The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-07
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
ARTEMUs WARD ON THE sHAK-
 ERS
(Continued.)

lssT had now histed in as big a. load up pervishuns as could carry com commenst pickin Ny teeth with a fork The female went out 1eavin me alone with the clock. I hadn't sot thar long before the Elder poked his he'd in at the door. You're a man of sfns'' he sed an groaned and went away.
 DirekIys there cum in two young Shakers, as putty and slick Iookin gals as I ever met It is troo they were dress'd in meal bags like the old one I'd met previously, an their shiny, silky hair was hid from sight by long white caps. stch as l supposd female lsI 2 Josts wear; but their eyes sparkld like almonds, their cheeks wHz like Roses. aand they wuz charmin enuff to make a man throw stones at his grandmother, if they axed him to.
 They commenst clearin away the the time got excited. I forgot Bet sey Jane in my raptur. an sez I, my pretty dears, how air you ??
 We air wel1.'' they so1emnly sez
 s.Whar is the ole man?.' sed I. in a soft voice.
 Brother Uriah ?''
 s.He has retired 9 sez they.
 Wall, my pretty dears. sez I. sslets have some fun Let's play Fuss in the Corner. What say g
 'rAir you a Shaker. sir,'' they asxt
 eWan. my pretty dears, haven't arrayed my proud form in weskit yet; but if they wuz all like you, per- haps I'd join them AS it is I'm a Shaker pro temporary, sez T.
 They was full of fun Iseed that at fust, only they wuz a little skeery. I taHt lem Fuss in the Corner and sick like phase, and we had a nice time, keepin quite of course so the ole man couldn't hear. When we broke up, sez I, .sny pretty dears, ear I go you have no objections, hay you, to an innersent kiss as partin ?''
 s'Yay,', they sed, and YAY'Ds went upstairs to bed I spose I had bin snoozin half an hour when was wok up by 9 noise at~the door. ssot up in bed, 1eenin on my eIbers and rubbin my eyes, an saw the fol- 1oin picter- 4aThe Elder stood in the doorway, with a taller candle in his hand He hadn't no wearin apparel on except his nite close, which hut- tered in the breeze like a Seseshun flag. He sed, You're man of sin!' then groaned and went away.
 went to sleep again, and drempt of runnin orf with the pretty little Shakeresses, mounted on my Cali forny Bar. I thawt the Bar insisted on steerin strate for my dooryard /at i|Ba1dwinsvi1le, and that Betsy Jane cum out an give us a warm recepShun with a painful of billing water. I wuz woke up early by the Elder He sed refreshments was reddy fur me down stairs. Then sayin I Wuz a man of sin, he went groanin away.
 As wuz goin true the entry to the room where the vfttals wuz. cum across the Elder and the old female I'd met the nite before, and what dye spose they iwuz up to? Huggin and kissin like young lovers in their gush- ingist state Sez I. My Shaker frineds, reckon you'd better suspend the rules, and get married
 ou must excuse Brother Uriah,' '' ned the females Ines subject to fits and aint got no command over hisself when he's into 'em.''
 ..sartinly." sez I. .Tve been took that way frequent myself
 You're a man of sin!'' sez the Elder.
 Arter breakfast my little Shaker friends cum in again to clear away the dishes.
 My pretty dears. :. sez I. small we FAY again2''
 Nay" they sed, and NAY'D.
 (Conc1uded tonorrow.)
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