The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-06-30 00:00:00

A QUEER SECT.

The Thmkards are a curious sect, well established
in the United States, taking their not particularly
felicitous name from their founder. To witness a
camp meeting of Dunkards assembled in their
National Conference is the sight of a lifetime. The
main body of the sect has just been holding its annual
gathering at Harter's-grove, near Wabash, Indiana.
These good people are largely from the agricultural
regions of the country, and represent a vast aggrega-
tion of wealth. Their landed possessions reach
millions of acres. Quite a number are in the trades
and professions also.
A Dunkard is more easily distinguished by his garb,
perhaps, than is the member of any other religious
body. The broad-brimmed hat, high buttoned frock
coat, barren of lappels and with no buttons in the
back, are all distinguishing marks. The brethren
regard this as the best means of showing their colour.
If there is any degree of plainness in dress which
these people have not incorporated into their attire it
has yet to be discovered.
How odd the women look bustleless and corsetless,
their heads covered with little caps of a light fabric!
For "every woman praying or prophesying with her
head uncovered dishonoureth her head, for that is
even all one, as if she were shorn."

There are pretty girls, too, among the Dunkards,
and their sweet faces peeping out from the big
bonnets which cover the little caps at times makes a
charming picture. But they are very demure maidens
and not of the flirting order. After the nature of
their sex, however, they are not averse to chatting
with male sinners who engage them in conversation
and are pleasing talkers, but any attempts at
familiarity are indignantly repelled. The Dunkard
maiden may be said to be the essence of virtue.
This matter of dress is not arbitrary, but is a sort
of unwritten law. Now and then a 'girl is seen who
has broken loose from hidebound custom, and bound
her pretty form with a corset! The love of the beau-
tiful, so strongly implanted in the feminine mind, and
the natural desire for adornment, is seen in the em-
broidered silk bonnets of different hues, but of the re-
gulation shape, which form the headgear of a few of
the maidens fair.

The most striking peculiarity observed at a Dunkard
camp is the practice of the holy kiss. The good
brothers come together with a report which can be
heard halfway across the ground. Fancy two big
bearded men falling on each other's necks, and kiss-
ing! If you don't like it you will soon get used to it
at a Dunkard conference. One might shut his eyes
and imagine himself at a champagne luncheon. It is
pop, pop, on every side.
Where is the authority for this salutation? Well,
you can't stump a Dunkard when it comes to defend-
ing the practices of his people. He has the Scriptural
injunction always lying around handy. The holy kiss
of welcome was several times commanded by the
apostles, four times by Paul, and once by Peter. "It
contains the tenderest expression of love known to
our race."

"How does it happen that you don't greet your
sisters with the holy kiss ?" asked an irreverent
reporter of one of the ministers, a Mr. Gibson.
" Ah, my good brother," was the reply, "don't you
see that we must draw the line and let common sense
guide us in the interpretation of these ancient laws?
It wouldn't be the thing at all to kiss the sisters. The
sisters greet each other with the holy kiss." "We
are considerably agitated just now on the tobacco
question," added the minister. "Our meetings have
decided that vo man who uses tobacco is eligible to
any office. A pressure is being brought to bear on
the brethren to make tobacco a test of membership,
and there is a growing sentiment in favour of that
idea. We don't aim to give a brother away who has
a fondness for the weed."

One of the most amusing things at the Conference
was the debate on the moustache question. A rule
was asked for that brethren be compelled to trim
their moustaches, so that when the salutation of the
kiss is given there will be nothing offensive about the
greeting. Most of the brethren have smooth shaven
upper lips, but a few wear the full beard. Among
this number there was a disposition to kick pretty
vigorously over the proposed curtailment of their
hirsute adornments. One elder argued that catarrh
and kindred dimeafteg Inrk hi ttua mcoic+nrhe, and may
be imparted when giving the salutation, while the
long, drooping moustaches, on which each particular
hair becomes an icicle in very cold weather, is unplea-
sant to meet.

; and

Old Elder John Forney, of Kansas, who has a full
beard, was nettled by these remarks, and asked the
brother if man should be ashamed to appear in the
image of God—when Christ never shaved. The first
speaker reminded Mr. Forney of the fact that he
could not cut the hair on his head without destroying
the "image" in the same sense. Elder Forney was
stumped and the motion prevailed. The brethren will
in the future wear clipped moustaches or none.