St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-07-28
ST. CLOUD MINNESOTA, THURSDAY, JULY 2s 1864 %
Z: :;
QUAKEN, MEETiNt.

I.nI,51 - aUAKEH, nkErixG.
a,$pr;.q6l1d.R>pnsl,eunl write. as fol-
lows Of . visisio . Quaker meeting: =
+" The room was high, squ*re and anpaips-.
ed :; furnished with wooden :benehss. Tt6
was Ill, except q stove which. nigh, leve
come over in, that espaeious vessel, tie
M"ytiower, hnd such inxentionsiof the en-
fery BEEN known toour ,fofefaahers., Those
benches I never, > never shall forget can
truly say they impressed me deeply. Made
rot the hardest tall hard wood, wi,hopt
|'eseh e''ei Mitigating ssat OF paint, s, nar-
f6& aM slippery that one could, not slide
forward into the graceful posture usually
assumed BY. church gosrs, but mus, per
force strain every nerve to sit, holt, upright
ana keep On the se,st,,wisle .; little ,slat for
back contrived,to rasp the shoulder blade.
to the last: degree Of human .epdurapcs,
they were evidently desig.ed to mortify
the flesh and promote ae&alta.isn. The
room had ,hat att4f}, old fashioned Sort
Of . smell peculiar 10 rooms kept closed
most Of the :times Not enc visible speck
OF dirt contaminated the heor ;, lot u fly
broke 'he' profound Hileuoeiby his buzzing.
+ Ny first feeling somewhat inerea se..by tile
dismal howling Of !. Mascl, visA, vas one If
home sIckness- i.,:. :::a,,s.ls ~ is-.t
sGradutly, by twos ind three., ilie Friends
began 10 dtat'R;; niia, nothing 20 violent as
10 drop but to glide ii, sho.tlikes and
noiselessly. As the odd figures in all
shades Of drab and gray moved quietly
past, sank silently on ,hs seat and sat there
mo''onless, felt. cudniistraiined to pinch my ny
self Is ascertain il we're still in this viori.
".Ars .hess reaf'l Women, Va men, endowed with
hearts: Neaaa1Hss;; ihher+ss, and .feelisgz'
IKE the rest II us;' II 50, Why don't they
settle their bonnet stfinggss, adjust the folds
in their dresses, smooth their hair. tighten
their gloves. loosen Their "shawis,g fan them
selves, cast an occasional lgtance at the
broadbrist side Of the house. and in, short:
conduct fhemse1vee*. IKE ordinary femini.,;,
instead Of siiling in that rigid; Statue like
manner, with their EYES looking right ID; i
aud eyelils .traig Git before them = No,
tleyy are ghosts, "dim phantou,s" from tie. lie
twilight land of shadows; who viii vanish
into thin air at the first crow 81 the Chan
ticleer." Thu. co,nmrned Win my own
spirit. @.'' -. s'''@'''' L - -.
st,4 il lis inc t.is ll ,ls j q, "a. :. ~ I'D
eplipe lpqli side Of lths house, notittd settEsl
young. gentlemen whose moustatEe. Add
general attire indicated them most decided.
" 9f the worlds is, people These gay de-
ceivers sat With their hats on, presetths'6
selemrait. a! ef counten-pee 'n fairly out Her
oding Herol; making even the broadest Of
the the brcaabfin.s u inns. seem : light and triv-
ial FELLOW il comparison. This pLe-
nomen0n was easily accounted Tor by the
presence Of several lovely: and wealthy
QuakeIesses, Quaker papas being proverb-
tally hard hearted towards young men Of
the world, the mot,ve. Of these wolves in
sleeps clothing MAY BE easily OWNED
The only excuse for sue. . :efaced hypoc-
fisy was the itet If the aggravating pretti-.
nesss Of the Onakeresses, in question
They could not have. desired : more becom
ing dress had they been tie most arrant CO.
quettes. Fancy . seft brown elk expand
ed by hoop Of modest dimensions, above
this black cloak nicely fitted 10 The grace
FIJI form, still above this .'ccottage: hstsefs
shirred silk Of Tie same SOFT rich brown,
out Of Which, looks a fresh, girlish face in.
huceht brown eyes to match the dress-and
then deliberate ere YOU cas-. the first stone
at our, erring Friends. ia,s .s,,a
: For a while, the very novelty of the
scene kept me- from wcariness,. Besides, I
was, ,sser3 mothet,tr expecting the spirit TO
move. Didia brother litter ! ed6diied '1te=
sm!'"I instantly bxpeeted to see him rise
and speak Did i, sister meekly wipe the
nasal organ l observe nose. are becoming
obsolete) thought TO- hear strains Of elo-
aueaee from, her,, But. Is time wore on
and the deathly silence was. still unbrcken,,'
drsad SENSATIONS began 10 dverxhe1ha me.
l. tried TO fancy myself 1. Quaker, to view
their method Of Worship from their own
to mediate on profitable sub,
jects, but in vain. I fear. the adversary
that day made me his victim. Though the
pecnlisr nature Of the seats had begun 10
manifest itself BY, 4 Ssahp in my side, IN
ache in my back; and numbness in my
limbs, yet 1 dared not ease my agonies BY
varying my Posture So profound was the
silence, that tie slightest noise would have
had the effect Of =. clap of thunder. The
only relief I found .,Eas in, swallowing in
cessautly. but soon / began to fancy that
this made = sepulchral rattling. distinctly
audible throughout. the roUn, Theh came
reactioAArt impulses. Wild tkoushts shot
through my mind: Il, Az .. person losking
dova from great height sometimes feels
IN almost irresistibie. desire, from the very
horror Of the thiae. e ted throw himself over,
sol fel. :, sudden deshe % rise, throw my
bonnet At the head Of: the presiding elder.
and gfss vent 10 ~ feelings in scream
ne more I struggl!edl against thus wicked
|, t,fupulse, The more fascinating didis become!
I.xondered what punishment would be con-