The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-06-23

The Firm, Honest, Little Old Sect
Dying at the Roots-The
Quakers' Children Re
fusing to Join It.

The Friends this week are holding
their great yearly meeting in Phila-
delphia. A Quaker meeting is al
ways earnest and practical, and
there is no want of earnestness and
practical sacred common sense in
| this congress of keen-faGed, middle
aged men, and placid, m~id1le-aged
! women. There arc some things lack
ing, hOwever-the enthusiasm, fr ,e,
and energy which belong to the
growing bodies, physical or social;
q want which is explained by the
simple TACT that the members Of this
and all the other six-yearly meetings
are almost invariably middle-aged or
venerable old people. Most Of the
time this week was occupied IN dis,
cussing the causes of the universal
decline in attendance at First Day
meetings and the general decadence
of the society, a decadence reluctant
lp acknowledged but too apparent to
be longer ignored. The cause is evil
dent the sect is literally dying out
for the want of young blood. All
over the country the sons and daugh-
tiers of Friends, even of the most
eminent preachers, have assumed
the worlds garb. They are seen in
the theatre and ballroom, they hang
pictures on their walls, are music
ians, artists, good or bad, and either
remain outside of any religious body
or slip quietly into some Protestant
sect; usually those whose ritual ap,.
peals most strongly to the senses ana
Imagination. Even in the strong
hold of Quakerism. Philadelphia,
where it once held absolute posses
sion, q young man or woman n The
plain dress is now so rare a sight Oh
the street as to attract remark. Not
only in this country are the children
of Friends deserving the Meeting,
but in England this desertion is SO
marked that a revision of the large
volumes of doctrine, practice, and
discipline of the society has been Or
dered for this year. In this revision
the circumstances with backsliders
are energetic with a note of despair.
Friends are urged mot to seek help
in forms or modes OF worship incon-
with their own to "call he
months and days by Scripture and
not heather names :" to adhere to
"plainness in speech, dress and be-
havior :" and to abandon the "pur-
suit of music, dancing, vain sports, |
and theatrical entertainments The
rules of the society r relaxed in re-
gard to the report which was enacted
of the individual condition of each
memher the ceremonies preceding
ETC., etc.
There is something pathetic in the
sight of this old failing church, COM
posed almost. who lily Of old and fail
ing people who watch their children
90 from them and awake feeble, use
less efforts to keep them in the faith
that has strengthened and comforted
themselves. If they would face the
issue with the keen hard sense that
they bring to secular affairs, they
would see why it is impossible that
the young man and woman of the
present day should remain in the So
ciety, as it is, and also the concessions
if made by it would probably
keep them. Quakerism consists of
parasitic spirit or soul of 1t is a
fine pure devotion to the simplicity,
the brotherly charity, the truth of
/; but the body of it is an adj
herence to a certain costume and pre-
JUDGE against music, art, and all the
courtesies and beauty Of
manner or surroundings which re-
fine and gentle everyday life.-New
York Tribune.