, 1877-01-07

have given anv +apvstofs by the bfographers VIII
cxtent tho ana SUCH doubt she as tn ae1 saa u,
tentional fnnd @ enthusiast rather :han an min in
rashts are related OF her hy t6sa III; iau1caons in
enia, neaThoorhood OF her ast resnna IN 1ns I'M
licscd to be true aIp by CUTE tut number of them arc be
mr. hr s1se, Us they have been told and rsta
Of tSs .enfs from Auburn to the weste,e IT, T.
her early historv isl' lwlll give short ssetch r.
tbis Wilkinson the father of the anh;sc. ~
Riycr nnas was born down on the niacIstona ~
month % Of nne Martins 5an Wading Place. in ths
John, and hts mother was nehorat taers M name was
wnr sassny any Mhfpple in the year 17s III h
the eighth. xisn snn twelve children, Jemtma bens
OF during the Revolutionary Wss ond qnite e an
ntst mills from cold iron ever mn5a su ~ ne
Nov e. s:ss; @ ;ns9 2en1ms was born on Thursdar aa
T. T. There is but little no.ic,sa,,,n IN cumberland
except yer nnate desire for dress ana fr
bor It ia ssi9 len Aversion to all manner Of a.
strongly nated her after life was rs er,as9 MtSa SO
them were aef oIaee 1I,a1teFs' tha a, home. Most Of
superintendent the houseSnitdh Sitha' .n yet she
hnem to DO the work she desired Her ,nntae
aA.4ng oled when Jemirna was Int II ,ta up','cs '
was si allpWSed ber but Little attention to family she
nef time was spent in visiting Ia The ne.horhad q
dn4 sseadns the few novels in circulation at that
rnsn+;r,sa - aouAq nef On dress parnde' at the
anan any one present This lite Of idieness o.so
ahu sadaang about continued until i7TU phen st.
aeid pFeaeb IN t6e astnfuished George White
IMPRESSION OH her mind and she resolved to Iead
9estee ne Her desire for display and novel rsad
lures | and 6oe chanSsa to seaays Of tue Scrip
sne became regular attending at D;v,ne "sas. sas
mon, sha Esse 9hseo yse s'ose attention 10 the ser
spent IN USe aSle neafd ladn Each Day the time she
y she ehut herself out rum son.,v an., naa.- ~
nrety, oag and studied day and night. This. Of
one con'e no sys.em, h though moderately healthy
.a.a .asen SIZE ana obliged to keep her bed. Weex
d.gr dae; "eek she grew paler and seemingly nearer
eyetr n.y attendants m watched her. expecting
gay IN october she went into trance and ior thirS.
s, si noare my pale andmotion1ess. The physicinns
opnion oasa tat se 80 nosas for hes M th
ae!aslon, rather than any bodily complaint, Tor she
naa entertained the watchers nightly for over n
heaven Stsu a. stnrs asf OF r1slons and ystatons from
IN October, l77d-as the clock stuck ia, and the
ky pfeseht res M, were making prsparatos dress the
bory Iel Inc hr to thirkn life extinct they we're
itatlvely demanding her clothes. In vain aid thar
fs1nor WITH her try keep quiet Her
room and hade her 20 buck to her led uths bnt shs
save him to understand in no mild terms TINT @ she
owed OWED o1les1nnce to no MN: saying, II am no
Friend OF Mankind was dead, and nv sonl ia
yet in heaven Tonight an inquiry was made in
dsn aidi1s rene wv 20 and preach 10
and Immediately left the realms Of 1j li"ht ana
glory to .pass through many trials, te,oniations:
ana aa 1f9aiat,ons y 60 for The happncss Of the human
till 1s1Tover forty years-khe went abont in ners
feet health! Many OF her friends called during fhc
remainder Of the week to congratulate her on her
ton she repelled every iden that it vas recovery
repeating to them what she said to her father, re-
The sunday following was one Of those one New
England October days, and larec concoursc Of
people were present at the meeting. Among them
wa sas Jemims, pale, solemn. and beautiful She
uttered and when service was dismissed, repafrel
70 shade tree near the door (which has receutly
been cut down for drewood), and then and there
Those who heard her first sermon described It
later to their children who are now very old
ncn, as ono Of the finest discouEses to which thew
:ver listened She was beautiful woman, and |
'ale face and splendid black eyes; her graceful |
gestures and soft persuasive tone; and the fact OF
'eE sudden recovery, and the novelty Of the scene
'efore them, rendered her audience eager and at
entive to t*'ery word ahe eaid- She spoke for |
bout half an hour. descanting upon the beauty Of
istne and morality, and the Nervousness Of snand
ice, quoting largely from the Scriptures for her
roofs. It is said she knew almost the whole Bible
y heart, and could repeat more Of it than any
person OF neT t1ne- OLle2 sermons followed |
his from time to time as opportunity offered, and
be converted q few and conceived the plan Of Or
anizing society Of her own.
Many Of these doubtless thought she was pos
no were opposed to her ministry; SO the report |
prcad far and wide that Jemima claimed to be
ling. There were various conjecturcs as 10 the
luse for her conduct, and many Of the most char
able thought her insane. Her reputation as an
oquent aud Impressive speaker soon became
nown for miles around her country home in Rhode
land. and she received invitations daily to visit
le different villages.
me found her speaking to crowded houses in
rovidence, North and South Kingston, Newport,
.connett, Taunton, New Bedford, and other
aces, in all. or nearly all, OF which she was
ell received She was an energetic work
!, and seemed fearfully in earnest, and
e met with fair Success, organizing two societies
nong the wea}thsest citizens. who rode beside her
ON place to place. neglecting their own business
ID families to do their lenders service. The
uakers and all other churches considered her as
cir enemy, and her support was almost entirely
ade up Of new converts and d,ssenters from other
nominations, who had left the church on person
grounds After 4 few years' work in New En- |
ind she went to Worcester, Pa, where she or
Iized another Society, and. in 17g0. the whole ,
rec Societies moved to s Ontario County, New New
land, then In the woods. and remained till her
ath, in 1919
Her followers did whateyer she bade them, cuti-
ting her heid6, HlllnG Aer LuDlt NutA LilelE oWA |
re neglected, and never expecting nor receiving ]
;ent for 1t. She preached 10 them on Satur- | &
y which was her Sabbath, in her own c
use, which was 4 large frame. built 6y {
r Society for the accommodation OF their | e
der and disciples. OF these disciples Sarah I
chards was the oldest and best, and III her name '
deeds to property for Je1nima, OF, as she vas
led, the Universal Friend were made. Ihe 9
lend herself c1aimcd to pay no attention to her
It property, being wholly engaged In spiritual
ming to worldly concerns were made out to her |
WAS not allowed in the Society, 60 her t
npauy Of over 200 persons, at one time, was p
ucipally made up OF bachelors, maids. widow E
and willows. Some who had joined her after Ii
rriage lived apart from each other. Others con- "
ued 10 dwell together, under promise that they II
,uld have no children born unto them Her IN n
.nce over her own people was truly wonderfna Il
.entlcman who bud seen the Friend, told ne OF y
sase that came under his notice ABOUT as p
lows: A well-to-do man. who had good c.
i. and a pleasant family about him. was II
ng happily down in New Ens!ano. ri
wife attcnded Jemima's meetings,
BECAME 50 infatuated with the fair encnnnter
she left her husband, and pnt OF hcr cnllolen
olin,v the preachcrcss. All her husband's per-
sonH and the tears of her Offspring conld NOT
her to return and the husband died wreck, :,
lie his wife held on with the Society till Its q,
ler's death. tt
stated in the beginning of this article, tnefe m
manr interesting stories concerning the tFieks -
wonderful woman tried to perform Wnethst q
nre true or not. cannot we'll be determined,
That hundred years have passed. but an =;