The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-11-23
Among the Shaker
A VISIT TO MOUNT LEBANON


TALES OF SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS TO
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
For many years had desire TO visit
Shaker community, arising in part from curl
osity concerning exceptional religious growths
and in part from an interest in the problems OF
cooperative industry which have been solved
more successfully by the followers Of Ann Lee
than by any other body of people. My pur-
nose was ouickene1 by reading that exception
allv good American novel, Howells's " Undis-
covered Country" but doubt as TO whether
I could ret an inner view Of the life and ideas
Of Shaker home kept me back from any DEF
mite plan TO put my wish into action.
Not long ago 1 met in New York one OF the
leading men Of the Shaker faith, Elder T. w.
Evans. 'Come up and see us, he sale, quite
cordially, at the close Of few moments chat,
and gave directions for reaching the Mount
Lebanon Community, the parent and guide Of
all the Shaker settlements in the country. A
fortnight later came a brief vacation time, a
blessing that rarely occurs TO newspaper work
ers. and getting enough in three days of Jer-
sew seashore resort, with its crowds OF listless
people, the glare of the sun on the hot sands,
and the monotonous swash Of the waves, be-
thought myself Of the good Elders invitation.
A six hours ride from New York brought me
tc Lebanon Springs, where there is a rambling
old hotel which boasts of Lafayette, John
Quincy Adams and Winfield Scott among its
carly guests, and possesses the only Warm
Spring in the State. Thence, after bed and
breakfast and serious doubts Of the landlord
as TO whether the Shakers would really let me
stay with them, was put forward to ny jour
news end by the aid of horse, boy and a
blackboard, with dollar aud a half for ulti-
mate motive power.
"This is Shaker land, said the boy as we
cleared the outskirts of the little village, land
il runs up the hill there aud down into the val
ley and away out to Canaan. They gave that
lot there where the Episcopal Church stands. :"
Not bigoied sect, certainly" thought, "or
they would not encourage the building Of rival
churches" The boy did not know how much
land they owned, but had heard that the six
families in this vicinity held altogether about
$4,000 acres. The fields were trim and clean.
Sleek cattle of the Holstein and Durham
breeds grazed in the pastures. Thick stone
walls, admirably put up and capped with broad,
fat slabs, separated the farms from the road
way. White painted gates of uniform con-
struction led into the fields and broke the long
stretches of brown wall with pleasing effect
Nothing could be more refreshing and resting
TO the eyes OF a city man than the views of the
fertile valley, the billowy green slope notified
with the orchards, grain fields and woodland
patches, and the dark background of the low
mountain range in the western horizon.
THIS first sigh of the Shaker village was an
immense stone barn, snch n barn as | never
saw iB my life before. 1t was two stories in
height in front and four in the rear; its walls
were thick enough for fortress: its slate
roof gistened in the sunshine, and from out it's
rauFs .av iutnrinr Inls-Is1r,I J..
Of new mown hay and freshly cur wheat straw.
Just beyond this monument of good husbandry
lay the group of dwellings, shops and offices
belonging to the "North Family" II was
here the boy said | would be likely to find FL
der Evans. Find him did by the aid of
smiling sweet-voiced Shakeress who led the
way to his room. "Why, this is extraordi-
nary" he said after the first greeting. 81 was
Just writing You letter urging you to come"
and he showed half-filled page. al wanted
you TO see some spiritual manifestations we
are having now" "What, have you Shakers
turned Spiritualists 2" NAY, we are the
original Spiritualists; VIC have always had
communications and guidance from the spirit
world. The records of our society abound in
instances Of tho display Of spirit power Our
faith was first spread by signs and wonders
similar to those the mediums show now a-days.
This was a surprise to me, for had supposed
that, like most denominations, the Shakers
dated back their supernatural manifestations
TO the beginning Of their sect, and admitted
none as genuine occurring since From the
conversations have had with many of them
aud from the few books which constitute their
literature, have learned since arriving that
their main ideas touching the future life arc
identical with those Of the Spiritualsts
Their hymns abound in such phrases as "thc
summer land" 1.-THE earth-life," scaling
d wn the angels" esprit friends" etc.
which are in current use among the modern
Spiritualsts. What the Spilitnalists call
trance speaking" they call "the power"
They narrate instances when the spirit Of
Joseph Meacham, one Of the first disciples Of
Mother Ann, inspired some brother to speak
with his voice and his manner and his force
of argument, so that the listeners exclaimed ::
"That is Father Joseph come back TO MS !"
Most of the eldors have had waking visions
OF significant dreams, or have at some time
exercised the same power TO make tables
move which the mediums exhibit. In short.
the Shakers would seem to be Spiritualiss
dating back their faith more than century
instead of only to the Rochester rappings. |
was somewhat disappointed to find that the
medium on this occasion was not product of
the Shakers themselves, but the famous VIM.
Eddy, who had come by invitation TO spend a
week in the community. had seen his per-
formanccs before and did not care greatly to
see them again, save tine novelty of a Shaker
"circle to witness them.
l was not invited TO dine with the family,
but was served with an excellent meal in a
separate room in company with Eddy and
Young companion Of his called Ralph, Just
across the hall from the big apartment, with
It's two long tables without cloths. where the
grave, bearded Shakers and the serious
Shakeresses sat down to their repaet Of bread
and vegetables. trim little wonan, in the
ucly costume Of the sect, glided quietly into
the room two or three times to see if our tea
cups needed repeuishing. Nosound save the
rattle of dishes and knives came from the big
dining-room across the hall. | wanted to ask
whether they said grace before eating, and
whether conversation was allowed, but / had
found by experience among peculiar people
that the best way to get Information is not to
seem eager for it, ard determined to put few
questions at first.
Soon after dinner, while sitting in big
breezy room with yellow floor, narrow non
astic bed and straight back chairs TO which |
had beea assigned, the Elder came and said
there would be y scance at once. A large
room used ordinarily tor ironing clothes had
been partly darkened by closed shutters and
drawn curtains, and dark closet made out of
one Of the two entry-ways by shutting the
outside door and curtaining the inner room.
In the half light could distinguish the pale
faces and white caps Of eighteen of the sisters
Tnassed in a close group, and the dark forms of
half dozen Of the brethren, sitting with
proper interval between them and tile female
part Of the audience William Eddy, thick
set. broad-shonlderei, farmer-like man. went
into the dark closet. The sisters sang the pc