Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-09-09
At the window Of Mr. Simpson. Book store


in Chestnut street Philadelphia rs a very n.a
and correct photographic view of Shakers re
ligious assembly, in which the devo,ees are per
forming a religious dance. As il is the Gus
tom Of our citizens Of Iate,--in,o which Gus
,om Gas well as very near into Mr.. Stewart
cellar, near his picture window we have fallen
to occupy an hour at the show windows, W.
append The following account from the Boston
Cen,inel, which will illustrate the engraving.
CU S. Gazetie.
owe had arrived in the village Of Sa,ur-
| day afternoon. There was to be a religious
service in the evening. We were invited to
attend. Was il TO be a lecture! Surely not
! for there was nei her reading nor speaking. Il
might be te7med a conference, because The peo-
pie me' toge her But We will state what hap.
pened. 4; eight o'clock, the ladies present
were conducted into the Hail. by the prim sis.
tens with s,arched Caps, through one door, and
! The gentlemen were led by the primitive look
ing brothers Of the association, with broad
brims. through another door. Presently the
folding doors were opened, connecting the Two
parts of the Hall. and exhibiting a body ofmeu
| and women sanding up and faeing each other
wi The sYec ators in the rear OF each. After
looking at each other for some minutes, pro-
badly TO heir grea, edi6cauou, and to our
amusement, the spirit seem-d 10 move, and
they set up their notes in nasal ionr, with
kind OF methuGis,icai tune, 10 words hat we
did not hear dis 'inctly: they constantly beat
time with heir hands and arms, and BY vlbrar.
ing their whole bodies.
" After singing several tunes standing in
their places, one ofrhe,r Elders proposed chant.
ing the travellers tune" Al this, they
ranged themselves in a procession in couples
the men still ,oge her, and the WON, n follow
ing up the rear, also by themselves. They
Immediately turned up again, repeating the
following couIlrt.
cat last We have our Canaan found.
'And marching on the solid ground"
4" This wa, repeated over aud over, Dealing
time with hands and arms, and marching sound
the Hall At times they would oil clap treir
hands In unison 10 The ,une. l here appeared
Ia be- present abou, twenty Of each Eav
ing Con inued this exercise, with gr-a ani:nh,
lion, Tor ahou, half an hour, hey resumed hrir
original position, facing each other, and one oi
the Elders announced thai The services were Al
an end. AT this, all dispersed sud we am ng
the rest. Here eadeth this lesson" This
exercise they cal he 4" labor" Of their rell-
gIon.
"Af'er returning to our lodgings, and confA-
bulating some time with .he elders smoking
loug pipes, one OF The III in inaleJ that as rrxl
day was the Sabbath, IN woich, they could NOT
settle accounts, and as we proposed ,ea,ing be
fore M"udav, it would be necessary TO paw the
reckoning before curing for the nignt" This
was no unrcas enable request, and the bill was
aflIY tod mr. IN ~ 81
Next morning, we were invi ed 10 attend
the usual religious exercises Soon sfer fen, .
procession was formed il ouplrs, The bro' hers
aud sisters still IN separate places; thus all
marched along TO the Meeting House, ;he spec
,stos 10 The humble; OF aoout ff falling in the
rear.
"rhe two sexes 'onk opposite ends oil 'he
II II as briort facing each other aud the spec
ators were accommodated with seats on one
side As the house is not large enough hold
the whole fra erniry at once, j f-ren' socirtir.
m. e. a, DIFF rent hours Of the day. About one
hundred shakers INV appeared. One Of them
soon read D" 6 HYMN, which was suNg in c"o-
rus they have no com nira ion Of parts; al
unite in he tenor. The m sic is OF COURSE very
insipid, and ofen grating to The oracular
nerves. After ,hi, they commence singing
coupl-ts similar 10 the ape imsn cited arore
repairing each several times. In all their stag
ing 'hv move their arms and hnoits in time
II wing k pit this up for half an hour, the
seats wee removed back for regular nuil'
dance Blu, j, was not constructed on ,hr FrenC b
style, there was no S, ting corners, no chas
See dechassee,' - ether ladies chains MOI
pirruetes'; ror was single pigeon wing
drtrc ed H. the whole brotherhood or sister
hood Much less, did it approximate 10 The
Spanish DaAoe; there was neither kneeli e "a
the ladies, nor wal zing; shade of Ann Lee
forgive US for tni"king r. such vision! There
was none Of this gu andsh hea henish fun
merry. l. was all plain sensible dancing, and
with good solid she's. the men and women
were in opposite ends Of The Hill. All would
forward aud back four times; ., thu fourth
jo.,cord, they would 6aaa.ec, face to The right
and forward four steps balance again, and tac'
to The r,gh' and forward four siep', and bal