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Now, the old man had not expected to find such a nice head on so young a body; nor did he expect to be called upon to answer a question, which came in a form that he was not prepared either to negative or affirm. He had put all natural pleasures under the ban, as flowing from the carnal mind; and, therefore, evil. As to filling natural pleasures with spiritual life, that was a new position in theology. He had preached against natural pleasures as evil, and, therefore, to be abandoned by all who would lead a heavenly life. Before he could collect his thoughts for an answer satisfactory to himself, two or three ladies gathered around them, and he discreetly forebore to make any further remarks on the subject. But he felt, as may be supposed, very uncomfortable.

After the first set was danced, one of the young ladies who had been on the floor, and who had previously been introduced to the old gentleman by Grace, came, with colour heightened by excitement, and her beautiful face in a glow of pleasure, and sat down by his side. Mr. Archer would have received her with becoming gravity, had it been in his power to, do so; but the smile on her face was so innocent, and she bent towards him so kindly and affectionately, that he could not find it in his heart to meet her with even a silent reproof. This young lady was really charming his ear, when a gentleman came up to her, and said–

“Anna, I want you to dance with me.”

“With pleasure,” replied the girl. “You will excuse me for a while, Mr. Archer,” said she, and she was about rising as she spoke, but the old man placed his hand upon her arm, and gently detained her.

“You’re not going to leave me?”

“No, not if my company will give you any pleasure,” replied the young girl, with a gentle smile. “Please excuse me.” This she addressed to the person who had asked her to dance. He bowed, and turned away.

“I am glad to keep you by my side,” said Mr. Archer, with some seriousness in his manner.

“And I am glad to stay here,” was promptly answered, “if my company will give you any pleasure. It does me good to contribute to others’ happiness.”

The old man was touched by this reply, for he felt that it was from the heart. It sounded strangely to his ears from the lips of one who had just been whirling in the mazy dance.

“There is no real pleasure in any thing selfish,” he remarked. “Yes, you say truly, it does us good to contribute to the happiness of others.”

“For this reason,” said Anna, “I like dancing as a social recreation. It is a mutual pleasure. We give and receive enjoyment.”

The old minister’s face grew serious.

“I have been to three or four parties,” continued the young girl, “where dancing was excluded, under some strange idea that it was wrong; and I must say that so much evil-speaking and censoriousness it has never been my lot to encounter in any company. The time, instead of being improved as a season of mental and bodily recreation, was worse than wasted. I know that I was worse instead of better on returning from each of these companies, for I insensibly fell into the prevailing spirit.”

“That was very bad, certainly,” remarked Mr. Archer, before whose mind arose some pictures of social gatherings, in which had prevailed the very spirit condemned by his young companion. “But I don’t see how you are going to make dancing a sovereign remedy for the evil.”

“It is not a sovereign remedy,” was answered, “but it is a concert of feeling and action, in which the mind is exhilarated, and in which a mutual good-will is produced. You cannot dance without being pleased, to a greater or less extent, with your partners on the floor. Often and often have I had a prejudice against persons wear off as we moved together in the dances, and I have afterwards discovered in them good qualities to which I was before blinded.”