The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-06-13 00:00:00

A VISIT TO "THE SHAKERS" AT

MOUNT LEBANON.

Under date New York, May 26, Mr. Henry Vincent
thus describes, in the .tiorn,nyStr, a visit to the
Shakers:—

On the North Western border of the State of New
York, a ithin a mile of the dividing line of Massachusetts,
and about 150 miles from the city of New York, is the
summer retreat of Lebanon Sp lags. HM6, mountains, and
valleys, trees, gardens, farm-houses and farms spread is, ound
and above you in ever-varying howdy. reinindbot one at the
hills and valleys of Llangollen in Wales. on the side of one
of the 11101111tAillS—MOUllt Lebanon—commanding a line view
I of the whole panorama, cluster three distinct portions of that
singular body of people called by the vulgar, "The Shakers."
Thin society of believers" in the product of that mighty
upheaving of the mind and soul that manifested itself in
England and Europe duringthegreaterpart of the last century.
Wesley, Whitfield, the French Prophets, Emanuel 3wedenhorg,
and othersall represented, with more or less truth and power,
the yearning ef living Souls for light, life and salvation. In
this great awakening, as in the time of the Commonwealth,
many strange doctrines and new sects rose and fell, and
among Howe ise must class the people called shakers. About
the year 1750, Ann Lc*, of Manchester, England, came, under
strong religious convictions, and, joined by six or eight
brethren and sisters, under the guidance of a vision, left
England for America, settling in this country. After work-
ing separately for a hying, and suffering much persecution
anti hardship for many years, tine little band gathered into a
religions society in the sounds of Watt:l,llst, near Albany,
in 1;76. In 17700 great revival of religion occurred in New
Lebanon, and in other toning m.1,1114;01, and minty of these
People were gradually impressed by Ann Lee and her friends
that the time had come to gather themselves out of the
world, and in the power of the Holy Sphit to cruel y all
worldly lusts "—and to enter hits the spiritual Ilillentdal
church, in the practice of ',erect chastity, temperance,
charity, brother.) and sisterly love anandoning .11
private luoperty for the common good, mid haying.
like the early Christians, all things in conmion. '
rom their meat let your lit prenehing—their trembling. and
• unakinss—they nero spoken of as shakers." which name
they are I y no means ashamed to ad pt. Their prot.res:
• was necessarily slow, RS I hey took up a MSS tee heavy to be
borne by ordinary men end a onts n of the W.llll. The
shaker cominubities are divided it.to families. w ithin sight •
of each other at MouLt Lebanon are Circe of these families— '
North Fannly, Church Family, and Sunlit Faintly. The first
numbers sixty brethren unit sisters; the second I'D. In the
New Lebanon Society there are altomAher eight of these
Laullies—ha all Wu brethren and biders. Thls New Lebanon
B"eletY owns 6,0 0 i.ers of land—a large proportion of which
is devoted to fuel, timber, and sheep. his people also
noSSesi harden seeds, herbs, and fruits, which are evez y-
-0 here famed for their quality. Throughout the Union there
ani eighteen flourishing Shaker Societies, sacredly
living a celibate UM, and enjoying • perfect cons-
sunnily
of worldly muuls Ii wan with no small delight, on Friday e vent .1g last, 1 fisted in) -elf in
front of a stage waggon, with my friend William Hardacre,
of Philadelphia, riduig wren relies over muddy roads between

_
"sores Lebanon. It was evening, and the setting sun
• •. d • ',r and valleys ii. a flood of light The rivulets
by heavy rains, and streamlets and
• • .en Vac ravitee. le tping into the touching waters
ieneen, Greases, leaves, .dad Bowers werebeaded by edie
drops, that glistened lilts- ditamonds in the rays of the setting
taut We reached North Fatuity clout seedu o'clock, and
ere welcomed, with modest grace, by an elderly Meer and
we soon grasped the warm 'landau( Elder Frederick Evans,
who, *wee mouths romteints'y invited iiie to Share
the simple holiittedies" of the ti,,c.e.y. We weie oem
introduced to other brethren, and found our-elves
at home said at es,e with our hearty ft trials.
The brethren and staters at North )Satilly occupy
three neat and suletantiel houses. I here is no
restraint other titan the restraint of good breeding
and true Christian propriety. Brethren and sisters
occupy the same Inoves—t he sleeping accounteslathet being
at oppo-ite parts of the dirt:l3llga They ri,e at half-past
four o'clock ill the morning. breakfast at six, dinner at amen,
supper at six iti the evening, iind retire to re-t &salt ten. At
in..als the w. men occnit poor end of the table, tile men the
tire Le'ore mea:s they all kneel dawn and ;;tier thanks
an is prayer., in solemn silence. My trim.' and I beak our
needs in a small neat r ililn alone. We kvere recite atileita
most at tent ithy p one ;;f the sisters, at Ito eof .talit 13 left the
roolii, returning to inquire if tolytheig was s anted. A
Shaker meal is a wholesome feast A moan beauti-telly
clean a plaiu clean table, good cite and brown bread,
sweet fresh butter, rich milk and cream, wholesome well-
conked meat, plain vegetables, preserved fruits ; but all
served in the simplest, neatest, and most economical
way, We occupied two bed-rooms that opened one
lido the other. The beds are se eet and ele.,n,
and you sprawt into them with a perfect delirium
of lazy delight. All the roems of the houses are cleanliness
and neatness to perfection, it und about are the ga (lees,
orchards, farms, workshops, barns, and store-housee. The
, large learn is the most pertect model for space, convenience.
, and ventilation. It consists of three storeys, the loaner
storey being appropriate t for stalling cattle. It is beet on
storeyi'd;roorllf attllue"lroaandpo'nu„rlanneilerhol itajtoas I the
The takent
hinit
sod
cameo gravitate towards the work they cal, most easily
perform ; and all are busy from Morn midi night, wet kiug
sith a joyous will. The num dress an the early Quakers
dressed. The women with the same Quak, r-like endues/a--
and they are all simple but hearty in their 111111111C1, On
Saturday night we attended worship for the !last tinie. The
men and women stood in three lines in the presence ef cavil
other. A Mother read a hymn, while they all joined in
baiigji,g, This was followed by other exercises in song. Elder
Evans theta gave a poeerful exhottation from the words,
"There is therefore now no conitenmatiota for those who are
lam christ Jesus." Ile spoke of the victory they had
achieved over the world and the power of lust and evil by
the grace and favour of God, maihtaining, with great gravity,
"that every good and perfect gift cemeth front Goal" and from
"the power of Ills Christ." lie was followed by a brief ex- .
hortation from one if the sisters. A line was theta termed
in the centre of the room, three brethren mail three sisters
standing face to face. The remainder formed ha a circle
round the raaoaaa, The brethren and sisters in the centre of
the room sang hymns, while the rest moved round them in a
kind of shoice, moving their open hands es if waiting to catch
a blessieg. All woo gravely performed, with an evident
profound sense of awe. On sunday this worship was re-
peated, with the Adition of a more lively spiritual song
and dance. The Shakers hold to the example of einem
said King David, and other members of the ancient Church,
in manifesting their Joy and gratitude at the goodness
of God towers's them by spiritual ..110 and dances.
Although the ceretuony was new to me, I felt no levity, but
was gravely impreesed by the deep soletunity of what I saw.
I was permitted to address the assembly, and on Sundae
night, 1/y hints; ion, met the Church Faultily, Aul gave, to the
best. I my ability, a sketch of the present state of religion in
England in the Established Church and in the dissenting
Wilk:. They appeared 'minutia, ly impressed by the
account I gave of the great work resulting from the labours
of Mr. Spurgeon said at both families they desired 1110 to
say to brethren in EnAland that they blessed God for all the
work done by the working of the Holy 'pint in other
Chu elms. I had not time to make myse f acquainted with
all the peculiarities of their ipellef. I have no doubt they
bold malty views from which I should dissent ; but I felt in
no 1111 l for discussion, and had mat opportueity enough for
patient investigation of the doctriues which kept then, apart
hams other sects. Those who dmire information on t •me
points must search them out for themselves ; they will find
them epitomised in works published by the society. I con-
tented myself with the results I saw before me, mid
th, algid them sufficiently remarkable to cemmand
the respectful and thoughtful attention of the Church
and the world. I saw a cummainity of men toad
women of all ages living a pure celibate life, antler liar name
roo', full of sweetness, hive, and gentleness—a happy family
of brothers mei sister.. I knew that many of theta had heen
married men and women he•ore they were lid, by a relic'
principle and motive, to "crucify all worldly lusts," and enter
into what they regard as the niellemilal state. a knew that
this life had been lived by monks and HUNS, win; were ex-
cluded front each other with a prism, like rignur, under lock
and key, bolts aalai halo ; but here I saw a spiritual family--
the once husband and wife entering upon a new life itt the ilsily
presence of each other—and that this chaste COIIIIIIIIO ity had
tested this life of panty for seventy years without demi
arising to dim the lustre if its chastity. Of cour-e, eve tall
exclaim, " 110 W can these things tart' And the pnifligate and
the lase rake the yell of Laughter ; hut the Shakers leodeatly
reply, " Not unto us, inat mit° God be all the glory." Tile
werl.l laughs again, and slanders; but the answer is the fact
of thk life, which this people lays open to the gaze Id ell the
world. I saw, reoreover,•a people who wall tout 110111
private properly—a people who rest securely, and in
perfect har 1111 l ny and prosperity, umitt ft community of
eivels. The dream id Utopia is here realised. Tley mork
hard, they et.joy the fruits of tilde itithistry. They live
simply mid fru ally. For ten years they Ii me ceased to ear
swine, or to drink alcoholic drinks, except under medical
advice. I saw that this community of gouda sprung from a
deeper motive than a social or economical truth. Weed,
in one of .heir publication* I found this paragreplt.—" They
could not melerstand hew sir-culled Christians Oirriliren and
sisters' could be members of the sonar religious body or
Church, mad be divided into rich and poor in the things of
this temporary world, but who are vainly expecting that ha
the world to come they will all be willing to have eternal
things in common.' Thus their communistic idea springs
from a religious motive, and such a fact is worthy the con-
templation of thoughtful men. I illqUired 1100 the internal
working of the community—as to how dispetes ne misunder-
standingn were nettled if they ..nfortunately arose. I was
told here again they adopted the Christian plan—speaking
In the brother or sister alone, and, if that failed.
"tell it unto the Church;" and that, so far, all hail
moved on with harmony, and no serious difficulties had
disturbed them. Another thing I have also sten an relation
to the Shakers. Every one he America with whom I have
spokeat speaks highly of their moral character, of their
truthfulness, of [near honesty in their dealittirs with their
fellow-mcn : all bear this Testimony, with the exception of
thoSe degraded people who believe there are no such things
as virtue lied truth on the earth. Surely the 811000Fil of thil
community must have a cause. What is that noise? Ido
not premnd to answer the mtestion. lint it is a question
worthy of fill WM,. ntsaay shnil r experinienti have totally
f Test. Why has this succeeded I Within the past forty
years the Owenite experiments ila England aid America nave
failed, bet haket ism. ass living aid lha itnalphaid. fact. Let
me urge mem divine* and seeders, in their rambles
through Americi, ti/ vieit the Shaker community at Mount
Lebanon, and if they are disposed to bumf, e "1111 W can this
things be?" my answer is, " Come and see " We left the
brethren and sisters with regret at four Welrick yesterday
morning, and had a difficult aide of three hours to Chatham
Four Corners, and [lank the train for New 1 orb, Elder
Frederick Evans is an Englidiman by birth, coming (nen the
old county .11 Wm re-ter. Ile is a tall Mali, With Itli earnest,
thoughtful face, and a pleasant play et grave lame ear round
the mouth. Ile appears to be over sixty years of age, lie is
affable in his ini 1111 l ers, and anxious to cotton 111 l icate
opinions to inquirers. I ronvemed oath three or {cm
Enalishinen, who were happy an the enjoyment of the lives
they had chosen. My Warn, thatika ale due. and are thus
publicly tendered, to the brethnet and sisters lA. their loving
hospitality.