Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. III.djvu/434

Rh youths and young girls, all with artistically formed wreaths of leaves around their heads. To these the good Marcus, also, now associated himself. A more beautiful group, or a more gay dinner scene it would not be easy to find. The dishes were simple, but remarkably excellent, and well-served. There was neither wine, nor the drinking of toasts, nor yet songs, but a cheerful, soft murmur of kindly conversing voices was heard uninterruptedly during the whole meal, and mingled itself with the pleasantly fanning breezes, with the sight of all those cheerful healthy countenances, and those lovely young people who floated round the tables like beautiful, beneficent, ministering spirits, all united to make this meal-time more festal than any could have been with sparkling champagne and music.

A great improvement had taken place in the Phalanstery, since I had been there two years before. A new house had been built, and besides the large hall which they then had, another had been erected called “the Little Joy.” The kitchen had been furnished with steam apparatus for cooking, which was a great saving not only of time and labour, but of expense, both in cooking and washing. Mr. Arnold, formerly the minister and farmer, was now the President of the Phalanstery, and his constructive brain had made itself useful as regarded the introduction of many excellent practical arrangements. The members of the association had now increased to one hundred persons, and many families had erected small dwellings around the principal buildings, where they lived, probably in the same relationship to the Phalanstery as the family of my friends, watching with great interest the development of the institution.

After dinner, a portion of the company assembled in the Park, beneath some large shadowy trees. Large baskets of melons had been carried out, with which people were splendidly regaled. I have never seen anywhere such an