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the Saviour declared this a profanation of the sanctuary, and hence on one occasion he "began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves."Mark. 11: 15.

Such are the religious teachings associated with the habits of this Sacred Bird of the Bible. Let us think of them, whenever we see it sit in the grove, lonely like a prophet, and hear its solemn tones, which seem so like voices from a far-off land, calling the wanderer home.

DREAMINGS.

BY WILLIE II. EGLE.

I've been dreaming, I've been dreaming, Where the care worn and the restless, Dreaming all this weary day,

Restless of this weary life,

Dreaming, too, bright, glorious visions Ceaseth from their earthly laborsOf a land that's far away.

Where the sunshine's ever glinting-
Glinting down on streets of gold,
Where the youthful glow and vigor
Never paleth or grows old.

Where the sunny ray is holier

Holier far than 'neath the skies, For the glory of his righteousness Gleameth up in Paradise.

Where the lovely angel chanteth-
Chanteth the undying song,
Joined by the countless thousands
Of the blessed saintly throng.

Resteth from their toil and strife.

Where sweet music gently stealeth

Stealeth on th' enraptur'd ear,
Earthly songs were never sweeter

Than those strains immortals hear.

Fragrant is the perfume wafted-
Wafted from the fadeless flow'rs,
Which would take the senses captive
In this changing world of ours.

O, 'tis glorious this dreaming!-
Dreaming weary life away,
For I think that heaven is nearer,
And I hear what angels say!

Still I know the path is rugged-
Rugged, thorny, steep and long,
Yet I'll hope thro' all my dreamings,
Cheering life with Love and Song.

WAPELLO, Iowa, Nov., 1852.

A VICTIM OF THE DANCE.

A VICTIM OF THE DANCE.

BY SIGMA.

SOME time since a dance was held in the rural village of B., situated in one of those beautiful vallies in the interior of our State. On the evening appointed, a number of young ladies and gentlemen assembled in the Ball Room of the village Inn. Among them was a young man of about seventeen, who had been persuaded, rather against his will, as it seems, to be one of the party. As the room was closed and crowded, the exercise of dancing threw the young men to whom we have alluded, into a state of perspiration and exhaustion. In order to recover himself from this state, he left the room; but remaining too long exposed to currents of fresh air, he became completely chilled. From this time on he was more or less unwell, and in a few days he became seriously ill and sent for a physician. The physician came; but could do very little to relieve him. The resident minister of the place, learning his illness, called to see him, and exhorted him to attend to the salvation of his soul, and seek an interest in Christ, but with little apparent effect, at least at the time. Another physician was now called in to see the patient, who pronounced his case hopeless and beyond the reach of medicine. The young man became alarmed at the sudden prospect of death and eternity, and desired to see the minister who had called to see him before. The minister came and conversed with him, pointed him to the "Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world," and told him that his only refuge was in him. The young man now seemed to feel his sins and be truly penitent on account of them. He expressed great sorrow and regret that he had ever taken any part in the dance, and called his young companions to his bedside, and entreated them never to engage in it in the future. He told them that the cause of his death was that evening's dancing.

The means employed for the young man's recovery proved fruitless, and in a few days his earthly career was ended. He died thus a victim of the dance--a warning to all who engage. in this forbidden pleasure.

And is it not strange that notwithstanding all the warning that meets us from every direction, any one should still engage in this vain and unprofitable amusement. How is it possible that persons, even professors of religion sometimes, can be so infatuated? This young man, in all human probability, owed

his death to his being engaged in dancing. But this is not all; nor is it the worst-would that it were. If dancing resulted only now and then in physical death, it might, along with other evils, be patiently endured. But how many thousands owe their eternal ruin to a passion for dancing. Nothing scarcely can be conceived of, that so robs those who engage in it of all seriousness and soberness, as the dance. The votaries of this pleasure are perfectly spell-bound, and no consideration seems to be strong enough to make them relinquish their favorite amusement. Indeed there have been instances, in which the dance was continued even after one of the party had died almost on the floor!

As an evidence of the infatuation that must take hold of the votaries of this amusement, we need only state, that in Paris during the French Revolution, 1800 Balls were held daily; the object of which was to make them forget their misery. They even went so far as to dance in church-yards, over the very graves of their ancestors! Then too, nothing so unfits persons for serious employment, or for the discharge of religi ous duties as this practice. Who was ever found on his or her knees, after spending the night in a Ball Room? Who would ever think of asking God's blessing upon such an occasion? Who would imagine that he could engage in this amusement to the glory of God? And yet the word of truth tells us: "Whether ye eat, or whether ye drink, or whatsoever ye do, do it all to the glory of God."

It is often asked whether dancing be right or wrong? And a great many arguments may be advanced pro and con. Those in favor of dancing, think they have silenced all objections, when they call it an innocent, harmless amusement. The truth however is, its innocence and harmlessness are only apparent; on a closer inspection they all vanish away. "The practice is almost always made subservient to mere sensuality, and stands connected with various sorts of dissipation." Its tendencies and a thing ought always to be judged by its tendencies are almost always bad, and in view of these, it ought to be discouraged by all serious and sober-minded persons.

I will present my readers with a test by which the moral character of dancing may be tried. Suppose some one would tell you that the Apostle Paul had danced, or that your minister, whom you reverence as a holy man of God, had danced, what kind of impression would this make on your mind? Would you believe it? Well now if dancing would have been wrong in Paul, or if it would be wrong in your minister—if

your moral sensibilities would be shocked at the mention of such a thing-think you it would be right in you to dance? Does not the same moral law and the same rule of right, bind you, that binds others-ministers of the Gospel, &c. It seems to me, that it is pretty good evidence, that a thing would not be right in ourselves, if we feel it to be wrong in others.

Shun, therefore, the bewitching influence of the dance. Shun it, not simply because it might prove injurious to life and health, but shun it, because it tends to destroy the soul. Even a heathen writer said, that "no sober man dances." And perhaps if the intoxicating bowl were not one of the invariable adjuncts of the Ball Room, there would be much less dancing than there is. Above all, let not Professors of Religion dance. A christian who was once asked to engage in dancing, gave as a reason for his refusal, that he would not like to be called, to meet his blessed Saviour, from a Ball Room. Reader, would you like to be called to your account, from a Ball Room? I think

not.

THE FLOWER.

BY SPERO.

WHAT a volume of thought and feeling,
Is contained in the simple flower,
While its radiant bloom is breathing
The sweet perfumes from every bower.

As the lightnings of heaven delight,
Or thunders which startle eternity,
Are typical of God's anger and might,
So is the flower of His purity.

It is fraught with lessons of power,

To bid these forms of gloom and wrath,
Its own inalienable dower,

Be heaven-bright shapes along our path.

The dewdrop which at morning's dawn,
Rests upon the half-opened flower,
Is like the tear of joy that's drawn,
From happy eyes in rapture's hour.

To him who sits enthroned on high,

Whose voice can cause the gentle streams to flow,

Who built the arches of the starry sky,

Who raised the hills, and laid the vallies low

Belongs this great and mighty power

Of forming this sweet blooming flower.

MARY GRANT,

IN THE SABBATH SCHOOL.

BY REV. S. H. REID.

The influence of Mary Grant, is not confined to her own immediate family connections. Sympathizing as she does with her own family interests; and laboring, as we have already seen, for the intellectual and spiritual good of her Brothers and Sisters she possesses also, a fellow feeling in behalf of her race, and shows this feeling in the interest she manifests in behalf of her neighbors and their children.

In her childhood she was introduced into the Sabbath School. There, as might be expected, she showed a very commendable degree of attention and diligence. Regular in attendance, punctual as to time, always showing marks of great respect and affection towards her Teacher, she soon endeared herself to that Teacher, and thus laid the foundation of an acquaintance and fellowship, which nothing but death could, and did, sepa

rate.

This young disciple also showed a great interest in the duties which were imposed upon her in this connection. Her lessons were always studied with the greatest care and diligence. The Bible was her delight. Its various and numerous verses were memorized with much care and retention; and early did she evince a familiarity with the spirit and force of its teachings.

With great pleasure too, and profit, did Mary Grant receive the instructions and comments and admonitions of her beloved teacher and guide. It was not an unusual thing for her young heart to open itself at such times, when deeply impressed with the power of Christian truth and the claims of the beloved Saviour, until her eyes wept tears of contrition, and the swellings of her heart showed plainly that the truth had found a resting place there.

Equally as much was her mind interested in, and impressed by the well selected books which the library of her school contained. These were read with the same characteristic care and attention which were so observable in all her other duties and conduct. The careful perusal of her book, crowned the labors of her Sabbaths, and the evening's exercises.

It might be very reasonably supposed, that a youth thus trained and taught, would, in turn, and in time, be very efficient as a teacher also, of other youth. And this we find is

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