The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-11-28
The Dunkards' Love Feast.
A Curious Semi-Annual Ceremony of a
Baptist Sect in Pennsylvania.

The semi-annual love feast of the German
Baptist Brethren, or Dunkards, celebrated at
Ephrata, N. Y, last week, was q very inter
esting ceremony. The dress of these adhe-
rents to ancient forms and customs is very
much like that of the Friends. The men wear
closely buttoned shad-belly, or swallow-tail
coat, with standing collar of coarse, brown,
pepper-and-salt or bluish-gray cloth, trousers
and vest, and heavily-capsd overcoat OF the
same material, and low-crowned, black felt
hal with enormous brim. The plain, unorna-
mented dress of the women is generally black,
although sometimes snuff-brown, with large
black shawl and black bonnet, of the sun
bonnet shape. In the plain meeting house
there are two rows of benches running the
whole length of the room, and forminS middle
and side aisles, while rows of benches facing
these, ascend theatre-like, on either side In
near the low, fiat ceiling. The middle rows
are for those celebrating the feast, and the 9TH
ers for the spectators
Every third bench, OF those upon the floor,
is so arranged that the broad, movable back
can be bEoaght up and fastened on the top Of
the end boards, thus making long, narrow
table. After the Dnnkards had marched in,
two brothers appeared with long, white table
cloths, with which they covered the ten tables,
five on the womens side Of the central aisle,
and five on the mems side Other brothers
came armed with bla k-handled knives, three
tiued forks and tin tablespoons. Other broth
ers brought little white bowls, which they set
spsrsely around. Other brothers carried, tive
and two, great baskets of bread-huge loaves
cut into quarters-which they placed in long
middle liues. Other brothers Gt was never
sisters) bore trays containing plates of butter.
Other brothers brought deep tin dishes where
pieces of mutton swan in gravy-like soup.
Supper being ready, and the swinging lamps
drawn down and lighted, the brethren and sis
ters seated themselves around the tables
80 OF the former and $50 of the latter. How
reposefnl the women looked, with their plain,
neatly fitting black dresses, and little white
caps of Dightcap shape and of semi-tran s.
parent material, underneath which the mod
estly parted hair lay smooth, exposing the
broad white forehead. The long hair Of the
men, brushed straight back from the forehead
and falling to the shoulders, and their long
boards, both hair and boards being largely
gray. and sometimes silvery white, gave them
q very venerable aspect.
Next, two small tubs half filed with water
were brought in, and two elderly brothers
Invested themselves of their coats one seizng
a tub and the other girdiHg himself with
very long towel. Two sisters did likewise
with the other tub and towel. Immediately
the brethren seated on the front beach facing
the broad space in front of the minister's table
aud seats began to take off their shoes and
stockings aud the sisters on the corresponding
row on their side of the house did the same.
Then the brother with the tub placed it at the
feet of the first barefooted brother, who put
his feet into it, where they are rinsed off by
the washer, who then grasped the hand of the
washee and imprinted a sound kiss upon his
lips. The to~el-girded brother followed,
wiped, shook hands, and kissed and passed on
to the next; and the washing and wiping sis
ters did likewise on their side of the room.
After the two rows were washed and wiped
all fell to putting on their shoes and stockings,
the younger women showing much modesty in
their efforts to get on their long stockings
deftly and quickly.
After an address and prayer and lined-out
hymn in German. the eating began, slices of
bread serving as plates, and one dish of soup
and meat for four eaters. There was no noise
but the clatter of spoons against dishes and
knives against forks and general sound of
munching. Everything eatable having disap-
peared. There was more exhortation, prayer
and singing. and then three brothers appeaLeo
with several enormous bottles OF wine and q
number of large, fiat, indented cakes of un-
leavened bread. The cakes were boken into
long strips. which were passed around among
two men, who broke for each other, but the
women were not allowed to do SO. the presid-
ing Bishop breaking it for them, and handing
it to them as thev sat IN their seats After the
bread came the wine in tall cups, and again
the women were not allowed to pass the cup,
but it was passed to them by the Bishop. The
drinking of the wine ended the ceremony.