ed with its work, appreciably
weakened the group. But in the thirteen years of its influence, it
united the whole community in the formation of a church, to some of
whose services came all the Protestant population; in whose membership
were representatives of all groups of the Protestant residents; and
which was able at least once a year to call the Catholics also together
at Christmas festivities.

To this group of leaders a guarded, though at times cordial following
was given by Orthodox Friends, the Hicksite group, the farmer class,
laborers, Catholics and Protestants, and summer people. It was generally
inert and negative in spirit, seldom actively loyal. At its best it was
willing that leaders should lead and pay the price, and be more admired
than upheld. At its worst it was alert to private and blind to public
interests, peevish of change, incapable of foresight.

I do not think that Quaker Hill people have much expectation of benefit
from social life. They are habitually skeptical of its advantages,
though eager to avail themselves of those advantages when proven. Almost
every person on the Hill, however, is a member of some secret society,
to which he is drawn by anticipations of economic advantage, or of moral
culture.

Nor can I say that there is prompt or general reaction to wrongdoing,
either of one or of many. I might illustrate with two cases. In one a
rich man perverted a public trust, openly, to his own advantage; and a
conspiracy of silence hedged his wrong about. In the other, a youth
entered in one winter every house on the Hill in succession, and there
was no one to detect or to punish him.

The Hill does not exhibit the highest type of social response in the
recognition of impersonal evil, in the quest of knowledge, or in free
discussion. Almost two centuries of dogma-worship, with its
contemplation of selected facts, has made it now impossible to secure
from one thoroughly socialized in the spirit of the place the exact
truth upon any matter. It seems to be reserve which conceals it, but it
is rather the effect of continued perversion of the sense of right and
wrong, and indifference to knowledge for its own sake.

The ideal of the common mind of Quaker Hill is the practice of inner and
immaterial religion. It looks for the effects of certain dogmas, effects
expressed in emotions, convictions, experiences. The ideal contains no
thought of the community or of its welfare. It is purely individu