Delaware State journal and statesman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-1870, 1861-03-08
ARTEMUs WARD AMONG THE SHAKERS.
His " Yayiag" Experience with THO Pretty

|
His " Yayiag" Experience 1OiM Tt0o Pretty
Shakeresses.
Artemus Ward, in this weeks Vanity Fair,
gives some of his experience among the Shakers /:
| sot down to the table, and the female 10 the
meal-bag. pourer out sum tea. She sed nothin,
and for five minits the only live thing in that
room was n old wooden clock, which tiokt in a
eubdood and bashful manner in the corner
This dethly stiffness made me Uneasy, and de-
ternlined to talk to the female or bust. So seq
l, "marrige is agin your rules, beeve,
marm2'
"Yay."
1.-The sexes liy strickly apart, speot 2"
"Yay"
" It's kinder singler," seq /, putin on my most
sweetest look and speakin in wnnu voice,
that so fair made as thow never got hitched
to sum likely Teller" N. B.-She was upward
of forty, and homely as a stump fepce, but
thawt I'd tckil her.
{" don't like men" she sel, very short.
Wall, dunno" seq l, "theyre rayther
important part of the populashun. don't
scacely see how we could git along without EN-. !"
Gus poor wimmin folks would git along q
CRATE deal better if there was no men"
you'll excuse me marin, but | don't think
that air would work, 1t wouldn't be regler."
" I'm fraid of menl" she sed,
" That's unnecessary, marin. lou amt in no
danger Don't fret yourself on that pint"
" Here we're shet out from the sinful world.
Hear all is peas. Here we air brothers and
sisters. We don't marry, and consistently we
have no domestic difficulties. Husbans don't
AhooLe their wives-wives don't worrit their
husbans. There's no children here to worrit u.s.
Nothin to worrit us here. No wicked matri
mony here. Would thow like to be Shaker ?"
"No," seq !, it amt my stile."
had now histed in as big load of perYshuns
as could carry comfortable, and, leanin back
in my cheer, cOmmenst pickn my teeth with a
fork. The female went out, leayin me oil alone
with the clock. hadn't sot thar long before
the Elder poked his he'd i'll at the door "Youre
Il man Of sin !" he sed, and groaned and went
away
Dreckly thar cum in two young shakeresses,
as putty and slick lookin gals rs | ever met. 1t
1t trOo they was drest in meal bags like the old
one I'd met previsy, and their shiny silky har
was hid from sight by long white caps, SIGH as
spose female costs wear but their eyes sparkled
like diminds, their cheeks was like roses,
and they was chnrmin enuif to make a man throw
stuns at his granmother, if they axed him to-
They eoinmenst clearin away the dishes, castin
shy chances at me all the time. got excited
l forgot Betsy Jane in my rapter, and see l. tiny
pretty dears, how are you?"
"We air wei" they soemnly sed.
| Whar's the old man ?" sed |, in u soft voice
"Of whom dOst thou spenk-Brother Oriah p"
" mean the gay and festiv cuss who calls me
q man of sin. Shouldn't wonder if his name was
Uriah."
" He has retired"
"Wall my pretty dears," seq l, "let's have
sum fun. Let's play Puss in the corner. What
say,
"Air you Shaker, sir 2" they axed
"Wall, my pretty dears, haven't arrayed my
proud form in q long weskit yit, but il they was
all like you perhaps I'd jine 'em. As it is, I'm o
Shaker prOtemporary."
They was full of fun. | seed that at fust, only
they was little skeery. tawtem Puss ia the
corner and SIGH like phase, and we had nice
time, keepin quiet of course SO the old man
shouldn't bear. WheA we broke up SEE |, " my
pretty dears, ear go you have no objections,
hay you to innersent kiss at partin ?"
"Yay," they sed, and yay'a.