There are many good people who would like to abolish the dance, and
because of the ignorance of the larger number of people who engage in
this amusement, I think I would join with them, but in all probability
we will never be able to do it, so long as people love music and
instinctively keep time to it.
It may be in our zeal in this matter we are making a mistake and
taking a wrong view of the question and by vicious, and sometimes
senseless, attacks upon many good young people and this particular
form of amusement in which they engage, doing both them and ourselves
an injustice and keeping many of them out of the Kingdom. Of this I am
sure, if young people are to dance _they should have proper chaperonage
and a right knowledge of the possible dangers and how to avoid them_.
NO GREATER MISTAKE COULD BE MADE THAN TO ALLOW YOUNG PEOPLE TO ATTEND
PUBLIC DANCES.
May I close this little message then, which goes out with a prayer
for God’s blessings to rest upon all who read it, that it may be a
helpful message to them; by urging frankness and candor upon the part
of you, the parents, with your children, and if you are uninstructed
inform yourselves and put such books in the hands of your children as
will give them pure, wholesome information upon this most important
subject in all the world, and God will bless you and them, and in joy
and thankfulness you will see them grow up in the purity and nobleness
of strong, helpful men and women. BE ASSURED OF THIS, IF YOU DO NOT
EDUCATE THEM THE STREETS WILL.
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes:
――Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).
――Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.
――Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.