Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-28
The Shakers of Cante1 bury.
IrRoM OUR BOSTON CORRESPONDENT

FROM OUR BOSTON CORRESPONDENT
WARNER, N. H., Aug. &c.
On perfect summer morning we started for
the Shaker village in Canterbury There were
not clouds enough to make the day gray, but
just delicate silvefyvc thai softened the suns
light and heat. For a few miles the roads were
good; then the sand grew deep, and the hills
were both long and high, and we had opportU-
nifty for leisurely survey of the country. In
the valleys were farms in excellent condition,
with good houses, large barns, busy laborers
and every sign of prosperity; but the hill
farms are in great measure abandoned. We
saw numbers of them running to waste, houses
and barns falling to pieces, fields that were for
merly cultivated relapsing to woodland, old
homesteads utterly deserted by every living crea-
ture. All the way the scenery was varied and
charming, and occasionally we saw picture
orr group that we wished we could paint one
was so foreign, that we half wondered five were
really in New England. 1t was a low, lonely,
struggling farm house; its small windows were
open, and at one of them sat sewing, majestic
woman of sixty-five or seventy years old; her
face was pale, her noble profile showed clear
against llG udIhuGS5 vi iilC lbOtils sHC WY
white cotton cap, with plain front, and
high crown, and q dark handkerchief crossed
upon her breast. On the doorstep near the
window, sat a rosy bare-egged child with curlS
as white as lint; nobody else was to be seen.
We guessed them TO be Swedes or Norwesiaus;
but the stately grandmother was figure to be
long remembered.
At last a turn in the winding uphill road
showed us the white and buff houses, with the
red roofs, of the Shaker village, perched on the
very top ofthe hill The general plan of the vii
lage is hollow square, with grassy common
in the centre, set with few young, small ever
greens; but the houses are some distance apart
so there is abundance of fresh air, and no
crowding. The Sisters" who receive guests
had gone TO the mill when we arrived, and we
were shown into a COOL plain, spotess room,
and left to ourselves. 1t seemed little stiff;
and the printed rules for visitors which hung ON
the wall were not encouraging. They stated
that the Shakers did not keep hotel, and that
visitors were expected to comply with the rules
of the community; and some of the more i'm
portant rules were given. As they referred
chiefly to manners, it is probable that the COM
munity has been annoyed and insulted by ILL
bred and impairment guests We were amused
at the emphatic recommendation, appended to
the rules, not to leave anything on ones plate
at table, as all waste is wrong. When the sis
tiers came back from the mill there was no more
stiffness or constraint Their welcome of us was
so thoroughly friendly that we were at home
with them at once. Their hospitality is perfect
We were shown to large, c0olchambers, spotless
as all the rooms are, and entirely comfortable;
tumbler of roses was on the table, and water
and towels were abundant. In the late afternoon
we walked about the village, attended by a
patient and kindly brother, who showed us the
great model barn, 24O feet long and As feet wide !;
where all the cows are fastened or unlastened at
once by machinery land where the hay carts drive
up a road built for them into the third story and
unload the hay just where it is stored for the
winter. The cows had just been MIXED, and as
we looked through the great open door of the
barn we saw them going TO pasture, fifty or
more; while a dozen women in their queer
straight dresses and deep sun bonnets, were car
rying pals of foaming milk to the dairy. Thither
we followed them, and saw the well cared for
WIN INC plCttl1Sl VI bSOlNt uullS lldluS,
and the cheese room, really beautiful with its
cool cleanliness aud its tiers of cheeses, each
sealed with fresh clover leaf Then TO the hen
house, quite a handsome family mansion, with
a convenient kitchen, pumps, sink, cooking
stove, and well filled larder. There were rows
on rows Of nests for the hens engaged in rearing
families; and we opened little doors and peeped
in at them, without disturbing them
in the least. The establishment might
have been called by the sentimental name
now applied to human ones of the same sort, a
maternity house." In the yard gay crowd
of cocks and hens were disportng themselves
in idle amusements, or in making sure of future
shells, by pecking vigorously at heaps of old
pastering provided for that purpose. 1t was
very funny sight, and even the grave brother
could not help smiling at our amusement, and
enjoyment of it.
Then we went through the well kept garden,
from which we could see far over the farm The
Shakers excel not only in farming, but in all
household accomplishments; their cooking is
delicate and delicious; their beds are the best:
their bed linen is of the daintiest, Just tinted
with a faint violet, like the shadows in pure
snow drifts. This delcaey seems to belong to
all they have and do; even the barrels of amber
coored soft soap were without the coarseness
and impurities that mark the disagreeable sub
stance elsewhere, We had never seen Shakers
at home before, we had little prejudice against
them, and we studied them with deep interest
We saw very few of the men, and those we did
see, excepting the elder were disfgured by the
cut of their clothes and of their hair, and were
not interesting looking; they seemed kind, how
ever and the intercourse between them and the
sisters seemed simple, frank and friendly, moth
ing more. The elder is a rather handsome man,
with singularly refined, almost feminine face;
and he wore, when we saw him, a suit of light
gray, with plain light blue waistcoat. His
manners are easy and graceful. The sis.
tiers, whom we saw Familiarity, were all
in middle life or beyond it, and were,
without exception, attractive and interesting
women, with manners in which courtesy and
dignity were charmingly mingled Whatever
uniformity exists in their opinions and eos
tune does not extend to character or to man.
ners. You will find there all the difference you
find among the best of the worlds people, One
% SldfS anu 5WteL anu hdlnL-llke5 auOt0er mas
all the grace and vivacity of leader of one of
the old French salons, and her sixty years have
not made her forget how to use her handsome
eyes; she still wears her soft, white heal gear
in the most coquettish way possible, and carries
her sun bonnet, lined with sea-green silk, on
her arm with grace that any young belle
might envy. AS we went TO our chamber at
night, the elderess, whom we had not seen be.
fore, came to greet u.s. What vision of beauty
she was in the rather dim light an almost white
calico dress, wrap Of soft white cashmere, with
narrow binding of sky blue thrown over her
shoulders; her snowy neckerchief buttoned
with three buttons close round the throat; her
dark hair half hidden under her plain lace cap:
and the heeciest of soft muslin scarfs thrown
over her head and framing her pure, pale face:
her splendid eyes were full of tender light as
she told us what peace and contentment she
found in her religion and her life. 1t was lust
like scene in Pilgrims Progress" as we sat
in the chamber looking to the east, whose
name was Peace. The serenity of the women's
faces was remarkable; all the older ones looked
as if life had become perfectly tranquil to them,
and they seemed so too. The young girls, of