Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-09-07
Tie Wild Rites of the Shakers \ Score of
Years Ago.

|
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 tho Hammock Shakers was on
the top of hill which you have pass.
| ed many a time unaware of its sacred
character. It 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 tho stone as above
mentioned. There stood near the
stone building with separate apart
ments for the brethren and sisters.
they went up clothed in their Sunday
clothes. and in addition a t'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 tunie, 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 60 to the fountain and
battle. They will find sponges and
towels by the fountain side" There
were no fountains, nor sp0nges, nor
towels, except in spiritual form, but
the members would all approach, and
mn khrornI, tho NJ o%;oro 30 - oof,o1Iv
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 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
Oll1y d pal G1os1 44SV VI VuO pCA III 1uulCCS
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 fan
atical fancies of those days. Then, to
shake hands with, or in any way come
in contact with the sisters, was sin
to he confessed to sit cross-legged in
church or 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 a 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 Il library of
200 or 800 volumes-history, 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.