in piety of heart and  life1  
and the leavening and saving power of   
the ,gospel was extended  through the   
town and surrounding country4    ,this  
meeting was the beginning and earnest of
 the blessings and success  that has    
attended ,bro4 ,penn's labors for more  
than nine years past1  while in his life
 we see that1      ,defects thro'       
nature's best productions run4    ,the  
saints have spots1 and spots are in the 
sun1    ,and that he1 with all of       
,adam's race1    ,are only 'sinners'    
saved by grace4    ,yet we rejoice and  

praise ,god for what has been manifested
 in his growth  and development in his  
work mentally and spiritually1 for the  
life1  power and efficiency infused into
 our churches by his ministrations--for 
his rebukes1 exposures and denunciations
 of sin1 in and out of the  ,church2 for
 holding up ,christ at all times1 as the
 only hope of lost  sinners2 for tearing
 away the mask of a heartless formality 
in the  profession and practice of      
religion2 for the thousands of all      
classes  and ages in the forests and    
prairies of ,texas1 where he has pitched
 his  great gospel tent1 and in the     
cities of ,galveston1 ,houston1 ,san    
,antonio1  ,dallas1 ,ft4 ,worth1        
,mobile1 ,memphis1 ,louisville1 ,st4    
,louis1 and in the  cities of           
,california1 in scores of crowded places
 of worship2 in smaller  towns and in   
the country1 who have been brought to   
,christ as lost  sinners through his    
instrumentality2 and that at all times  
and through  his whole ministry he has  

declared the whole counsel of ,god1 and 
made  no compromises with error and     
heresy4    ,as to the disquisition of   
,maj4 ,penn1 which frowns on the modern 
dance1  we ask for it a careful reading 
and an honest and practical application 
of its facts1 arguments and             
illustration1 as the prize1 practical   
essay  of the age on this subject1 so   
far as is known4 ,that it is clear1     
pointed and overwhelming in its         
exposures of the evils and crimes1 the  
corruptions and abominations of the     
modern dance is confirmed by  experience
 and observation4    ,let every lover of
 the dance1 every friend of morals and  
of religion1  and each professing       
,christian1 read and circulate this     
production among  all classes of men and
 women4    ,and may the blessings of    
,god attend it's circulation1 as it may 
be  scattered into thousands of homes1  
and an increasing blessing attend its   
author and his labors4    ,j4 ,h4       
,,stribling1         ,rockdale1 ,texas4 

,october #ad1 #ahhd4          ,there is 
,no ,harm in ,dancing4           ,every 
good tree bringeth forth good fruit1 but
 a corrupt tree       bringeth forth    
evil fruit4--,matt4 #g1 #ag4    ,if     
,,there ,,is ,,no ,,harm ,,in ,,dancing1
 it must be a good tree1 and if it is a 
good tree1 we shall be certain to find  
that it bears good fruit1 and if  we    
find the fruit hanging on its boughs to 
be sound and wholesome food  for the    
physical1 mental and spiritual man1 we  
should strive to have  these trees      
planted in all our homes1 our churches1 
,sabbath-schools1  school-houses1       
colleges1 seminaries1 or other          
institutions of learning4  ,but if we   
find the fruit injurious1 to either the 
physical1 mental or  spiritual1 to such 
a degree that its injurious effects are 
not overcome  and destroyed by the      
benefits conferred upon us by the other 
two1 it  should be condemned by every   
friend of humanity4    ,every tree      
should be cut down1 and every dealer    

regarded as an enemy to  his race4 ,some
 trees are very tall and graceful1 and  
dressed in  beautiful foliage1 but the  
fruit is deadly poison4 ,some trees are 
not  comely to look upon1 but the fruit 
very good and wholesome4 ,so it is not  
the tree1 but the fruit1 to which we    
must look4 ,some fruit may be very  bad 
but not dangerous to society1 because of
 the very small quantity on  the market1
 and because it is not good to the      
taste1 but little1 if  any1 of it is    
used4 ,but this is not the case with    
dancing1 for there is  a large quantity 
of it on hand all the time1 and a great 
deal of it is  used1 because it is      
palatable to the natural taste of men   
and women4  ,the demand is always far   
greater than the supply4    ,this fruit 
being so very popular1 of such great    
demand1 we must conclude  that1 as it is
 bound to be either good or bad1 it must
 be very good1  or very bad4 ,now1      
reader1 before we proceed to examine    
this fruit1  please do the author and   

yourself the justice to sign your name  
to the  following vow3    ,i do solemnly
 vow that ,i will carefully read the    
following pages as  nearly as possible  
free from all prejudice and partiality1 
with a  desire to know the truth1 and   
that ,i will a true verdict render1     
according to the honest conviction of my
 own mind and heart4    7,here sign     
name47    ,when and where are the trees 
of dancing to be found8 ,they grow in   
the  night and generally perish with the
 darkness when the morning light        
appears4         ,this is the           
condemnation that light is come into the
 world1 and       men loved darkness    
rather than light1 because their deeds  
were       evil4 ,for every one that    
doeth evil hateth the light2 neither    
cometh to the light lest his deeds      
should be reproved4--,john              
#c-ai-bj4    ,the trees are to be found 
in many private residences1 dancing     
schools1  dancing academies1 seminaries 
and colleges1 where our girls are       

educated2 in public halls1 in side      
shows1 in some of our so-called         
churches1 in beer shops1 beer gardens1  
variety theatres1 music halls and       
houses of ill-fame4 ,in the five        
last-mentioned these trees grow much    
taller1 larger and more luxuriant than  
anywhere else1 because it is  supposed  
by naturalists that they are more       
indigenous to this kind of  soil4 ,in   
these places those are the favorite     
trees1 the trees admired  above all     
others1 because of the fruit they bear4 
,why the virtuous and  the vulgar are so
 fond of the same fruit1 ,i shall not   
try to explain4 ,i  must leave this     
knotty1 ugly problem to be solved by    
wiser and more  experienced heads than  
mine4 ,i asked the proprietors and      
proprietresses  of these last-mentioned 
places where they procured the sprouts  
from  which all these great trees had   
grown2 these trees that have grown so   
tall and strong1 and the bark so thick1 
that they do not vanish with the        

darkness when the morning light appears1
 but grow and flourish in the  brightest
 day1 even better on ,,sundays than any 
other time4    ,they all1 without a     
dissenting voice1 made answer and said3 
,the seeds  were planted in the decent1 
respectable parlors1 generally among the
  polished and refined people of the    
towns and cities--were watered and      
cultivated by the fathers and mothers1  
and then transplanted into the  dancing 
schools1 church festivals1 and then they
 are removed to the  public halls1 and  
here they are kept until the bark on    
some of them  becomes hard enough to be 
carried to the beer gardens1            
masquerades1  variety theaters1 music   
halls and other towns and cities in     
,sodom and  ,gomorrah4    ,without the  
fascination for dancing1 which is       
germinated and  cultivated in the       
private parlors among the nice1         
respectable1  refined people1 many of   
the largest towns and cities of ,sodom  
and  ,gomorrah would soon be            

depopulated4 ,we next come to enquire   
who it is  that attends dancing parties1
 balls1 hops1 etc41 and when they       
usually  break up4 ,but one answer can  
be given1 viz43 young men and young     
women1  together with young married     
people1 with an occasional sear and     
yellow  leaf repainted4    ,with a very 
few exceptions1 dancing parties1 balls  
and hops are made up  of young men and  
girls of every grade of society1 from   
the poorest to  the wealthiest in the   
community4 ,now it must be admitted that
 there is  as great a desire in the     
hearts of the poor young men1 and as    
great a  desire in the hearts of the    
girls of poor parentage to make a       
favorable  impression in society1 as    
there possibly could be with the        
wealthier  classes4 ,as a rule1 it may  
be said that not more than one in twenty
 of  all who participate in dancing     
parties have a sufficient cash balance  
to gratify their pride in the purchase  
of the supposed necessary outfits  in   

clothing1 jewelry1 etc41 without any    
misgivings as to the future  comforts   
and necessaries of life4    ,when we    
consider the large number of young men1 
young husbands and  fathers and mothers 
who are not able1 in justice to         
themselves and those  looking to and    
relying upon them for a support1 to keep
 pace with the  rich in their           
extravagance1 and that all must come    
together on the same  floor1 in the same
 room and pass in review before the     
merciless critics  always to be found in
 the ball room1 and find that the       
weakest and most  vulnerable points in  
human nature are here attacked by three 
of the  devil's most powerful armies1   
under command of three of his most      
stratagetic and experienced             
generals--,,envy1 ,,jealousy and        
,,wounded  ,,pride--we may at once      
proceed to examine the fruit of dancing4
 ,nearly  all of our young people are in
 love with some one1 and not            
unfrequently  two or three or more are  

in love with the same one1 or the lover 
imagines that he or she has from one to 
a half dozen rivals1 which is  the same 
to them as if it were true4 ,it is often
 the case that an  engagement exists1 or
 there is grave suspicion of its        
existence4 ,a  dancing party or ball is 
in prospect4 ,the same preparation must 
be made  by rich and poor4 ,one young   
man who chanced to be born of rich or   
well-to-do parents1 and one young lady  
the same1 order their outfits1  and they
 are paid for not unfrequently out of   
the usurious interest  wrung from the   
fathers and mothers of the poorer young 
men and girls4  ,now the poorer and less
 able to purchase the necessary all     
outfits1  which are always costly1 must 
go4 ,they must go1 because they love    
the dance4 ,they are ,,passionately fond
 of it4    ,they must go1 or it may be  
said they could not go on account of    
their  poverty4 ,they must go1 in order 
to keep pace with their rivals1 so as to
  keep an eye on them1 lest they be     

supplanted in their affections4 ,these  
are three powerful inducements4 ,without
 ,divine aid they are irresistible  when
 brought to bear on the young4    ,,they
 ,,must ,,go6    ,,they ,,will ,,go6    
,,they ,,do ,,go6    ,here thousands of 
fathers and mothers have been compelled 
to yield to  the entreaties of their    
daughters1 and sometimes their sons1 in 
purchasing costly apparel1 jewelry1     
etc41 when they knew they were not      
able1 outfits that never would have been
 needed but for the dance4  ,hundreds of
 thousands of young men1 with small     
salaries1 in moderate  circumstances1   
have been induced1 under this heavy     
pressure1 to resort  to many dishonest  
devices in order to make the necessary  
preparations4  ,clerks have sold goods  
above the market price and put the      
excess in  their pockets4 ,they have    
often borrowed money from their         
employer1  without his knowledge1 small 
amounts1 from day to day4 ,they have    
borrowed from friends by telling them   

they had money coming from an  estate1  
or friend or a debtor1 which they knew  
to be false1 and in the  same way1 or by
 other false statements1 have bought    
articles of  clothing1 made large livery
 bills1 which they knew would never be  
paid4  ,many conceive the idea they can 
raise the desired amount at the gambling
  table1 and here do their first        
gambling4 ,where one succeeds1 at least 
one hundred fail4 ,some raise the       
required amount by transferring a few   
cows1 yearlings1 steers1 a horse or a   
mule1 to distant pastures2 some  are    
caught and some are not4 ,those not     
caught are in a far worse  condition    
than those in the jail or in the        
penitentiary1 because they  have been   
checked in their mad career1 and the    
others are emboldened by  their escape  
to commit other and greater crimes4 ,be 
sure your sins will  find you out4 ,yes1
 inexorable1 unerring justice is on the 
track of all  evil-doers1 and will be   
certain to overtake them sooner or      

later4  ,hundreds of thousands of       
fathers and mothers1 and young married  
people1  have been brought to poverty   
and misery2 some1 within my knowledge1  
to  alms-houses1 by the heavy draws made
 upon them by their sons1 daughters  and
 wives1 in preparing for dancing parties
 and balls4 ,for weeks before  the ball 
comes off--and here let it be understood
 that ,i mean the ball  to cover hops1  
dancing parties and all manner of       
dancing--the young  people are wild with
 excitement2 they are almost wholly     
incapable of any  kind of business4 ,all
 manner of domestic affairs are almost  
entirely  neglected by the girls and    
young wives4 ,the bright anticipation of
 great  pleasure in the near future1    
turns some of their little shallow      
brains  up-side-down1 and they are often
 seen in a sort of deep reverie1 wearing
  a blank gaze1 having very much the    
appearance of poor unfortunate  idiots4 
,if the father1 mother1 husband1 brother
 or teacher speaks to  them1 unless it  

be on the subject of the ball1 they grin
 like a baboon  and snap like a mad dog4
 ,if we run on at the rate we are now   
going1 it  will not be a great while    
until it may be found to be cheaper to  
build a  few asylums for the sane1 and  
let the idiots and lunatics run at      
large4    ,,the ,,ball4 ,,the ,,hop4    
,,the ,,dance4    ,,it ,,is ,,all ,,the 
,,same4    ,well1 the long looked for   
day has come2 it is now #h ,p4,m41 and  
the boys1  girls and young wives are in 
their rooms donning their new and costly
  apparel1 which has been bought1       
borrowed or stolen in divers and  sundry
 ways4 ,some have been paid for1 some   
will be paid for1 and some  will remain 
open accounts until judgment day4 ,the  
wealthy and those who  never pay their  
bills will be dressed in the costliest1 
richest apparel1  because only these    
classes can afford these luxuries4      
,,extremes ,,will  ,,meet4 ,the young   
men go and bring in their girls1 and    
when they get to  the door1 they are met

 by the committee of reception1 who     
politely show  the ladies a side room   
where they will go and lay off their    
wraps4 ,the  young men go out into the  
corner of the yard or in the woods and  
lay off  their wraps--in the nature of a
 bottle of whiskey or brandy--or they   
have left them in a buggy or carriage1  
or a room has been set apart for  this  
purpose1 and the ,,wraps have been      
provided before-hand1 or they are  to be
 found in a convenient drinking saloon4 
,,the ,,wraps ,,are ,,there4    ,the    
girls wear their wraps around them4 ,the
 boys wear themselves  around their     
wraps4 ,these wraps are brought into    
requisition as the  physical man begins 
to weaken under the excessive and       
unnatural  exercise4 ,unnatural1 because
 the hours designed by ,god1 our maker1 
to be  used in rest and sleep are       
appropriated to another and very        
different  purpose4 ,here the tempter   
discovers another weak point1 and he    
makes the  attack4 ,the great draw made 

upon the physical forces makes it       
necessary--the tempter says--to use an  
artificial stimulant1 which is  here    
often taken the first time1 and which is
 not unfrequently repeated1  until many 
are so much under its influence and some
 get so drunk--no1  become so suddenly  
indisposed1 that they have to be carried
 home4  ,these entertainments seldom    
break up until the light of the morning 
begins to appear1 but ,i will compromise
 on #b o'clock1 ,a4,m4 ,at #i or #aj    
o'clock1 ,p4,m41 the performance begins1
 and ,i propose we shall candidly  and  
honestly examine this basket of fruit4  
,whether designed or not1 it  is simply 
a fact that many of the girls and women 
are dressed in such a  way and manner as
 best and most successfully to excite   
the baser  passions of men4    ,if the  
style of dress often1 yea1 nearly       
always1 seen at the  fashionable balls  
and dancing parties is wholly without   
any evil  design--innocently following a
 fashion--and if those who thus dress   

are  really ignorant of the effect it   
has upon the opposite sex1 it is high   
time their eyes were being opened4 ,if  
this be only a fashion1 and ,i want  to 
believe it is nothing more1 but when ,i 
remember distinctly that this  manner of
 dressing for balls and dancing parties 
has been the fashion  for forty years   
and that it has never changed1 except to
 become a  little more so1 and that all 
other fashions have changed at least    
twenty times1 my belief staggers and    
hangs its head for very shame4 ,this    
fruit alone has sent hundreds of        
thousands of men1 women and girls to    
premature graves1 dishonored graves1    
felons' cells1 and to an endless  hell4 
,that this semi-nude condition1 in which
 many girls and women are  seen in the  
dance1 has been productive of a vast    
deal of sin and crime1  no honest man   
certainly will deny4 ,in the whirl of   
the gay and giddy  dance1 we see3       
,strong men and women fair    ,are now  
within the tempter's snare1    ,with    

arms around each slender waist1    ,each
 woman held in close embrace4      ,if  
all the thoughts could be made known    
,of seeds of crime which here are sown1 
',twould cause the hardest cheek to     
blush    ,and every virtuous heart would
 crush4      ,but so it is1 and ere must
 be1    ,while men and women thus agree 
,to tempt themselves1 and others too1   
,,to ,,sins ,,and ,,crimes ,,of ,,deadly
 ,,hue4    ,the following is the        
experience of a lady whose name is      
withheld1 but  who has distinguished    
herself in literature1 and made a       
world-wide  reputation3         ,in     
those times ,i cared little for polka or
 varsovienne1 and still       less for  
',money ,musk' or ',virginia ,reel1' and
 wondered what people       could find  
to admire in these slow dances4 ,but in 
the soft floating       of the waltz ,i 
found a strange pleasure1 rather        
difficult to       intelligibly         
describe4 ,the mere anticipation        
fluttered my pulse1       and when my   

partner approached to claim my promised 
hand for the       dance1 ,i felt my    
cheeks glow a little sometimes1 and ,i  
could not       look him in the eye with
 the same frank gayety as heretofore4   
,but the climax of my confusion was     
reached when1 folded in his       warm  
embrace1 and giddy with the whirl1 a    
strange1 sweet thrill       would shake 
me from head to foot1 leaving me weak   
and almost       powerless1 and really  
obliged to depend for support on the arm
       which encircled me4 ,if my       
partner failed1 from ignorance1 lack of 
skill or innocence1 to arouse these1 to 
me1 most pleasureable       sensations1 
,i did not dance with him the second    
time4         ,i am speaking openly and 
frankly1 and when ,i say that ,i did not
       understand what ,i felt1 or what 
were the real and greatest              
pleasures ,i derived from this so-called
 dancing1 ,i expect to be               
believed4 ,but if my cheeks grew red    
with uncomprehended pleasure       then1

 they grow pale to-day with shame when  
,i think of it all4 ,it       was the   
physical emotions engendered by the     
magnetic contact of       strong men    
that ,i was enamored of--not of the     
dance1 not even of       the men        
themselves4         ,thus ,i became     
abnormally developed in my lowest       
nature4 ,i grew       bolder1 and from  
being able to return shy glances at     
first1 was       soon able to meet more 
daring ones1 until the waltz became to  
me       and whomsoever danced with me1 
one lingering1 sweet and purely         
sensual pleasure1 where heart beat      
against heart1 hand was held in         
hand and eyes looked burning words which
 lips dared not speak4         ,all this
 time no one said to me1 ',you do       
wrong2' so ,i dreamed of       sweet    
words whispered during the dance1 and   
often felt1 while       alone1 a thrill 
of joy indescribable1 yet overpowering1 
when my       mind would turn from my   
study to remember a piece of temerity of

       unusual grandeur on the part of  
one or another of my cavaliers4         
,married now1 with home and children    
around me1 ,i can at least       thank  
,god for the experience which will      
assuredly be the means of               
preventing my little daughters from     
indulging in any such dangerous         
pleasure4 ,but if a young girl1 pure and
 innocent in the beginning1       can be
 brought to feel what ,i have confessed 
to have felt1 what       must be the    
experience of a married woman8 ,she     
knows what every       glance of the    
eye1 every bend of the head1 every close
 clasp means1       and knowing that1   
reciprocates it1 and is led by swifter  
steps and       a surer path down the   
dangerous1 dishonorable road4    ,i read
 in the ,scripture1 in that ever        
memorable sermon on the ,mount1  this   
significant declaration3 ,whosoever     
looketh on a woman to lust  after her1  
hath committed adultery with her already
 in his heart4 ,some  may not receive   

this as sound doctrine1 because it is   
the language of  ,jesus ,christ2 but    
this will not give relief1 because the  
corrupting  influence would be just the 
same if ,christ had never said one word 
about  it4 ,christ only gave the great  
sin a name by calling it adultery4 ,it  
was  in this way the seed was sown in   
the heart of the ,psalmist ,david that  
caused him to commit one of the greatest
 crimes ever committed on earth4  ,see  
#b ,samuel1 #aa ,ch4 ,in the same way   
the seed has been sown in the  hearts of
 thousands of men in the ball room1 in  
the dances and in the  private parlors1 
which has ripened into disruptions of   
the marital  relations--has ripened into
 husbands murdering their wives1 has    
ripened  into husbands losing their     
wives by elopement1 has ripened into    
husbands  being murdered1 has ripened   
into young men killing each other2 and  
last1  though not least1 has resulted in
 the utter ruin of hundreds of          
thousands of the fair daughters of our  

land and country4 ,taking the           
declarations of ,jesus ,christ as true1 
and no honest man can doubt it1  there  
never was and never will be a dancing   
party or ball that the  great sin ,he   
referred to was not and will not be     
committed in the hearts  of some men4   
,here permit me to ask an important     
question1 and solemnly charge every     
reader to make answer as upon oath3     
,,with ,,whom ,,is ,,this ,,great ,,sin 
,,committed8    ,if common honesty      
compels fathers1 husbands and brothers  
to admit these  things to be true1 will 
you ever again permit your wives1 your  
daughters  or your sisters to be found  
at one of these places1 however decent  
the  people may be1 while they are under
 your control8 ,if you do1 after your   
attention has been called to the hideous
 deformity of the dance1 ,god1  man and 
your own conscience will condemn you4   
,whatsoever of evil or  crime may be    
committed1 unyielding justice1 unmixed  
with mercy1 will  certainly hold you    

responsible4 ,this last objection to the
 dance will  hold and be just as good   
against the theaters and operas1 because
 no one  will deny but that a special   
effort is generally made at these places
 to  excite the passions of men and     
women by an indecent exposure of their  
persons4 ,to say the least of it1       
,christians have no business at these   
places4    ,a ,christian has no business
 at any place where he cannot go in the 
name  of ,jesus ,christ1 because the    
,scripture says3 ,they shall walk up and
  down in ,his name4--,zach41 #aj ch4   
#abv4 ,micah1 #d ch4 #ev4--,his name    
shall  be on their foreheads4--,rev41   
#bb ch4 #d v4 ,ye are my                
witnesses4--,isa41  #dc ch4 #aj v4 ,can 
a ,christian1 a true follower of the    
,lord ,jesus ,christ1  walk up and down 
in a ball room in ,his name8 ,can a     
,christian go into  a ball room with the
 name of ,jesus ,christ written on his  
or her  forehead8 ,if a man has ,his    
name written on his forehead1 and he    

goes  into a ball room1 theater1 opera1 
or a drinking saloon1 does he not1 by   
that act1 hide the name of ,jesus       
,christ8 ,can a ,christian be a witness 
for ,god in the ball room1 theater1     
opera1 or drinking saloon8 ,if not1  his
 testimony is false1 and he is a        
perjured man6 ,i have no doubt some     
very nice people--society people--will  
be terribly shocked at the  developments
 herein made4    ,i was raised in the   
country1 and ,i remember a varmint got  
to visiting  our poultry yard and       
carrying off those roosting nearest the 
ground1  which were generally our       
improved blooded 7society7 chickens1 and
  whenever we would get after him1 he   
would run down through a very  muddy    
place1 and take refuge in a hole in the 
bank of a creek4 ,we  rather dreaded the
 task of following him through all this 
mud and  filth2 but1 as a last resort1  
rather than let him have all the        
poultry1  or allow him to continue his  
depredations at pleasure1 we waded      

through  the mud down to his den and dug
 into his hiding place2 and when he was 
struck on the head with the back of a   
hoe1 he too was terribly  shocked4      
,now this little animal was not1 as may 
be supposed by some1 one of the  common 
or unclean1 but he was one of the elite1
 a regular society  mink4 ,he was       
covered with very fine fur1 but had his 
stomach filled with  stolen chickens4 ,i
 leave the application to all to whom   
these presents  may come1 ,,greeting4   
,when ,i want to buy a hat1 ,i never    
take one unless  it fits me4    ,more or
 less of the girls participating in the 
dance are engaged to be  married1 and   
great effort is made to keep this a     
profound secret1 so she  very naturally 
has every man for a partner except her  
intended4 ,here is  music in the        
back-ground1 if her intended is present1
 and he is sure to  be there if he is in
 striking distance--if he is not down   
with typhoid  fever or in prison4       
,this music is in his heart1 in the     

nature of clamoring for blood1 by a     
legion of different sized devils4 ,it   
may be there is not one man in the  room
 that would have his girl under any     
consideration whatever1 but he  imagines
 that they all want her4 ,the female    
outfit for the ball consists  of girls  
and a number of young married women1 and
 some a little older1  and some old     
women1 forty to fifty years old1 with   
grown children1 false  teeth1 false     
hair1 and bloats to swell out their     
wrinkled cheeks1 and  they1 too1 are    
dressed in the fashion with red ribbons1
 and blue and  green2 these furnish the 
disgust for the occasion--and one of    
them has  been known to furnish disgust 
enough for a city of ten thousand       
inhabitants1 and of the very best       
quality4 ,let us return to the basket   
containing the young married people1 and
 examine the fruit therein4  ,reader1   
did you ever see the young married woman
 watching her husband as  he glides up  
and down in the merry dance1 with an old

 sweetheart in his  arms8 ,if you never 
did1 the first opportunity you have1    
take a good  look at a cat's eyes in the
 dark and in imagination transfer them  
to the  young wife's head1 and you will 
have a very correct idea of how sweet   
and amiable she looks4    ,who among the
 living will ever forget that poor      
unfortunate girl1 in the  ,state of     
,georgia1 who was assassinated in the   
ball room by a jealous  young wife8 ,the
 civilized world was shocked by the     
announcement of this  terrible tragedy1 
which was purely the fruit of the ball  
room4 ,these  parties were not of the   
low and vulgar1 but were of the society 
people  of the age4 ,how many husbands  
have in the same way and for the same   
cause had all the baser1 brutish        
passions aroused to such an extent as   
to have their reasoning faculties       
dethroned1 and have been driven by the  
raging devils within to commit many of  
the greatest1 most shameful and  most   
disgraceful crimes that ever blackened  

the records of a criminal  court8 ,how  
many have cursed and abused their wives 
while on the way home  from the ball    
room8 ,how many1 after their arrival at 
home1 have used  their superior physical
 strength in abusing their wives in a   
most  shameful and disgraceful manner8  
,how much of all this was the result of 
a frenzied imagination1 and not for any 
real misconduct8 ,how many of all  these
 cruel wrongs and outrages are never    
known except by the parties  themselves8
 ,how many fathers and mothers have     
neglected their children  by leaving    
them in incompetent and unsafe hands1   
while they spent the  night in the ball 
room8 ,how many husbands have left their
 wives1 in poor  health1 sometimes sick 
in bed1 with two or three little        
children crying  around them1 while they
 have spent the night in the ball room  
dancing  with other women8 ,how many men
 and women1 and especially women1 from  
physical and mental causes superinduced 
by the effects of the ball room1  have  

been driven to madness1 and have thus   
become inmates of insane  asylums1 or   
have deliberately taken their own lives8
 ,o6 for the pen of a  ,milton or a     
,pollock6 ,but this would not suffice1  
because these questions  can only be    
answered at the ,judgment ,bar of ,god1 
when the secrets of all  hearts shall be
 made known4    ,,they ,,will ,,be      
,,answered ,,then4    ,how many girls   
have innocently and ignorantly killed   
themselves1 or  have sown the seed of   
some terrible lingering disease1 by     
checking the  course of nature1 by      
bathing or otherwise1 in their          
preparation for the  ball room1 which   
they would not have done to attend any  
other place8 ,how  many women1 all over 
the country1 are suffering the pangs of 
death from  this cause alone8    ,one of
 the handsomest and most accomplished   
girls ,i ever knew1 at the  age of      
eighteen1 ignorantly killed herself in  
this way4 ,i know through  physicians of
 many others who have wrecked their     

health in the same way4  ,let the       
invalids among the women tell their     
physicians the truth1 and  then let the 
physicians and the graves speak out1 and
 the world would  be horror-stricken at 
the awful report4 ,whiskey has slain its
 thousands1  but the ball1 the hop1 the 
dance1 its tens of thousands4    ,in    
this connection ,i wish to give young   
men some wholesome advice1  which1 if   
observed1 will keep them out of a great 
deal of trouble1 and  save the payment  
of a great many bills4 ,whenever you    
hear that an old  clock1 an old         
carriage1 an old saw-mill1 an old       
steamboat1 or a woman or  girl who is   
passionately fond of dancing is on the  
market1 be certain  to remain in bed or 
get the sheriff1 which is much safer1 to
 put you in  jail until these articles  
are disposed of4 ,i respectfully refer  
to all  who have had any of these       
articles knocked off on them4    ,when  
the ball closes1 the young men take the 
girls to their homes4 ,in a  little     

while the girls--darling angels--are in 
the land of dreams1 but  they certainly 
never dream that they have been sowing  
the seeds of  eternal shame1 sowing the 
seeds of a maddened brain4 ,they never  
dream  that they are responsible for all
 the sins and crimes that flow from  the
 ball room1 ,,but ,,they ,,certainly    
,,are1 because if they would not go to  
these places1 there never would be      
another ball or hop or dance upon the   
face of all the earth4    ,,men ,,will  
,,not ,,dance ,,by ,,themselves4    ,if 
they do1 they will not injure any one   
but themselves1 and they will  be       
certain not to keep late hours4 ,while  
the girls are dreaming1 the  young men  
are assembling at some favorite room or 
corner down in town4  ,if ,jim gets     
there first he waits for ,bill1 and then
 they wait for ,jack1  ,bob1 ,ben1      
,charlie and the balance of the club4   
,when they are all in1 one  or two of   
the older ones propose to go across the 
way and take a drink  at the corner     

saloon1 which is still in blast2 yes1   
running at a full  head of steam1 or    
rather mean whiskey4 ,now here is a very
 strange thing4  ,i have never heard of 
but one first-class saloon closing until
 after the  ball closed1 and in this    
case the owner was very sick and the    
bar-tender  had skipped with the cash   
balance4 ,some of these boys have been  
taught  by their old-fogy fathers and   
mothers that such things are not to be  
found on the straight and narrow road1  
because there is no room for  them along
 this road1 and no use for them either4 
,i have carefully examined my way-bill  
to heaven1 and it was made out by  one  
who knows every foot of the way1 but ,i 
find no mention made of  drinking       
saloons1 ball rooms1 theaters1 operas1  
houses of ill-fame1 and  such like      
places as being on or near this road4   
,the same one has  furnished me a       
way-bill to hell1 and ,i find all these 
places mentioned  as being on the line  
of this road4 ,whenever you find        

yourself1 dear  reader1 at one of these 
places1 you may know beyond the shadow  
of a  doubt that you are not in the     
narrow road2 and with equal certainty   
you  may know you are in the broad road4
 ,now these boys are evidently on the   
broad road1 because the devil's         
sutler-shops are not to be found        
anywhere else1 for the very good reason 
that he cannot get a permit to  put them
 up on the narrow road4 ,he would put   
them in the very center of  heaven if he
 possibly could4 ,his impudence and     
daring is only equaled by  his          
fathomless corruption4 ,the man or woman
 who will dare to say that  these places
 are found on the road to heaven1       
certainly has a very poor  idea of      
heaven and its inhabitants4 ,if they are
 to be found along the  straight and    
narrow way1 and the travelers along this
 way are to enter  and participate in   
the things therein going on1 then they  
are certainly  designed of ,god to aid  
in the salvation of immortal souls4 ,if 

this be  true1 on entering the narrow   
way the first refreshments we shall get 
are  to be found in one of these places1
 having this sign over the door2        
,,first ,,chance1 and the last thing we 
pass in this life1 just before we  enter
 heaven1 will be another one of these   
houses with this inscription  over the  
door3 ,,last ,,chance4 ,some of these   
boys don't understand it  this way2 they
 have been raised to think that there is
 no harm in  dancing1 but were never    
told that the dancing shops of all kinds
 are  on the same road with all the     
drinking saloons and other places of a  
like character4 ,no1 the same parents   
told their sons that the drinking       
saloon is next door to hell1 and these  
are the ones we read about in the       
,bible1 who strain at a gnat and swallow
 a camel4 ,that is to say1 in  those    
days when ,christ was on earth1 there   
were some people so  peculiarly         
constituted that they strained at a gnat
 and swallowed a  camel2 but we live in 

an age of improvement1 an age in which  
some people  strain at a gnat1 and      
swallow a ,jumbo with perfect ease and  
in the most  graceful manner4    ,i know
 an advocate of the ,woman's ,christian 
,temperance ,union1 who often  dances   
all night1 most gracefully1 and in the  
morning she turneth up  her little nose1
 just as gracefully as the elephant     
turneth up his  snout when ,peck's bad  
boy has thrown him a piece of tobacco1  
at the  awful drinking saloon and saloon
 keepers4 ,the private parlor dance is  
the beginning1 the first depot on the   
great air-line route from this  world to
 the city of destruction2 here the boys 
and men are drawn into  the coaches by  
the general passenger agents3 the       
,,mothers1 ,,wives1  ,,daughters1       
,,sisters and ,,sweethearts4 ,this line 
is advertised as the  finest and best   
equipped road beneath the sun4 ,fine    
sleepers2 all the  way through1 without 
change4 ,special guarantee against      
accidents4 ,this  road is laid with     

smooth1 glass rails1 and the wheels are 
made of ,india  rubber4 ,drinking       
saloons1 beer gardens1 and some other   
places ,i'll not  mention1 are the wood 
yards and tanks1 where fuel and water is
 procured  which gets up the steam that 
draws the train with increasing velocity
  down to the great city of destruction4
 ,when the train stops for wood and     
water1 all the passengers are expected  
to take part in the very  interesting   
and social performance4 ,but here are   
same boys who beg to be  excused4 ,can't
 excuse you1 cries the brakesman4 ,come 
along1 you can  take a small stick in   
the way of a cigar2 and so these boys1  
not  wishing to appear ugly and incur   
the ill will of the brakesman1 walk     
into a saloon for the first time4 ,they 
first take a cigar1 but soon the        
brakesman 7an old stager7 laughs them to
 scorn and confusion1 and not  being    
able to stand the fire1 they throw down 
the cigar and take their  first drink in
 a drinking saloon4 ,after the drinks   

have been repeated  a few times1 one of 
the brakesmen1 well under the influence 
of whiskey  or wine1 takes a careful    
look at all present1 and if satisfied   
there is  no relative or sweetheart in  
hearing1 he then and there tells an     
anecdote on one of the nice girls or    
married ladies with whom they  have been
 dancing1 that certainly would bring the
 blush of shame to the  cheeks of the   
blackest devil that inhabits the world  
of outer darkness4  ,the drink1 and     
anecdotes of the same character1 only   
worse1 if  possible1 are repeated until 
interrupted by the appearance of a      
half-witted looking young man1 entering 
from a back door1 who seems to  have    
something of great importance to tell   
the bartender4 ,he talks low1  but      
sufficiently loud to be heard by the    
boys1 for it is really for  their ears4 
,have you heard the news8 ,no1 what     
news4 ,why1 about ,bill  ,jones2 he went
 in back here to-night with only five   
dollars for a stake1  and he has just   

now gone home with five hundred dollars 
in his  pocket4 ,then the boys slide    
out1 and as soon as out in a dark       
corner1  they begin to enquire to see if
 a stake can be raised among them1      
finding none1 one or two being          
confidential clerks1 go to the store1   
bank or other place of business1 and    
borrow fifteen or twenty dollars1       
having no doubt of their ability to win 
a few hundred dollars in a  little      
while1 and then replace the borrowed    
money without it ever  being known4     
,soon the borrowed stake is in the hands
 of the dealer4  ,they repeat the       
drinks1 and then borrow some more in the
 same way1  which goes into the same    
hands as the first1 and thus they       
continue  until the appearance of       
day-light1 and then reeling to and fro  
under the  influence of the mean whiskey
 they have been drinking1 and the       
ponderous  weight of their sins and     
crimes1 they go to their rooms1 cursing 
the day  on which they were born4       

,,they ,,have ,,lost ,,all              
,,self-,,respect4    ,they are now at   
sea without chart or compass4 ,when a   
man or woman loses  their self-respect1 
they are moral wrecks4 ,,wandering      
,,stars4 ,there is  nothing left to     
build upon4 ,it is from this cause that 
thousands commit  suicide1 both men1    
women1 and girls4 ,it is the continual  
gnawings of the  conscience over the    
secret sins and crimes they have not the
 moral  courage to confess4 ,like the   
hidden spark of fire in a bale of       
cotton1  it continues its ravages until 
the whole bale is reduced to ashes4     
,this  will account in great measure for
 the hundreds and thousands of          
unaccountable suicides of to-day1 which 
are principally confined to  the young  
of both sexes4    ,i do not mean to say 
that all the young men go to drinking   
saloons as  soon as they carry their    
girls home1 or as soon as the ball or   
dance is  over4 ,no1 many of them go to 
other places1 such as are described in  

the  #eth chapter of ,proverbs4 ,men    
will not deny this4 ,who caused these   
men  to go to these places8 ,shall ,i   
answer8 ,shall ,i tell the truth8 ,if ,i
 do1  ,i must say it is the virtuous    
wives1 daughters1 sisters and           
sweethearts1  who have been             
participating in the dance4 ,every man  
knows that this is  true4 ,let every    
honest physician send in a report of all
 his male  patients1 giving the disease 
of each and the cause1 and then let us  
have  a correct report from the dead of 
the same kind1 and ,i am confident that 
no husband1 father or brother would ever
 permit his wife1 daughter or  sister to
 be seen at a ball or dance4 ,,husbands1
 ,,fathers1 ,,brothers1 your  wives1    
daughters and sisters do not know these 
things1 but you do know  them1 and now  
that your eyes are open1 will you1 can  
you1 as a husband1  father or brother1  
ever permit the females under your care 
to even take  the chance of being       
,,recruiting ,,officers for these sinks 

of perdition1  ,,these ,,ante-,,chambers
 ,,of ,,hell4 ,these places1 dripping   
with the blood of  hundreds and         
thousands of young and middle-aged men1 
who1 but for their  enchantment1 might  
have been good and true men1 and have   
filled  honorable graves4 ,these places 
have broken the hearts of thousands of  
wives1 mothers and3 sisters1 when they  
have seen their loved ones bound  in the
 fetters and chains of eternal death4   
,these funnels1 through which  thousands
 and millions of souls of both men and  
women have been poured  into an endless 
hell4    ,i have tried to furnish fair  
samples of the fruit of dancing1 if ,i  
have  failed1 it is an error of the head
 and not of the heart4 ,it may be said  
by some that ,i have occupied forbidden 
ground in writing a book to be  read by 
the public generally4 ,in reply ,i can  
only say that ,i have simply  followed  
the varmint to his hiding place4 ,i have
 not used any stronger  or more indecent
 language than was used by ,jesus       

,christ1 and ,god forbid  that ,i should
 ever be guilty of the sacrilege of     
saying or even thinking  that ,jesus    
,christ was vulgar or wanting in        
refinement2 that ever ,i  should say of 
and concerning ,him3 ,i am holier than  
,thou4 ,if the  things ,i have herein   
mentioned have flowed from the ball     
room1 if ,i have  stated ,,facts1 and ,i
 know that ,i have1 you should not get  
mad at me1  but get mad at the facts4   
,if a man lends a helping hand in       
removing a  dead dog from the yard1 it  
is not the man that is indecent1 it is  
the  dead dog4 ,the man shows his       
decency and kindness by condescending to
  give aid in removing the stench from  
the premises1 and no one but a          
contemptible snipe dude would stand off 
and turn up his nose and call  the man  
indecent and vulgar4 ,if ,i am wrong1 ,i
 rejoice to know that ,i am  in the best
 company on earth1 for the whole        
religious world1 with a  few exceptions1
 regards dancing as an enemy to good    

morals1 and as  destructive to all      
spirituality1 because it is productive  
of so much  evil and ,,no ,,good4 ,who  
upon all the earth has the opportunity  
of knowing  the true inwardness of      
dancing like the ,catholic priests and  
bishops8  ,who ever held and used such a
 probing instrument as the              
,,confessional8  ,who on this earth can 
come as near knowing all the acts and   
deeds1 yea1  and the very thoughts1 that
 do pass through the minds and hearts of
  men1 women1 boys and girls1 as the    
,catholic priests and bishops can know  
of and concerning those under their     
charge8 ,arch-,bishop ,j4 ,henry        
,william  ,elder1 ,co-,adjutor to the   
,arch-,bishop of ,cincinnati1 has issued
 a  circular letter to the clergy in his
 ,diocese1 from which ,i take this  very
 significant clipping3    ,,there ,,must
 ,,be ,,no ,,round ,,dancing ,,at ,,any 
,,time1 ,,and ,,no ,,dancing ,,of ,,any 
,,kind  ,,after ,,dark4    ,what meaneth
 then this blating of the sheep in mine 

ears1 and the lowing  of the oxen which 
,i hear8 ,why does ,arch-,bishop ,elder 
inhibit the round  dance even in        
day-light8 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,,echo and    
their girls and boys  will please answer
 why8 ,and why has he inhibited all     
kinds of  dancing after dark8 ,will some
 member of the same family please rise  
and  explain8      ,oh wad some power   
the giftie gie us1    ,to see oursels as
 ithers see us4    ,while this circular 
letter has an existence upon earth1 let 
all  so-called ,protestants and their   
friends1 who say ,there is no harm in   
dancing1 and who participate in dancing 
of any kind at any time or  place1 or   
who simply attend such places1 or who   
remain at a place after  it has been    
turned into a dance1 7for the aiders and
 abettors of crime  are just as guilty  
as their principals71 hang their heads  
for very  shame1 as poor old dog ,tray  
hangeth his head when caught in company 
with  sheep-killing dogs1 and especially
 when some wool is found in his teeth4  

,paul was present when ,stephen1 the    
first ,christian martyr1 was put to     
death2 he only held the clothes of those
 who cast the stones1 but he was  just  
as guilty of murder as though he had    
cast the fatal missile1 by  his         
presence1 and making no objection he was
 consenting to the crime4  ,to have     
relieved himself of the blood of        
,stephen1 he should not have  gone to   
the place where the murder was          
committed1 if he knew1 or had  good     
reason to know1 that a crime was to be  
committed4 ,if he had gone  there with  
the belief that it was an innocent1     
harmless gathering1 and  after getting  
there he saw their murderous intent1 he 
should at least  have left immediately  
and thus have withdrawn all his         
influence and  supposed sympathy with   
the criminals4 ,the holding of their    
clothes did  not make him guilty1 but   
was only cumulative evidence of the     
murderous  intent in his heart4         
,reader1 if you go to a ball or dance1  

knowing it to be such1 you are a        
participant in all the sins and crimes  
which would not have been  committed1 if
 such ball or dance had never been4 ,so 
if the gathering be  for a sinless1     
harmless purpose1 and you find1 after   
arriving at the  place1 that there is to
 be a dance1 and you do not leave       
immediately1  you will be just as guilty
 as though you had gone with full       
knowledge of  what was to be4 ,the      
encouragement and endorsement of your   
presence makes  you just as guilty as   
those who join in the dance4 ,there is  
no  difference1 except in degree1       
between the select parlor dance and the 
masquerade ball1 because the one is the 
stepping stone to the other4 ,not  one  
in ten thousand have done their first   
dancing at the masquerade  ball1 just as
 not one in ten thousand ever took their
 first drink of  whiskey in a drinking  
saloon4 ,but let it be remembered that  
hundreds of  thousands have taken their 
first drink of wine or whiskey at a ball

 or  dance4    ,one of the greatest sins
 committed by children and young people 
is  disobedience to parents4 ,it is one 
of the greatest1 because it is one  of  
the first1 and because if cultivated it 
becomes a cesspool of  iniquity4 ,it is 
a pandora box1 out of which ten thousand
 troubles1  trials1 difficulties1 sins  
and crimes will come4 ,i claim that the 
love  of dancing is the most fruitful   
source of disobedience to parents to  be
 found beneath the sun1 because it      
becomes a ruling passion4 ,if  anything 
will cause a child to disobey its       
parents1 it is to forbid them  going to 
a ball or dance when their heart is set 
upon it4 ,they go and  then deny it4    
,for all the disobedience brought about 
in this way1 the  parents are generally 
far more to blame than the children     
because it is  the parents' fault that  
they have ever learned to dance4 ,some  
parents  have an idea that dancing is a 
necessary branch of education1 that it  
makes their children graceful1 but never

 look far enough down the line  to see  
that they are opening the way to        
graceful disobedience1  graceful liars1 
graceful thieves1 graceful gamblers1    
graceful  drunkards1 graceful           
prostitutes1 graceful whoremongers and  
to every  sin and crime that men and    
women can commit beneath the sun4 ,they 
are  opening the very gates of hell to  
their own children4    ,,many1 if not   
all1 of the following sins and crimes   
are committed at  every dance1 hop or   
ball1 and every one present1 whether    
participating  in the dance or not1 is  
equally guilty with the perpetrators of 
all the  sins and crimes1 which would   
not have been committed if there had    
been  no such gathering3      ,,samples 
,,of ,,fruit ,,found ,,on ,,the ,,tree  
,,of ,,dancing3    ,,envy4              
,,jealousy4    ,,pride4    ,,deceit4    
,,disobedience ,,to ,,parents           
,,backbiting4    ,,strife4    ,,hatred4 
,,lasciviousness4    ,,emulation4       
,,sedition4    ,,lying4    ,,theft4     

,,drunkenness4    ,,sabbath ,,breaking4 
,,gambling4    ,,embezzlement4          
,,suicide4    ,,vulgarity4              
,,fornication4    ,,adultery4           
,,obscenity4    ,,extravagance4         
,,divorce4    ,,lunacy4    ,,wantonness4
    ,,cruelty4    ,,idolatry4           
,,perjury4    ,,seduction4              
,,prostitution4    ,,abortion4          
,,infanticide4    ,,assassination4      
,,murder4    ,,and ,,such ,,like4       
,every honest man is compelled to admit 
that these sins and crimes are  the     
natural fruit of dancing2 ,,that ,,these
 ,,things ,,do ,,flow ,,from ,,the      
,,dance4 ,i frankly admit that all these
 sins and crimes may and do come  from  
other sources1 but ,i challenge the     
world to point to any one  thing that   
produces as many of these sins and      
crimes as the dance4 ,the  drinking     
saloon is a prolific source of evil1 but
 not one-half as much  as the dance1 for
 it must be borne in mind that men only 
attend the  saloons1 and that many of   

them are sent there from the ball room1 
and  many1 who never would have seen the
 inside of a drinking saloon but for    
the ball or dance4 ,the ball is a feeder
 for drinking saloons1 gambling         
saloons1 and houses of ill-fame4    ,i  
have delivered this lecture on dancing  
in seven ,states1 before about  one     
hundred congregations1 numbering from   
three hundred to ten thousand  people4  
,i have called on all the men1 old and  
young1 saint and sinner1  at nearly     
every place1 to give an expression of   
opinion from what they  had seen        
themselves1 or what they had heard from 
those who had attended  balls1 hops1 and
 such like places1 as to the correctness
 or  incorrectness of my charges against
 the dance1 and out of ,i think not     
less than fifty thousand men1 ,i have   
never found but ,,seven who stood up1   
thereby saying they did not believe that
 the sins and crimes ,i had  mentioned  
had ever flowed from the ball room1     
while nearly all the  balance stood up  

before their wives1 daughters1 sisters1 
and  sweethearts1 saying that they do   
believe1 from what they know1 and have  
seen and have heard from those who      
attend balls and hops1 that these  sins 
and crimes are the natural fruit of all 
kinds of dancing1 where the  sexes dance
 together4 ,a few1 perhaps one in       
twenty1 kept their seats1  not          
expressing their opinion either way4 ,of
 this class ,i think ,i may  safely say 
that four-fifths failed to understand my
 proposition1 or  thought it not        
necessary to rise2 but if they had stood
 up1 they would  have been with the     
affirmative4 ,while ,i am not an        
apologist for saloon  keepers and       
gamblers1 ,i want to record the fact    
right here that ,i have  had more or    
less of them in my congregations1 at    
nearly every place  where ,i talked on  
this subject1 and ,i have never known   
one1 no1 not one1  to keep his seat when
 an expression of opinion was called    
for1 and not  one was found among the   

immortal seven4    ,there are many men  
worse at heart than gamblers and saloon 
keepers4 ,if  they and their families   
were treated by the ,christian people   
with more  kindness1 and less like they 
were outcasts1 hundreds and thousands of
  them would become ,christians4 ,i do  
not claim that all who attend dancing   
parties1 balls1 and hops are ruined1 but
 ,i do claim that all who attend  such  
places take part in the eternal disgrace
 and ruin of others4 ,there  is not a   
man or woman among the living1 or the   
dead1 who has made a  practice of       
attending such places1 but that has the 
blood of one or more  lost souls upon   
their garments1 and there it must remain
 throughout  the ceaseless ages of      
,,eternity1 unless it be washed away    
,,by ,,the ,,blood  ,,of ,,jesus        
,,christ4    ,my sainted mother and my  
wife have attended and participated in  
the  dance1 but1 like hundreds and      
thousands of girls and women of to-day1 
they never had the most distant idea    

that the dancing party or ball was  a   
cesspool of iniquity1 for1 had they     
known the things brought to light  in   
this little book1 they never would have 
made one step in that  direction4 ,i    
believe that ,god has forgiven them1    
because1 like ,paul1  they did it       
ignorantly4 ,i obtained mercy1 because  
,i did it  ignorantly4--,i4 ,tim4 #a-ac4
 ,reader1 if you ever go to one of these
  places after your eyes have been      
opened1 as they must be now1 you cannot 
plead ignorance1 but you will sin       
wilfully and knowingly4 ,see ,heb4  #aj3
 #bf1 #bg4    ,those who are turned into
 the paths of shame1 of vice1 and of    
crime1 are  described in the ,bible in  
the following terrible language1 and    
where  could a better description be    
found8 ,woe unto them6 for they have    
gone  in the way of ,cain1 and ran      
greedily after the error of ,balaam for 
reward1 and perished in the gainsaying  
of ,core4 ,these are spots in  your     
feasts of charity when they feast with  

you1 feasting themselves  without fear4 
,clouds they are without water1 carried 
about of winds1  trees whose fruit      
withereth1 without fruit1 twice dead1   
plucked up by  the roots4 ,raging waves 
of the sea1 foaming out their own       
,,shame2  wandering ,,stars to whom is  
reserved the blackness of darkness      
forever4--,jude1 #aa1 #ab1 #ac4         
,mothers1 wives1 daughters1 sisters1 if 
there is a doubt left in your  minds as 
to the charges made against dancing1    
will you do yourselves1  and those under
 your influence1 the justice to ask your
 husbands1  fathers and brothers to read
 this little book1 and give you their   
honest opinions8           99       99  
99       99       99    ,,verdict4      
,this is to certify that ,i have        
carefully read this little book1 and    
give  it as my honest conviction--from  
what ,i have seen and what ,i have heard
  from those who have attended dancing  
parties1 balls and hops--that the       
charges and specifications are true1 and

 believing them to be true1 ,i  here    
promise to use all my influence against 
all kinds of dancing1  while ,i live on 
earth4    7,here ,sign                  
,name4744444444444444444444444444444    
,try and get four others to sign with   
you4           99       99       99     
99       99    ,if this little book     
should be of benefit to any one1 ,i     
would like to  know it4 ,as it is my    
intention to get out a second edition1  
,i desire to  collect all the facts ,i  
can in support of the charges and       
specifications against dancing4         
,ministers of the ,gospel1 physicians1  
and  fathers and mothers1 can render me 
great assistance if they will4    ,names
 of correspondents will not be published
 without special  permission4           
,there is ,no ,harm in ,dancing4        
,single ,copy1 ,paper ,cover1     #be   
cts4  ,single ,copy1 ,cloth ,cover1     
#cj cts4    ,liberal discount to        
,pastors and ,dealers4           99     
99       99       99       99           

,,harvest ,,bells1 ,no4 #b4    ,a ,new  
,sabbath ,school ,song ,book1 just      
published4    ,suitable also for        
,revivals4    ,the most popular ,song   
,book ever offered to the public4       
,single ,copy1         4#cj4  ,per      
,dozen1           #c4jj4    ,,liberal   
,,discount ,,to ,,dealers4    ,address3 
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