New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-04
IN SHAKER TOWN.
The Na~ueUous YouthffaAlr'ess OF Its
Women Astonishes Visitors.

~ omen ASJOT5JSftCS y totto' %
-Ec~ Do they keep go youngP'' was the first
c-,es-toa that aroee 20 the lips OF nearly every
WOMAN visitor at the peace convenuon OF lne
g,.L.-~ held az Mount Lebanon last week
~. Lara majority OF the Shaker women are
- o,s-seveoty or eighty years. the women
RI CIV or thsreabouts are the younger sls'e+s' -
eSu Of tn,s sisters really young women anu
.he,o are several girls in the community W.
h-vu heeu brought up there or nave c0iii7 -.
-. -.i.-.ves ana who have not yet reached tne
ar. rhsu they viii decide whether 10 Joii- 'No
.o-,,,r,fty or 90 into the worLo
The average woman VISITOR gazes WIZ
.s4-,.ut al the women who make up the oo0y VI
-. So 1.bs,on community. Nearly all Of them
,rr gray haired. There Is no effort on ther pa1'
To presx-v. the appearance OF YOUTH Inc OF
6,,s-~ dress OF tie Shaker woman Is one mat eilH
~. .e.ct OF age especially The white kerchef neat
- ,,Isas over the breast which has been hers
<-o-, tine irnnenorial The white SHAKER caps
.l,o. which are longer prescr1neo par. oi INC
ooss,rn. but which ell the older sisters SILL Wen
,d6 much to the appearance OF age, Tbs prolonged
vorth Of tn. Shaker woman is not cue 10 o+eSs -.
- conscious effort II is natural and alsluoleo
ensot OF their mode OF life. The QUICK sP'lilsS
step the clear. bright eyes. the strong cree "a
riaSe the rrin- slim figures the GEAR ueI-0
.o,oolerfons and more than all, the mental sio
- - .-,-sxs.on >orb!ds any thought OF age N
.o-,.otIo, With the average Shaker sister OF
eighty years ..-a.. o,,+s
rra
a. old a. they E6ress Harriet Bulla-d- VINO Is a.
w. had Of the whole Shaker world, under whose
Judgment passes every change ara business ~
action Of Importance In the fourteen 0lsAe1 -,
rnu-,ttes. Il eighty years old She - La IS
-,or- Of the time among the different cornllIes'
,,- b.- horns Is with the church family OF MOUNT
T.bsnon When she is g: home she does as nuoh
actual manual work as any sister II Inc ooH
r,urt-y no matter WHAT her ege ohe I1hes 4iei
-,r, na-1 " the work OF the household and sne
and,
sb,Es- doll boune.s so extensively sold as Souvenirs
sigt.r Mary Hazard. 81 e!ghty-seven- was rlslhs
n e. ID a year TWO ago. ano peslccs Iiel i4a-4-
ua; work including q vast amount OF BASKET "ed'-
ing carried the entire nnano-ai 4nIeFeSIS VI 'e
sisters Of her family.
INTENSE ACTIVITY
vrto- asked Sister Catherine Allen. one Of
-bo.. i,S--1uental In calling the peace convention
eo- an e1planation Of this Characteristic intense
activity, physical and mental she replied we
notice that the less active among US VINO oesn
10 ase first
,h,.s !, the bowling wilderness without who work
from the cradle the grave, and are old at roFty.
"-Thea they ton't work under the right conci-
tionx" SAID They are not Interested III liiett
work Here every one works but no one over
vo-ks No one is burdened beyond his strength.
Association IN labor makes il interesting We al
WAYS work in good company And We are IN TOUCH
with all the great currents Of thought OF the Gay.
Leaders Of thought come TO Visit US livery Aa-'
brings US something new and in the family sitting
-ooro n the evening, always discuss something
,,..-.=-,,g in the current history Of the world
Sister Catherine offered the same explanation
'qntense activity for the thin, spare physique
,-.,.,1s-- among the sisters The scribe saw two
~ tire. stout women among the Shakers out mons
81 80. "a and nearly all without ounce
~ z,,arsr,o,1s flesh Yet their figures are singu-
lar trim and dainty. and there is abouT the whole
-.-sonaIitv o. TIL Shaker woman ar ezquisiteiy
NJ <uyt-r and
80 pnd white uniform in pattern, buv not in
color are the apotkeosis Of neatnesI- Their linen
is Ike the driven snow for vhiteness Inc snowy
kerchefs Of null silk. folded across thelr breasts
bring al manner Of suggestions OF ola lavender ana
r-srdr,ofherIy dafntiEess Shaker women are
DAINTY in the kitchen or scTgbblHs a nooE, i bqt
the Shaker passion FOR c-oarne5ss sly III 800
persons in their nousehec-+ns. ~ 80.
lands nails sre al exquisitely hept-1o. so easy
li- - ret,rt ~ cleaning scrubbing, cooking and
disvys sfine necessary in family OF forty persons
"'S e. LES re not vegetarians. although swine.
flesh along win t2 2 o1fb f5fIv is vegetarian
BUt Sister Catherine would not claim that me dleI
VS. 1esnorsble for either the proongation OF youJn
or rhe absence OF fat among the North iaInLy
women These, she said were e. sn1ea1 -
ance due 70 vegetarianisrn. she thought was
somewhat clearer complexion
EXQUISITE HOUSEKEEPING
AS the poet saw dream Of fair women so the
visitor to Mount Lebanon sees q dream Of FAR
housekeeping Such a radiance OF cleanliness, such
q1intessence OF spotless purity is not 10 be seen
o,tsi6e Of shaker Town. No floors are ike SHAKER
floors no windows Ike Shaker windows No gar
r.s are ike Shaker gsrrets. flied with faint. sweet
odors instead of rnusty smells. and with ancient
SHINING wheels and old, old handmade chests set
away under the caves An apostle Of the hand
maze would faint with delight vision OF Snaker
Tow interiors There is scarce object In lIls
greet buildings Of the North family which was not
Ynade h, fz-d and in the community
on the beds are delightful old linen covers woven
IN that ve-r house century ago.
A, the neace convention one of the older sisters
vyor. 2 Gown OF dull purp-sh shade the only one
- ~ Lat a visitor encountered some OF
-Lat ,Iotf IN the dressmaking room. Inquiry re
,-esleS ia fact that the Shakers stopped making
that nartfctiIar kind OF homespun forty-fVe years
sc I'D +he dress IS stili q meeting dress.
re Shsk.r women have three kinds OF Work;
rNr- l7ous@noId work, the various manufactures by
y.h5rS T1ey earn money to help support the com
fcl,s.,y aud The educa tionsl work. through when
tcv ~, 10 heIp progress Of civilization Lately
mis- cd1,ca ttonai work has taken d cennlte
for, IN tie establishing o. a Peace Bureau. unde-
N. sneciaI charge @. Sister Catherine Allen ana
Sister Amanda Deyo. Mrs Deyo has been for many
wars TTuiyersalist preacher This summer she
went 20 i've Mount Lebanon, and VIII hereafter
CONNECT the many activities ia which she has been
associated from THAI headquarters although she
is nor exactly 4 Shaker. The peace convention
vas INC ST achievement Of this bureau, and lis
eo-t hereafter will 10 Gu4cy 81 peace societies
an.i nlcTeu.enIs 50 that they may work in harmony
and with the power Of numbers. Agitation soI