242 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



matter of fact, it is ; for many of the farmers of this part 

 (remember that I am writing of a period long past) would 

 be put to great straits if the saints refused their work. 



With regard to outside charity, I do not think the 

 saints ever refuse it. They obey all the precepts of 

 Christ in a literal sense. " Give to him that asketh of 

 thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not 

 away." I am sure that a Shaker would carry out that 

 command in a thoroughly literal way. But there are 

 no beggars in America, except those of the six-shooter, 

 tender-foot type; and these gentlemen, I ascertained, 

 never by any chance show their face on the settlement. 

 Why they do not I cannot tell, but I can guess. A 

 tender-foot has as much dread of a sermon as he has of 

 the gallows.^ 



I did not come to Lebanon in the first place out of 

 idle curiosity, but was brought here by an eccentric 

 friend who took a great interest in the community and 

 ultimately joined it. Perhaps owing to this circum- 

 stance we were entertained by an elder, who was living 

 with other officers, in a house that was certainly much 

 too large for their requirements. The place was well 

 but plainly furnished ; and though its chief occupant 

 was one of the principal leaders and preachers of this 

 society, there was no bookcase,, nor more than half-a- 

 dozen religious books and Bibles in the house. In reply 

 to my inquiry if he ever read any of the masterpieces of 



1 A tramp whom I met not many miles from Lebanon Springs told the 

 following anecdote : " I went up to an old slab-sides [Quaker] and told 

 him that if he didn't give me a new shirt I'd raise hell among his stacks. 

 He brought me out two good shirts and a pair of breeches, ' for,' said he, 

 ' I see you want them. Come in and have some food ; and here is a trifle 

 for your future wants.' While I was eating the dinner his old woman 

 gave me, he said: 'Friend, when thou wast a boy, did thy mother teach 

 thee to pray ? ' I didn't like that, somehow, and so didn't answer ; and 

 he continued: ' If she did, try to remember her prayer, and the Lord have 

 pity on thee.' What he said made me feel so bad that I couldn't take 

 them things ; and when I was leaving, and he said, ' God bless thee, 

 friend,' I would have given all I'm worth if he had changed it to ' G — 



d thee.' I never was so near six-shootering myself as I was that 



night." 



