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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1878)
THE WEST SHORE. July. 158 WHO KNOWS? HV J. T. MORRISON. Who kiiows what life i o'er the nileut river, What fertile brain can guess of the beyond Are a.m and heart-achea known no more forever, D m sympathetic soul to soul respond ( Do flowers bloom beyond the silent river, Ttair fragrance till the air with sweet perfume 'Jire loving friuiidn united there forever, Are there no broken Ubs beyond the tomb P Are hill-tops green beyond the silent river, Do cooling shadows rest beneath the true Are clouds and darkness banished there forever, And t (import changed to gentle fanning breeze Are there DO tears beyond the silent river, Will only gladness from their fountains How r When we have crossed life's path to tread forever, That now we hope we then fMTAejM shall know, I Tit Ac a, N. Y., July 1, 1878. AN Ol'TSMlKK IN "OUAKM MEETING." 'rfiiocting. I his is ft revcUliwn to fltld as r ; iiyik iif j lit ui("i tuHateiti cents who, doubtless in the seclusiot bV AlOUSTA AI.I.KN. It is Sunday morning in the glorious spring-time. The air is balmy ami sweet with the breath of buds and blossoms, as I bend my steps toward the place ni' worship, It is a half hour earlier than the time named for service to begin, but I wish to look about) without Seeming rude. As I open the wicket gate, and step into the yard I am struck with the contrast between this and other churches. No massive columns, no graceful arches, nor point ed gables excite the admiration of the beholder and no steeple point skyward. The church is one story in height, brown in color and as plain as a build big can be made. It is half sur rounded by a wide porch, at each -end of which is a dressing room, where superfluous wrappings may be left. One of these rooms is fur ttltlhed with chairs and a stove. 1 ask the j tnltor the use of the little sit ing fOOrn, and he tells me, that it is for the accommodation of mothers, wlose crying ehildrerT disfurthe peace of the ' shotting. This is fl revelation to me, smn ot this spAf.have been religiously spanked iitto pi oper tl Kirst-day" silence, I smother a sigh, and pass out to view the sin i mindiugs. There arc se oral hi the plain board fence, and each of the si- ii tilled with a platform just thigh enough to enable the dear old people tn step with ease from the ve hicles in which they come. Prom the platform are steps leading down into the yard. Outside, are hitching posts, and ov er many of these, shed?, are built for the protection of the horses from hot lunihlnfl or pelting storms. "Sure ly," 1 think, "A merciful man is mer ciful to his beast." Just back of the church is the grave yard, with a feel fag of solemnity 1 enter it. Where are the snowy marble sbibs, the richly tinted monumental and the costly vaults that We .lie wont to see in the silent cities of the dead? Where the epi taphs, i'i which stricken ones eek In make known the loving appteciatlon, which toe often finds upon the cold -.tone its first expression. Grasty tmouniltnnd uncarved, unlettered -.tunes -in. nk t!ie grave. Loving hands have planted flowers upon some of them; and old mother Nature has here reared many monuments in the form of great trees, among whose branches the Spring breCtes softly whisper. Perhaps they breathe the names of the departed; here is missing that distinction between the graves of the rich and poor, which is so pall' fully apparent in other ceme teries; for the grass is just a-blight in tint above one as another, and the golden sunbeams lend their radiance alike W alii I find here much food for ihuuht, but my meditations are cut ihort b carriage wheels, the noise of which tells me that the congregation fat began to aaeetnblci No bell with its deep, solemn tones, tells these peo ple that the hour for worship is at hand. Worldly, indeed, they think, must be the Christian, who require an outward call to the house of God. Thoughtfully I "retrace my steps to the church and humbly take a back seat, where, unobserved, I can satisfy the curiosity which, I confess, has brought me hither. The interior is as barren of ornament as the exterior. The walls and ceiling are white as snow, and the pine floor vies with them in purity. The wood work is painted drub, and the seats arc clad in the same sombre hue. The glass in the win dows is unstained, and no dark shutters exclude the rays of the sun. There is no pulpit; but, facing the part of the room to be occupied by the main con gregation, are eight benches reaching clear across the room, each rising one step higher than the preceding one. These seats have high backs, and are cushioned with grey cloth. Reaching lengthwise through the centre of the room is a wooden partition arranged to slide up or down at pleasure. At present, it is thrown open as wide as possible, and reaches from the Moor just to my shoulder as I sit. Hut the congregation is assembling, and claims my whole attention. I notice that the young people take the back seats nearest the door; the middle-aged, the front seats; while the old folks occupy the slightly elevated scats, of which I have spoken. All take their places with a silence befitting the occasion. There is no restless turning of hymn book leaves, for no books are here; no impatient waiting for the music to begin, for choir and organ are alike unknown in this place. I notice that the partition of which I made mention, separates the men from tie women, The old ladies are clothed in bplailtest colors drab, bron and black. Thc drTrss is full and untritmned. Over the shoulders is pinned a snowy kerchicf which is folded and crossed upon the breast, extending to the waist. Over this is worn a shawl or cape the same shade as the dress. The hair is put smoothly back beneath a white cap, and over this is worn the drab bonnet, made of silk, shaped very much like the shaker sunbonnet, worn a few years ago, and still occasionally to be seen. The bonnet is lined with white silk, and forms a fit frame for the placid face which looks calmly from the depths thereof upon the things of the outer world. I take the liberty to peep over the partition, and notice that the men, too, are clad in drabest drah, with cutaway coats and high vests, something after the style of one hun dred years ago; while upon their beads the broad-brimmed hats ( unremoved during worship, exactly like the pic tures which I have always supposed to be caricatures. But here they are be fore me, painful realities, wholly lack ing in beauty and comfort; there is but one redeeming trait about them, and that is their color, which I confess, docs not dazzle the eyes with its brilliancy. j The bonnetl worn by the matrons : and young women are not sp deep as those already described, more Bating in form and shirred. The hair is plainly coiled or braided. The dress is plain yi color and innocent of (luting, rutlle or overskirt, while a neat linen collar fin ishes the neck. No jewelry of any kind is to be seen, and the brightest color visible is in. the cheeks and eves of the pretty girls, some of whom wear their cunning little bonnets with a jaunty grace, winch betrays the WoridllnCM of the wearer in spite of the Quaker garb. Right before me sits a rouguish Miss from whose auburn tresses gleams a scarlet ribbon, w hich I know to have been smuggled there when father and mother were not observing. At the throat of a black-eyed maid, with dim ples on cheek and chin, I see a knot of pink, the envy of her neighbors, as their little frowns tell me, and the admira tion of the youths just over the parti tion, as their stolen glances testify. I look out of the window at the green grass all a-sparkle with gems of dew; at the wild rose turning their bright petals to the blue sky, and I wonder what would be the effect if God had made the grass black, the flowers drab, and the sky "ombre brown. A robin, with the brightest sunshine on his red bfeast, hops upon the porch, and a golden hemp bird sways upon a twig near by. I turn to look again at the girls, and to thank our Father that this heaven-born love for the brightly beau tiful cannot be crushed out of young hearts. There is perfect silence in the room. As I look about on the down cast eyes and thoughtful faces, some thing of that same spirit of quiet and rest steals into my own heart, and as I realize that we are a people waiting before the Lord for his blessing, the feeling deepens into solemnity, and I feel that the King of Glory is indeed in our midst. The very atmosphere breathes of love, and tends to lift us nearer to the Author of holiness. A mother in Israol rises, and removing the bonnet from her head, breaks the solemn silence thus: "The swords shall be beaten into ploughshares and, the spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war anymore." With her bands of snowy hair, her sweet placid face, she seems the very personification of Peace, as her soft voice rises and falls in that musical, half singing tone. She says naught of the horrors of war, but th discourse is all concerning the joys of peace; and she tells us of the bright world, where there shall be tlti tyVtr.Offjtrife, bnt per fect and everlasting peace, for "The Lamb is the light thereof." Again the deep silence falls upon us, and it seems to me that the wings of the Angel of Peace are hovering above us, that the very stillness breathes the ex quisite harmony of the glorious old anthem, " Peace on earth, good will to men ! " I hear the birds among the branches just outside, pouring out their little voices in glad praises to God, but I feel that hcrt each soul is in communion with its Maker, and that such worship transcends any which the tongue could ofler. At last the selemn stillness is broken by a tiny rustling sound, and looking up, I see that the venerable couple, who occupy the highest seats nearest the partition, have turned each to the nearest friend, extending the right hand; and now all through the little church, such a handshaking be gins as I never before witnessed; and the air is filled with the subdued mur mur of cheery voices. In this social feast even " the stran ger within the gates" is not forgotten; but many are the warm hands which grasp mine in cordial welcome, while soft voices ask, u How art thou ?" And one after another says, "Thou art a stranger in our midst, wilt thou go home w ith nie and have dinner rM As the congregation lingers, loth to de part, I miss the young people, and looking out, see the youths and maidens gathered in little groups on the green, chatting and laughing with a freedom which I am surprised to see upon a "first day," and at meeting. Rut why should it not be thus ? Our Heavenly Father has implanted in voung hearts this love ot innocent mirth, and so I rejoice with them that the cruel par tition does not extend outside the church door. At last the carriages are brought to the platforms, the farewells are exchanged, and I realize that for to-day " meeting " is over. As I thoughtfully turn my face homeward, I contrast what I to-day have seen with the Sunday worship in our fashionable churches where poor people dare not go, where piped organs and hired singers praise the Lord for the congre gation, the members of which vie with each other in costly style of dress and studied grace of posture, and who after service hasten from the church as if its very atmosphere proves stifling, spend ing nut a moment m friendly inter change of sentiment; leaving stran gers, who have v a ulered in, to feel that even among so-called Christian brethren exists an indifference, and a coldness, which chills the heart, I shall carry to-day's revelation with me through life, that the thought of it may afford a spiritual feast, when for a moment I am tempted to believe that the world holds naught that is pure and real. And so my heart swells with praise to God for this sweet experience of an outsider in a "Quaker meet THE EATON SETTLEMENT, CLARKE COUNTY, W. T. To those who design settling upon railroad or government lands in this county, I-know of no better opportuni ties than may be found in and around the Eaton settlement. It is situated on the north side of the East fork of Lewis river, and is about eight miles cast of La Centre, and five miles north east of StOUghton, the nearest trailing point and steamboat landing. Here the pioneer is not compelled to grapple with the huge and stubborn fir tree in the work of opening, 'up a hewirtfljra There are extensive tracts of 'swale, land in' its stead, covered with a dense growth of brush, which, bcingIashctl and burned at the proper time, j com- , parativny easy to clear, ' The soil is remarkably rich and productive, free from rocks and gravel, and easily drained and brought under cultivation. The prarie and beaver-dam land is still more readily brought under subjection, and the advantage of securing even a small portion of these lands described must be obvious to everyone acquainted with opening a farm in this country. There is a beautiful little stream called Rock Creek, flowing through this set tlement, that should not be passed un noticed. It rises in the neighboring hills, and being fed by numerous springs, it never dries. During the larger portion of the year, it has suffi cient volume of water to afford good mill privilege, and a sawmill (raj doubtless be erected here at no distant day. But these arc not the only in ducements that are held out to the set tler here. It is a quiet, peaceful anil : prosperous neighborhood, remarkably free from those prejudices, jealousies j and personal animosities, that blight j the prospect, mar the peace, and stifle the growth of some communities. The 'school advantages here are also com Iparatively good. A Sabbath school. I well attended and having about fifty members is another evidence ot u morality and public spirit manifested here. If any should wish to go to this locality in search of land, 1 respectfully refer them to Jos. EaU, who will cheerfully give them all the information desired. He is an old n' dent, a reliable man, and will verify tP statements in this article. Oft couver Register. A Salem chap dreamed for twenty consecutive nights that he was carriage riding, and couldn't imajfDt any reason for the fact until he discov ered that his bed was a little buggj".