The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-05-14
along a great deal better if there was no

You'll eXcoos me, marm, but don't
think that air would work. 1t wouldn't
be regler."
"Pm fraid of men ~ she sed
That's Unnecessary, marm. You
amt in no danger. Don't fret yourself
on that pint p
/" Here we're shot out from the sinful
world. Here all is peas. Here we air
brothers and sisters. We don't marry,
and consistently we hav no domestic diff
fculties. Husbans don't abooze their
wiyes-wives don't worrit their husbans.
There's no children here to worrit us.
Nothin to worrit us here. No wicked
matrimony here. Would thow like to
be Shaker %
NO." sez I, "it amt my stile."
l had now histed in as big load of
provisions as | could carry comfortable,
and, leanin back in my cheer, commenst
pickin my teeth with fork.
The female went out leavin me all
alone with the clock. l hadn't sot thar
long before the Elder poked his head in
at the door. You're man of sin 7"
he sed, and groaned and went away.
Direckly thar cum in two young Sha-
keresses, as putty and slick lookin gals
as ever met. 1t is troo they was drest
in meal bags like the old one I'd met
previsly, aud their shiny, silk har was
hid from sight by long white caps, sich
as spose female costs wear but their
eyes sparkled like diminds their cheeks
was like roses, and they was charmin
enough to make man throw stuns at
his grandmother, if they axed him to.
They oommenst clearin away the dishes,
castin shy glances at me all the time. l
got excited. | forgot Betsy Jane in my
rapter, and sez |, "my pretty dears, how
air you 90
1--WE air well," they solumly sed.
Whar's the old man ?" sed |, in a
soft voice.
"Of whom dost thou speak-Brother
Uriah %
!" mean the gay and festiv cuss who
calls me man of sin. Shouldn't won
der if his name was Uriah."
9" He has retired
"Wall, my pretty dears," sez l, "let's
have some fun. Lets play Puss in the
corner. What say ?"
:" Air you Shaker, sir ?" they axed
"Wall, my pretty dears, l haven't ar
rayed my proud form in a long weskit
yit, but if they was all like you, perhaps
I'd jine 'em. As it is, I'm Shaker
protemporary.
! They was full of fun. seed that at
fust, only they was leetle skeery. |
tawt 'em Puss in the corner, and sich
like plase, and we had nice time, keep
in quiet of course so the old man shouldn t
hear When we broke up sez |, my
pretty dears, ear go you hav no objec-
tons, hay you, to innersent kiss at par
tin ~
"Yay," they sed, and | yay'a
| went up stairs 10 bed. | spose I'd
bin snoozin half hour when | was
awoke up by a noise at the door. sot
up in bed, leanin on my elbers and rub
bin my eyes. and | saw the follerin pic
ter: The Elder stood in the doorway,
with taller candle in his hand. lie
hadn't no wearin apeerel on except his
night close, which fiuttered in the breeze
like fourth of July Flag. He sed ;,
You're a man of sin - then groaned
and went away.
l went to sleep agin, and drempt Of
runnn orr with the pretty little Shaker
esses, mounted on my California Bar. l
thawt the Bar insisted on steerin strate
for my dooryard in Baldinsvile and that
Betsy Jane cum out and gave us a warm
recepshun with a painful of bilin water
| was awoke up airly by the Elder. He
( sed refreshments was reddy for me down
stairs. Then sayin | was a man of sin,
he went groanin away.
AS was goin threw the entry TO the
room where tie vittes was. | cum across
the Elder and the old female Id met the
night before, and what dye spose they
was up to :? Huggin and kissin like
young lovers in their gushingest state
Sez my Shaker friends. | reckon
you'd better suspend the rules, and git
married y
You must excoos Brother Uriah, sed
the female he's subjeck TO fits and hain't
got no command over himself when he 5
into EN-"
4" Sartinly." sez |. "I've been took
that way myself frequent"
You're man of sin !" said the FL
der.
Arter breakfast my little Shaker
friends cum in agin 10 clear away the
dishes.
my pretty dears," seq |, "shall we
gay agin -
Nay" they sed. and nGy'd.
The Shakers axed me 10 90 to their
meetin, as they was to hav sarvices that
mornin, SO | put on clean billed rag
and went. The meetin house was as nea
as pin. The floor was as white as chalk
and smooth as grass. The Shakers was
all on hand, in clean weskits and meal
bags, ranged on the floor like milingtery
companies, the mails on one side OF the
room and the females on tother. They
commenst clappin their hands singin and
dancin. They danced kinder slow al
fust, but AS they got warmed up they
shaved 1t down very brisk, | tell you
Elder Uriah in partickler, exhiberted q
right smart chance of spryness in his
legs, consderin his time OF life. and as
. L., =. Il l,,. 1 sol