swine which was called filthy. He asks why pigs are more so than
beeves. He says when the dietary restrictions first came out he
said little; but when they began to assume a more serious aspect
he "spoke out strongly and plainly to the Ministry and apparently
soured the feelings of Eldress Ruth and Eldress Asenath to him...
which has brought deep tribulation on my mind." Burgee Is to
recant would be hypocrisy- He recalls Mother Lucy said "I am
thankful that I have no superstitious notions of religion to pre-
vent my enjoying the many things which God has created for the
benefit of man."
Having spoken his mind about diet rules and Devil-inspired spirit
messages, he goes on in this same paper to say that he disap-
proved of their "fancy store which is a lure hung out to draw the
genty who come by coachloads. They go in the store and purchase
a few articles and then they seem to feel that they have
purchased a right and we ought to let them go round wherever
they please and it is a very difficult matter to hinder them.
They will stroll around in companies, generally highly dressed,
males and females walking together with their arms locked,
occasionally popping into the kitchen or some shop or work place,
where they can find some young females; they will then improve
their chances by bringing up the subject of marrying; and wonder
that such ^ likely young woman can content themselves to live as
we do when if they would go away they might procure for them-
selves likely husbands, etc."
In November 1851 he made another of his trips, this time to the
Eastern Shaker communities alone. First he went to Enfield, N.H.
qtriyprl nvrn1 g^"1". Tfrp n^xt di^y he air.riAgs^--a*fe^n4ldr~&R, and
was shown through the Great Stone Building from bottom to top
and "found it to be a stupendous structure."
But equally fascinating to him was their churn which,
through a center tin shaft, introduced bubbles in cream, and
thus with the same amount of cream, produced more butter--i.e. 9
Ibs. vs. 7 Ibs. or 24 Ibs. vs. 20 Ibs. (Is this today's "whipped
butter"?) In the evening meeting he told them stories of the
western country and answered their questions "and so conversed
for a long time" before putting away their chairs and going forth
in a march and exercising in the quick manner.
The next day at Sabbath meeting in the dwelling, he was surprised
when, as he explains, ^they seated me at the head of the meeting
*^as though I was a minister and wanted that I should tell them
some stories and the like. Now as I did not feel well to have
them discover as I have much bondage about me, I gathered up
all the fortitude that I could muster and related my experiences-
-the great difference between those who were willing to give up
all for the gospel by making a full sacrifice of all their carnal
desires and appetites, and those who hang on to that which
gospel forbids, etc."
On Monday, he went to Canterbury for a few days; then to Alfred
and New Gloucester, Maine. He spent a day in Boston looking
around before going to to Harvard. On Sunday he attended both