The Lincoln County herald., 1871-10-05

What now by faith we view
A rest. where living waters aow,
And joys forever now
In an instan' all is still. Then out of
one more scene of apparently inex-
tricable confusion is evolved, with mill
tary precision, another figure, central
group, u circle around this, and another
circle including all. The pitch is given,
the hymn is started, and the circles move
in opposite directions, with bewildering
effect The outer circle is so large that
the Shaker plaits and homespun brush,
in passing, against worldly Aounces and
broadcloth
. those lovely old women demurely
skipping by with that queer Topping Of
the hands-what are they doing here
Why aren't they grooming over the
cradles of their grandchildren, or bright.
ening homely 6resides with the light Of
their sweet, motnerly old faces ? The
pink checked girl that just went past, did
you notice Cor was 1t only our imagina
tion) that wistful glance toward the
worlds girls on the benches? What
wizened, hopeless faces are these that
follow!
Aud the men Representatives of all
classes and kinds Wellingtons, Ben.
janin Franklins, French Rcvolutionists
Of the Robesplerre type /; dreamy.eyed
Robert talconer q comfortable old
Methodist presiding elder; q Continental
soldier; and once IN n while q counte-
nance almost idiotic.
There we're other dances. In the
midst of one exercise a cry went up that
made US start: 20, l'm glad l eau live
the angel life here below T. piped small
brother on the left. He went off into
nervous paroxysm and stood shaking for
what seemed many minutes with fearful
violence. But none Of the worshipers
appeared at all disturbed by the eccen
tricity of the little brother who loved the
angel life. From what We heard after.
wards, We suppose they were used T."
him.
After n while the back lcss--which had
been piled ut each end Of the room-were
brought out and the brothers aud sisters
sat down facing each other, with their
handk erchefs spread over their knees
I hen dark brown brother, with a very
digni6ed bcaring, and sadness in his
large eyes, came forward and took up his
position in front of us poor sinners. So
we poor sinners turned and looked upon
ourselves. 1t was a contrast striking
enough. There all was "gray and mel.
ancholy" as the ocean waste. Here
bloomed a tcrraced parterre of richest
flowers But to the eyes Of that stern
prophet as he stood gazing full upon US,
the contrast was deeper, moro portentous,
pitiful.
lie thanked us for the respect We had
shown their worship; he told how this
little band was striving to initiate Christ !;
to follow tue example of the early church /;
to live tho angel life, where there is
neither marrying nor giving in marriage.
lie flashed into eloquencc when he
pointed to the sin and misery within the
shadow of our splendid cathedrals his
lip curled with scorn as he spoke Of our
preaching peace with the bullet. Others
of tho brethren made short addresses in
similar strain, after which the service
was declared ended.
Wasn't the daucing funny ? and how
could We keep from laughing? 1t was
the funniest thing that ever we behefd-
and We mover, in our lives, felt less in.
clined to laughter. If the greatest
jokers Of ell ages had united in devising
tho most consumedly comcal exhibition
that could by any means be devised If
they had invented the quaintest cost umes
in the world and hung them upon the
most outlandish set Of people Under the
canopy if they had succeeded in iuduc
ing these people to comport themselves
in the most ridiculous manner possible.
they could not have produced diver
tisment more exquisitely absured than
the Shaker dance. And yet there was q
wonderful patbOs and charm about it
something of tie same atmosphere that
makes Jeffersons Rip Van Wiuklc q
thing of beauty and q JOY forever
though many 60 away from the play, as
well as from the service, with memory
only Of the fun. ....
But besides the tender quaintness OF
II, there was m unutterabls sadbess-a
horrible sense Of erJOr and misdrection.
q, the least melancholy sight Of all, that
poov idiot faco-those long, imbecle
fingers, with their weary, psthetic beckon
ing.
This does not oppsess you so strongly
while you ave under the influence OF the
spsll u is when sou ave riding home
through Gods gseen and lovely world,
and the birds chirp aud fit among che
branche. over yous hcads-God's own
@erld, full Of all harmonies Of sound and
color. Yhen the Shaker song rings in
your II emory. uncanny, mournful-the
Shaker life, with its selfish self denial,
stands befor you, barren, false ungodly
The O!a tab,net. IN Scribner's Cor