The Grenada gazette., 1888-05-12
THE YEARLY MEETING.


The Most Import ant Religion, Efrht oi
the Year In Quaker Lie.
Often on First Das h. Friends a.
sem blei at the appointed tifae for
worship and sat for more than an
hour in absolute silence. until one old
gentleman in the high ssats would rise
and shake hands with another this
being the signal that meeting had
BROKE" as it was exp. essed among
them The Q uaker young folks were
q jolly. happy lot but the nome mt
they entered the meetiH g-house door
they seemed imbued with the spirit
OF devotion and were a. grave and
sedate as their elders They ara
grad dually discarding tae peculiar
garb which William Penn and his fol-
lowers wore. have aeyer seen
in any audience 50 m1ny women
Of middle and old age who
have preserved smooth, plump
faces and clear competitions as
here Their belief that peace on
earth and good will to msn" should
govern all our lives is surely good
rule to live by. If we may believe lhe
impress it has left upon their counte-
nanccs. OF course there uere eHcep-
tions, and here as elseEhere, were
features distorted by evil passions, or
%rinklcd and scanned by sickness and
trouble
The great event of the summer was
the yearly meeting. The men worked
early and late that their fields of grow
ing grain might be free from weeds
and present beautiful thrifty appear
Ince TO visiting Friends. Women
.coured and scrubbed. although it
.eemcd impossible TO make houses
meaner than these homes already
we're; linware must glitter like silver,
liaen be white assnow. The choicest
young chickens, the finest prob
Ucts of garden and tiel d.
were reserved for this occasion.
and such remarks as these were heard
daily: Sarah. thee must not cut that
ham; | will boil that whole for meet
ing day. Samuel bring home a
Tag Of that finest -four; thee knows we
must have extra nice bread while the
meeting lasts 1t seemed as if an
army with prodigious appetites must
be coming. SO generous were the
preparations.
The opening day arrived and the
small editice would not contain the
people who came. but every window
and both doors were thrown open, so
that all could hear if the Spirit should
draw near and inspire any to speak.
Friends were here from iar-away
Maryland and Virginia. Soon one of
these Quaker women. with lovely
countenance, who had come from the
South, and whose drab garments were
Of the finest material. showing wealth.
and whose language betokcned edu-
cation and refinement began speak
ing. Such eloquence wa. rarely heard
within these walls. Her rich. full
tones made the sublime truths she ut.
tered seem grand indeed. She con-
cluded, when an old gentleman on the
other side Of the house was moved to
deliver message. A. first his words
were spoken smoothly and distinctly,
but soon he glided into a sing-song
tone. putting a final "ah 10 nearly
every utterance. 1t is impossible To
escribe the sound or its effect; SO
quaint ard 80 earnest was it that ali
were impressed. He finished, and an
other grave, dignlfed gentleman Of
fcred up prayer and soon ,he first
session closed and the happy crowd
scattered away to the various farm
houses 10 enjoy the feast n pared for
this time. Such merry, bantering and
Joking are seldom heard, such happy,
smiling faces are seldom seen. and
such hospitable homes are found no.
whore in greater profusiou than in
Quaker settlement. '-Ela f. Green.
tn Detroit Free Press