Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-11
ARTEWUs WARD ON STIAKERS.

5d1ty RstsspA saw c-st''ssssss'''
Reading Matter oss Each Page.
ARTEMUs WARD ON SHAKERS.
The Shakers is ishe strangest religious sex
/ ever met I'd hearn tell of 'em and I'd
seen 'em, with their broad brim'd hats and
long wastid coats; but I'd never cum into i'm
meiet contact with 'em, and I'd sot 'em down
as lackia' intelieck, as I'd never seen 'em 10
nv Show-leastways, il they cum they was
disgised in white peoples close, SO i didn't
know 'em.
But in the Spring of IS, got swamped
in the exterior of New York State, one dark
and stormy night when the winds Blue pity
ously, and was forced TO tie up with the
Shakers.
was toilin threw the mud when in the
dim vistsr Of the futer observed the CLEANS
Of tallar candle Tiein hornets nest TO
my off hoss's tail to kinder encourage him, /
soon reached the place knockt at the door,
which il was opened unto me by tall, slick
faced, solumn lookin individual, who turned
out TO be Elder
@lMr. Shaker sed |, 'You see before You
a Babe in the Woods, so to speak, and he
axes shelter Of YOU"
gay" sed the Shaker, and he led the
way into the House, another Shaker ben
sent TO put my HOSES and Vaughn under
kiver.
A solum female, loolin somewhat like
last years bean-pole stuck into long meal
bag, cum in and asked me was ! athurst
and did hunger? To which / urbanely
answered ga few" She went orr, and l
endeavored to open a conversation with the
old man.
"Elder, spect?' sed l.
"Yay," he sed.
"Helth's good, rec1ong
"Yay."
whats the wages Of Elder when he
understands his dizziness; or do you devote
your sarvicOs gratuitousT"
"Yay."
STORMY night SIR"
"Yay."
"If the storm continners, there'll be a
mess underfoot, hsyp
"Yay."
ats unpleasant when there's mess
undertook
"Yay"
"If may be so bold, kind sir, what's the
price of that pecooler kind Of weakit you
wear, incloodin in trimmins|
YayP
i pdWscu n lDlull, ana luCIl, q
be fasheshus with him and see how that
would go, slapt him on the shoulder, burst
into hearty larf, and told him that az a
yayer he had no Twin ekal.
he jumpt up as il bilin water had bin
squirted into his ears, groned, rolled his
eyes lords the sealin', and sed you're a
man Of sin p He then walked out Of the
room.
jest then the female in the meal bag stuck
her he'd into the room, and statid that re-
freshments awaited the weary travler, and /
sed IL il was vittels she meant the weary
trayler was agreeable, and l follered her into
the next room,
sot down to the table and The female in
the meal bag pored out some tea. She sed
nothin, and for five minits the only live
thing in that room was a old wooden clock,
which tickt in a subdued and bashful man.
ner in the corner This dethly stiffness
made me Uneasy, and i determined 10 talk
10 the female or burst. So SEE l. Marriage
is agin yure rule, bleeve, marm ?"
"Yay."
The sexes live strickly apart, / spcct."
Yay."
It's kinder singler," SEE l, putin on my
best look and speaxin' in n winnin' voice,
that so fare a made as thou never got
hitched TO some likely Teller" N. B.-She
was upwards of forty and homely as a stump
fence, but thawt I'd tickil her
i don't like men p she sed very short.
"Wall, / dunno" SEE /, they're ray
Their important part Of the populashun. /
don't scarcely see how we could git along
without EN-"
Gus poor wimin folks would git along a
crate deal better IL there were no men y
a. Noufl l,t 1 In,,fg
think that air would work 1t wouldn't be
regler"
am afraid Of men," she sed.
That's Unnecessary, marin. You amt
in no danger. Don't you fret yourself on
that pint"
Here we're shot ont from the sinful
world. Here all is pease. Here we air
brothers and sisters. We don't marry, and
konsekwently we have no domestic difficult
ties. Husbans don't aboose their wives
wives don't worrit their husbans There's
no children here 20 worrit us. Nothin 10
worrit us here. There's no wicked matri-
mony here. Would thou like TO be
SbakerT
NO." SEE /, 1T amt my stile."
/ had now histed in as big load of pervi-
sions az / could carry comfortably, and lean
ing back in my cheer, commenced piclxin my
teeth with a fork. The female went ont
leaving me alone with the clock. hadn't
sot there long before the Elder poked his
he'd in at the door. You're a man Of sin p
he sed, and groaned and went away.
Direckly Their cum in two young Shaker
eases, IA putty and slick lookin gals as ! ever
met Ii is troo they was drest in meal bags
like the old one I'd met previsly, and their
shiny, silky har was hid from sight by long
white caps, SIGH as | spose female Josts wear;
but their eyes sparkled like diminds, their
cheeks was like roses and they was charmin
enuff 10 make n man throw stuns at his
granmother, il they axed him to- They
commenst clearin away the dishes, casting
shy Chances at me all the time got excited.
l forgot Betsy Jane in my rapter, and SEE /,
my pretty dears, how air YOU 2"
We are well" they solemnly sed.
Where's the old man ?" sed /, in a soft
voice
"0f whom dost thou speak-Brother
Uriahp"
al mean the gay and festiv cuss who calls
me a man of sin. Shouldn't wonder if his
name was Uriah."
He has retired"
"Wall, my pretty desrs, SEE |, " let's hav
sum fun. Let's play puss in the corner. What
say2"
"Air you Shaker, sir" they asked.
"Wall, my pretty dears, l haven't array
cd my proud form in a weskit yit; but if
they was all like you perhaps I'd jine 'em.
As Il is, Pm Shaker pro-temporary."
They was full Of fun. seed that at fust
only they was little skeery. ] tawt em
puss in the corner and SIGH like phase, and
we had nice time, keepin quiet of course so
the old man shouldn't hear. When we broke
up, SEE J. my pretty dears, ear 60 you
hav no objections, hav you, to a innersent
kiss at partin?"
"Yay," they sed, and soyd.
went up stairs TO bed. l spose I'd been
snoozin half hour when was woke up by
a noise at the door. ] sot up in bed leanin |
on my elbers and rubin my eyes, and saw
the follerin picter The Elder stood in the
doorway with a taller candle in his hand. |
he hadn't no wearin appeerel on except his |
night close, which futtered in the breeze like |
Eo,asbpr nau Ha aoI - No,,ir. n MAJ, ,f |