"Dances not all alike"—Bad and Worse—"The German"—Mere motion not wrong—The Old Gentleman and his Exercises—Imaginary Scene in "Happy Family"—Reasons against Dancing: 1. Lacks the Elements of True Recreation; 2. Has a Bad Historic Name; 3. Inconsistent with Piety; 4. Leads to Undesirable Associations—Evil in many ways,
CHAPTER VII.
CARDS, CHESS, AND BILLIARDS.
Cards an Old Game—Origin, Asiatic—History—Horne Tooke and George III—Author confesses his Want of Knowledge—Cards the Gambler's Tools—Game adds nothing to Mind or Heart—Dangerous to some—Betting—Reasons against Card-playing—Chess also Ancient—Origin—Play a Laborious Nothing—Wastes Time—Wastes Brain-power—Hinders Mental Culture—Billiards—Big Marbles—How Played—Women can never become Experts, and Why—Poor Affair generally,
CHAPTER VIII.
NOVELS AND NOVEL-READING.
Definition of a Novel—A Vice of the Age—Four Maxims: 1. No Fiction if Little Leisure; 2. Only the Best; 3. Fiction to be but Small Part; 4. If any Harm results, Stop at Once—Seven Reasons against Common Novel-reading: 1. Wastes Time; 2. Injures the Intellect; 3. Unfits for Real Life; 4. Creates Overgrowth of the Passions; 5. Produces Mental Intoxication; 6. Lessens the Horror of Crime and Wrong; 7. Wars with all Piety—Disciplinary Rule,