Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-06
GOOD OLD QUAKERS.
Their Distinctive Garb Is Not Seen
Very Often Nowadays.
STILL THE SOCIETY Is GROWING.
Yearly Meetings Are Now Discussing the
Hirsling Ministry.
THE PECULIAR MARRIAGE CEREMONY

| lwRfrTxN FOR THE DIsPATCH.I
The Quaker stood under his smooth. broad
brirn,
In plain, drab suit, that, simple and trim,
Was better than royal robes to him
Who looked to the inward part.
The Quaker is still with us, although the
Smooth, broad brim" and the ''plain, drab
suit" 40 longer mark nine out of ten Of the
present day followers of Penn. This dis
tinguishing feature in the garb Of the early
Friends is still quite common in the City of
Brotherly Love, and scattered up and down
all over this great country are little hand
fuls Of people whose religious faith is
known by the shape Of their hats and bon
nets and the peculiar plainness of their coats
and gowns. But if the Quaker census Of
to-day was to be taken by the rule of dress
and speech alone, the prevailing opinion
that these people are surely dying out
would be justified by the figures
The Quaker is still in the land in greater
numbers than ever before, but the '4hee''
and the ''thou," the "frst day" and the
Second month";" the broad -brimmed hat
and the cutaway coat, with straight collar,
are not prominent features Of modern
Quakerism.
WEAKEST AT ITS BIRTHPLACM
The Society of Friends, commonly called
Quakers, is now known as the Friends
Church. Its representatives are found in
every State and Territory of the Union, but
where William Penn built his city and
George Fox preached, and Quakerism for
two centuries fourished, the society as a
church is to-day the weakest The annual
conversations known as yearly meetings"
fOr- = y y
phia, followed in regular order and a few
weeks apart'by Dublin, London, New York.
New England, Canada and North Carolina.
So Ohio yearly was in session at Mt. Pleasant
last week, and the annual meetings of Iowa,
Western and Eastern Indiana will be held
this month, followed by Kansas in October
and Baltimore in November. Each of these
yearly meetings Is the ultimate authority
and the highest court of appeal in its own
territory. 1t Is officially attended by repre-
sentatives from the subordinate meetings,
but all members NAV be present with the
privilege Of taking part in the proceedings.
There Is no ecclesiastical connection be-
tween the yearly meetings, but a system Of
fraternal correspondence exists througnout
the entire chain, with the exception Of Phil
adelphia yearly meeting, which stands aloof,
and by action, at least, If not by word pro.
thou" Many of the individual members,
however, are in hearty accord with the great
body of the church.
In not q few Of the yearly meetings this
cipline In order to make it, conform more
nearly to the needs of an enlightened and
advancing church will claim much serious
attention. The pastoral question now has a
large place in the annual discussions, and
the people who only few decades ago were
unit in their opposition to a "hireling min
tstry" in all its forms, are to-day asking for
pastors to- whom they are willing to give
liberal and stated sums, In other words, q
salary. The sessions of the yearly meeting
continue about one week. Not one of the
moral Of
day is overlooked in the discussions and de-
Hberations.
NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE
Wonderful have been the changes that the
Friends as a church have undergone in the
last 90 years. 1t is within the recollection
of those who count themselves still young
that silent meetings were as common as those
with prea ching and prayer. Singing was sac
r1lege, and reading the Bible in church was
no better. The meeting houses all over the
land were built on the same plan They were
rectangular buildings divided into two rooms,
ranged with ropes and pulleys that the two
rooms could be made into one Tor general
services. On meeting days for church bust
ness, the shutters" were closed and men
and women thus formed two separate de-
Lucrative bodies
Marriage services were held according to
the ".Ancient Order of Friends" No one
could safely look over the denominational
fence for a life partner without finding him
self on the outside of the fence. An offender
in this direction was visited by a committee
ing to stultify his action, or to dlssemble to
the extent Of saying that he was sorry for
the step. he had taken, he was further
would be a condoning of his fault But gen.
orally the offending member had too much
spirit and honor, and sometimes too much |
religion to tell deliberate lie, SO out of the
church he must go to keep company with
his worldly partner" a term of reproach
which was as often applied to members of |
other denominations as to those who had no |
church connection.
THE QUAKER MARRIAGE CEREMONY.
In olden times it was an mira ction of dis |
cipline even to witness the marriage of a |
member by any other ceremony than that of |
the church. Getting married according to
the established custom Of Friends was GER
tainly fiery ordeal, and no greater test of |
loyalty could have been brought to bear
upen the young people of that day or any
other. At the monthly meeting just preced-
parties publicly announced
their intention of marriage. A Committee |
was appointed to take the case in hand. It
was to make inquiry to ascertain If there
existed any prior engagement on the part of |
either person that might cause grave COM |
plications, On finding no distractions the
committee finished their work by attending
The marriage to see that everythin be done
1ecently and in order. But these church
brethren and sisters had no commission to |
perform the ceremony and make the matter
Is easy as possible. o, no. the young people
must marry themselves. No glib-tongued
PRIEST or minister, no awkward Justice Of
he Peace to take the lead and bear the
,runt Of embarrassment. Marriage in
Quaker meeting meant something very
Iitferent
On the day appointed the old meeting
ouse was filled to the very doors with an
xpectant throng. People had come from
many miles around to witness what to them
1as mere entertainment. The bridal party
'as seated facing the main part of the audi
nee, and for an hour or more was the cy-
osure Of a thousand curious, critical relent-
,ss eyes. The young couple were getting
heir nerves in trim for the affair." AtlengtR
ne venerable head of the meeting announced
nat the time was at hand for the marriage
} take place. The critical moment had
ome. The flushed and trembling couple.
no had never spoken word before an au,
lence in all their livea, now arose and with
ands clasped plighted their vows before
any Witnesses. The groom spoke first as
llowsi Friends, in the presence of the |
ord and before this assembly take Mary
'hite to be my wife, promising with Divine
to be unto her faithful and low
g husband until death shall separate us.n
The bride then repeated the same words
ith the necessary changes Of names and