Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-11-23
VISIT TO NlsKYUNA

Excursion to the Shaker Village of Ms
kyuna,-Discription Of their place Of
WorShip--Arrangement for the re0eP-
ton of fSrangers-CO8tuuse oft the ShG-
kers, male and female-I%e silent COM
mencement Of their deuOtiOas, &c.
We left Albany at nine in the morning,
on Wis. to the establishment ofthe reli-
gious sect called "The Shakers" at MIS-
kyuna, distance of eight miles from Al
bany, in northwest direction. Having
a comfortable open carriage, and good
pair of horses, our journey was easy and
agreeable. A great part OF the road was
bordered with rich variety of wood, and
other parts showed extended tracts of
cultivation while the range of the Catskill
mountains to the south formed an inter-
esting feature to the general pCture.-
The sky was bright, the heat not oppres-
sive, the thermometer also degrees in
the town, and IS degrees in the country,
and the perfume Of the shrubs and flow
ers delightful.
We arrived at the village of Niskyuna
about half past ten, just as the commun-
ty were assembling for worship, and saw
several lines or files of males and females
walking in pairs through the fields to-
wards the place of meeting. We enter
cd with them the place ofworshlp, whcI
was PLAIN room of about 80 feet long
by 25 broad, without pulpit,pews, curtains,
or any kind of furniture; plain benches
being provided for seating the Shakers
themselves, as we'll as the strangers who
came to see them. Every part Of the
building or room was in the utmost per-
fection of cl eanliness, and not speck
or particle of dust or dirt was anywhere
visible
For the strangers number of benches
were placed, to accommodate about 2OO,
and there were fully the number of visit
ers from the neighboring country present
OF these, the males had 10 enter by one
door and the females by anothsr,and each
to remain separate during the service
Of the Shakers who joined in the worship
there were about 100 males aud 100 te'
mafeS These entered also by different
doors, and ranged themselves on bench
ss in oblique lines from each end of the
room, till lthey nearly met each other,when
the space between the front row of each
sex was triangular, the apex OF the trias'
gle being the place from whence the
Speakers addre essed the assembly on the
floors The constantly widening space
caused by the diagonal lines of the two
front rows, left an opening by which all
the strangers who came as spectators
could see the persons and counsenances
of those who joined in the worship clear
ly and distinctly.
The males included several boys from
y or 6 year old to ID, and so upward to
Young men of 90, middle-aged of 80 and
30, and elders Of so, so, and 10; and
there was the,same diversity of agesa-
mong the females. But, Notwithstanding
the difference of age in each, they
were all dressed in one uniform fash
ion.
The dress Of the men consisted of
white shirt collar, and white cravat, loose
trousers and large wistcOat Of a deep
maroon-coloured stuff, like camletor bonn
bazihe; the trousers we're SO long as to
touch lhe shoes, but there were neither
straps to keep them down, nor braces to
suspend them upward The Wistcoat was
or the old fashioned cut ofthe couri-dreSs
used century or two ago; singlo-breas!
ed, with a deep waist cut away dngonaily
in front, and with lQpg, low pockets. The
wistcoat was not buttoned, and hung loose
showing the entire front or bosom OF the
Nshifi,a and no coat or jacket Of any kind was
worn, SO that all the men were literally
in their shirt-sleeves.
The dress of the women was entirely
white; the gown was long and narrow
and the waist short; the sleeves tight, tbt
bosom plain, and all attempt at graceful
ness of form, or decorative ornament
scrupulOuSly avoided. A small clear mus
lin handkerchief or Grape was worn owe
the shoulders, and cap Of clear mnsliI
fitting closely tO the face with long de
scending laPpets, coveted the head whil'
the hair was put up in the plainest man
.ner, and ALMOST entirely concealed from