The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-08-17 00:00:00

THE SHAKEILI.

The seat of Shakers was founded in America by one
Ann Lee, who went thither from England towards the
close of the last century with ten of her deo:Spies.
Yore interesting then the peculiarity of their worship
is the mode of life of these people. The men and the
women, though they dance tegethrr on Sundays, live in
separate communities, bound to celibacy; sad they are
stated to be the only clam who in America have suc-
ceeded in maintaining the community principle through
a long series of years. Their time is devoted to work.
They are thrifty farmer', their barns full, and their
bands hard with honest labour. They supply 'the
world of mankind,' as their phrase is, with excellent
butter, fat turkeys, and fine cattle. They have a good
repute for hone.ty, but they are careful to have their
full amount of money for money's worth. In the season
the women makes knick-knacks end ornaments for
ladies visiting the country, and Mks pleasure in amusing
the young city peals who go to see tht tn. Like their
meeting-Louses, their dwellings are plain, but neat, and
kept with scrupulous cleinliners. Their horses and
cattle are in excellent condition, and their fields are in-
dustriously tilled. They live very plainly, dress in
antique Puritan costume, and are motel in their waj.
—So says NoLes awl Queries.
Arteraus Ward describes • visit to the Shakers in
these term,:

Tho Shakers N the etrangest religions Nix I ever met..
I'd Ileum tell of 'em and I'd seen 'em, with their broad
brined hats and long wastid goats ; but I'd never corn
Into irnmejit eontaek with 'eon, and I'd sot 'cm down
as lackin intelleck, as I'd never seen 'em to my Show—
Icaatways, if tl.cy cam they was disgised in white peple's
close, on I didn't know 'ern.

But in the Spring of 18—, I got awampt in the
exterior of New York State, 000 dark and stormy night,
when the winds Blue pityualy, and I was fumed to tie
up with the Shakers.
I was toilin threw the mud, when in the dim 'later
f the lutes I obsarsed the gleams of a taller candle.
Tien a hornet's nest to my off hosit tail to kinder
enoorrage him, I soon reached the place. I knockt at
the door, winch it was opened unto me by • tall, slick-
faced, aoluni lookln individooal, who taru'd out to be
• Eld. r. . _ .

-
"I;. Shaker," sad I, "you see before you • Babe
in the Woods, so to speak, and be axes shelter of
" Yay," sod the Shaker, and he led the way into the
house, another shaker beta nut to put my homes and
waggin undor kiver.
A solum female, lookin sumwhat like • last year's
bean-pole stuck into a long meet hag, cum in acid axed
me was I athurst and lid I hunger ?to which I
urbanely anserd "a few." She went on and I endeverd
to open a conversaahun with the old man.
"Eller, I spect ?" sad I.
" Yay," he sod.
" Heltli's good, I reckon?
"Yap."
" What's the wages of • Elder, when he under-
stands his business—or do you devote your sarwices
gildoooitus r
Yay."
"Stormy night, sir."
"Yap."
"II the storm continuer, there'll boa mess underfoot,
hay r
"Yap."
"It's oNdoasant when there's a mess underfoot r

"If I may be so bold, kind sir, what's the price of
that pooooler kind 01 weskit you wear, ivaoloodin
'miner

" Yay.
I pawed • minit, and then, thinkin I'd be (amebas
with him and see how that would go. I rlapt him on
the shoulder, buret into • harty lad, and told him that
as • payer he had no livin deal.
junipi up as lf Bilin water had bin squirted into
his ears, groaned, rolled his eyea up tords the sealin
and : " You're a man of &in I" He then walkt out
of the room. .

Jest then the female in the meal-bag stuck her lied
into the room and lotatid that refreshments awaited the
weary trawler, and I sed if it was Tittles she meet the
weary trawelkir was agreeable, and I foliated her into
the next room. . . . . . .

I sot down te the table and the femide in the mail-
bag, poured oat some tea. She eel nothin for Ave
minutes the only live thing in that room was a old
wooden Mock, which ticket in a subdood and baahfnl
manner in the corner. This dethly stillnes made me
(maw, and I determined to talk to the female or bum
So ses I, "marriage la agin your rules, I bhaeve,
mann r _

,Tr•
' ay.
"The sexes liv ,trickly spirt, I sped r
.• Yey."
" It's kinder Angler," see I patting on my most
1111014014 look and speaking in • winnin voice, "that.*
fair • made se thou never got bitebed to some likely
, feller." .

•
[N.B.—She was upwards of 40 and homely as • stamp
lime, but I thawt I'd tiekil her.]
• I don't like like men I" she Ned, very short.
"Wall, I dunno,” sed I, " they're • rayther Important
part of the populashun. I don't scarcely see how we
could get along without 'em.'
"Us poor wimin folks would git along a grate deal
better if there was no men I'. . . .

" You'll ezoom me, mum, but I don't think that air
would work it would't be reglor."
"I'm afraid of men !" she sod.

" That's onneoremary, maim. You ain't in no
danger. Don't fret younielf on that Wet."
'Hem we're aLut out from this ninful word. Here
all is peas. Here we air brothers and sisters. Wo
don't marry and conickently we bar no domestic
Husbium don't &boom their wives—Eisen don't
worth t their husband& There's no children here to
worrit us. Notbin to worrit um here. No wicked
mstrhrony here. Would show like to be • Shaker r
"No." sea I, " it ain't my stile."
I had now hinted in as big load of pervishuns am I
could carry comfortable' and, leanin back in my cheer,
000maanst Main my teeth with • fork. The female
went out, Amain weal alone with the clock. I had'n sot
their long before the elder pocked his bed in at the
door. "You're • man of sin 1" he sod, and groaned
and went away. . . .

Dirrectly that cum in two young /Matamoros, as
putty and slink lookin gals am I ever met. It is troo
they were driest in meal bag" like the old one I'd met
previa'', and their shiny, silky hat was hid from sight
by long white cam sich as I epees female Jests wee,;
but their eyes 'partied like dinned", their cheeks was
like roses, and they was oharmin enough to make •
men throw stuns at his grandmother, if they axed him
to. Tbey commend clearin away the dithes, caL tin shy
glances at me all the time. I got excited. I forgot
Betsy Jane inns, raptor, and sits I, "my pretty dear.,
bow air you.
" We air well," they solnuily sod.
Whar's the old macar cad I, in a soft voieo.
"Of whom dost thou speak—Brother Uriah
"I mean the gay and festive cum who calla me a
man of min. Should'ut wonder if his ilatau was Urith."
"Hie Me retired."
Weit my pretty dears," sea 1, "let's have sum fun.
Let's play l'ime in the corner. What say r
" Are you • Shaker, sir r they axed.
wng, my pretty dear., I haven't arrayed my proud
form in lone weskit yit, but if they was all like you
whim. I'd jine 'em. As It is, I'm a shaker m-
t.= porarl."
They were fall of fun. I seed that at fast, only they
wee a meek shairy I&Lin 'em Pam in the coroner and
slob like Om" and we had a nice time, keopin quiet
of course so the old man shoal MI hear. When we
broke
00, ro, "my pretty dears, ear Igo you have
no objections have you, to a innersent kiss at pertier
" they sed, and I yay'd.
I wont upstairs to bed. I *pose I'd bin anoosin half
• hoar when I woo woke up by a noise at the door. I
sot up Is bed, leaning on my ethers and rabble mp eyes,
and I Law the tulle, LLI Meter 'The Elder blood iu the

•