The Osceola times., 1883-05-19
TUAKERS OUT WEST.
HOW THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS Is
PROGRESSING.
Plain Dress Giving Way TO Modern Cos-
tume-Friends Who Dance.

s-tt s't'-- Stsfhk way W sfttcfh st-
tume-Friends Who Dance.
Indiana Cor Philadelphia Times.
The Quakers in the west seem to be in
metamorphic state. When they came tc
the Ohio Valley from Pennsylvania and
the Carolinas seyenty-iive years ago the,
were dressed in modest drab and wore
on their heads the large wide-rimmed
beaver hats, fashioned at Boards famous
hatters' shop after the style Of the broad
head-oovering brought from England by
William Penn. They were quiet, plain
spoken people, who had eschewed the
vanities of the world and, disclaiming all
creeds and doctrines except the Apology
of Barclay and the precepts of Fox, pro
fessed to be following in the footsteps Of
the meek and humble Saviour, with nc
guide but the bible and an inward moni-
tor sent by the Heavenly Father to di-
rect and comfort them. They laid out
the city of Richmond and cut away the
heavy forests Of oak and walnut that
covered the ground on which it now
stands, and until within the past twenty
five or thirty years owned the greater
part of the real estate in the county and
exerted the controlling influence in the
community.
THE WESTERN QUAKERs.
The Quaker settlements in Iowa, Kan
sas, Tennessee, Michigan, California and
Oregon are colonies that went forth from
this part Of the country. Richmond long
ago became the head centre of the So
ciety of Friends in the west and the
yearly meetings held here are only ex-
ceeded in size by the Whitsun confer
enccs in London, which are acknowledg-
ed as the supreme councils Of the church
and have parental care over all the
Orthodox meetings Of the world. The
traditional Quaker meeting is gather
ing of severely plain men and women
who sit with covered heads in silent
communion with God, with rarely ever
a word being spoken. In the Quaker
meeting houses of Charles Lamb there
are no carved pulpits, no hired preacher
with dreary sermons, no organ or mat
tentive choir. no bread and wine, no
ushers and no collection box; nothing
but plain benches and silent worshipers
waiting on God TO touch their hearts and
open their lips, bathed in perfect stiffness.
He has given us some pleasant pictures
of these meetings as they existed half a
century ago, and the outside world, un-
acquainted with the changes that fifty
years have wrought, still accept them as
typical Quaker meetings. The other
day wandered into one of their meet
ing-houses and was surprised to see how
differently the meeting was conducted
from the way had seen them carried
on in my boyhood, when | occasionally
followed prim old relative in cap and
shoulder shawl TO her midweek meet
ing.
A QUAKER MEfTlNG.
Qne-half of an immense barn-like
brick building structure, capable of seat
ing 1000 persons, that had some half
suppressed evidences of an attempt at
exterior ornamen tation, was partitioned
off by heavy curtain, extending from
the ceiling to the floor. In front, on a
raised platform, was plain, rich pulpit
of oiled ash, and behind it half dozen
benches occupied by the older members
of the congregation and few middle
aged men and women. The men did
not sit with their hats on, as was the
custom in the olden time, and saw none
of the old collarless cutaway coats that
were worn by young and old alike in
early times, but am informed that they
have not yet become entirely obsolete
Their dress did not differ materially
from that of other people that met on
the street, except that there was nothing
conspicuous or loud about it, and the
ladies wore fewer flounces and frills than
tntif NlNttiH VI NilO buttf NbTtu. "A Ith
gray or drab dresses, with plain skirts
were worn by the old ladies. The con.
gregation consisted of three or four hun.
dred men, women and children, many
Of the latter in arms They wholly ig.
nored the old custom of separating the
men from the women during worship.
saw fathers surrounded by their familie-
and boys and girls sitting side by side. Il
spectacle that would not have been seen
in body of this kind quarter of cen.
tury ago. 4. ...-.
A QUAKER SERVICE.
The silence was soon broken by man
on the platform, who rose To his feet and
stepping forward to the pulpit, on which
he laid Bagster bible that he carried
in his hand, and began TO exhort his
hearers to lead life of holiness. The
quaver in his voice which gave the nick
name of Quakers TO George Fox and his
followers, was not noticeable, but he
spoke rapidly and earnestly, quoting
frequently from the scriptures and chang
ing bis position as he addressed first one
quarter of the house and then another
His remarks were rambling and his pro-
nunciation showed that his education
had been somewhat neglected At the
end of ten minutes he sat down and a
lady offered prayer. Until recently |
am told it was and had been from time
immemorial the custom in Quaker
churches to rise and stand with backs to
speaker in time Of prayer, but in this in
stance the audience merely bowed to the
backs of the benches in front Of them.
She prayed for an outpouring of the
spirit and her efforts were much more i'm
nressiye than the axhorfation nracedinn