rd that it would not be long before he would be
Governor of California, with a good show for a seat in the United States
Senate.

Most of the people of Orangeville were great on dances. If they had a
sociable it had to close with a dance; if a political meeting was held,
they had a dance afterwards; a spelling bee wound up with a dance. If
you would let them, they would dance after Sabbath School and preaching.
If you want a big crowd at a meeting, just give out there will be a
dance at the close, and teams will come for miles from all over the
country. Dance; why they want to dance all the time. They simply become
intoxicated with dancing. There is no moderation about it. They leave
the dance hall about four or five o'clock in the morning. Does that kind
of recreation help them physically? How do they feel during the next
day? Does it help them intellectually? Does it help them spiritually?
Then why pursue a course of recreation _so immoderately_ as to be
detrimental to their highest interests?

When Mr. Hammond heard about the great dance that was coming off in
honor of Ben West, he said it did seem to him as if a dance was the only
thing the people of Orangeville could get up. He had never known them
as a community to get up anything else but a dance, and yet, he said,
there are some very fine people who attend these country dances. Persons
of noble character, who live lives of self-denial in their homes and
meet trials and misfortunes bravely and heroically, I am glad to say.

Julia did not attend the dance because it was too near her wedding day;
but Ben West had a very enjoyable time, for the leading young ladies in
Orangeville were delighted at having the opportunity of dancing once
more with their old friend. But now a new interest had centered in him,
in the fact of his being the rising man and soon to be married.

There was a very large crowd at the dance. A number came from Roseland;
in fact, there were more than the hall could accommodate. There were a
number of men wanting to see Ben West a few minutes on the side, to talk
with him about what show there would be for them at the Klondike, as
each of them wished to be successful like Ben West.

For three weeks previous to his being married, Ben did not know whether
he was afoot or on horseback. What with the joy his father and mother
manifested at having him back again in their home, and the real, sweet,
loving and delightful hours he spent with Julia, wh