The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-10
THE SHAKERS.
DESCRIPTION OF A SETTLEMENT
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Many More Women than Men-Silent
While They Eat-Scparate Stair.
cases for the Sexes
Their Songs.

"When I visited the Canterbury settle
ment in New Hampshire little over a
year ago." said lady to New York
Star reporter, 81 found three families,
who live and are governed separately.
They worship in one church in summer,
but in winter, for convenience, occupy
halls in their separate buildings. The
family I visited was the first, or church
family My daughter was with me.
eve arrived in the evening at the
society's office. A cheerful looking
woman, who we afterward learned was
Sister Elizabeth, opened the door wide
to our rather timid knock. She well
coined us kindly to a sitting room and
bade us be at home. Her costume was
like that of all of the women. A gray
porgee gown, cut with plain round
waist, loosely fitted her figure. The
full skirt was plated in small uniform kilt
plaits. A large white handkerchief was
/ folded about her neck and across her
breast in some wonderfully pretty way,
which 1 could never afterward initiate
A close little cap of lace, like milliner's
bonnet frame, covered her blonde hair,
which was combed straight back and
fastened in a fiat knot behind. The
| shaker costume, though ugly in itself,
made Sister Elizabeth look very sweet
1t just suited her quiet eyes, her gentle,
smiling mouth and reposed manner.
'"Tne Shaker women wear q hoop of
some contrivance which extends the skirt
| with straight, gradual slope from waist
to hem. 1t gives them a stately look.
The women, with rare exceptions, are
thin and pale, with sober and sometimes
severe countenance. We saw no plump,
happy faces. Even the children look old
and staid, and speak with a something
which sets them apart from ones
sympathy.
~ spoke of the women first, because
;; they interested me most, and besides
they outnumber the men as five to one
They are remarkably refined and intel
lectual for their class. The men, with
the exception of the elders and few
others, are inferior to the sisters in all
respects. They are, however, extremely
kind and courteous to the women. The
sisters look after their wants with mother
ly care, each of tae elder sisters having
charge of the clothes and general well
being of one or two brothers.
"Thc Shaker settlement is very pros
porous in worldly sense. There are va
: rious buildings belonging to the society;
homes, q school-house, a workshop for
; the men, and also one for the women
and another for the children. There is
printing Office, an infmary presided
over by an elder sister, and containing a
full equipment of drugs and medicines.
''Of course the main support of the
colony and its income is from the farm,
which is large and under high state of
cultivation. It is we'll stocked with
horses and cattle, but they do not raise
either. Pigs there are none, and pork is
prohibited as unclean food Some of the
horses are fine stock.
'The house in which we were enter
tanned belonged to the first family. 1t
was large and square. The halls and
staircases were on opposite sides of the
house, one for the men and the other for
the women. The floors were of dark
wood, stained and polished. The doors
and castings were stained peculiar yell
low throughout. Nothing poor or mean
was used in either the furniture or dec
orations. Everything was simple. In
our room large, handsome rugs of soft
wool, made by the Shakers, lay upon the
floor. They resembled Smyrna rugs. In
opposite corners were two white beds,
and in another corner was little cast
/ iron wood-burning stove, plain and
:: smooth. In it fire crackled cheerfully.
These stoves are in every ROOM The
curtains in all the houses were most
dainty and ovel, They were of white
linen, suspended by brass rings on a
bright brass rod. When the curtains
were down each side looked like a half
open fan.
"a tall, old-fashioned clock stood at
the head of each staircase. The clocks
are as old as the house itself-one hun
dred years. Meals are served to guests
in room and at table by themselves
This hardly seemed hospitable, but Sis
ter Elizabeth explained that the Shakers
always ate in perfect silence. The
brothers and sisters sit on opposite sides
of the table.
"The children are we'll advanced in
reading, arithmetic and particularly in
mnsic and singing. Even the smaller
children read music readily. The pro-
fciency in music is owing to the fact that
the teachers themselves have obtained
the best possible instruction. The whole
family, at times, when the farm work is
light, drill in singing for two half hours
daily. All sing and it is remarkable
how many fine voices there are. Their
religious hymns and anthems have been
written entirely by Shakers, and are
therefore peculiar. Most of the hymns
are choral, and ore sung with great
spirit. Like the Moravian sacred songs,
there is much repetition of words and
music.
"The Shakers show wonderful physical
strength when they sing. They sit and
sing, march and sing, and they knecl
and sing endless verses, the last note al
ways as clear and strong as the first.
There is ring of trium ph and victory
about the hymns, though many are tender
and sweet Singing is indeed worship with
the Shaker. We attended Sunday ser
vice. In closing, they united in a hymn,
repeating one verse many times; then,
kneeling, still singing, they repeated it
yet etagain. At last, closing their eyes as
in prayer, they sang it for the last time
very softly. These were the words:
"Watching and praying find you,
Oh, my beloved, my own
Trusting Fathers rich promise,