The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-11
THE SHAKERS" IN ENGLAND

INTERVIEW WITH MOTHER GIRLINS, THE ..-.I
PRIEsrEss OF THE SECT.
Areporter OF the Northampton tEnglandl Rddi-
cal visited the despOiled temple OF the OF Eng
isn Shakers after the forcible eJection OF the
congregation from their location in the woods,
near that city, by the constables. This occurred
shortly before Christmas Day. He had an utter
view with the High PRIESTS, MIRA Girling. which Is
published in the Radical
THE INTERVIEW WITH MRS. GIRLNa.
LEFT the temple and retIaced my steps toward
the barn, where the Hjgn Priestess OF the persua-
sion was located. 1t was now five O'Clock and
night had crept on had q mile and a half to
walk, and on reaching this lady superiors tempo
rary domicile. was courteousY usnered into her
presence by pretty Shakeress In trousers. Mrs.
G!rling was seated by good fire, in this audience
chamber. 1t was only about eight feet by six, and
so stnngly close that my first remark was one
OF extreme commiseration with the lady over the
..Oh, we are not incommcded in the least" she
answered with sort OF seraphic smile, sour dear
Lord On on trying our faith ne dGeh What
alluded to her prosecutors, but no such name
would she use With reference to them they were
your sect?
Tue message, sir, was given to me personally, so
that am the head and the founder OF this COM
munty We have no written creed-no book con-
our community, and hymns which our own
poetesses have written, and which we sing, but
OTHERWISE we have no literature OF our religion,
which we can show you. We are not Shakers as
those at Oneida Greek, New York. are; these latter
are Tree lovers but we are cehbates. We do not
experience any OF the desires OF the flesh, and
have not since the date OF our second birth. I
voit from Goo himself that shall not sec
sitting In this Chair. am an ilterate woman.
poor and weak, but nevertheless, no power in
heaven, or earth, or hell, could remove from me
the memory OF that vision, or The abiding sense OF
sense OF Its reality wnich entertain.
You accept the Bible, Mrs. Glrling?
or course We do And we accept 1t more fully,
and with more fathIuness to its real literal
10 lis meaning because they iear the frowns Of
the world around them. In the .fulness OF our JOY
S SsSle ase The Var a paVS Of s
eccentric tMrs GrIing pronounced the word
essend,ric'; but we cannot help that We
do not believe only, we Know that Christ is shortly
10 appear and take us to reign with him over the
shall reign In these bodies we now possess.
strange as It may appear TO you these bodies OF
already undergone their final change have
already died unto sin. have been dead. felt the
not look increauous it is the fact. ~ go
Is 1t true, Mrs. Glrng, that your community
possesses s5 all things IN common mo 10
did not. Every man and woman Of our order has
gwen al he or she possessed1,the poor man his
nor give IN marriage Christ did not Paul did not.
We are waiting for our Lords appearing. The lack
Seters Him o@ peg eveH ~ now ca
ing his people for ever from the earth.
no wish to make merchandise and profit in I this
sinful world. from which we are SO swiftly nee-
ing away. We are obliged to buy, but that Is be-
cause, as yet we are not able to produce all that
we need among ourselves. We hold that 1t is
wrong 10 go TO law. II any man taketh from US
Some of our dear brothers on the dreadful night
OF our election even rendered their coats to their
electors. We feel hat all that Is nov transpirng
Is trial OF our faith.
May ask Mrs Giri1g to what religious Oooy
was afterwards OF the Methodist persuasion in
which ] was diigent class leader for several
much IN Eastern Suffolk, and l come from near
SaXmundham in that county.
MRS GIRLINGs APPEARANCE
The little howell where we were sitting was filled
with smoke. There was no light, other than tho
lurid glare Of the nre kindled on the hearth, and
which lit up the wan features OF this modern sybl
with strange, unearthly glare. As she spoke her
eye dilated her voice increased In intensity, and
down into slow deliberate monotone, every word
pronounced with all the dstlnctness and emphasis
Is about ffty years She is tall, OF dark complex.
Ion, why aud very nmble and agile in her move.
ments: Possessed OF o superabundant vitality and
q good physique, she does look as II she Will i've
very long time. Her face Is small, her features
sharp and her eyes very keen and piercing.
Despite the fervor OF her faith she aims
at being argumentative in discourse rather
ger on the exact chapter and verse wherein all
that she alleges may De found proven. She Is the
reverse OF insane When brought last wednes-
Tor the purpose OF being pronounced non compos
nienaAs she utterly discounted the poor medical
genius on whose certificate she had been appre-
hended. Indeed 1t is NO easy matter for Bible
Christians OF any sect to hold their own IN argu-
She has the Bible so thoroughly by heart that were
you to burn 1t to-day she could reproduce 1t word
by word.