Standish of Standish: A Story of the Pilgrims
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CHAPTER XXIX.
KEEPING CHRISTMAS.
And now began a new epoch in the life of the colony. The passengers ofthe Fortune, thirty-five in number, although nominally of the samebelief and manners as the Mayflower Pilgrims, were in effect a newelement which, in spite of the generous efforts of the new-comers, didnot readily assimilate with the sober and restrained tone natural to menwho had suffered and struggled and conquered at such terrible loss tothemselves, as had the first comers.
A score of gay young fellows upon whom life sat so lightly that theycared not how they periled it, was no doubt a valuable acquisition tothe fighting force of the colony, and almost upon the day of theirarrival the Captain enrolled, divided, and began to train them, formingfour companies of twelve men each, for some of the larger boys of theMayflower were now enlisted, and this force of fifty men was at leastonce in every week led over to the Training Green across the brook, andthere inspected, manoeuvred, marched and counter-marched, disciplinedin prompt obedience and rapid movement; until the birds of the air whowatched from the neighboring forest should have carried a warning totheir co-aborigines, the Narragansetts, the Neponsets, the Namaskets,and the Manomets, not yet convinced, spite of the late warning, that thewhite man was their Fate against which it was but bitter defeat tostruggle. The training over, each company in turn escorted the captainto his own quarters, and fired a salute of honor as he dismissed them.
"'T is not for mine own glory, Will, as thou who knowest me willbelieve," said Standish, while the governor and he smoking a placid pipeon the evening of the first training, discussed the events of the day."But in matters military even more than civil, it needs that one manshould be at the head, and command the respectful observance as well asthe obedience of those under his command. It is not Myles Standish whomthe soldiers of Plymouth salute as he enters this poor hut, but theCaptain of the Colony's forces."
"Ay, ay, Myles, I know thy humility," replied Bradford with his smile ofgentle subtlety. The captain shot an inquiring glance out of hisred-brown eyes, and in turn laughed a little uncomfortably.
"Nay now, thou 'rt laughing at me, Will. I claim no great meed ofhumility to be sure, and yet thou knowest lad, that if I could servethis emprise better by carrying a musket in the ranks"--
"Nay now, old friend, may not I smile at some jest between myself and mypipe, but thou must tack more meaning to it than Brewster says hung onLord Burleigh's nod? And yet in sober sadness, Myles, 't is marvel to mehow thou, born to a great name and to such observance as awaits thechildren of wealthy houses, and then, when hardly more than a boy,placed in authority such as appertaineth to an English army officer intime of war, how thou hast failed to become more arrogant and peremptorythan thou art. And as for a musket in the ranks, what were that to suchoffices as not yet a year agone I saw thee fill around the beds of thesick and dying in our first great plague? When had we a tenderer nurse,a more patient watcher? What office was too loathly for thee, whattendence too tiring?"--
"Will, an' thou holdst not thy tongue I'll leave thee to thyself."
"Thou 'lt never be so rude in thine own house, Myles. Such manners wouldill befit a Standish of Standish."
"Come now, Governor, do you disapprove of the salute, or of any other ofmy military ordonnances?"
"I disapprove of naught, old comrade, but of a certain want of patiencebeneath a friend's jest which I have sometimes marked, and haply it is Iwho am at fault to try thee so; but Myles, there's enow to make thegovernor of this colony sorry and sober, and thou shouldst not grudgehim a moment of merriment even at thine own cost."
"Nor do I, as well thou knowest, Will. 'T is only that I am as ever ahot-headed fool and ill deserve a friend like thee. And now what thinkstthou of Master Cushman's errand, and the chidings of those Londontraders that we sent them not a cargo by the Mayflower? We who had muchado to dig the graves of half our company and to find food for the rest,to be rated like laggard servants because we laded not that old hulkwith merchandise for their benefit."
"Ay, Master Weston's letter was somewhat hard to bear, albeit we shouldexcuse much to his ignorance of our surroundings," said Bradfordplacably, although the color rose to his cheek at thought of theinjustice he and his friends had suffered. "I have writ a reply,"continued he, laying down his pipe and drawing a roll of paper from thepocket of his leathern jerkin, "and am fain to have your mind upon it,for I would not be over bitter, and yet was shrewdly wounded that JohnCarver lying in his honored grave should be so rudely attacked. Shall Iread it?"
"Ay, an' thou wilt, though I'm more than half in mind to take passage bythe Fortune, and give Master Weston and the rest a reply after mine ownfashion."
"What, and leave the train band to its own destruction! But here youhave my poor script:--
"To the worshipful Master Thos: Weston:
"Sir,--Your large letter written to Mr. Carver and dated the 16th of July 1621 I have received the 20th of Nov'br, wherein you lay many heavy imputations upon him and us all. Touching him he is departed this life, and now is at rest in the Lord from all those troubles and incumbrances with which we are yet to strive. He needs not my apology; for his care and pains were so great for the common good both ours and yours, as that therewith it is thought, he oppressed himself and shortened his days of whose loss we cannot sufficiently complain. At great charges in this Adventure I confess you have been, and many losses you may sustain; but the loss of his and many other honest and industrious mens lives cannot be valued at any price. Of the one there may be hope of recovery, but the other no recompence can make good."
"Oh, you're too mild, Bradford," burst out the captain as the readerpaused and looked up for approval. "You should bombard him with red-hotshot, hurl a flight of grape, a volley of canister into his midst--naythen, but I'll go myself and with a blow of my gauntlet across MasterWeston's ears"--
"Captain--Captain Standish! Master Warren hath sent me to warn yourworship that some of the new-comers are building a bonfire in the TownSquare, and sprinkling the pile with powder"--
"There, Myles, thou seest how well we can spare thee! Wouldst leave meat the mercy of these rough companions who"--
But already the captain armed with a stout stick was half way down thehill, and, smiling quaintly to himself Bradford relighted his pipe andwent home to finish his letter.
A week later the Fortune sailed on her return voyage carrying Cushman,who left his son Thomas under Bradford's care until he should comeagain, not knowing that his next voyage should be across the shorelesssea whence no bark hath yet returned. Under his charge traveled DesireMinter, loudly proclaiming her joy at returning to regions "where a bodymight at least look for decent victual," and Humility Cooper, ElizabethTilley's little cousin. The two seamen, Trevor and Ely, also returned,their year of service having expired; but in spite of the dearth ofprovision, already imminent owing to the unprovided condition of thenew-comers, not one of the Pilgrims embraced this opportunity of escape.
Besides her passengers, the Fortune carried valuable freight consignedto Weston as agent of the Adventurers. The best room was given tosassafras root, of which the colonists had gathered great store, andwith much rejoicing, for being just then the panacea of both French andEnglish physicians, it was worth something like forty dollars of ourpresent money per pound. Besides the sassafras were several hogsheads ofbeaver skins, also very valuable at that time, and the rest of the holdwas filled with clapboards and other finished lumber, the whole cargoworth at least twenty-five hundred dollars. The most precious thing onboard that little vessel however, if we except human life, was amanuscript journal written by William Bradford and Edward Winslow, andsent home to their friend George Morton in London, who, finding it toogood to be kept to himself, had it printed the very same year by "JohnBellamy at his shop at the Two Greyhounds, near the Royal Exchange,London," and as he did not give the names of its authors, nor bestow anydistinctive title upon it, it came to be called "Mourt's Relation," andwas the first book ever printe
d about that insignificant knot ofemigrants in whom we now glory as the Forefathers of New England. Butalas for human hopes, alas for the honest rejoicings of the Pilgrims intheir goodly cargo, just before the Fortune sighted the English coastshe was captured by a French cruiser and carried into Isle Dieu. Twoweeks later the vessel, crew, and passengers were released, but thesassafras, the beaver skins, and the lumber went to heal and warm andhouse Frenchmen instead of Englishmen, and Thomas Weston's pockets stillcried out with their emptiness. Happily for the world, however, theFrenchmen did not appreciate the "Relation," and it went peacefully onin Robert Cushman's mails, and reached good George Morton's hands.
About a week after the sailing of the Fortune came Christmas Day, andBradford doing on his clothing for a good day at lumbering allowedhimself a half regretful memory of the sports and revelings with whichhe and the other youth of Austerfield had been wont to observe theFeast; but presently remembering his new beliefs, the Separatist leadermurmured something about "rags of Popery," and went down to hisbreakfast.
"Call the men together, Howland," ordered he in some displeasure asleaving his house axe in hand he found only his older comrades awaitinghim. "Where are the new-comers? I see none of them."
"An' it please you, Governor, Hicks and the rest of them say it goethagainst their conscience to work on Christmas Day," reported Howlandwith a grim smile.
For a moment Bradford frowned, but as he caught the gay glint ofStandish's eyes his own softened, and after a brief pause he answeredtemperately,--
"We will force no man's conscience. Tell Robert Hicks and the rest thatI excuse them until they be better informed."
At noon the wood-choppers returned to the village weary and hungry, foralready had the entire company been placed upon half rations of food, soto continue until another cargo should arrive, or the next year's cropbe ripe. Well for their endurance that they could not foresee that nofarther cargo of provisions should ever arrive for them, from those whohad undertaken to support them, and that the next year's crop shouldprove a failure. But now as they wearily toiled up the hill from thebrookside, eager for the hour of rest and the scanty meal they werelearning to value so highly, sounds of loud revelry and boisterous mirthfell upon their ears, sounds alien to their mood, their necessities, andon this day to their principles.
"Those runagates are holding Christmas revels in spite of you,Governor," remarked Standish half jeeringly; while Hopkins, whose humorjust now was not far removed from mutiny, muttered that if godless menwere to play, he saw not why good Christians should be forced to work,call it Christmas Day or any other.
"You are right, Hopkins, although somewhat discourteous in yourrectitude," replied Bradford, and hasting forward he came in sight ofthe Town Square, where some fifteen or twenty of the Fortune passengerswere amusing themselves at "stool-ball," a kind of cricket, at pitchingthe bar, wrestling, hopping-matches, and various other old Englishsports, many of which had been encouraged and even led by the governorin the late week of Thanksgiving. But now advancing into the midst, hisair of serene authority as much as his uplifted hand imposing silenceupon the merry rebels, who dropped their various implements, and triedin vain to appear at ease, Bradford looking from one to another quietlysaid,--
"I told you this morning that if you made the keeping of Christmas Daymatter of conscience, I should leave you alone until you were betterinformed; now, however, I warn you that it goeth against my conscienceas governor of this colony to let idle men play while others work, andif indeed you find matter of devotion in the day ye shall keep itquietly and soberly in your housen. There shall be neither reveling norgaming in the streets, and that I promise you. Let whosoever owneththese toys take them away and store them out of sight; and remember,men, that the Apostle saith, 'If a man will not work neither shall heeat.'"
Silently and shamefacedly the revelers collected bats and balls, cricketstools, bars, poles, and iron weights, carrying them each man to his ownhouse, and in the afternoon the chopping party was augmented by nearlyevery one of the new-comers.