hat dancing is a thing evil
in itself?"

"No." This was admitted rather reluctantly.

"Then if it be made to serve a good end, it is a good thing."

"But is often made to serve evil," said the minister.

"Then it is an evil thing," promptly answered Grace; "and so every
good gift of heaven may be made an evil thing to those who use it
for an evil purpose. You know it is said that a spider extracts
poison from the same flower where the bee gets honey. The deadly
nightshade draws life from the same rain and sunshine that nourishes
and matures the wheat, from which our bread is made. It is the
purpose, uncle, that makes a thing evil."

"Could you pray on going to bed, after an evening spent in dancing?"
asked the old man, confident that he had put a question that would
clearly show his niece her error. To his surprise, Grace answered,
with a beautiful smile on her face--

"Oh, yes; and I have so prayed, many and many a time; not failing to
return thanks for the pleasure I had been permitted to enjoy."

"Thanks for mere carnal pleasure!"

"All things are good that are filled with good affections," said
Grace. "We are in a natural world, where all pleasure and pain
affect us in the natural degree most sensibly. We must come down,
that we may go up. We must let our natural joy and gladness have
free course, innocently, that they may be changed into a joy that is
higher and spiritual. Is it not so, uncle?"

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