rop," said Miss Fitch, and
she repeated these verses about a crow, which amused the children
greatly.

"Where are you bound to, you sooty-black crow?
What is that noise which you make as you go?
You are a sad wicked thief, as I know,
Held by no honesty, keeping no law--
What do you say, sir?" The crow he said--
"Caw."

"Corn is still green, oh, you naughty, bad crow,
Wheat is not ripe in the meadow below.
What is your errand? I think it is low
Thus to be stuffing and cramming your maw,
Robbing the farmers!--" The crow he said--
"Caw."

"Bring me my gun. Now you sinful old crow,
Right at your back I take aim as you go.
You are a thief and the honest man's foe!
Therefore I shoot you." Click! Bang!--but, oh pshaw!
Off flew the crow, and he laughed and said--
"Caw."

By the time that the children had done giggling over the crow-rhymes,
the Shaker village was in sight, looking, against its back-ground of
green trees, like a group of nice yellow cheeses,--only the cheeses
were not round. All the buildings were cream-colored, and seemed
freshly painted, they were so very clean. The windows had no shutters,
but inside some of them hung blue paper shades to keep out the sun.
Every thing looked thrifty and in excellent order. The orchard trees
were heavy with half-grown apples and pears; the grass fields had been
newly cut, and nothing could be imagined neater than the vegetable
gardens which lay on one side of the houses. All the green things
stood in precise straight rows,--every beet, and carrot, and cucumber
with his hands in his own pocket, so to speak; none of that reaching
about and intruding on neighboring premises which most vegetables
indulge in; but every one at home, with a sedate air, and minding his
own business. Not a single squash-vine could be detected tickling
another squash-vine; each watermelon lay in the middle of his hill
with a solemn expression on his large face; the tomatoes looked
ashamed of being red; and only a suit of drab apiece seemed wanting,
to make the pumpkins as respectably grave as the other members of the
community. Two small boys, in wide-brimmed hats and legs of discreet
tint, were weeding these decorous vegetables. They raised their heads
and took one good stare as the big wagon rattled past, then