Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-07-18
The runkers.


a STRANGE RELIGIOUS sEcr-IHEIR GENcfSE LIVE
FEAST.
The Duukers are very curious religious sect
originating in the Old World aud flourishiug n
s1me parts Of our country, especially in Lancss
ter county, Pa They are welito-do farmers
AID. as friend remarked to me, are likely to a
found wherever there Is fertile limestone soil
Their ministers are educated and unpaid far
nell: their religion il a compound OF honesty
hard work aud legal rites; Their churches al
balEa and their chief meetings concentrate
themselves in halt-yeaily SERVICES before al
after harvest.
Leaving Litiz after tea, we were quickly car
lied Behind our landlords swift anI poWertnI
Lpr- e. through a real garden land to the place
IT DAaafr leeting-the large white barn of A
r.cl faruer uf their persuasion. Tie lanes lead.
ing to tie barn were filed with carriages. and
the grounds were crowded with spectators, who
Uelt greDi ed under the apple trees or around
the vide open doors OF the barn. The services
weie well unaar way, ard the interesting cere-
mUny Of feet washing over when We arrived
With some difficulty We worked our way over i'm
plelents aud hay piles into one corner of the
barn, from Mhica We could overlook the whole
scene. The binding had been cleared for the
brethren aid sisters. who sat along narrow tables
arranged across tie body OF the barn.
partition wall separated the sexes, and over
1t We could see tie serious faces of the sisters
with their white caps, and white capes, while a
We could have laid our hands on their hair, re-
Agiously parted in the middle.
A4 We came in they were silently partaking OF
their love feast. Ga the narrow tables stood
tin bowls Of lambs broth, with the boiled Joint
aside OF them, bread and butter and water
served out of watering cans. About go were
partaking of the meal by the light of tallo7 can
dies aud never a word was spoken, except in
address, or hymn, or prayer.
After the love feast was over a speaker signi-
hcantly reminded rs strangers that as we did
Keep the Lord . feast i'll thls divinely appointed
way we had little to expect on the Day OF Judg-
Inent Then came prayer. tue 18th chapter
Of John, recounting our Lords crucifxion, and
the address OF an old white bearded man. who.
with rude but deep pathos, told Of Christ'5 love
IN Ills redeeming death.
The il ad # bade them greet each other with a
holy kiss" ere they tasted their Lords sacra-
mental supper and silently and slowly the salu-
iation passed down one side the long tables and
mp the other. Then the elements were cnnse-
Grated, and passed from hand to hand. The
scene waa striking The BAN was dimly lighted
by the candies, the faces Of all were sober and
rome were thoughtful
Many OF the men were gray and toll worn and
rome Of the women, il not beautiful, had a
sweet charm in their faces Sometimes Ger
man or English hymn pealed upward among the
laiteTz OF the barn, and then there was deep
7hehce again, broken only by slight rustlings in
me nay ana low whispers among the strangers,
watching to see what new ceremony would next
la started from the cross table at which tho
bunker preacher sat Here was strange mix
tnre Of the true and false a ritual rude and vet
relned and as closely observed by these farm
ei7 a. are the forms OF st. Adams by its fash
i)nable deyotees