Part 14 (1/2)
The floor of the a.s.sembly room was astonis.h.i.+ngly bright and clean, so that I imagined it had been recently laid. It had, in fact, been used twenty-nine years; and in that time had been but twice scrubbed with water. But it was swept and polished daily; and the brethren wear to the meetings shoes made particularly for those occasions, which are without nails or pegs in the soles, and of soft leather. They have invented many such tricks of housekeeping, and I could see that they acted just as a parcel of old bachelors and old maids would, any where else, in these particulars--setting much store by personal comfort, neatness, and order; and no doubt thinking much of such minor morals. For instance, on the opposite page is a copy of verses which I found in the visitors'
room in one of the Shaker families--a silent but sufficient hint to the careless and wasteful.
Like the old monasteries, they are the prey of beggars, who always receive a dole of food, and often money enough to pay for a night's lodging in the neighboring village; for they do not like to take in strangers.
The visiting which is done on Sunday evenings is perhaps as curious as any part of their ceremonial. Like all else in their lives, these visits are prearranged for them--a certain group of sisters visiting a certain group of brethren. The sisters, from four to eight in number, sit in a row on one side, in straight-backed chairs, each with her neat hood or cap, and each with a clean white handkerchief spread stiffly across her lap. The brethren, of equal number, sit opposite them, in another row, also in stiff-backed chairs, and also each with a white handkerchief smoothly laid over his knees. Thus arranged, they converse upon the news of the week, events in the outer world, the farm operations, and the weather; they sing, and in general have a pleasant reunion, not without gentle laughter and mild amus.e.m.e.nt. They meet at an appointed time, and at another set hour they part; and no doubt they find great satisfaction in this--the only meeting in which they fall into sets which do not include the whole family.
TABLE MONITOR.
GATHER UP THE FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN, THAT NOTHING BE LOST.--Christ.
Here then is the pattern Which Jesus has set; And his good example We cannot forget: With thanks for his blessings His word we'll obey; But on this occasion We've somewhat to say.
We wish to speak plainly And use no deceit; We like to see fragments Left wholesome and neat: To customs and fas.h.i.+ons We make no pretense; Yet think we can tell What belongs to good sense.
What we deem good order, We're willing to state-- Eat hearty and decent, And clear out our plate-- Be thankful to Heaven For what we receive, And not make a mixture Or compound to leave.
We find of those bounties Which Heaven does give, That some live to eat, And that some eat to live-- That some think of nothing But pleasing the taste, And care very little How much they do waste.
Tho' Heaven has bless'd us With plenty of food: Bread, b.u.t.ter, and honey, And all that is good; We loathe to see mixtures Where gentle folks dine, Which scarcely look fit For the poultry or swine.
We often find left, On the same china dish, Meat, apple-sauce, pickle, Brown bread and minc'd fish; Another's replenish'd With b.u.t.ter and cheese; With pie, cake, and toast, Perhaps, added to these.
Now if any virtue In this can be shown, By peasant, by lawyer, Or king on the throne, We freely will forfeit Whatever we've said, And call it a virtue To waste meat and bread.
Let none be offended At what we here say; We candidly ask you, Is that the best way?
If not--lay such customs And fas.h.i.+ons aside, And take this Monitor Henceforth for your guide.
[VISITORS' EATING-ROOM, SHAKER VILLAGE.]
Since these chapters were written, Hervey Elkins's pamphlet, ”Fifteen Years in the Senior Order of the Shakers,” printed at Hanover, New Hamps.h.i.+re, in 1853, has come into my hands. Elkins gives some details out of his own experience of Shaker life which I believe to be generally correct, and which I quote here, as filling up some parts of the picture I have tried to give of the Shaker polity and life:
”The spiritual orders, laws, and statutes, never to be revoked, are in substance as follows: None are admitted within the walls of Zion, as they denominate their religious sphere, but by a confession to one or more incarnate witnesses of every debasing and immoral act perpetrated by the confessor within his remembrance; also every act which, though the laws of men may sanction, may be deemed sinful in the view of that new and sublimer divinity which he has adopted. The time, the place, the motive which produced and pervaded the act, the circ.u.mstances which aggravated the case, are all to be disclosed. No stone is to be left unturned--no filth is suffered to remain. The temple of G.o.d, or the soul, must be carefully swept and garnished, before the new man can enter it and there make his abode. (Christ, or the Divine Intelligence which emanated from G.o.d the Father, transforms the soul into the new man spoken of in the Scriptures.)
”Those who have committed deeds cognizable by the laws of the land, shall never be admitted, until those laws have dealt with their transgressions and acquitted them.
”Those who have in any way morally wronged a fellow-creature, shall make rest.i.tution to the satisfaction of the person injured.
”Wives who have unbelieving husbands must not be admitted without their husbands' consent, or until they are lawfully released from the marriage contract, and vice versa. They may confess their sins, but cannot enter the sacred compact.
”All children admitted shall be bound by legal indentures, and shall, if refractory, be returned to their parents.
”There shall exist three Orders, or degrees of progression, viz.: The Novitiate, the Junior, and the Senior.
”All adults may enter the Novitiate Order, and then may progress to a higher, by faithfulness in supporting the Gospel requirements.
”When at the age of twenty-one, the Church Covenant is presented to all the young members to peruse, and to deliberate and decide whether or not they will maintain the conditions therein expressed. To older members it is presented after all legal embarra.s.sments upon their estates are settled, and they desire to be admitted to full fellows.h.i.+p with those who have consecrated _all._ And whoever, after having escaped the servility of Egypt, shall again desire its taskmasters and flesh-pots, are unfit for the kingdom of G.o.d; and in case of secession or apostasy shall, by their own deliberate and matured act (that of placing their signatures and seals upon this instrument when in the full possession of all their mental powers), be debarred from legally demanding any compensation whatever for the property or services which they had dedicated to a holy purpose.
”This instrument is legally and skillfully formed, and none are permitted to sign it until they have counted well the cost; or, at least, pondered for a time upon its requirements.
”Members also stipulate themselves by this signature to yield implicit obedience to the ministry, elders, deacons, and trustees, each in their respective departments of authority and duty.