Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-09-01


brcs in hopes TO gnin anedvan'age over his adj
vcrsary. whom be was determined TO kill if the
thing were po.sihle. The Counts intentions
were equally sl,guiuarv, and the lsirrtug was II
yprY severe and serious one. he .alrl arose
from he direct he given b} GbaHs44nifr 10 some
statements published by J." Aurny in the Con
stitntinnncl newspaper. As tlnngnrrr Is in
exile the docl could not hchell IN France. De
Mornyi- cousin of the Emperor, and played an
active part 10 the eouPfetet. He manngea the
telegraph wires al The project of pnliet's Office,
sending 2espaiches aud instructions ollie differ
cnt quarters. and Is now in nigh favor with Lou
is Napoleon.
The Shake's-Sunday among Them Shaker
Celihacy
The New York Times gives the following in
tcresting account of visit 10 the Shaker settle
ment of Niskayuna
We once happened in at the Niskayuna set
tement-t is beautiful village "A few miles west
of Troy-upon Il Sunday.
To reach Niskayuna we took wagon, our par
~ being some half dozen in number. We arIiy-
ed at the settlement little before church time.
hitched our team under the shade of lofty tree,
and just CHANGING at the red painted factory and
houses and the we'll cropped greenswnrd which
surrounded and nterlaid them ALL went directly
10 the meeting house. One end of the room
where services were held was set apart by n
railing for "the worlds people" who never fail
in numbers mere or less lure1 to visit them eve
ry Sunday. Here we took our seat. The re.
mainler of the capacious hall was bare of all
furniture. except plnn wooden seat on each
sde against the wall, and a rude d. SIX at the end
opposite tho visitors. The floor was very white
and polished exceedingly smooth. Occasionally
an Elder would come in ut one of tho further
doors, regulate window or point stranger to n
seat end return again, At l01 oclocl. both doors
at the end opposite ours were opened, and pro-
cesson of males on one side aud females on the
other entered solemnly.the elders taking the lead
All being within the Hall, the two parties faced
each other and moved near enough together to
have touehed then moved backward until they
approached the wall Then each line broke into
two still 50 arranged however that the Youngest
were tarthesi from "the worlds people" Then
followed succession If shutting marches and
counter marches and the wheeling into line, each
party trayersng the centre of the room in single
file chanting perpetually, in n nonotonous mel
ody, "A sentence of thank sgiving. This melody
was changed at times, but it never took the form
ofany tune we have seen written, nor were the
words ever restrained by any of the common
metres The music must have been somnifer-
Gus to those accustomed to it, but to all new
corners ii must seem exceedingly comical. 1t
was borne to the ears of listeners from the hearts
chests vocal chords of the singers, wherever
it orginated) at least one half of it ria the nose
Tho whole bod" moved in concert with the
sounds. At first. only the hands were tapped
feohly, then more vigorously: then the arms
took on the same awkward motion: then the
shoulders and tie head heat tue. aud the whole
body shuiied in sort of dancc all Wen. through
the same motions = the old man with the peaked
chin, and skin loosely wrapped about his houes,
and the mere baby nj the end of the line. evident
~ rejoicing under its grave face that 81 much Of
life and motion, and SO much Of time va per
tnit{ nrul la ,it,;- l.
white woolIen oyereoats, and sing ri iii" do
not greatly traye,ty the Shakers when at their
worship"
The dress of the worshippers was no less com
ical than their songs. The men wore long skirt
ed costs-antique Shanghais. that had the effect
to make all when the faces hidden, 70 look
of the same age. All the males fiat cooked hats
breeohes and stockings checked cravats, and all
we're in the. same drab color though of diiferen
shades. The line arranged after passing
adults according to their height. 1t was the
same on the other side. The females all wore
drab dresses, with white handkerchief crossed
over the breast and pinned at the waist. Each
wore a white muslin cap of the plainest make,
which made them look as if they we've many
dead folks come up to Shaker meeting in their
grave clothes. AT the first look one would think
them company of grave old women, varying in
stature down to the verest dwarfs. All seemed as
if they must be wrinkled and care worn, yet clio
ser observation showed, under their tight caps
many pretty faces and beautiful masses of hair !;
but in that disguise, from the prettiest of ALL Gu
pid would have run away in terror There
young Misses, tender lasses. and some very small
girls; but no smile lighted any solemn face-as
for laughter, they might well have been al
ready buried.
When the dancing and chanting had ceased, the
parties retreated TO the wall either side and
sat down, the males facing the females. 1t was
Sunday, and of course they were not love glances
shot from Ezekiel's cold gray eyes into those
that so demurely gmmered from under the cere-
ment of Rachel, opposite. Still. we could not
but remember that in all that community, Love
| Is treated as a wicked emotion-love the sisters.
indeed, the brethern may, but Ezekiel must have
no teuderer affection for young and gentle Rach
! el than for the vixen Esther, who, being the next
tallest, stands next to her in meeting; and if the
maiden's heart ever softens to Ezekiel more than
TO samuel we suppose she is ajudged guilty of
SIN, but such sins Nature prompts to, and must
delight to forgive and this feature of the Shakers
pohty certainly came not from God, but the Dev
Il, We must not preach, however. 1t is Amin
idab's turn to day
And Amlnidab comes form the seat where he had
settled after the dance, steps. behind the form at