The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-06-16
QUAKERS OF TO-DAY.
Few OF Them Live Up to the Old-Time
Customs.

Customs.
New York Evening Sun.
The old-time Friend. or Quaker" as he
is known to the worlds people," is almost
extinct Down in Stuyvesant square or
Rutherford place a stray broad-brim or
plain bonnet may now and then be seen
upon First day or Fifth day." but
even then and there they are rarities. The
sight OF them in any other part of the city
would attract a great deal of attention.
1t is the way in Philadelphia, so
long the stronghold of the sect. The So
ciety of Friends still exists, but it is re-
duced in numbers, and its members, even
the most strict, have lost many of the old
time characteristics.
For one reason or another Friends are
constantly leaving their people and
becoming identified with other sects, while
there are almost no new converts to
a practice OF the sect. Were ii not for
those born into the society-"birthrigh
m1esnb eirp being a condition thrust upon
or meeting'--it would have died out long
ago.
The modern Quaker is an interesting
development. He is wholly different from
not only Whttier's Quaker of the Olden
Time" but the Quaker of Whittier's own
,ihe. ne Is III sort OF transition state,
having lost some of the traits of his an
cestors and retained others. He has taken
unto himself some of the worlds WAYS
while others he hasn't. For instance very
Few modern Friends wear the plain dress
and when they do it is greatly modified
The head of the meeting" NOWADAYS
wears hat brim much less broad than
that of twenty years ago. His coat-tails.
too, are more abbreviated The capped and
k i,.r Clerk of the Quarterly meet
brown or black instead of the once in.
evitable gray or drab.
r me old-time plain bonnet had neither
bonnet looks much less like a coal scuttle
and boasts several rows of shirs and puck
ers. The majority of the modern Friends
derby hats and do not disdain Easter bon
nets. They have been known TO wear
evening. dress and decollete gowns. Among
cSretia Mott have apparently lost all weight.
me emancipation OF the modern Quaker is
toms and no dess as Me extends to Gus
hear "hireling priests" if he feels like il.
unperturbed by the fear that ne will be
.'disowned." as his ancestors might have
been. He waltzes. he listens to Wagner
and he plays whist.
:. 1t was an idea. among the old-timers.
that there was something sinful about re-
moving the hat when within doors or i'm the
presence or a woman. The use of the titles.
rious offense. All these and many other
heresies are accepted by the Friend of to-
day
The modern Friend still clings 10 the
plain language. however Even those who
have married out of meeting, or strayed
into other theological folds or are wholly
given over 10 the pompS and vanities of the
outside world. are apt to keep the Friendly
speech. After the German fashion, il is
thee and thy" in the home and to the
family, however much you may be used
elsewhere. This fexibility with respect to
the pronoun and its verb is an interesting
trait.
He will say "thee" 10 a member of his
family and straightway turn to an outsider
and address him as you, and the stricter
Thou" is almost never heard. The Ian
guage of the modern Friend is thus un-
grammatical. He habituaIly uses the OBJ
jective form in the nominative case, but it
seems hardly likely that the thou will
ever be reinstated.
Sometimes the plain speech Of the mod
ern Friend appears to more appropriate
advantage than others. A party of them
who sought 10 while away the weary hours
OF travel by game of cards found them
selves the objects of much interest among
their fellow passengers.
The ties of blood are as strongly cher
iShed among modern Friends among the
old-tmers. The second, third and even
fourth degrees of cousinship are still
counted There are two sects of Friends.
the Hicksites and the orthodox. The lat
ter agree upon nearly all points with the
Evangelical Christian churches. The former
have pretty much the same faith as Uni
CURED about the middle of the present
century. When Friends become members
of other denominations it has been noticed
that they are apt 10 go TO the other theo-
logical extreme. and so become Roman
Catholics High Church Episcopalians.
A great many of the Hicksite branch, how
ever, have turned to Unitarianism.
gradual development of the sense of
humor among Friends has undoubtedly done
much TO disintegrate the society. The hu-
NOR of the individual found il hard work
TO accept much of what the body took all
too seriously. The fundamental principles
of Quaker doctrine have exerted wide in
fuence ill the thinking world. Not so all
that they involve. however. Liberty of
speech Is one of their, pet policies. That
means that any so-called crank may
arise and air his theories at their religious
meetings. There are many able and elo-
Friends but the others have just the same
privileges. The evils of tea and coffee
drinking. the iniquity OF using pepper and
salt and the gaudy sinfulness of a neigh
boris red flower pots have been themes of
discourse.
Friends are dligent promoters of educa-
ton. Every westinghouse of any preten-
sions has its day school attached. These
institutions. The scholars are obliged to
attend meeting every fifth day.
The old Friends regard the occasion as an
opportunity TO instruct the young. Their
ideas of such Instruction are sometimes
rather curious.
A well-meaning old Quaker once arose
and said that he wished TO speak to his
little hearers about a crime, a most repre-
hensibe crime. that they were one and all
in the habit of committing, and that he felt
sure they would agree with him was about
the worst on record.
pay sufficient attention TO this evil. 1t
should, however be brought to the notice
of all, so wicked is it's practice and SO ter
suddenly dropping into a conversational
tone "the biting of finger nails"