Mary of Plymouth: A Story of the Pilgrim Settlement

by George Bird Grinnell

 

  My mother believes, and so do I, that it would be better if thetithingmen refrained from walking to and fro in the church whilethe elder is preaching; but so they do, each carrying a stick whichhas a knob on one end and a fox or wolf tail on the other, strikingthe unruly children on the head with the knob end of the stick, andtickling with the fox tail the faces of those who are so ungodly as tosleep during the preaching.

  MASTER WINSLOW BRINGS HOME COWS

  I despair of trying to make you understand how thankful we were to God,when the ship in which Master Winslow and father returned, sailed intothe harbor.

  It seemed to me as if I should never have enough of looking at him,or feeling the pressure of his hand upon my head, after he had thusbeen gone for eight weary months; but, strange to say, the others inthe town thought it more pleasing to look at the cattle which MasterWinslow brought, than at our people who had come back to us.

  Yes, in the ship _Charity_, on which Master Winslow and father came,were three cows and a bull, and you who have never known the lack ofbutter, cheese, and milk, cannot understand how grateful our peoplewere for such things.

 

  The animals were no sooner on shore and eating greedily, thanstraightway we pictured to ourselves a large herd of cows, such asare seen in England, and when for the first time we saw the milk, aspoonful was given to each person in order that he or she might oncemore know the taste of it.

  In the same vessel came a preacher, by name of John Lyford, a shipcarpenter, and a man who is skilled in making salt; therefore doesit seem now as if our town of Plymouth could boast of nearly as manycomforts and conveniences as you enjoy at Scrooby.

  Nor were the return of father and Master Winslow, the coming of theanimals, the arrival of the salt man, or the joining to our company ofthe preacher, the only things for which we had to give thanks.

  A REAL OVEN

  Father brought in the vessel as many bricks as would serve to make anoven by the side of our fireplace, and thus it was that we were thefirst family in Plymouth who could bake bread or roast meats, as dopeople in England.

  This oven is built on one side of the fireplace, with a hole near thetop, for the smoke to go through. It has a door of real iron, with anash pit below, so that we may save the ashes for soap-making withoutstoring them in another place.

  At first the oven was kept busily at work for the benefit of ourneighbors, being heated each day, but for our own needs it is used oncea week. Inside, a great fire of dried wood is kindled and kept burningfrom morning until noon, when it has thoroughly heated the bricks. Thenthe coals and ashes are swept out; the chimney draught is closed, andthe oven filled with whatsoever we have to cook. A portion of our breadis baked in the two pans which mother owns; but the rest of it we layon green leaves, and it is cooked quite as well, although one is forcedto scrape a few cinders from the bottom of the loaf.

 

  BUTTER AND CHEESE

  Can you imagine how Sarah and I feasted when, for the first time infour years, we had milk to drink, and butter and cheese to eat?

  You must not believe that we drank milk freely, as do you at Scrooby,for there are many people in Plymouth, all of whom had been hungeringfor it even as had Sarah and I. Father claimed that each must have acertain share, therefore it is a great feast day with us when we havea large spoonful on our pudding, or to drink.

  John Alden made a most beautiful churn for mother; but many a longmonth passed before we could get cream enough to make butter, so eagerwere our people for the milk. Now, however, when there are seventeencows in this town of ours, we not only have butter on extra occasions;but twice each year mother makes a cheese.

 

  THE SETTLEMENT AT WESSAGUSSETT

  Because of having spent so much time, and set down so many words intrying to describe how we lived when we first came to this new world, Imust hasten over that which occurred from day to day, in order to tellyou what seems to me of the most importance, without giving heed to thetime when the events took place.

  I have already told you of the village at Wessagussett, which was builtby men who had been sent to this land by Master Weston, and also thatthey were driven away by Captain Standish because of working so muchmischief among the Indians that our own lives were in danger.

  Well, it was not long after Captain Standish had punished them,before one and then another came back to the huts, which had been leftunharmed, and we at Plymouth learned of their doings through Samoset orSquanto.

  Had they been God-fearing people, willing to obey our laws, GovernorBradford would have welcomed them right gladly; but because of theirrefusing to do that which was right, and their giving themselves upto riotous living, our fathers could do no less than hold them at adistance.

  Then it was that one Master Thomas Morton, calling himself a gentlemen,who came over in the _Charity_ and had lived among us in Plymouth ashort time, much to the shame and discomfort of those who strove toprofit by the teachings of the Bible, claimed that the evil-doersat Wessagussett were being wronged by us. He even went so far asto tell Governor Bradford to his face that he was stiff-necked andstraight-laced, preaching what decent men could not practice.

  THE VILLAGE OF MERRY MOUNT

  After such a shameful outburst, it did not surprise any one that hejoined those at Wessagussett, and perhaps it was as well that he didso, for he would not have been permitted to remain longer in Plymouth.

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  Master Morton changed the name of the village to Merry Mount, and ithas been said that everyone there gave himself over to riotous living.They do not even have a meeting house, and John Alden declares thatthey never pray, except by reading prayers out of a book, which is anevil practice, so Elder Brewster insists.

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  Captain Standish sorely offended mother by saying he cared not whetherthey read or sang their prayers, so that they stopped selling firearmsand strong drink to the Indians. But this last they did, until thecaptain could no longer hold his temper in check, and he laid thematter before Governor Bradford and the chief men of the town.

  Then did the governor send to Master Morton by Squanto a letter,telling him that for the safety of all the white people he ought tostop his evil work of teaching the savages how to use firearms, whichmight one day be turned against us.

  To this Master Morton made reply that he had sold firearms to thesavages, and would do so as long as he liked. He said his doings didnot concern us of Plymouth, and that no man could make him do otherthan as he pleased.

  After reading the letter from Master Morton, the governor sent CaptainStandish with fourteen men to Merry Mount, and Sarah's father told herthat there was a disagreeable battle before the captain could bringMaster Morton away. He was kept in Plymouth until a vessel sailed forEngland, and then sent back in her, much against his will, but thosewho were so venturesome as to talk with him before he left, claimthat he threatened to come back at some later day, when he would haverevenge upon the governor and the captain.

  THE FIRST SCHOOL

  I must not forget to tell you that last year there was opened a school,in that part of the old fort which was first used as a meeting-house.Our friends in England sent to us a preacher by name of John Lyford, asI have already said, and he it was who began the school, teaching allchildren whose parents could pay him a certain amount either in wampum,beaver skins, corn, wheat, peas, or money.

  Sarah and I went during seven weeks, and would have remained whileschool was open, but that Master Lyford had hot words with GovernorBradford because of letters which he wrote to his friends in England,wherein were many false things set down concerning us of Plymouth. Thenit was father declared that I should go on with my studies at home,rather than be taught by a man who was doing whatsoever he might tobring reproach upon our village.

  It caused me much sorrow thus to give over learning, for Master Lyfordtaught us many new things, and neither Sarah nor I could understand howit would work
harm to us, even though we did study under the directionof one who was not a friend to Plymouth.

  I felt sorry because of Master Lyford's having done that which gaverise to ill feelings among our people, since it resulted in his beingsent away from Plymouth. It would not have given me sorrow to see himgo, for to my mind he was not a friendly man; but it seemed much likea great loss to the village, when the school was closed.

  It would surprise you to know how comfortable everything was in theschool; it seemed almost as if we children were being allowed to giveundue heed to the pleasures of this world, though I must confess thatduring the first hour of the morning session we were distressed by thesmoke.

  TOO MUCH SMOKE

  When the room had been used as a Sabbath Day meeting-house, there wasneither chimney nor fireplace, because Elder Brewster believed that toomuch bodily comfort would distract our thoughts from the duty we owedthe Lord. But when the place had been turned into a schoolroom, it wasnecessary to have warmth, if for no other reason than that the smallerchildren might not be frost-bitten.

  John Billington was hired to build a fireplace and chimney, and, asall in Plymouth know, he dislikes to work even as does his son James.Therefore it was that he failed to make the chimney of such heightabove the top of the fort as would admit of a fair draught, so MasterLyford declared, and we were sorely troubled with smoke until the firehad gained good headway.

  It was the duty of the boys to provide wood and keep the fire burning;while we girls kept the room swept and cleanly, all of which tended togive us a greater interest in the school.

  SCHOOL COMFORTS

  For our convenience when learning to write, puncheon planks werefastened to the four sides of the room, with stakes on the front edgesto serve as legs in order to hold them in a sloping position, and atsuch desk-like contrivances we stood while using a pen, or working atarithmetic with strips of birch-bark in the stead of paper. The samebenches which had been built when the room was our meeting-house,served as seats when we had need to rest our legs.

 

  Master Lyford built for himself a desk in the center of the room, wherehe could overlook us all, and so great was his desire for comfort,which was one of the complaints made against him by Governor Bradford,that he had fastened a short piece of puncheon plank to one side of thelog which served as chair, so that he might lean his back against itwhen he was weary.

  HOW THE CHILDREN WERE PUNISHED

  It must be set down that he was not indolent when it seemed to himthat one of us should be punished. As Captain Standish said, after hehad looked into the room to see James Billington whipped for havingbeen idle, the teacher "had a rare brain for inventing instruments fordiscipline."

 

  It was the flapper which the captain had seen in use upon James, andsurely it must have caused great pain when laid on with all MasterLyford's strength. A piece of tanned buckskin, six inches square,with a round hole in the middle large enough for me to thrust my thumbthrough, fastened to a wooden handle,--this was the flapper, and whenit was brought down heavily upon one's bare flesh, a blister was raisedthe full size of the hole in the leather.

  He had also a tattling stick, which was made of half a dozen thickstrips of deer hide fastened to a short handle, and when he flogged thechildren with it, they were forced to lie down over a log hewn with asharp edge at the top. This sharp edge of wood, together with the blowsfrom the stout thongs, caused great pain.

  Master Lyford was not always so severe in his punishment. He hadwhispering-sticks, which were thick pieces of wood to be placed in achild's mouth until it was forced wide open, and then each end of thestick was tied securely at the back of the scholar's neck in such a waythat he could make no manner of noise. Sarah wore one of these nearlytwo hours because of whispering to me, and when it was taken out, thepoor child could not close her jaws until I had rubbed them gentlyduring a long while.

 

  Then there was the single-legged stool, upon which it was most tiringto sit, and this was given to the child who would not keep still uponhis bench. I was forced to use it during one whole hour, because ofdrumming my feet upon the floor when the cold was most bitter, and thefire would not burn owing to the wood being so wet. It truly seemed tome, before the punishment was come to an end, as if my back had beenbroken.

  Master Lyford was also provided with five or six dunce's caps, madeof birch bark, on which were painted in fair letters such names as"Tell-Tale," "Bite-Finger-Baby," "Lying Ananias," "Idle Boy," and otherugly words.

 

  However, I dare say this was for good, and went far toward aiding us inour studies. Master Allerton declares that there are no truer words inthe Book, than those which teach us that to spare the rod is to spoilthe child, and surely we of Plymouth were not spoiled in such manner byMaster Lyford, nor by the other teachers who came to us later.

  NEW VILLAGES

  While I have been setting down all these things that you might know howwe lived here in the wilderness, other villages have been built aroundus until we can no longer say we are alone, or that our only neighborsare those Englishmen in Virginia, which place is so far away that weshould need make a voyage in a ship in order to come at it.

  First I will speak of that village of Merry Mount, wherein dwell thosepeople who, led by Thomas Morton, are a reproach to those who walk inthe straight path.

  Then, so we have heard, there are white men living on the river calledSaco; at the mouth of the river Piscataqua and higher up the stream is,so Squanto declares, a village called Cochecho.

  At Pemaquid, and on the nearby island of Monhegan, are settlementswhose dwellers are nearly all fishermen, and who send their catch toEngland.

  One Captain Wollaston, with between thirty and forty men, began to makea village on the seashore not above fifty miles from here; but he soontired of battling with the wilderness, and set sail with all his peoplefor Virginia.

  Master John Oldham, who came to Plymouth with Master Lyford, having hadhot words with Governor Bradford, set off for a place called Nantasket,where, in company with four other discontented ones of our village, heaims to make a town.

  Near by Plymouth, if one makes the journey by boat, is a town calledSalem, lately set up with Master Endicott as the governor, wherein livemore than two hundred people, and within a few weeks it has been saidthat another company are making homes on Massachusetts Bay, calling theplace Charlestown.

  Therefore you can see how fast this new world is being covered withvillages and towns, and we who were the first to gain a foothold in thewilderness, are surrounded by neighbors until it seems as if the landwere really thronged with people.

  MAKING READY FOR A JOURNEY

 

  Not two months ago my father got word that among those who had cometo build homes at the place already named Salem, were many of ourold friends whom we left behind at Leyden, and I was nearly wild withdelight when he said to my mother:

  "Verily we two have earned a time of rest, and if it be to your mind wewill go even so far as Salem, to greet those friends of ours who haveso lately come from Leyden."

  "And Mary?" my mother asked.

  "She shall go with us. If you and I are to give ourselves over topleasure, it is well she should have a share."

  Since the day on which we landed from the _Mayflower_, I had not beenallowed to stray above half a mile from the village, and now I was tojourney like a princess, with nothing to do save seek that which mightserve for my pleasure or amusement.

  Then, remembering how sad at heart Sarah would be if we were partedafter having been so much together these ten years, I made bold to askmy mother if she might journey with us, and after having speech with myfather, she gave her consent.

  There is no need for me to tell you that we two girls were wondrouslyhappy and woefully excited at the idea of visiting strange people,concerning whom we had heard not a little, for, as Captain Standish hassaid, never were homeseekers outfitted in such plenty.

  When he hea
rd of what father counted on doing, Captain Standish offeredto make one of the party, saying that it would gladden him to seea friendly face from Leyden, and it was his idea that we go in theshallop, taking with us John Alden to aid in working the vessel.

  You can well fancy that Sarah and I were pleased to have the captainwith our party, for he has ever been a good friend of ours, and as forJohn Alden, if Mistress Priscilla was willing to spare him from home,we were content, knowing he was at all times ready, as well as eager,to do his full share of whatsoever labor might be at hand.

  CLOTHING FOR THE SALEM COMPANY

  Just fancy! The Massachusetts Bay Company gave to each man and boy whocame over from England to Salem four pairs of shoes, and four pairs ofstockings to wear with them, a stout pair of Norwich garters, togetherwith four shirts, and two suits of doublet and hose of leather linedwith oiled skin. As if that were not enough, to the list were added awoolen suit lined with leather, two handkerchiefs, and a green cottonwaistcoat. Then came a leather belt, a woolen cap, a black hat, two redknit caps, two pairs of gloves, a cloak lined with cotton, and an extrapair of breeches.