Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-20

+ yA& M last week, on the &c
w.t. "a casion of my visit to
the Shaker commu-
nifty at Alfred, 1 must confess to losing all
interest in the external features, and I
went away without so much as asking
Elder Vance to show me about the village.
However, this interest in the essence Of
Shakerism so grew upon me that had to
go back to get more Of it, and two days
later I went again to Alfred. having writ
ten to ask Elder Vance to let me witness
their religious services on Sunday. which
have been closed to the public in conse-
quence of having been turned into a spec
tacle by the vulgar minded, who formerly
made the Shaker village the objective point
of Sunday excursions. This rule against
outsiders is known to be so strictly en-
forced, I got off the cars at Alfred with
small hope Of accomplishing much more
than getting on again. Instead of this.
however, found Elder Vance waiting with
an old-fashioned chaise to take me right
into the bosom of the Shaker family. This
hospitality was due to the earnestness I
had manifested in seeking to know the
spiritual side OF Shakerism. Two days ex-
perience of the practical side has left me
wondering, as 1 said at the start, If I have
not seen as much Of the millennium as will
ever come on earth.
For one thing. the dress of the sisters, as
the Shaker women are called, has by It's
unchanging style and simple serviceable-
ness reduced the whole problem of dress
to an absurdity. 1t made my tailor-built,
organ-back, hair-cloth-sodden clothes. seem
truly device of the snake that introduced
Eve to all the other evils that affiict wo-
men. This Shaker dress is of uniform
cut, and approximately uniform color. The
work-dress is dark blue, and the ''best"
dress light brown. or. for the young ones.
white. The waist is plain and sewn on the
skirt which is pleated all around and of
fu drn sod xuyfth
white linen collar having a cape attach
ment. and outside of this Is a 'kerchief,
pinned at the waist. At all times. except
during meeting, an apron is worn. The
hair is combed straight back from the fore
head and wrapped around the head under
small cap of stiffiy starched white net,
further stiffened by wires. Out of doors,
the queer straw bonnet, with its cape of
muslin-the shakers worn.
The Servant Girl Problem Settled.
Then the Shaker housekeeping, that is
undisturbed by any servant question: Oh!
I wish you could smell 1t. With your eyes
shut and led into a Shaker house, you
would know you were in a new world Of
some sort Just by the freshness and sweet
that was fragrant with the scent of pine
woods. The white walls. white mating,
and high white beds, the queer old-fash-
toned chairs and tables, and positively
the immaculate care manifest in all
fairly holy place to rest in. The elder at
ter seeing me into the keeping of the sis
ters had left me with them until the next
morning.
did not know their names, and no men
ton was made of mine. Yet such free
masonry Of sex and spirit prevailed that
instantly these strange-garbed, sweet-faced
women seemed in truth my sisters. ate
my supper alone, after one of the sisters
had provided all my wants. The table was
set with coarse. beautifully laundered linen:
The china was plain white, and some Of
the spoons tin. I had for supper corned
beef hash, Strawberries, cream, milk and
tea to drink, cake, two kinds Of pie, and
the most delicious bread I ever tasted In
my life.
No curiosity as to who I was or why l
had come seemed to exist In the minds OF
the sisters. 1t was as If life was without
beginning and without end, and without
any possible interruption for them. was
both as much and as little as the rest of
the world to them-a world that with It's
turbulency and temptations was so remote
here. l went to sleep that night feeling
as If, with wishing to, could iy-5ust so
angelic and infectious was the spirit OF the
place.
The sister told me that the rising bell
for the community would ring at 4:SO In
the morning. In winter 1t Is rung at y.
The sisters are divided into three groups.
assigned in turns of two weeks duration
to special work. Thus one group FOR two
rests from this four weeks, meanwhile TAX
ing a turn at milking, the laundry, or
some other feature of housework. Inc IN
tervals of Homework are occupied with
sewing and with weaving the straw and
fashioning from 1t dainty baskets and
boxes that ire cold by the Shakers at sea-
shore and mountain resorts during the
summer.
the rising bell, but by the "ding-dong" of
a chorus Of COW bells passing outside. Go
ing to the window saw a procession or
thirty cows, driven by couple or boys,
who, with their long hair, great broad
brimmed straw hats and homemade coats
and trousers, presented such an odd APP
DC arancc. My maternal vanity realized
with a pang what unreasonable but actual
distress l would suffer to see my own Lit
tie Lord Fauntleroy denied his smart
worldly dress for the kingdom Of heavens
take V2rily 1t is small strings that bind
us to the world. but they are strong.
They Confess Their Sins.
After breakfast the elder of the two
sisters, whom I had learned to call Lu-
cinda-the Shakers address everybody by
the given name, abolishing titles-Lucinda
told me Elder John was waiting for me.
ELDER john found to be Elder Vance.
who introduced me to a small-sized young
woman, saying, This is Eldress Fanny"
Eldress Fanny stands for the mother of
the family, as Elder John does for the
father She regulates the sisters in matters
of the day, oversees the work and appor-
lions to each ao according to her needs. She
also is the confessor and spiritual adviser
of the sisters. The institution of confession
Is the same among the Shakers that 1t is
in the Catholic Church, except that the
women confess to a woman and the men
to man.
Eldress Fanny has lived in the communi-
ty since she was four years old, having
been left motherless and put there to board
at that age. She is therefore utterly with
out experience in the world. AS l spent
the morning with her measuring in free
converse my knowledge of the world
against her ignorance Of it felt like some
sort of ugly black beetle against a pane
of glass. Loo king from the point of view
of the world beyond or of the world be-
hind, thus our ma lures measured-mine a
definite black obstruction to the light and
hers clear transparent medium for beetles
to fasten on and look through for whatever
is outside. All through the morning in
the sweetest possible communion with Ell
dress Fanny-indeed, all through my stay
among the Shakers-I was confused to
determine whether I had been dreaming
all my life and had just come into the
reality of living or whether from the reali-
ties was having brief respite and holy
dream.
Shaker Meeting.
In the afternoon went with Lucinda to
meeting. The meeting was held in large,