Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-11-05
CHAPTER 1.
Esther Speaks.

Of the hard, backless benches Of the
room in which our evening meetings
were held the room that rises before
me, even as 1 write, square, low, with
wooden beams, painted blue, crossing
the ceiling; many-paned windows,
shaded with spotless curtains, and a
floor absolutely shining with cleanli-
ness. Along the walls were rows Of
broad -brimmed hats hanging on con-
venient pegs, rows of faces also
some old and ugly, some fair and
young-men in homemade coats Of
long-ago pattern, with hair cut straight
across their ioreheads like the pictures
of the old Puritans; women in stiff.
white caps and neutral-tinted gowns,
brief of skirt plated thickly about the
waist, and fashioned expressly to con-
ceal all the grace and comeliness Of
the female figure-in short, the broth
ers and sisters of the Shaker commu-
nifty of Hadham, Of which /, Esther
Fox, aged sixteen, was a member.
Brother Silas was speaking. 1 tried
to get behind Mehitable that I might
escape his eyes; for, no matter upon
what subject he spoke, he always look
ed at me, and those black hollow orbs,
burning with half-smothered fire,
made my flesh creep. Now he was
denouncing the world and raving in
fierce, disconnected way about the
spiritual joys to be found in the pure
faith Of Mother Ann Lee. / listened
impatiently.
He was a young man, not more than
five and twenty, with the lean, fervid
face Of a fanatic. His cheek bones
were prominent, his hair was lank,
thin and red. To tell the truth, I de-
tested Brother Silas, and, in an mex
plicable way, also feared him.
drew nearer to Mehitable. Her
wrinkled face, with its rim Of iron
gray hair just visible under her stiff
cap, was like some placid nuns. She
was the only mother had ever known.
and / often wished she was less sanity,
for then she might have understood
me better.
Presently, in the very midst Of his
incoherent praise Of celibacy and the
life which the brothers and sisters led,
removed from the strife and ambi-
tions and sins Of the world, Brother
Silas began to shake like reed in the
wind. and to whirl violently about.
He is receiving new gift" whis-
pered Mehitable.
AS for me, thought he was going
mad. Round and round he went, like
a gigantic top, rolling his deep-set
eyes and waving his arms wildly, until,
dashing toward me at last without
word or sound, he fell in a writhing,
convulsed heap at my feet
The brothers picked him up and
loosed his necktie; the meeting closed
abruptly. 1 followed Mehitable out Of
the room and along a stone walk to
an adjoining building, where we slept.
The moon was rising upon Hadham
Lake. The monstrous cone Of Moose
Mountain stood up, black as ink,
against the pale, star-studded sky.
Betwixt the lake and chain Of wood
crowned hills lay the Shaker village
school and other buildings clustering
in this hot. midsummer night.
Hasten, Esther" said Mehitable.
What are you dreaming about, child?"
stopped to pick late rose from
beside the walk. 1t was as red as
blood and full of musky sweetness. l
fastened it in my calico kerchief.
"Mehitable, from my heart 1 wish 1
could have one glimpse of the great,
wicked world" l cried.
She looked shocked.
Esther, 1 greatly fear that your
heart is not yet regenerated. We have
been called to come out from among
them. and. like Abraham, to leave
your thoughts run after vanity. Re-
member you are a Shakeress." She
said this as II it was the next thing to
being a saint. Did you not hear what
Brother Silas said tonight about the
world?"
BY this time we had reached the
room where Mehitable and slept in
our small white beds side by side.
Yea" / answered, Il heard. l
think Brother Silas is crazy"
Crazy! For shame! He is a godly
mana shining light among u.s."
He looks at me so strangely" l
stormed. He frightens me-he makes
my blood run cold. l hate-I abhor
him."
"Nay-nay!" corrected Mehitable;
you must not say that. See that you
love the brethren and sisters always.
Hate is of Satan; love, of God. / can't
think what you mean by Brother
Silas's looks. You have a lively i'm
agination. Esther; turn your Thoughts
t. spiritual things"
/ flung off my Shaker cap. The rip
rles and curls in my hair were a great
cross to Mehitable, because she could
never comb them straight.
l sat down on the edge Of my small
bed. A miserable, hopeless feeling
rushed over me. My thoughts did not
take the direction suggested by Mehit-
able, but turned into channel which,
of late, they had much frequented.
"Mehitable," said, under my breath,
tell me about my mother"
"Eh?"
Tell me about my mother" re-
peated. striking my slim hands pas
siOnately together.
What can l tell you that you have
not heard hundred times already?'
II don't care. l am greedy to listen
to it all again"
Nay Esther. it can do you no good"
flung a pair of imperative arms
about her leathery neck.
Il will hear it. Mehitable, Begin.
She came to this village one winter
night-how long ago."
Fifteen years and six months"
She was footsore, sick and weary.