Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-03-27

ed the place. knockt at the door, which it was
opened unto me by tall, sick faced, sOlumn
lookin individual, who turn'd out to be a Elder.
mister Shaker" sed /, ''you see before you II
Babe in the Woods, so to speak, and he axes
shelter of you"
"Yay," sed the Shaker, and he led the way
into the house, another Shaker bein sent to put
my horses and waggin under kver.
A sOlumn female, lookin sumwhat Ike last
years bean pole stuck into long meal bag, cum
in and axed me was / athurst and did i hungerr
to which / urbanely ansered "a few" She went
orr and indeyered " open q conYersashun with
the oln man.
Elder spect?" sed l.
"Yay," he sed.
"Health's good, reckon?"
"Yay."
What's the wages of Elder, when he under
stands his bizniss-Or do you devote your SER
vices gratooitusT"
"Yay."
Stormy night, sir"
IF the storm continues therell be mess
derfoot, hay ?"
"Yay."
Its unpleasant when there's mess under
foot ? "
"Yay."
"If / may be so bold, kind sir, what's the price
Vi tnttb pCSOOiCt VI "SSNN Va "~NA' A--NAOO
din trimmins !"
"Yay."
pawsed Z. mint, and then, thinkin I'd be ft-
seshus with MIN and see how that would go,
slapt him on the shoulder, bust into harty lari,
and told him that yager he had no hven
ekal.
He jumpt up as if bilin water had bin squirted
into his ears, groaned, rolled his eyes up lords
the ceilin and sed You're a man of sin
He then walkt out of the room.
Just then the female in the meal bag stuck her
he'd into the room and statid that refreshments
awaited the weary traveller, and / sed if it was
vittles she ment, the weary traveller was agree
able and / follered her into the next room.
/ sot down to the table and the female IN the
meal bag pored out some tea She sed nothn,
and for FIVE minits the only live thing in the room
was a old wooden clock, which tickt in a sub
dood and bashfu manner in the corner. This
dethly stiffness made me onelsy, and l deter
mined to talk to the female, or bust. So, sez |
" marriage is agin your rules, bleeve, marin ! y
Yay."
The sexes live strictly apart, spect ? d"
"Yay"
It's kinder singler," sez /, putin on my most
sweetest look and speakin in winnin voice,
that so fair made as tbow never got hitched
to sum likely fellr' IN. B.-She was upwords
Of 40 and homely as stump fence, but thawt
I'd tickil her,l
Don't like men " she sed, veryshort.
Wall, | dunno," sez |, they're rayther
important part of the populashun. i don't
scarcely see how we could git along without EN-. !"
"Us poor womin folks would cit along great
deal better if there was no men
you'll oxcoos me, marin, but l don't think
that air would work. 1t woodn't be regler."
"I'm fraid of men!'' She sed.
That's .onnecessaIy, marin, you amt in no
danger. Don't fret yourself on that pint"
Here we're shot out from the sinful world.
Here all is peas Here we AIR brothers and sis
tiers. We don't marry and consekently we hav
no domestic difficulties Husbands don't abooz
their vives-wives don't worrit their husbands.
There's no children here to wOrrit us. Nothin
to worrit us here No wicked matrimony here.
Would thou like to be Shaker?"
mo-" sez l, lit amt my stile."
had now histed in as biga load of pervshun
as could carry comfortable, and, leaning back
on my cheer, commenst pickin my teeth with a
fork. The female went out, lsavin me all alone
with the clock | hadn't sot thar long before
the Elder poked his he'd in at the door. Your
a man of sinl'' he sed, and sroaned and went
away.
Dreckly thar cum in two young shakeresses,
as putty and slick lookn gals as l ever met. 1t
is troo they was drdst in meal bags like the old
one u met pfeNlSly, anu tntlr SllIl, slihcn lidT
was hid from sight by long white caps, sich |
spose female costs wear; but their eyes sparkled
like diminds, their cheeks was like roses, and
they was charmin enuff to make man throw
stuns at his grandmother il they axed him to.
They commenst cleIrin away the dishes, castin
shy glances at me all the time. got excited.
l forgot Betsy Jane in my rapter, and sez my
pretty delrs, how air your"
1--WE air WE'LL" they solumnly sed.
"Whars the old man2' sed /, in soft voice
"Of whom dost thou speek-Brother Uriahr
al mean the gay and festive cuss who calls me
n man of SIM Shouldn't wonder if his name was
Uriah.''
"He has retired"
"Wall, nv pretty dears," sez /, "let's have
sum fun. Let's play Puss in the corner. What
say?"
"Air you shaker, sir?" they axed.
wall, my pretty delrs, havn't arrayed my
proud form in a long weskit yit, but if they Wa:
all like you perhaps I'd jne em. As it is, I'm q
Shaker pro-temporary."
They was full of fun. / seed that at fust, only
they was a leetle skeery / tawt'm Puss in the
corner and sich like plase, and we had nice time
keepin quite of course so the old man shouldn't
hear. When we broke up sez |, my pretty dears
ear 60 you have no objections, have you, to al
innersent kiss at partin?'
"Yay," they sed, and yayd
j went up stairs to bed. spose I'd bin snooz
in half hour when was woke up by noise al
the door. l sot up in bed leanin on my elber
and rubbin my ewes, and | saw the folerin pee
ter: The Elder stood in the doorway with
taller candle in his hand. He hadn't no wearir
appeerel on except his night close, which futter
ed in the breeze like Fourth of July flag. III,
sed, you're man of sin % then groaned ant
went away.
| went to sleep agin, and drempt of runnin or
with the pretty little !shakeresses, mountid oi
my Caiforny Bar. | thawt the Bar insisted OIL
steerin strIte for my door yard in Badnsville anC
that Betsy Jane cum out and Civ us warn
reception with a painful of bin water. wa
woke up arly by the Elder He sed refreshment
was ready for me down stairs. Then sayin
was man of sin, he went g-oanin away
As | goin through the entry to the room
where the vittles was, / cum across the Eide
and the old femlle I'd met the mite before, AN,
what dye spose they was up to? Huggin am
kissn like young lovers in their gushingist state
Sez |, "my shaker friends, recon you'd bette
suspend the rules and cit married.
"You must excoos Brother Uriah.' sed the fe
male; "hes subjeck to fits and hant got no com
mand over hisself when he's into EN-"
"Sartinly," sez |, "I've been took that way nv
self frequent
You're a man of SIM" sed the Elder.
Arter breakfast my little Shaker friends cur
agin to clear away the dishes.
MY pretty dears," seZ |, "shall we vauacin :
May" they sed, and ndyd
The Shakers axed me to 20 to their meetin, a
they was 20 hav sarvce that mornin. so put o
clean billed rag and went The meetin hous
was as neat a pin. The floor was as white a
chalk and smooth glass. The Shakers was a
on hand, in clean weskits and meal bags, range
on the floor like millingtery companies, the mail
| on one side of the room and tie females on til
other. They commenst clappn their hands an
sngin and dancing. They danced kinder slow 9
! iust, but as they got warmed up they shaved
| down very brisk, | tell you. Elder Uriah, i
| particular. exhibited right smart chance {
spryness in his legs, cOnsiderin his time of lif,
and as he cum doubbe shuttle near where so
rewarded him with approvin smile and SCI
| "GO it, my gay and festive cus''
You're a man of SIM" he sed continnern hi
| shuttle
The Sparrett, as they call it, then moved
short, fat Shaker to say few remarks He Sc
they was Shakers and all was ekal They wa
the purest and seleckest pepel on the yeartl