excess, and I should hardly dare to
admit it in my own case, because of a verse in this same old book, 'Let
him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall;' but if it
_should_ be so, let me give you another of my selections--rather, let me
read the entire argument."

Whereupon she turned to the tenth chapter of First Corinthians and read
St. Paul's argument about eating meat offered to idols, pausing with
special emphasis over the words, "_Conscience, I say, not thine own, but
of the other._" "Did I understand you to say, Eurie, that it is a very
general belief among dancers that Christians are inconsistent who
indulge in this amusement."

"It is a provoking truth that there is. Don't you know, Ruth, how we
used to be merry over the Symonds girls and that young Winters who were
church-members? Well, they made rather greater pretensions with their
religion than some others did, and that made us specially amused over
them."

"Then, Eurie, wasn't their influence unfortunate on you?"

"I am not on your side, Mistress Wilbur. You should have more conscience
than to keep me all the time condemning myself!"

"That is answer enough," Marion said, smiling. "I am only asking for
information, you know. I never danced. But in the light of that
confession, hear this: 'But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now
walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom
Christ died. Let not, _then, your good be evil spoken of_.' Isn't that
precisely what you were doing of the good in those church-members,
Eurie? Now a sophist would possibly say that the argument of Paul had
reference to food offered to idols, and not to dancing; but I think here
is a chance for us to exercise that judgment and common sense which we
are so fond of talking about.

"The main point seems to be not to destroy those for whom Christ died.
Does it make any difference whether we do it with our digestive organs
or with our feet? But what is the sophist going to do with this: 'It is
good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy
brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.' You see he may, or
may not, be a fool for allowing himself to be led astray. St. Paul says
nothing about that. He simply directs as to the Christian's duty in the
matter."

Ruth made a movement of impatience.

"You are arguing, Marion, on the supposition that a great many people
are led astray by dancing; whereas I don't believe t