New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-10
A Sensation Among the Shakers-Attempt
TO Abduct a shaker Maiden.

The Pittstield, Massachusetts, San says
the Shakers at Canaan were thrown into an
unwOLted state OF excitement Thursday
November -, by an attempt to abduct Il
young Shaker named Esty the aoluctors
being her own brother aud uncle. Miss Esty
Was. some eight Tears ago. ndentured to
the Shakers by her mother. who was then d,
widow, living in Great harrington. Five
years afterward Mrs. Esty married again,
and began 10 wish for her daughters society
Miss Esty was urged to return to the world
but declined, preterring to remain with the
Shakers. No persuasions having any effect.
the mother and her sons determined to Sc
cure the young lady by force. To this end
on Thursday a carriage was driven to a re-
tired place on the lower Canaan road, and
one of the Estys and uncle of the girl
walked up to the house of the Shaker fam
lily. They went to the office and requested
to see her. As she came in to the room her
brother said he had some candy for her, and
then. walking up to her, seized her. She
struggled to get free. but the two men held
her and dragged her into the hall. Here
she screamed, which brought the sisters,
who called some of the brethren to the
scene. The men rallied to the girls aid
and rescued her. from the Ilidnappers. took
them prisoners, and bound them hand and
foot with ropes The prisoners they put in
wagon and started for the Centre" The
young man slipped the ropes while on the
road and got away but the uncle was taken
before the esquire, which magistrate, after
hearing the charge, told the prisoner to go
and sin no more"
Henry Ward Beecher defined lately the
true Christian AS man who was melodious,
inside and out; who was always humming.
and singing and thanksgiving. When he
said this in his easy. Otfhand manner, his
face lit ny with SMILE the Joy he spoke
shOne on his cOuntenance. He showed how
as life goes on and our material prosperity
increases, we lose the spirit Of thanksgiv-
ing. and. in speaking of his own expert
ence. said: "When first began preaching
and had but two rooms, l felt more CRATE
full. think than do now. for all the COM
forts of my house. | went away from Gin
cinnati to preach lin Lawrenceburg, a
wrctched little village. | had no patrimony:
all had was my salary, and that amounted
to four hundred dollars. Laughter went |
on that to marry my wife. which cost me |
two hundred dollars, and l had exactly |
eighteen cents when | came back. | re- |
member l never slept on the spare bed of a |
friend Of mine then but felt deeply CRATE |
full for it. 1t was then | had two rooms:
one was kitchen, cellar. and sitting room, |
lLaughter.J The cellar we made by putting
things under the bed Laughter When
Judge Bernard gave me his cast-otf clothes
to wear, was grateful for it. ahough-he
being slim man. while l was rather well
devcloped-it was tight fit And still l
could have sad, 4, the son of Lyman
Beecher. president of a theological college.
here in sneakins little village, with no
church, do elder, and no one to make an
elder out Of" [Laughter.l remember when
1 went out to destitute places to preach, l
had a deep sense of gratitude for the bless
ing of being permitted to preach the
Gospel