The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-05-08
QUAKER DISCIPLINE AND PECULIAR

AHND
ITIES.
Have you ever seen the interior of a
Friends Meeting House?
Come with me to the Union and will
show you one, not as it exists to-day, foI
an effort was made about eleven years
ago to convert it into a modern church,
but as it was in the days of Quaker pros
perity when two meetings for worship
were held every week and the house was
filed by the plainly but neatly dressed
members of the sect that was founded by
George Fox. There are two outside
doors in the front of the building, one
for the women and one for the men, for
the sexes did not mingle in the cOngre-
cation of Friends. Between these doors
a wide stairway with a railing through
the centre up to gallery which extends
the whole length and at least hall the
width of the building thus adding fifty
per cent TO its seating capacity. But tins
gallery is divided in the center by par
tition running from front to back so that
when it was necessary or desirable TO do
so, those upon one side could be prevent
ed from seeing or hearing what was be-
ing done or said upon the other There
is a horizontal door in this partition
hung by hinges attached to its upper
edge, the lower edge beings a little higher
than than the backs of the seats so that
when it was thought advisable this door
could be swung up and fastened to the
stationary part of the partition above it.
Below the gallery the arrangement was
the same. That is, the partition between
the women's and mems sides OF rather
ends of the house could be opened above
the backs of the seats which were very
high and straight, made of clear, wide,
tirst-growth pine, and neatly painted
with white lead. In the older meeting
houses no paint was used and 1t Is said
that many opposed it here claiming that
it was vanity" Each half of the house
has a center aisle with seats placed on
each side, las they usuallyare in churches,
and as each seat is long enough for five
or six persons the whole number that
could be seated was quite large. But in
front of these seats that were occupied
by the congregation, were three rows
which ran the whole length of the house
and faced the other way. The first of
these was but little if any higher than
those which faced it. Back of that was
one which was about two feet higher
than the first, there being narrow plat
form on which the feet of its occupants
stood, and the boards which formed the
backs of the lower seats went up higher,
enough to form hand or book rests for
those who sat in the seats next above.
Then running along the wall of the
house four or five feet above the floor
was third 'high seat with its platform
and rests like the ones below. These
'high seats were for the use of the
preachers and elders of the meeting, the
Friends from abroad, and all
those whose age or abilities gave them
which the ordinary mem
bers did not possess. They were reached
by short flights of stairs which ran up
from the ends of the aisles in each half
of the house, the seats in the two lower
rows having passages between them for
the purpose.
Let us now in imaginationgo back for
ty or fifty years and attend a meeting in
this building which have been attempt
ing to describe. 1t is almost eleven
o'clock and the Friends are beginning to
arrive. They drive up Go the platform in
front of the meeting house in their lum-
Der wagons and seated in splint-bottom
chairs of double width made on purpose
for wagon seats. The women and girls
step out upon the platform, which is
nearly as high as the wagon box, and
pass III through the right-hand door,
The men and boys then drive to the shed
which being about $50 feet long affords
room for many teams. Then they return
to the house, walk in through the door
on the left and take their seats with their
hats still on their heads.
The women wear bonnets of drab silk
which completely cover the backs and
sides of their heads and unlike the styl-
ish head gear of the later day afford
some warmth in winter and protection
from the burning sun of summer. Be-
meath her bonnet each elderly woman
wears q neat white cap, and if in meet
ing she finds her bonnet too warm she
does not hesitate to remove it. About
her neck was a kerchief of snowy white
ness, and her gown of drab hangs in
folds as smooth as they can be made
with the flatirOn. The hour for com
mencement of service has passed but no
one is speaking or singing, nor is there
any minister present whom stranger
could distinguish from the rest. All are
engaged in deep meditation, or silent
prayer, and the Spirit has as yet moved
no one to speak. This silence may con
tinue to the end of the meeting hour but
that is not common. Usually the Spirit
moves one or more of those who sit upon
the ''high seats" to speak to the people
and when it does it is often with such
power that the hearts of the hearers are
moved thereby. The tone of voice used
-. Nl... .l, ,s..gr 4. taN ArNn
may seem affected at first but it is full of
solemnity and is often very sweet and
musical, When it begins, the sleepers,
if there are any in the room, awake and
listen with most respectful attention.
The speaker may be followed by Others
if there be those present whose words
are edifying and the Spirit moves them
to arise and speak. At funerals and per-
haps on some other occasions it is custo-
mary for one of the elders of the meeting
to remark, after the usual period of 81
lence, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is
there is liberty. Therefore if anyone
present hath aught to say, let him say it.
But if he hath naught to say let him hold
his peace" Free use of the Holy Script
ures is made by those who preach and
sometimes their discourses seem to bt
almost wholly composed of Bible quota
tions joined together, all bearing upoi
the chosen subject.
Usually one or more prayers are Offered
but no singing in customary i'll meeting
| When the time for closing comes no ont
dismisses the congregation but one of tn
Friends shakes hands with another b.
his side. That is the signal for genera
hand shaking TO begin and spread througl
the meeting house, and ON all sides cal
be heard the kindly questions ''HOw doe
thee do?" SIS thy mother well?" Evil
thee 90 home with me to dinner?'
It will be understood that the meetin
above described was one of the regula
''first or fifth day meetings for worship
At such times the doors in the partitiO
through the meeting house were open
the women and men all listened to til
same speakers, and the speakers wer
men, or women, or both, as they hal
pened to be present. But on the fift
day of each month meeting for bus
ness or discipline was held and then tn
doors were all closed in the partition an
the women held q meeting by themselye
at the same time that the men were holt
ing one. The reason for that is obviou
to those who know that all application
of women for admission to membershi
were freely discussed and considered |
the women's meeting and if it wa
agreed that the life, character, and col
versation of the applicant were such :
to make her desirable person to admi
notice of such conclusion was at ono
sent into the mems meeting, and if thi
meeting concurred with the women
meeting she was received as a membe
When a man applied for admission Ii
case was first considered in mems NEE
ING and then IL the Momen's meetin