Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-12-24
Magnetism Among the Shakers.


/
whose atmosphere there is moral powcr,ana-
logous to some chemical test, which elicit:
| from every form of humanity whatever OF sweet
and genial is in it. Our visitor was an old ac-
quaintance, and an old member of his order
| having Joined it more than forty years ago
with his wife and two children. have known
marked individuals among these people, and
| yet it surprises me when see an original
stamp of character, surviving the extingulsl-
| ing monotony of life, or rather suspended ami
nation among them. What God has Impress
ed man cannot eflace. To child's eye, etch
leaf of n tree is like the other; to II philoso-
piers, each has its distinctive mark
Our friend VS. individuality might have
struck careless observer. He has nothing of
the angular, crusty, silent aspect of his yea
and nay brethren, who have perfect cOnyic-
ton that they have dived to the bottom OF the
well and found the pearl truth, while all the
rest of the world look upon them as the bot
tom of a well indeed but without the pearl,
and with ouly so much light AS may come in
through the little aperture that communicates
with the outward world. Neither are quite
right the Shaker has no monopoly OF truth
or holiness, but we believe he has enough OF
both to light dusky path to heaven. Friend
W is n man Of no pretension whateyeri
but content in conscious mediocrity. W
by any observance of conventional politeness
lie declined an invitation to dine, saying he
had eaten and was not hungry, and seated
himself in the corner, after depositing some
apples on the table, Of rare size and beauty.
81 have brought some notions, too" he
said. for YOU. b" and he took from his
ample pocket his handkerchief in which he
had tied upa parcel of sugar-plums and pep
PERMITS. B. accepted them most atfably,
and without any apparent recoiling, SHIFTED
them from the old mans handkerchief to an
empty plate beside her 'Half of them" he
said, H'remember, B, are for -. You
both played and sung to me last summer
don't forget it, She is a likely woman, and
makes the music sound almost as good as
whei was youngw This was enthusiasm in
the old Shaker; but TO us it sounded strange
IT, who knew that she who had so kindly con-
descended to call back brother VS. youth,
had held crowds entranced by her genius
Brother W is a genial old man, and fifty
wears Of abstinence from the worlds pleasures
has not made him forget or contcmn them
lie resembles the jolly friars in conventual
life, who never resist, and are therefore allow
ed to go without bits or reins in very easy
harness. There is no CALLING in restraint
where there is no desire for freedom. IL Is the
immortal longings' that make the friction in
life
After dinner, b, at her brother VS.
request sat down to the piano. and played for
him the various tunes that were the tavorites
in rustic inland life forty years ago. First the
Highland Reel then "Money Musk ii re-
member who | danced that with" he said,
"Sophy Drury. The ball was held in the
school-room at Feeding fields. She is tight
built, and cheeks as red as n rose, (past and
present were COMPOUNDED in brother WIS imag-
nation.) went home with Sophy-lt was as
light us day, and near upon day-them was
pleasant times" concluded the old man, but
without one sigh of regret and with CLEAN
of light from his twinkling gray eye. "There
have been no such pleasant times since, bro
ther W, has there ~ asked B, with as
stunned or real sympathy. 81 can't say that,
b, it has been all along pleasant have
had what others call crosses, but don't look
at them that way-what's the use, B."
The old mans philosophy struck me. There
was no record of cross in his round Jolly lace
"Were YOU married ~ | asked, "'when you join
ed the Shakers?p go yes; | married at
twenty-it s never to soon nor too late to do
right YOU know, and it was right for me to
marry according to the light had then May
be you think it was cross to part from my
wife-all men don't take it so-but own
should: loved Funice. In the society she
was the first woman, handy in all cases. " And
She Is sill with you?p "No. Our girl took n
notion and went oil, and my wife went after
her-thats natural for mothers, you know
II went after Eunice, and tried to persuade
her TO come back and she felt so; but its hard
roofing ont mother love; it's planted deep, and
snreads wide; so I left her TO nature, and
troubled myself no more about it, for what was
the use? NV son, too, took "a liking to young
English Girl that was one of our sisters-may
be YOU have seen her2i We had all seen her
and admired her fresh English beauty, and de-
plored her fate. 'Well, she was picture,
and speaking after the manner of men, as good
as she was handsome They went off togeth-
Or: | could not much blame them, and took
no steps after them-for what was the USE
But come, b, strike up AGAIN. play Haste
IN the Wedding b obeyed, and our old
friend SING or chanted Il low accompaniment !
in which The dancing tune and the Shaker
nasal chant were ludcrously mingled. b
nlaved ali his fayoritc airs and said, "You do
| love dancing, brother W-?' "Yes, to be
sure-spraise him in the cymbals and dam
cesrn
ooh, but mean such dances as we have
here Would not you like, brother W, to
come over and see us dance ?"
aWhy, may be | should"
'aAnd would not YOU like to dance with one
or our nretty Young ladies, brother W-W
"May be should" The old mans face lit
nm ;ovousIv but he smiled and shook his head.
| WT6ey would not let me, b, they would
not lei me?p Perhaps the old Shakers imagi-
nation wandered for a moment from the very
Straight nath of the brotherhood, but it was
INT 4 moment. His face reverted to its placid
nassiyeness. and he said, ~ am perfectly con-
tent have enough to eat and drink-every-
thino rood after its kind too-go0d clothes
|