d 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"
t