Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. III.djvu/399

Rh waters, cakes of maple sugar, &c. And when on the following day we wished to pay for our entertainment, they replied, “we never take payment from our friends!” Nor would they receive the slightest sum.

A spacious travelling-wagon, with several seats, drawn by two fat horses, and driven by a stout Shaker-brother, whom no Shaker-dancing had been able to render less fat and jolly, made their appearance, and as some of the sisters said, that as it was good for their health to take a little exercise in the open air, they too drove with us to the railway station. A politeness could not possibly have been done in a more delicate or handsome manner.

And now behold us seated on buffalo-skins, Mrs. S. between two Shaker-sisters, and myself between two others, one of whom was the mild Lavinia, with two others seated behind us; and thus we take our way through the forest, whilst the Shaker-brother, a good-tempered, merry fellow, and the sisters' sing spiritual songs, some of which were very characteristic, as for instance:—

In this style we drove seven English miles through a solitary forest region; and in this style we arrived at the railway station. And here the sisters remained with us till the train came, amused by looking over the portraits and sketches in my sketching-books. As to paying anything for our journey hither, that was not to be thought of; “the sisters required exercise, and it had been a pleasure for them to be with us,” &c. It would not have been possible for people to behave with more naturally perfect delicacy than the Shaker-sisters behaved towards us. We separated with cordial shaking of hands. Many of these sisters evidently did not enjoy good health. I ascribe this less to their