“This is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light; neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved.”—­John 3-19-20.

The trees are to be found in many private residences, dancing schools, dancing academies, seminaries and colleges, where our girls are educated; in public halls, in side shows, in some of our so-called churches, in beer shops, beer gardens, variety theatres, music halls and houses of ill-fame.  In the five last-mentioned these trees grow much taller, larger and more luxuriant than anywhere else, because it is supposed by naturalists that they are more indigenous to this kind of soil.  In these places those are the favorite trees, the trees admired above all others, because of the fruit they bear.  Why the virtuous and the vulgar are so fond of the same fruit, I shall not try to explain.  I must leave this knotty, ugly problem to be solved by wiser and more experienced heads than mine.  I asked the proprietors and proprietresses of these last-mentioned places where they procured the sprouts from which all these great trees had grown; these trees that have grown so tall and strong, and the bark so thick, that they do not vanish with the darkness when the morning light appears, but grow and flourish in the brightest day, even better on SUNDAYS than any other time.

They all, without a dissenting voice, made answer and said:  “The seeds were planted in the decent, respectable parlors, generally among the polished and refined people of the towns and cities—­were watered and cultivated by the fathers and mothers, and then transplanted into the dancing schools, church festivals, and then they are removed to the public halls, and here they are kept until the bark on some of them becomes hard enough to be carried to the beer gardens, masquerades, variety theaters, music halls and other towns and cities in Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Without the fascination for dancing, which is germinated and cultivated in the private parlors among the nice, respectable, refined people, many of the largest towns and cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would soon be depopulated.  We next come to enquire who it is that attends dancing parties, balls, hops, etc., and when they usually break up.  But one answer can be given, viz.:  young men and young women, together with young married people, with an occasional sear and yellow leaf repainted.

With a very few exceptions, dancing parties, balls and hops are made up of young men and girls of every grade of society, from the poorest to the wealthiest in the community.  Now it must be admitted that there is as great a desire in the hearts of the poor young men, and as great a desire in the hearts of the girls of poor parentage to make a favorable impression in society, as there possibly could be with the wealthier classes.  As a rule, it may be said that not more than one in twenty of all who participate in dancing parties have a sufficient “cash balance” to gratify their pride in the purchase of the supposed necessary outfits in clothing, jewelry, etc., without any misgivings as to the future comforts and necessaries of life.