Litchfield enquirer., 1861-03-07
ARTEMUs WARD ON TEE SHAKERS

| eu coats put q never cOHe III iiililelt cODtack with 'em and I'd set 'em down as lackn intel leck, as I'd never seen 'em to my Show-least- ways if they cum they was disgised in white peples close. so didn't know em.
 But in the spring of l6-, got swampt in the exterior of New York State, one dark and stormy night, when the winds. Blue pityusly, and was forced to tie upwith the Shakers. ! l was tolin threw the mud, when in the dim visitor of the futer I obsarved the gleams of a taller candle. Tiein hornets nest to my off hoss tail to kinder encourage him, soon reach ed the place. I knockt at the door, which it was opened unto me by a tall slick-faced, solum lookin individooal who turn'd out to be elder.
 Mister Shaker sed I, you see before you a Babe ln the Woods, so to speak, and he axes shelter of you.'
 'Yay sed the Shaker and he led the way into the house, and another Shaker bein sent to put my hosses and waggin under kiver. | A solemn female, lookin sumwhat like a last years bean-pole struck into long meal bag, cum in and aXed me was l athurst and did hunger to which urEfanely anserd a few She went orf and 1 endevored to open conversation with the old man.
 Elder, spect z sed I. 1 Gay, he sed. | 'Ilelth's good, reckon 2
 .Yay'
  stans his bzness-or do yeu devote your sarvices gratooitlis 2
 l '1ay.
 Stormy night, sir l 'Yav'
 If the storm continnors therell be mess underfoot, hay!
 'Yay.'
 Its unpleasant when there's mess under foot?'
 'Yay'
 If may bs so bold, kind sir, what's the price Of that pecooler kind of weskit you wear, ncood- 1 in trimnlins 2
 'Yay.' 1 Ipaws'i a mint and then, thinkiu I'd be fases- llus with him and see how that would go slapt him on the shoulder, Eust into hearty lalf and told him tiat as 8 ,yaye,' he had no Twin ekal.
 He juinpt up as if Bilin water had bin squrted into his ears, sroaned, rolled his eyes up lords the seaiu and sed You're a man of ss" lie then waIkt out Of the room. 1 Jest then the female in the meal bag stuck her led ia the roor, and statid tha& refreshments awaited the weary traveller, and 1 scd if it was yittles she meant. the weary traveller WAS agree able, and followed her into the next room.
 sot down to the table and the female in the meal bag rored out sulp tea Sic s2d no thin. and for five ininits the only live thing in that room Was old wooden clock. which tckt in a sub ,!ood and basIful manner in the corner. This detil!y stiffness lnads me oneasy and deter mined to talk to the female CT bust. So sez l m%lri9e is a2in your rules, believe; maim i (ay
 The sexes live strictly apart, spect?
 Say.
 It's kinder singler,' sez l putin on my most sweetest lock and spa4l,in in 3 3sinI:in voice, that 20 fair a made a= thoW ever got l5tched to likely toIisr.' x, E. She was upwards Of 40 and homsiy as stump fence, bat thawt I'd t!ckil her.
 i don't like mes she sci, yeey short 1 N s! Gunno, sez i, they've q rayther in portaHt part Of tie popu,ashan. dnu t scarce i ly see no" we coGld git along without 'en { Is poor Winniu folks would git along grato deal better fl there was no men ou excoos me mufnl but don't t!inli that air would work. It wouldn't be resIer.'
 l'ns afraid of men ]. she ssd. 1 That's onnacessary, marn. You aiHt in no danger. Don't fret yourself on that pint
 Nerc we're shot cut from the sinful world.- Here all is peas. Here we are brothers and sis ters. We don't marry and consistently we hay no domestic difficulties. Husbands don't ahoose their wives wives don't Territ their husbands. There's no children here to worrit US. Nothn to "orfit Us here. No wicked matrimony here. Would thow like to be 6 Shaker?
 No sez ], that ain't my stiie.' 1 had HOW histed in as Liz load of porvis huns as could carry comfortable, and, leann 1 back i'll my cheer, commeust p!ekin my teeth with a fork. The female went cut lsavin me all alone with the clock 1 hadn't sot thar long before the Elder poked his he'd ln at the door. r. You're a man of sin he sed, and groaned and went away.
 Directly thar cum in two young Shakeresses, | oI; IL, l.. It is troo they was drest in meal bags like the har was hid from sight by long white caps, sich as l spose female gosts wear but their eyes sparkled like diamonds their cheeks was like roses, and they was charmin enuff to make a man throw stuns at his granmcther, if they axed him to. They commenst clearin away the dish es caStin shy glances at me all the time. l got excited. forgot Betsy Jane in my rapter, and sez l, my pretty dears, how air you? 1 We air we'll, they solemnly sed.
 'Whar's the old man: sed I, in soft voice. 'Gf whom dost thou speak-Brother Uriah ?
 I mean the gay and festiv cuss who calls me a man of sin.
 | He has retired
 Wall, my pretty dears, haven't arrayed my proud form in long weskit yit, but if they was all like you perhaps I'd jine 'en. As it is, I'm a Shaker pro temporary
 They was full of fun. I seed that at fust only they was little skeery. tawt 'em Fuss in the corner and sch like phase and we had nice time, keepn quiet of course 50 the old man shouldn't hear. When we broke up sez I, my pretty deaFs, ear go you hay no objections hay you, te 8 innsrsent kiss at partin? :?
 iay.' they sed, and Iyayd." | Iwent up stairs to bed. Ispose I'd bin snoo- gin half aa hour when l was woke up by noise at the door, l sot up in bed, leanin on my el- bers and rubbin my eyes, and I saw the foerin picter: The Elder stood in tie doorway, with taller candle in his hand. He hadn't no wear in apparel on except his night close, which fut tered in the breeze like Fourth of July Flag. lie sed, You're man of sin! P then groaned and went away.
 went to sleep agin, and drempt of runnin orf with the pretty little Shakeresses, mounted on my Californy Bar. l thawt the Bar insisted or steern strate for my door-yard in Baldins- vile and BETSY JANE cum out and eiv us a warm recepshun with painful of Bn water. I was woke up arly by the Elder. He sed re- treatments was reddy for me down stairs. Then saying l was man of sin, he went groanin away.
 As was goin threw the entry to the room where the vttles was l cum across the Elder and the old female Id met the night before and what dye spose they Hss up too? Huggin and kissin ike young lovers in their gusilincest state Sex I, {" my Shaker friends. I reckon you d better suspend the rules, and git marriedv,
 /. Y ou must excoos Brother URIaH,' sed the female he's subject to fits and hain't got no command over hisself when he's into 'em.'