ANSEDINBURGH MINISTER ON DANCING.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1609, 5 October 1885, Page 2

ANSEDINBURGH MINISTER ON DANCING.

At a Free Gardener's nceet ; ag held j in the Waverley Hall, lately, the Rev. } Alexander Webster, of Gt D&rid'a j Edinbnrgh, was present and delivered ; an address. He said he was one of j bbO36 who had a great respect for the intelligent, honest, working man. He made it a principle to lift his hat to the servant girl as well as the mistress, especially if she whs young and good- 1 looking. — (Laughter.) He hoped that i there was nothing heretical in that re- ! •nark.— (Renewed laughter.) It was i not that he had less respect for women i advanced in years, but it mast be confessed that the elemant of yonth, especially in women, res very attractive. When one saw a fine woman who was about the age oJforty, one could hardly help wishing he could do as when he went tc the bank with a PAO note — change Ihe article into two twenties. — (Great J&nghter. — They had met that evening for soc?al recreation, and this wao highly coraEtfndßblo. Dancing, which ■was to form pert of the evening's entertainment, was right And good, providing always it vae kept within proper bounds . — (Ajsplau&e.) Ee was i not 033 of these who considered dancing a damning 3in, and it was nil < nonsenss to say tbat people must of i necessity be going lo the devil in that i pastime — Mpp'ause.) He had de.v- ' ced himself at her Majesty's gatherings > it Deeside, bat he was now too heavy i

for the exercise— (laughter),— and ] besides, members of Presbytery were i expected never to lift their feet too i high or too quickly, bnt to move through the world with becoming gravity and solemnity. — (Laughter.) He was not sure bnt it would be a usefnl thing for members of Presbytery to indulge in tripping what was called the light fantastic toe. (Lond laughter). Some of them who had large stipends and consequently heavy corporations, might not be able to exhibit all the beauties of motion — (laughter) — but it might be better for them than snarling at each other as they sometimes did at Presbytery meetings. It might also be able to make them preach more humanly, and develop in ministers that brotherly love which they preached about so much, but which all, both pnestand people, found so difficult to practise. — (Applause.) Let them just imagine their respected friends George Gulfillan, and Dr Peddle, or their more modest friends Mr Macanlay, and Pi-ofes6or Robertson Smith, or Ferguson and his antagonists, all dancing to the strain of some Pi-esnyk-i ian flute Of fiddle.—^Great la.i-hter.) He thought that the perspimtion produced by such recreation would purge some of them of their bad humor, and make them of a mo»-e tolerant state of mind— (Lan-h ter.) As one remedy for our Scottish bigotry, he would suggest move innocent recreation both . jo-' the clergy and tbe people, (Hear, heav.) Lot them remember that whp.«i they bad the minister mnat have ahc. He would aet the P-csbyte.-tes to dance occasionally. — (Larghte 1 .) He did not mean in a literal se?i*e exactly, bnt he wca'd sot them to da;»ce eiibeliterally or metaphorieaUv, and the • differences would ve;v soon be danced out of them.