The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-06

Willie nef mOCher was only common.
sized woman. Her brothers and SIS
tiers are of no remarkable height.
Capt. Bates father was six feet two
inches in height-a tall man. but
dwarf, compared with his son. Bates
is now twenty nine years of age. He
is native of Letcher county. Ken
lucky. His wife is Nova Scotian.
twenty.seven years of age. They were
married in London, England, while
travelling in that country on exhibit
ton.
The Wild Rites of the Shakers Score of
Years Ago.
From Letter to the Pittsfeld Mass Eagle.
The mountain meetings of twenty
years ago were wild gatherings. The
revelation ordering these was received
in l84l, and the place divinely pointed
out for the Hammock Shakers was on
the top of hill which you have pass
ed many time unaware of it's sacred
character. 1t was named Mount Sinai.
and is in sight of the mountain called
Mount Lebanon. which was chosen for
the New Lebanon society. Twice in
the year or Oftener, these meetings
were held, the place being prepared
by the erection of the stone as above
mentioned. There stood near the
stone a building with separate apart
ments for the brethren and sisters.
they went up clothed in their Sunday
clothes. and in addition s'heavenly
DRESS This latter could not be seen
by mortal eyes, but those who had the
''gift'' to see ':spiritual things de-
scribed it as ''coat or tunic, with
gold buttons and trimmings" After
arriving at the meeting place, seven
times the worshipers bowed, and then
marched to the sacred enclosure,
where the ceremonies began. These
meetings were the occasion of special
outpouring of spiritual gifts. A lead
ing member would say, ''the brethren
are required to go to the fountain and
battle. They will find sponges and
towels by the fountain side.'' There
were no fountains, nor sponges, nor
towels, except in a spiritual form, but
the members would all approach, and
go through the motions as if actually
bathing. They even scrubbed one an
other. Then one of the seers would
have another gift ''There is at the
Fountain he says, ''some pocket hand
kercheifs for the brethren and sisters,''
at which each one makes the motion
Of taking up pocket handkerchief.
The next revelation is the word to
leap, and so every one, young and old,
male and female, frisk and leap, as
high as they can. By and by refresh
ments are suggested, and the crazy
company would actually go through
all the motions of preparing a feast
and eating it. Imaginary trees would
he shaken, invisible apples and oranges
gathered and carried in impreceptible
baskets to non-existing tables. This is
only a partial list of the performances
at one of these meetings. Now they
are held no more, and those who re-
member the occasion I have referred
to will smile, no doubt, over the fam
atical fancies of those days. Then, to
shake hands with, or in any way come
in contact with the sisters, was a sin
to he confessed to sit cross-legged in
church OF without the right thumb
folded over the left, or not to lie
straight in bed were crimes to he re-
pented Of. But Shakerism's centen-
NAL finds it like everything else, a
better thing in many ways than it was
100 years ago. and we saw the plain
est proof Of it in the luxury and libra
ry Of friend Wetherell's ''office.' On
one side fine cabinet organ; on the
table a great accordion, an instrument
of music that anywhere else would be
suggestive of rural seranades to rustic
Dulcineas; in the corner a library Of
200 or 300 volumes poetry,
biography, fiction, travel. Eliza Cook,
the English poetess, who was a school
mate of Mr.. Wetherall's mother, has
sent him splendidly gotten-up copy
of her poems, with an affectionate au-
tograph on the fly leaf. The furniture
an easy sofa, comfortable chairs. and
a rich black walnut writing desk. On
the walls picture or two. The most
worldly. minded bachelor on earth
could desire nothing more comfortable
or cosy.
The Country Gentleman says: s.Dur-
ing a recent visit at the farm of II. c..
Tucker, of LaSalle, near Niagara Falls,
he showed us small patch of lucerne,
covering half an acre, from which he
feeds three COWS the summer through
by soiling some four months, or from
June to autumnal frosts. It was sown
three years ago on rich soil, with dry
bottom. 1t may be cut more frequent.
ly than clover, and yields heavier
crop. It is uninjured by winter.
THIS AND THAT.
And so you found that poor room dull,
HfDark, hardly to your taste, my dear?
It's features seemed unbeautiful: