s giving
place to the modern practice of wives in series.

The story is told that a dear Shaker brother once fell from grace
and disappeared in the maelstrom of the carnal world; in a few
years he came back as penitent as he was penniless, with strange
accounts of how men had fleeced him of all he possessed save the
clothes--none too desirable--on his back. Men were so scarce that
the credulous sisters and charitable deacons voted to accept his
tales as true and receive him once more into the fold.

It was in 1770, while in prison in England, that Ann Lee claimed
to have had a great revelation concerning original sin, wherein it
was revealed that a celibate life is a condition precedent to
spiritual regeneration. Her revelation may have been biased by the
fact that she herself was married, but not comfortably.

In 1773, on her release from prison, another revelation told her
to go to America. Her husband did not sympathize with the celibacy
proposition, left "Mother Ann," as she was then known, and went
off with another woman who was unhampered by revelations. This was
the beginning of desertions which have continued ever since, until
the men are reduced to a corporal's guard.

The principles of the Shakers, barring celibacy, are sound and
practical, and, so far as known, they live up to them quite
faithfully. Like the original Oneida community, they believe in
free criticism of one another in open meetings. They admit no one
to the society unless he or she promises to make a full confession
before others of every evil that can be recalled,--women confess
to women, men to men; these requirements make it difficult to
recruit their ranks. They are opposed to war and violence, do not
vote, and do not permit corporal punishment. They pay their full
share of public taxes and assessments and give largely in charity.
Their buildings are well built and well kept, their farms and
lands worked to the best advantage; in short, they are industrious
and thrifty.

Communism is one of those dreams that come so often to the best of
mankind and, lingering on through the waking hours, influence
conduct. The sharp distinctions and inequalities of life seem so
harsh and unjust; the wide intervals which separate those who have
from those who have not seem so unfair, that in all ages and in
all countries men have tried to devise schemes for social
equality,--equality of power, opportunity, and achievement.
Communism of some sort is o