The " Shakers" in the New Forest seem to be
undergoing a very painful trial of their faith. It seems that these persons, who hold curious views as to the immorality of selling their own pro- ducts to the world, though they do not object to buy at times what they need,—therein grounding themselves on the example of Christ—had a large house and thirty acres of good land near Lymington, purchased with the money of a lady of property, Miss Wood, who joined their community a year or two ago. Their leader is a Mrs. Girling, and they are sometimes called Girlingites. With their peculiar views, they have very naturally failed in the management of this land, have had to mortgage it, did not pay the interest on the mortgage, and on Tuesday, no notice having been taken by them of the writ of ejectment, the community were ejected by the sheriff's officers, and sat quietly down by the roadside to wait for the Lord's help, on which they entirely rely. There are 140 of these poor people in all, and they are now permitted to make use of a barn as a shelter from the cold weather, for they do not seem to intend making any effort for their own living. Apparently they worked for themselves, while they still held the property, though not to much effect ; but they cannot fall into the world's ways of work, and would rather wait for the end than do so. It is a strange and perhaps the most painful of all kinds of superstition to see at work,—this absolute quietism, which stands aside for God to intervene without any result but the enduring silence. Evidently these Shakers are a pure and harmless folk.
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