The Cecil Whig., 1881-09-03
THE SHAKERS.

Z. v Smalley has been writing some
interesting letters to the New York 1rt-
hun, describing the life of the Shakers
in the Canaan and Mount Lebanon COM
munities, in Columbia county, New York.
He says:
\ visitor sees little of the rank and
file of the order; not that they are kept
aloof by any rule. but they are too busy
to chat Only the Elders and Elderesses
seem privileged to leave their occupations
for little while to entertain strangers.
t Sometimes. after supper. | have inter-
cepted a lay brother on his way to the
| barn or dairy, and been rewarded by the
net results of what may have been
months of deep thought on some of the
problems of humanity. The talk of the
| Shakers is curiously ertentious, like
| that of all secluded reflective people.
/ 1t abounds in apt Bible quotations. On
religious topics there is much more of
| liberallty than expected to find. Indeed
there is nothing Of the bigot about them.
Perhaps there was years ago in the early
| days of the sect, but the liberaliZing
, tendencies Of the times have invaded
| their isolated retreats and made them as
| tolerant rs the most intelligent of the
! Christian Sects. In fact, there are many
| differences Of opinion among themselves
on ,loctrinal points, but they dispute
| about them less and less, and lay more
and more stress Oh the Importance of
| right living.
| The basis of Shaker morals is aSccti-
| cism. The great virtue in their eyes is
self-denial Most of their quaint origi-
nal hymns are full of the praise of self
! sacrifice. The first and greatest of all
sacrifices they require is that of the pas
| sion of love, with the family ties and
| Joys it brings. Next the ambition for
! separate property must be abandoned:
| and then the desire for beauty in dress
| and furniture, and for stimulants and for
! Injuries in food and drink. No brother
| Shaker shakes hands with a sister Shaker
i lest it should awaken the atfectionate
nature. No ShakereSs dare adorn her
| hair OF dress even with the commonest
garden flower. There are no pictures in
| the halls of the Shaker houses, and no
ornaments of any kind can be found i'll
| them. They use no musical Instruments
and engage in no diversions save their re-
| ligious songs and dances. 1t is needless
to add that they are not cheerful peo-
pie: nevertheless their mild demeanor,
| their unfailing politencss and their gcn-
u;ne ircnilinesS make their company
very pleasant. They address each other
as brother or sister, adding the first name
and give no other titles save to the
| Elders People who do not belong to
! their order are given the cOgnomen of
| friends in introductions and ordinary dis
course They do not, like the Quakers,
use the pronoan Mot, but they invariably
say yea, nag for yes aud no. pronouncing
the yea as if spelled gee. Their politeness
is admirable. The highest church digni-
|
the most ordinary services, and their
'.Thank you, Brother Joseph, OF
'sThank you, Sister Mary is said in
such sweet and winning tones that the
phrase never seems an empty form.
| Every brother has sister specially as
| signed to look after his clothes, do his
mending, sew on pis buttons, and inform
the Eldress when he needs a new gar
ment. Some of the Shakers who theo-
rize about the fine features of their faith
say that there should exist between these
two a special spiritual affinity, but this
does not seem to be the case in practice.
Probably a sister would be more likely
to be drawn in spirit toward some broth
er whose old stockings she did not have
to darn.
The agriculture of the Shakers is re-
markably thorough. intelligent and sys-
with manures, remove all stones, stumps
and weeds from the fields, house their
crops well, improve their breeds of cattle
and provide warm stalls for their stock
in winter There is nothing shabby or
stingy about their farm buildings. and
they never try to save money by stinting
their animals in feed. wish every farm
er reader of the Irthune could see the
barns. sheds, hen-houses, manure vaults
and dairy belongings to the North Family
at Mount Lebanon, which | explored.
Everywhere are cleanliness, system, and
the best modern conveniences and appli-
ances In the big hay barn eight teams
can unload at once. In the cattle-stable
below the arrangements for labor saving
in feeding, watering and handling manure
are excellent. Warm water, slightly
salted. is given the cows in winter to in
crease the yield of milk. In the dairy
the tall cylindrical mill1-cans are sub
merged in watts of running spring water.
and after twenty -four hours they are re-
moved. and the milk drawn off by spigots
at the bottom Of the cans, leaving the
cream, which is poured out from the top,
thus saving the work of skimming.
The Shakers produce such good results
i'll their farming, by having intelligent
direction and by being able to throw a
large force of men upon any kind of work
that needs attention. This is the great
advantage Of cooperative farming. The
most pressing work can be promptly dis
posed of, and the force transferred to the
next in order. Thus the ploughing, sow
ing, planting. hocing and reaping are
done speedily and at exactly the right
| time Zach len.lrt mpnt of the farm