The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1884, Page 18

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__Pybon, still we hope that God’s Word, which
_ is mighty, will roll them away. She is willing

18 . The Lutheran Pioneer.

children will be baptized, which will be to us| of permitting if dancing customs had not made
an occasion of great rejoicing. them allowable.

The Sunday school is flourishing. Theen-| I can also state from personal knowledge
rollment shows 86 scholars of which, however, | that men of dissolute habits realize that their
never more than two thirds are present. The| greatest opportunity for carrying out their evil
record of our Day school shows that 85 scholars | purposes lies in the dance.
are enrolled, which number would nicely fill) When King David danced before the Ark
the room, if all would attend regularly. The| of God, as an expression of his joy and thank-
average daily attendance, however, was only| fulness, he did not need that he should be
about 55. The school was somewhat larger! assisted by a female in order that his tribute
last year.—On Easter Sunday our chapel was} of gratitude and praise should be acceptable to
almost crowded. Mrs. K. Kergsner was con-| God, The most popular dances of the present
firmed. The Lord’s Supper was administered, day were invented and instituted by persons
of which eight partook. of grossly immoral character, whose presence

You see, dear PronrEER, we have no reason-} would not be tolerated in the society that uses
able cause whatever to be sorrowful and to let} their inventions as its greatest source of amuse-
our hands drop idly and give up in despair. | ment.

The temptation to yield to such discouragement| I have never known of any moral benefit to
is indeed quite often great; we so easily think} arise from learning to dance; and dancing-
and say, all seems to be in vain. But then it| masters are usually of a character to give but
is when we are getting our part and the Lord’s/ little countenance to morals and religion. I
part mixed. That would be expecting the] know of-no dancing-master that I should be
Lord to do the work, and we to do the caring willing to have become the friend or associate
or rather the grumbling. The Lord’s work it} of a daughter. of mine.

is, indeed, but He wants to use us as instru-)  pelieve that moral people should avoid all
ments in doing it. And although we are UN-! amusements that have immoral tendencies or
equal eo the task, His givine peer is, “My surroundings; and so while there may not be
grace is sufficient for thee.’ This grace pre-| any real improprieties in certain dances, still I
pares, , encourages and assures us of ultimate} vonlize the fact that young people will never be
triumph.—May we all, therefore, continue in content to go to a dancing party and be above
taking a living interest in the propagation of engaging in all the dances. Young people
the Gospel and the spread of Christ's Church never like to be singular, or thought prudish
among the colored people also. when out in company.

Little Rock, Ark,, April 13., 1884. The only safe and prudent course to pursue
‘E. Memaenver. | is not to know how to dance at all, and I can-
not see how any Christian parent can offer up
the Lord’s prayer that their children be not led
into temptation, and then send them to dancing-
school.
Graceful manners and politeness can be
learned just as well elsewhere as at dancing-
I am not such a fanatic as to contend that} school. So long as dancing continues to be the
there is anything harmful in keeping time with | principal amusement of the vicious, lowest, and
the feet to music, or in gracefully assuming] most degraded class of the community, and so
attitudes that are pleasing: to the eye; and yet long as it is made the medium for allowing the
I must declare that there is no amusement that’ taking of liberties between the sexes that would
has done more to ruin the youth of the present} not be proper under other circumstances, I be-
period than the dance as it is now conducted, | Jieve it should be avoided and denounced by
and the associations by which it is surrounded. | all the moral and religious portion of the com-
An eminent minister of the Gospel lately] munity; and young people should seek sources
remarked in my hearing, that if the ‘‘sex’’ was| of pleasure and amusement that are elevating
taken out of the dance, it would lose its attract-| in their tendency and of undoubted propriety,
iveness in less than six months, I have known) at all times and under all circumstances.

Letter from Little Rock.

DeEar PIONEER :—

The first quarter of this New Year has been
added to the past and we trust it cannot but be
interesting to every lover of missionary work
to learn what has been accomplished during
this time by the gracious aid of God.

Although our first quarterly report cannot

tell of many new members who have been
added to our little flock, still we have reason
to be cheerful. God’s Word is still true. It
shall not return to him void. In all sowing of
the Word, in the sowing among our people
here, too, some good will be and has been
accomplished. ©

As far as concerns the attendances of the

appointed services we can only say that they
have been smaller than we have ever before
been accustomed to see them for such a length
of time. We had, of course, exceptional Sun-
days, on which our chapel was even crowded,
but these were very few. Asa rule we have
fair attendances when we have fair weather;
and as fair Sundays have been very rare, we
may justly attribute the cause of our scanty
attendances to the inclemency of the weather.
On this account we are therefore not at all dis-
couraged.

The number of our congregation is increasing
gradually, and some of the members are dili-
gently assisting their pastor in his work by im-
parting to others what they have learned and
by inviting them to our services.—On the third
Sunday after Epiphany Mr. J. Brooks and
Mrs. E. Smith were initiated into the Church
by the rite of confirmation, for which purpose
they were duly instructed; and on the Second
Sunday in Lent Mrs. M. Stockings solemnly
promised to continue in the confession of the
Ey. Luth. Church by the gracious help of God.
All three had a trying time of it. Especially
was Mr. Brooks worked upon and stormed at
by his pretended friends, who, seeing that their
“warnings” availed nothing, have given up
all hopes of ever bringing him back into the
flock from which, they say, he has gone astray.
- Mr. Brooks says he loves to go astray in this
way. May he ever remain 2 member of Christ’s
fold, into which he has been gathered, and dis-
tinguish the voice of the good Shepherd from
that of the hireling.

On the last Sunday of March four children
were baptized: two of Mr. Brussar’s and the

—s- +o oe > oe

Dancing.

BY A CHRISTIAN MERCIANT.

only two of Mr. Bosley. The parents of both | of more young people of both sexes taking the
families speak highly of our church and are | first step to ruin in the dancing school (followed
greatly inclined to join us. They are willing) by the dancing party and ball-room) than in Don’t.

any other place, and I cannot see why it is less
proper for a young man to put his arm around| Don’t read books and papers which suggest
the waist of a young lady, who is comparatively thoughts you would not utter. They stain the
a stranger to him, when seated on a sofa or soul; they burn the heart. Can you thrust
chair, than when on the floor engaged in| your hand into soot and bring it out white and
dancing. ; clean? Can you singe your clothes, and not

Ican call to my recollection very many young] have the smell of fire on your garments? Be-
girls who began a career of sin and disgrace| ware of books which are suggestive of evil,
by allowing liberties to be taken with them in| though they be clothed in the purple and gold -
dancing that they never would have thought| of fine language.

to-be instructed from our Catechism and we
hope to be able to say in our next letter that
they have joined us.—Mr. Pybon and his family
are now being instructed preparatory to Bap-
_tism and Confirmation. Although there are as
"yet many stones in the way on the part of Mrs.

tructed and we trust that the day is
‘off when she with her husband and eight