The Portland daily press., 1865-10-14
A epaker Meeting at New bedford

A jump from enchanting gardens into
Quaker meeting may seem rather inconsistent
it NAV not prove unpleasant. We went early
and took a seat near the fronJ Qoor, tnat we
MIGHT have GOOD view of the Friends as they
entered.
= Several women were in the hail. talking
aloud quite freely, which emboldened us to
sneak TO each other of our thoughts as we
gazed around the queerly constructed ediice.
There were two side doors, one for the men
and one for the women, and partition divid-
ed the house through the middle. This parti-
ton was in three parts, the lower part only
two or three feet high, that when it was drawn
down it reached far above the heads of the
talicst Quakers. 1t was drawn up very high
the day we were there, leaving the view unob-
strUcted. We tried vainly TO learn what were
the occasions for drawing such a decided wall
OF separation between the brothers and sis
tiers.
In front of us, at the upper end of the
house, were three long seats, each higher than
the preceding one. These were seats of hon
Or OF sanctity, or both. They were, we no
ticed, more occupied by women than by men.
We counted them, wondering If that was any
thing ike the proportion there would finally
be between the men and women saints in the
general assembly" There were on those
seats fifteen women and one man. I am
AFRAID il is aignificant.
Tie quaint old garb Of Quakerdom no lon
ger distinguishes it-at least not as it once did,
Many members, Gin good and regular stand
ing" adopt the fashions Of the world, also
their style Oh conversation. Some of the
young people carry this so far that it becomes
grief and dread to the elders, and there are
mestings called, and the offenders are labored
with, and perhaps threatened, and they make
fair promises, and are let go, and they do no
better very last. There was many buxom
lass in hounces and flowers who sailed into
meeting that day; and there were men with
wniskers and noustaches whose faces told
tales OF other things than of Quaker GRAVITY
and mcekness. Ali this world is a wild
world, and the neazts that beat in it are wild
hearts, and it takes more than broad brims
and gray bonnets, more than anything that
mere form can do, to get much real saintiiness
ilto them. And yet saints are not myths.
Tnere came to those high seats that Sabbath
d " some whose whole aspect told Of peace
WIEN God, and OF close communion with Him.
" The spirits moved one man to speak. His
text was, "Set thy house in order, for thou
SHAT die and not lVe;;" and he spoke to the
point briefly and weil..5 Two women spoke
and one prayed. s fH2 i as t tsi 4
An ELOQUENT FEMALE PREACHER.
It was given to one of those women to
cluse me to think almost reproachfully of
Paul, vino said, Let your women keep silence
In your churches, Tor 1t Is not given unto them
to speak," | could not reconcile his words
with the grace and power and beauty of the
address OF that most lovely Quak ress. TAX
ing OF her Bonnet she placed it in the hands
OF the sitter next to her, and rose like the ris-
ing of apure and tinnid star. With her hands
fo!de and her eyes cast down, she uttered in
q sweet womanly voice, but very clear and
firm, 1Blessed is he that considereth the poor;
the Lord will deliver him in time Of trouble -
and a better, more touching sermon was not
preached that day in all the world than she
preached a8sa .ae
Perhaps it was too long-naos sermons are !,
but IL was powerful for good. And chen she
prayed, and we could not choose but pray with
ner.sen sga af .5.ssaaesE g..l 80 n II
1 learned that she had been to Washington
to tGlk with our dear "Father Abraham and
that she had said she had obtained very good
evidence. that he was true Christian, AS
I the Quakers here are strictly Orthodox and
as Rachel Rowland is fully able to Judge In
SUCH matters, it will be an added satisfaction to
some minds to know of her statement
Alter the prayer there was moments deep
silence in the house. Suddenly the brother |
and the sister sitting at the heads Of the two
highest seats shook hands, whereat all fell to
shaking hands and going out. Meeting was
done+-l Correspondence of the Evening Post.
Why are hot rolls like caterpillar? De-
/ cause is the grub that makes the SHUTTER
Jy.f ttsfttb& 8&SEi 48t6tts At&F