Why attractive.—Dancing is one of the social temptations that come to young girls when they are fifteen and older. The gliding, swaying movements of the dance, the brilliantly lighted halls, the intoxicating strains of fast music, the gay and jovial throng and the display of dress appeal strongly to the feelings of young people.
Dancing in itself is not sinful or objectionable.—There is nothing intrinsically wrong in the act of dancing. There is nothing sinful in the act of bathing the entire body. But the act can be performed under social conditions when it would not be only a sin but a crime. There could be no moral objection to the dancing together of young men, neither could there be any moral objection to the dancing of young ladies with each other. Individuals could dance alone, brothers and sisters and near relatives from homes of culture, refinement and good morals could dance together without committing a moral wrong. Or if society had remained satisfied with the old “Virginia reel” or the “square dance” little harm would come of it. Dancing with these restrictions, is seldom engaged in to-day for the reason that the pleasure found in the waltz and round dance is so largely diminished.
The secret of the dance’s hold on society.—If modern dancing were restricted to the chaste and pure, and limited to the parlors of the best homes and safeguarded by the presence of the heads of that home, dancing would lose much of its attractive hold upon society. If the dancing of the sexes together were prohibited by law and should the government provide well equipped dance halls in every village and city to be used free of charge, with the one restriction that the sexes dance separate, there would be little temptation to dance. This reveals the true secret of the public dance. Here is about the relation assumed by young people in executing the dance as we have it to-day. The young man places his right arm around the waist of the young lady; she places her head against his left shoulder, her heaving breasts are against his, her right hand is held in his left, he places his foot, sometimes his leg, between hers. To this must be added, the young lady, if properly attired, must wear a sleeveless, low-necked dress exposing, in part, her secondary sexual charms, the breasts; wine, ale and beer are often indulged in freely by many of the young men and occasionally by some of the young women.
The public dance a menace to society.—From this description you will easily see that the public dance, as we have it to-day, appears to have been especially contrived, in all of its appointments, to awaken and arouse the sex nature. It is for this reason almost all truly religious people and churches condemn the public dance. In almost all communities the public dance has been relegated by the best classes of society to a lower class. There are some communities where the dance is encouraged in homes of wealth, culture and refinement. For a few years at least, they pride themselves in the fact that only the best are invited. Here, of course, the harm would be reduced to some degree. Many erring women attribute their fall in part, or entirely to the public dance. Many vicious young men use the dance as their most successful means of accomplishing the ruin of young girls. When the young woman assumes for the first time the relation of the dance, her sense of womanly modesty is greatly shocked. If she continues to dance, this relation becomes less embarrassing. If she becomes very fond of dancing, this will usually be due to her passions being aroused by the magnetic, amorous influence of her partner in the dance. She will not enjoy dancing with men who fail to excite in her those agreeable feelings. She will be popular with this class of men to the extent that she is able to respond to their amorous nature. She will not fully realize that the pleasure she enjoys, while dancing, is inseparable from her sex nature; she may never fall, but constant sexual excitement caused by the dance will produce all the evil effects of the secret sin.
Other objections.—Aside from this main objection, there are a number of other objections. The flimsy dress, late hours at night, over-exertion and poorly ventilated halls are in violation of the simple laws of health. It fosters unfortunate social distinctions, leads many young people to violate the wishes of their parents and their church vows, keeps many from Christ, and interferes with the spiritual life of others. It is responsible for not a few life-long invalids, premature deaths from heart trouble and consumption, ruined marriages and cursed children with illegitimacy. It has broken the hearts, bowed the heads, carved lines of sorrow on the face and silvered the hair of loving devoted parents.
Right information needed.—Few young people understand the nature of the dance. Those who have condemned it have rarely done so in the right spirit or given a satisfactory reason why the public dance is wrong. Owing to the relation of the modern dance to the sex nature it would usually be wiser to discuss it before single sex audiences. If young people, who are interested in developing a perfect manhood and womanhood, understood how the modern dance complicates each other’s sex problems, they would discard the dance from their social programmes. I am sure they would arrange for other forms of diversions and entertainment. The cold-blooded facts are, few, if any, vigorous young men and women can persist long in the modern dance and maintain perfectly chaste thoughts and emotions. It is a sad thought that many young people are not interested in developing perfect manhood and perfect womanhood. They are not likely to heed the advice of this talk. By all who understand the value of the creative life, the importance of keeping the mind pure, this advice will be appreciated and heeded.
CHAPTER XXIX
A YOUNG WOMAN’S ETHICS
Girlhood.—We have talked with each other about a small girl’s ethics, the proper social relations of girls with boys. Your girlhood has been one of innocence, playfulness and unbounded joy. I have noticed with real pleasure that you have not been in a hurry to leave the period of girlhood. Although you will soon be seventeen, and you are quite as large as your mother, you will not be a mature woman until you are about twenty.
Occasional association with young men.—You have had one or two schoolroom flirtations, of small consequence, a few times you have been escorted home from school or church by youths who had but recently reached the dignity of “long pants,” but you are now of an age when you will be thrown more in company with young men. Many will call to see you whom you will entertain no thought of marrying. For several years your social relation with young men will be only that of friendship. To associate occasionally with young men who are socially, intellectually