Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-08

A Curious Ceremony of a Baptist Sect
in Pennsylvania.

| The semi-annual love feast Of the German
Baptist Brethren, OF Dunkards, celebrated at
| Ephrata Pa, few days ago. was very inter-
| esting ceremony. The dresses Of these adhe-
rents to ancient forms and customs is very much
/ like that of the Friends. The men wear closely
/ buttOned shad-beily or sWaloW-tail coat with
standing collar of coarse brown. pepper-and-
salt or bluish-gray cloth. trousers and vest and
/ heavily-caped overcOat of the same material
and lOw-crowned black felt hat with enor-
nous brim. The plain, Ornamented dress of the
women is generally black, although sometimes
| snuff-brOwn, with large black shawl and q
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 forming middle and side asles while rows
OF benches, facing these ascend theater-ke on
either side to near the low. fiat ceiling. The
middle rows are for those celebrating the feast,
and the others for the spectators
| livery third bench. Of those upon the floor ia
so arranged that the broad, moveabIe back can
be brought up and fastened on the top OF the end
| boards, thus making long, narrow table
After the Dunkard's had marched in two broth
ers appeared with long white tabecloths. with
I which they covered the ten tables five on the
wOmen's side of the central aisle and five ON the
mems side. Other brothers came armed with
|
| tablespoons Other brothers brought little
white bowls. which they set sparsely around
other brothers carried. two and two, great bas-
| kets of bread-huge lOaves cut into quarters
| which they placed in long middle lines Other
I brothers Git was never sisters) bore trays CON-
tanning 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
fph hon lnttr
the former and 40 of the latter How repose-
full the women looked, with their plain. neatly
| hitting black dresses. and little white caps of
| nightcap shape and of a semi-transparent mate
| rial, underneath which the modestly 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 svery white,
gave them very venerable aspect
| Next. two small tubs half filled with water
were brought in. and two elderly brothers di-
| vested themselves Of their coats one Selling a
| tub and the other girding himself with very
| long towel. Two sisters did likewise with the
| other tub and q towel. Immediately the
| brethren seated on the front bench facing the
| broad space in front of the minister's
| table and seats began TO take of their shoes
| and stockings, and the sisters on the
corresponding row on their side Of the house
\ oid the same. Then the brother with the tub
! placed 1t ut the feet of the first barefooted
| brother. who put his feet into it, where they
| are rinsed OFF by the washer who then grapsed
| the hand OF the washee and imprinted sound.
ing kiss upon his lips The towel girded brother
! followed, wiped, shook hands, and kissed and
passed on 10 the next; and the washing and
/ wlping sisters 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 deity and quickly
After an address and prayer and lned-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 a general sound of
| munchinG- Everything eatable having dsap-
! peared, there was more exhortatiOn, PRAYER
and singing, and then three brothers appeared
with several enormous bottles of wine and a
number OF large, fiat, indented cakes of
| unleavened bread. The cakes were broken into
| long strips, which We're passed around among
! the men, who broke for each other, but the
| women were not allowed to do SO, the pre-
siding bishop breaking 1t for them, and hand
| ing 1t to them as they sat I'm their seats After
the bread came the wine In tall tin cups and
again the women were not allowed to pass
| the cup, but 1t was passed to them by the
bishop The drinking of the wine ended the
ceremony.