she pointed out, slept together
in one of the bedrooms which the children had seen upstairs, and had
very "good times" after the lights were out, whispering to each other
and planning what they would do when they were old enough to do any
thing. Sister Orphah, too, had a scheme for returning to the world's
people--perhaps they might go together. The idea of these "good times"
rather tickled Eyebright's imagination. For a few minutes she
reflected that perhaps it might be a pleasant thing to come and join
the Shakers. She and sister Jane grew intimate so fast, and chattered
so merrily, that Bessie became jealous and drew near to hear what they
were saying, and presently one of the elder Shakeresses joined them,
and gently sent Jane away on an errand. Eyebright's chance for
confidences was over: but she had made the most of it while it lasted,
and that is always a comfort.

By the time that they had finished the round of the premises dinner
was ready,--welcome news; for the children were all very hungry. It
was spread in an enormous dining-room on two long tables. The men
Shakers sat at one table, and the women Shakers at the other. Miss
Fitch and her scholars were placed with the latter, and some of the
young sisters waited on them very neatly and quietly. Sister Jane was
one of these and she took especial care of Eyebright whom she seemed
to regard as a friend of her own. No one spoke at either table except
to ask for something or to say "thank you"; but to make up for this
silence, a prodigious amount of eating was done. No wonder, for the
dinner was excellent, the very best dinner, the children thought, that
they had ever tasted. There was no fresh meat, but capital pork and
beans, vegetables of all kinds, delicious Indian pudding, flooded with
thick, yellow cream, brown bread and white, rusk, graham gems,
oat-meal and grits, with the best of butter, apple-sauce,
maple-molasses, and plenty of the richest milk. Every thing was of the
nicest material, and as daintily clean as if intended for a queen.
Miss Fitch praised the food, and Sister Samantha, who looked pleased,
said they tried to do things thoroughly, "as to the Lord." Miss Fitch
said afterward that she thought this was an admirable idea, and she
wished more people would try it, because then there would be less bad
cooking in the world, and less saleratus and dyspepsia. She said that
to be faithful and thorough in every thing, even in getting dinner
ready, was