The sisters lighten and enliven their industrious pursuits with music; and many a strain that would draw tears of rapture from listening multitudes, is blended, and even made more pastoral and effective by the sound of the shuttle, and the noise of the spinning wheel. There are likewise a blacksmith's shop, and a cooper and cabinet-maker's shop, where the brothers pursue their mechanical occupations. There is also a flouring mill, where, beside custom work, two thousand barrels of flour are annually produced. This is situated on a perennial stream that flows through, and abundantly waters the estate. It is an arm of the Antetum River, a tributary of the Potomac. The dwelling-house is most pleasantly situated about six paces from the stream on its south bank. This dwelling is a convent or religious house, and is styled "The Nunnery," by the country people. It presents a singular and unique appearance, being about one hundred and fifty feet long, by thirty feet wide, and three stories high; the lower story is built of blue limestone, and the others of brick. The lower story is even with the ground on the south side, before which, and between the two orchards, there is a small grassy lawn. There are three front entrances, of which the middle entrance communicates with the dining hall, where a company of sixty or seventy guests might be conveniently accommodated. On the north side, projecting from the middle of the main building, with an entrance into the dining hall, are the rooms appropriated to domestic and culinary purposes. Over the dining hall, in the second story, is the family chapel, where worship is regularly performed both in the morning and at evening. Above this, in a small cupola, is the convent bell, whence a rope passes through each floor into the centre of the dining hall. The west end of the building, from the dining hall round, contains exclusively the apartments of the brethren connected with the establishment; the east end of the building, beginning with the same division, contains exclusively the apartments of the sisters. In each department there are spare rooms for company, with sleeping rooms on the north side in both stories. In the centre of the cellar there is a beautiful fountain of clear spring water, incessantly flowing in an abundant stream. This is distributed in every convenient manner to the different parts of the establishment. Along the north side of the building, there stretches a luxuriant meadow, about one hundred paces across, which is abundantly watered by two streams; one, the creek before mentioned, the other, a brooklet of smaller dimensions. These are crossed by two wooden bridges, and a well-worn path leads to the meeting-house, situated on the north side of the meadow, adjoining the public road, which runs through the estate. The meeting-house, which is sixty by fifty feet, is built of stone, without a gallery. The adjoining building of smaller dimensions communicates with it on the west end,