The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-08-09
A Vacation Among the Massachusetts,
Shakers.

Where viii YOU spend your vacation:
As warm weather advances. and even
IN Tie mild days of spring tins IS an
ott recurring question, the answer de
pending more upon The actual temporal
ment than The fancird requirements
Of the person concerned.
The necessities Of life are few: the
conventionahties are many and burden
some, and tie person who can strike
and keep the happy medium. gets the
most and best OF a contract made and
ended with all people alike. With the
above sermonette in mind, the writer
laid her plans.
In The central part of the state OF
Massachusetts,, in the towns of HaG-
ward and Shirley, situated on high land.
live a community OF Shakers, members
Of a religious denomination founded in
Manchester. England, about the mid
die OF the .>th century. They are So
called, popularity from the agitations
OF movements which form part OF their
religious ceremonial It's members call
themselves. The United Society o.
Believers in Christs Second Appear
ing. which hey maintain took place in
100 through Mother Ann Lee, their
founder, and continued il those who
embraced her testimony They hold
HAT God is male and female and that
he has given 10 man four revelations:
through the patIiarchs as the Great
Spirit: through the law Of Moses and
tie prophets as Jehovah; through
Christ and tie primitive disciples as
the Father. and through Ann Lee and
her successors as tie Eternal Mother,
the last 10 be continuous They prac-
tise oral confession. celibacy and com
muuity OF goods and hold the doctrines
of non-resistance and uon-participation
in any earthly government. They wear
a peculiar dress. and engage chiefly il
agriculture. especially N the proIuc-
ION OF herbs. and the manufacture of
simple articles. such as brooms and
mats. Their principal settlement, IS al
New Lebanon, y. I. where they have
been since about I77o. There are also
colonies in OHIO. Mother Ann Lee
came to Massachusetts il -71-, preach
ing her doctrine through tie state, and
founding tie Harvard community.
Admitted 70 their private life, We
found them most desirable ueighbors,
their little village a model OF cleanli-
ness. their manufactures OF baskets
and souvenirs thorough and reliable,
and their butter, milk and eggs of the
best. They are interesting 10 meet
and thoroughly appreciate joke, and
their yea and nay" in conversation
carries all the conviction of Matt. 81,
while their doctrine of non-resistance
lends a peacefulness and consideration
70 their simple lives which is beautiful
to see.
4 visit to their cemetery told the pa
thetic side of their history; long rows
Of simple grave-maTks exactly alike
showing that by far the greater part OF
their colony have passed beyond, while
the extreme ages, so noticeable on each
plain piece of iron, attested to the value
in years of their simple lives. Pathetic,
too, is the thought that, in the nature
of their belief, few years at most will
see the passing away of their sect, so
true it is that if one WithdrawS from
the worlds people the worlds people
are very apt TO withdraw from them.
The Massachusetts community owns
and controls 1900 acres of land and be-
cause OF their diminishing numbers,
owing TO a lapse in the custom of adopt
ing homeless children and young people
to replenish their colony, they acknowl.
edge themselves land poor and vel
coined an opportunity to sell a few
+ acres. even 20 those not OF the faith
/ Thus began our vacation. The pur-
chase made and the deed signed by
some half dozen OF the trustees of the
community, plans We're projected for a
summer home among them with feel
ing that we were to be in good CON-