Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-03-26
rLSTT TO THE .SITAKERS.

consists Of from thirty to eighty or ninety
persons, men and women, with such chill
dren as may have been apprcnticed TO the
society. These live together in one large
house, divided, as regards its upper stories,
into rooms capable Of accommodating from
four TO eight persons. Each room has as
many simple cot beds as it has occupants,
the necessary washing utensils, a small
lOoking-glass, a stove for the winter, la
BILE for writing, and a considerable num-
Der of chairs, which, when not in use, are
suspended from pegs along the wall. a
wide hall separates the dormitorios of the
men from those of the women. Strips of
home made carpet, usually of very quiet
colors, are laid upon the floors, but never
tackled down. They are easily lifted, and
the floor beneath is as clean as though 1t
were a table to be eaten from. The walls
are bare Of pictures; not only because all
ornament is wrong, but because frames are
places where dust will lodge. The bed
stead is a cot, covered with tho bed-clotb
ing, and easily moved away to allow of
busting aud sweeping. Mats meet you at
the outer door and at every inner door.
|
are polished until they shine. Moreover.
all the walls, In hall and rooms, are lined
with rows of wooden pegs, on which spare
chairs, hats, cloaks, bonnets, and shawls
are hung; and you presently perceive that
neatness, order and absolute cleanliness
rule everywhere.
The Shaker family rises at half. past four
in the summer and five o'clock in the win
ter, breakfasts at six or half-past six; dimes
at twelve; sups at six and by nine or
half-past all are In bed aud the lights are
out. They eat in a general hall. The ta-
bles have no cloth, or, rather, are covered
with oil-cloth; the men eat at one table,
women at another, and children at third
and the meal Is eaten in silence, no conver-
saton being held at table. When all are
assembled for a meal, they kneel in ST
lence for a moment, aud this is repeated on
rising from the table, and on rising in the
morning and before going to bed.
When they get up in the morning, each
person takes two chairs, and, setting them
back to back, takes off the bed clothing,
piece by piece, and folding each neatly
once, lays it across the backs Of the chairs,
the pillows being. first laid on the seats Of
the chairs. In the mems rooms the slops
are also carried out by one of them and
the room is then left to the women, who
sweep, make the beds, and put everything
to rights. All this IS done before break.
fast, and by break fast time what New Eng
landers call "chores" are all finished, and
the days work In the shops or in the fields
may begin.
Each brother is assigned u a sister, who
takes care of his clothing, mends when It
is needed, looks ailer his washing, tells
him when he requires n new garment, re-
proves him If he il not orderly, and keeps
a general sisterly oversight over his habits
and temporal needs.
In cooking and the general labor OF the
dlning-roon N and kitchen, the sisters take
turns a certain number, sufficient to make
the work light, serving month at a time.
The younger sisters do the washing and
ironing; and the clothes, which are washed
on Monday, are not ironed till the follow
ing week.
Their diet is simple bat sufficient. Pork
is never eaten, and only part of the Shak =
or people eat any meat at all. Many use
no food produced by animals, denying
themselves even milk, butter and eggs.
At Mount Lebanon, and in some of the
other societies. two tables are set, one with,
the other without meat. They consume
much fruit, eating 1t at every meal and
the Shakers have always fine and extern
sive vegetable gardens and orchards.
After breakfast everybody goes TO work
and the "care takers" who are subordinate
to the deacons, and are foremen in fact
take their followers TO their proper en-
ployments. When, as in harvest an extra
number of hands is needed at any labor, ii
is, of course, easy to divert at once a suffi-
cient force to the place. The women dc
not labor In the fields, except in such light
work as picking berries. Shakers do no
toll severely. They are not in haste TO bC
rich; and they have found that for theil
+ support, economically as they live, it is no
Z necessary to make labor painful. Many
I hands make light work and where all ar,
interested alike, they hold that labor may
be made and is made pleasure.
Their evenings are well filed with sucl
diversions as they regard wholesome. In
strumental music they do not generally al
low themselves, but they sing well, anC
n much time Is spent in learning new hymn
,. and tunes, which they profess TO receiv
4 constantly from the spirit world. Som
a sort of meeting of the family is held ever.
evening. Al Mount Lebanon, for instance
n on Monday evening, there is genera
. meeting in the dinlng-hall, where selecte
il articles from the newspapers are read
y crimes and accidents being omitted as un
q profitable; and the selections consistin
largely OF scientific news, speed hes on pub
q lie affairs, and the general news of In
: world. They prefer such matter as con
h veys information of the important politics
n and social movements OF the day, and th
ir elder usually makes the extracts. AT thl
d meeting, too, letters from other sOcietie
l. are read. On Tuesday evening they met
,e in the assembly hall for singing, marching
a etc. Wednesday night is devoted to
l. union meeting for conversation. Thur.
day night is "laboring meeting" whic
" means the regular religious service, wheI
re they Labor TO get good" Friday is devo
ID ed to new songs and hymns; and satu
ID day evening 10 worship. On Sunday ev,
10 ming, finally, they visit at each other
of rooms, tlftee or four sisters visiting Il
in brethren in each room by appointment
v. aud engaging In singing and eonversatio
IN upon general subjects.
NJ In their religious services there is lit
n or no audible prayer they say that &C
does not need spoken words, and that Il
re- mental aspirations are sufficient. The
ID aim, too, as they say, is to "walk Wi