The Dance at Moscow

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 14, 1857

The Dance at Moscow.

"A time to dance; a time to die." Eccl. iii, 24. During the occupancy of the city of Moscow by the French army, a party of officers and soldiers determined to have a military levee, and for this purpose chose the deserted palace of a nobleman, in the vault of which a large quantity of powder had been deposited. That night the city was set on fire. As the sun went down they began to assemble. The females who followed the fortunes of the French forces, were decorated for the occasion. The gayest and noblest of the army was there, and merriment reigned over the crowd. During the dance the fire rapidly approached them; they saw it coming but felt no fear. At length the building next to the one which they occupied was on fire. Coming to the windows, they gazed upon the billows of fire which swept upon their fortress, and then returned to their amusement. Again and again they left their pleasure to watch the progress of the flames. At length the dance ceased, and the necessity of leaving the scene of merriment became apparent to all.

They were enveloped in a flood of fire, and gazed on with deep and awful solemnity. At length the fire, communicating to their own building, caused them to prepare for flight, when a brave young officer, named Carnot, waved his jeweled glove above his head, and exclaimed, "One dance more, and defiance to the flames." All caught the enthusiasm of the moment, and, "one dance more, and defiance to the flames," burst from the lips of all. The dance commenced; louder and louder grew the sounds of music, and faster and faster fell the footsteps of dancing men and women, when suddenly they heard a cry, "The fire has reached the magazine! fly! fly for life!" One moment they stood transfixed with horror; they did not know the magazine was there, and ere they recovered from their stupor, the vault exploded; the building was shattered to pieces, and the dancers were hurried into a fearful eternity.

Thus it will be in the final day. Men will be as careless as these ill-fated revelers. Methinks the hour has come, and I stand upon an eminence, from which I behold the vices and amusements of earth. I warn them and tell them that in such an hour as they think not, the Son of man cometh. With jeering laugh they ask, "Where is the promise of his coming?" I bid them prepare to meet their God. They reply, "Pleasure is our God." I tell them of the awful judgment, and of eternity; crying "priestcraft," they again engage in a noisy revel. Soon an awful rumbling is heard in the heavens. A thousand voices tell them that the angels are rolling out the judgment throne. They reply, "One dance more, and defiance to that throne." Suddenly the stars go out, the moon turns to blood, all nature is convulsed, an unusual panic seizes the hearts of all men, when, horror-struck, I see some Carnot turn his blood-shot eyes upon the burning world, and waving his jeweled hand above his head, exclaiming, "One dance more, and defiance to that flame;" and ere that dance is done, the bolt is sped, the magazine of the universe explodes, and the time to dance is gone, gone forever, forever!—Ladies' Repository.