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Show 4H TRAVELS THROUGH TilE UNITED STATES: brother Thomas, a liv ly fi-dh coloured little man, of about fifty yea rs of age, entered the room: he wa" drcfied in a plain blue coat and waifl:coat, brown cordcroy b··eeches, and a large round hat; there was goodnc[ s aml innocence in hi looks. and his manners were fo op n and unconflrained, that it wa, impoflibk not to become familiar with him at once. 'iVhen we were ready to fally forth, he placed himfe]f between two of us, and leaning on our arms~ and chatting without ceremony, he conducted us .fidl to the young women's houfe. Here we were fhewn into a neat parlour, whill1: brother Thom:1.s went to aik pcrmiilion for us to fcc the honfe. In a few minutes the fuperintendant herfelf came; brother Thomas introduced her to us, and accompanied by them both we vifited the diffi rent apartments. The. houtc is extenfive, and the paffages and fiair-cafcs are commodious and airy, but the work rooms are fmall, and to fuch a pitch we1 c they heated by fioves, that on entering into them at .firfl. we could fcarcely bn.:<lthe. The floves, which they ufe, are built in the German fl:yle. The fire is inclofcd in a large box or cafe formed of glazed tile , and the war.m air is thence conduCted, through flues, into fimilar large cafes placed in difl<.:rent parts of the room, by ,..,.bich means every part IS rendered eqnally w::-.rm. About a dozen females or more, nearly of the fame age~ were featcd at work in each apartment. The entrance of {hangers did not interrupt them in the leaft; they went on with their work, an l except the inijJeClrcfs, who never failed politely to rite :u d fpeal to us, they did not even feem. .. to take any not1ce of our being in the room. The drefs of the fifterhood, though not quite uniform, is very nearly f~. T.hey wear plain calico, linen, or fl:uff gowns, with aprons, and clofc t1ght hnen caps, made with a peak in front, and tied under the chin with a. piece of riband. Pink ribands are faid to be worn as a badge by thofc who are inclined to marry; however, I ohfervcd that all the unmarried women wore them, not excepting thofe whofe age and .fi atures fcemed ~o have excludt:d them from every chance of becoming th votaries of Jlymen. .The J M 0 RAVIA N S. 455 The dormitory of the female houfe is a very fpacious apartment in the upper fiory, which is aired by a large ventilator in the ceiling. It contains about fifty boarded beds without tefters, each calculated to hold one pcrfon. They flecp here during winter time in the German fl:yle, between two feath er beds, to which the lbeets and blankets are fiitched fi1il; in fummcr time the h at is tOo great here to admit even of a finglc bla kct. After having gone through the different apartments of the female houfe, we were conduCted by the fuperintendant into a fort of fhop, wh re different little articles of fancy work, manufactured by the fifl:erhood, arc laid out to the befi advantagE'. It i always expeCted that firangcrs viiiting the houfc will lay out fame trifling fum here; and this is the only reward which any member of the fociety expeCts for the trouble of conducting a firanger throughout every part of the town. The houfe of the fifl:erhood exhibits a picture of the utmofl: ncatncfs and regularity, as do likewife the young men's and the widows hou(es; and indeed the u1me may be [aid of every private houfe throughout the town. The mills, brewery, &c. which arc built on the moll approved plans, are alfo kept in the very neateJ1 order. Brother Thomas, after having !hewn us the different pnblic buildings and works, next in traduced us into the houfes of feveral of the m;trricd men, that were moft diftingui{hed for their ingenuity, and in fom of them, particularly at the houfe of a cabinet maker, we were entertaine l with very curious pieces of, workmanfhip. This cabinet maker brought us a book of Indian ink and tinted drawing~, his own performances, which would have been a credit to a perfon in his :fituation in any part of the world. The manufactures in general carried on at Bethlehem confift of wool-len and linen cloths, hats, cotton and worfied caps .md flo kings, gloves, ihoes, carpenters, cabinet makers, and turners work, clocks, and a few other articles of hardware, &c. &c. The church is a plain building of fione, adorned with ictures fi·om faered hiftory. It is furni!hed with a tolerable organ, as like\ itt.: ar the chapels of the young men's and young women's houfcs; they accompany |
