Mary of Plymouth: A Story of the Pilgrim Settlement, Page 6

 

  It had been nearly a year since we landed on the shores of the newworld, and in all that time we had seen no white people outside ofour own company. Therefore you can fancy how excited we all were. EvenGovernor Bradford himself found it difficult to walk slowly down to theshore, while Sarah and I ran with frantic haste, as if fearing we mightnot be able to traverse the short distance before the vessel was cometo anchor and her crew landed.

  If I should try to tell you how we felt on seeing this first vesselthat had visited Plymouth, believing she had on board some of ourfriends who had been left behind when the _Mayflower_ sailed, it wouldhardly be possible for me to write of anything else, so long wouldbe the story. Therefore it is that I shall not try to describe howwe stood at the water's edge, every man, woman and child in Plymouth,wrapped in furs until we must have looked like so many wild animals,for the day was exceeding cold and windy, watching every movement madeby those on board the vessel until a boat, well laden with men andwomen, put off from her side.

  Then we shouted boisterously, for it was well nigh impossible to remainsilent, and those who recognized familiar faces among the occupantsof the shallop screamed a welcome to the new world, and to our town ofPlymouth, until they were hoarse from shouting.

  The ship which had come was the _Fortune_, and she brought to usthirty-six of those who had been left behind at Leyden. During fullytwo days we of Plymouth did little more than give our entire attentionto these welcome visitors, hearing from them news of those of ourfriends who were yet in Holland, and telling again and again the storyof the sickness and the famine with which we had become acquainted soonafter landing from the _Mayflower_.

  POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER FAMINE

  When we were settled down, as one might say, and our visitors were atwork building homes for themselves, I heard father and Master Brewstertalking one evening about the addition to our number, and was surprisedat learning, that while they rejoiced equally with us children at thecoming of our friends, what might be in store for us in the futuretroubled them greatly.

  The _Fortune_ had brought from England no more in the way of foodthan would suffice to feed the passengers during the voyage across theocean, and the crew on her return. Therefore had we thirty-six mouthsto feed during the long winter, more than had been reckoned on when weheld our festival of thanksgiving.

  Until overhearing this conversation, I had not given a thought toanything save the pleasure which would be ours in having so many morefriends around us; but now, because Master Brewster and my fathertalked in so serious a strain, did I begin to understand that we might,before another summer had come, suffer for food even as we had duringthe winter just passed.

  And it was because of our people being so disturbed regarding the storeof provisions, that the ship did not remain in the harbor as long aswould have pleased us. Governor Bradford told the captain that he mustset sail while there was yet food enough in the ship to feed his crewduring the voyage home, since we of Plymouth could not give him any.

 

  The _Fortune_, however, did not go back empty. She was loaded full withthe clapboards which our people had made during the summer, and, inaddition, were two hogsheads filled with beaver and otter skins, thewhole of the freight amounting in value, so I heard Captain Standishsay, to not less than five hundred pounds sterling.

  We were saddened when the ship left the harbor; but not so much ason the day the _Mayflower_ sailed away, for, having sent back in the_Fortune_ goods of value, there was fair promise she would speedilyreturn for more.

  ON SHORT ALLOWANCE

  When the _Fortune_ had gone, the men of our settlement took an exactaccount of all the provisions in the common store, as well as of thosebelonging to the different families, and the whole was divided in justproportion among us every one.

  Then it was learned that we had no more in Plymouth to eat than wouldprovide for our wants during six months, and since in that time therewould not be another harvest, it was decided by the governor and thechief men of the village, that each person should be given a certainamount less than the appetite craved; short allowance, Captain Standishcalled it.

  Sarah and I were faint at heart on learning of this decision, for itseemed as if during this winter we were to live again in the miserysuch as we had known the past season of cold and frost, when we huntedthe leaves of the checkerberry plant, and chewed the gum which gathersin little bunches on the spruce trees, to satisfy our hunger.

  Those who had come over in the _Fortune_ to join us were, as can wellbe understood, grieved because of their putting us to such straits;it was a matter which could not be helped, and we of the _Mayflower_strove earnestly not to speak of the possible distress which might beours, lest our friends so lately come might think we were reproachingthem.

  A THREATENING MESSAGE

  It was not many days after we had learned that we might be hungrybefore another harvest should come, when a savage, whom we had neverbefore seen, came to Plymouth, asking for our chief. On being conductedto Governor Bradford, he delivered unto him a bundle of arrows whichwere tied together with a great snake skin.

 

  It so happened that Squanto was in the village, and, on being sentfor, he explained to our people that the sending of the arrows tiedin the snake skin was a threat, which meant that speedily those fromwhom it had come would make an attack upon us. He also declared thatthe messenger was from the nation of the Narragansetts, of whom I havealready told you.

  The governor consulted with the chief men of Plymouth as to whatshould be done, with the result that Squanto was instructed to tellthe Narragansett messenger that if his people had rather have war thanpeace, they might begin as soon as pleased them, for we of Plymouthhad done the Narragansetts no wrong, neither did we fear any tribe ofsavages. Then the snake skin was filled with bullets, as token thatthe Indians would not find us unprepared when they made an attack, andgiven to the messenger that he might carry it back to those who hadsent him.

  That night, when mother mourned because it seemed certain war wouldsoon be made upon us, father spoke lightly of the matter, as if it weresomething of no great importance. However, both Sarah and I took noticethat from the hour the Narragansett messenger left Plymouth carryingthe snake skin filled with bullets, there were two men stationed ontop of the fort night and day, and a certain store of provisions takeninside, as if the food might be used there rather than in our homes.

  We knew nothing whatsoever about warfare, girls as we were, but yethad common sense enough to understand from such preparations, that ourfathers were holding themselves ready, and expecting that an attackwould be made by the savages within a very short time.

  PINE KNOTS AND CANDLES

  Perhaps you would like to know how we light our homes in the evening,since we have no tallow, for of course people who own neither hogs,sheep, cows nor oxen, do not have that which is needed for candles.

 

  Well, first, we find our candles among the trees, and of a truth theforest is of such extent that it would seem as if all the world mightget an ample store of material to make light. We use knots from thepitch pine trees, or wood from the same tree split into thin sheetsor slices; but the greatest trouble is that the wood is filled witha substance, which we at first thought was pitch, that boils out byreason of the heat of the flame, and drops on whatever may be beneath.

  Captain Standish has lately discovered, and truly he is a wonderfulman for finding out hidden things, that the substance from the candlewood, as we call the pitch pine, is turpentine or tar, and now, ifyou please, our people are preparing these things to be sent back toEngland for sale, with the hope that we shall thereby get sufficientmoney with which to purchase the animals we need so sorely.

  I would not have you understand that there are no real candles here inPlymouth, for when the _Fortune_ came, her captain had a certain numberof tallow candles which he sold; but they are such luxuries as can beafforded only on great occasions. Mother has even at this
day, wrappedcarefully in moss, two of them, for which father paid eight penceapiece, and she blamed him greatly for having spent so much money, atthe same time declaring that they should not be used except upon somegreat event, such as when the evening meeting is held at our house.

  TALLOW FROM BUSHES

  Squanto has shown us how we may get, at only the price of so muchlabor, that which looks very like tallow, and of which mother has mademany well-shaped candles.

  You must know that in this country there grows a bush which some callthe tallow shrub; others claim it should be named the candleberry tree,while Captain Standish insists it is the bayberry bush.

  This plant bears berries somewhat red, and speckled with white, as ifyou had thrown powdered clam shells on them.

 

  I gathered near to twelve quarts last week, and mother put them in alarge pot filled with water, which she stands over the fire, for as yetwe cannot boast of an iron backbar to the fire-place, on which heavykettles may be hung with safety.

  After these berries have been cooked a certain time, that which lookslike fat is stewed out of them, and floats on the top of the water.

  Mother skims it off into one of the four earthen vessels we broughtwith us from Scrooby, and when cold, it looks very much like tallow,save that it is of a greenish color. After being made into candles andburned, it gives off an odor which to some is unpleasant; but I thinkit very sweet to the nostrils.

  WICKS FOR THE CANDLES

  I suppose you are wondering how it is we get the wicks for the candles,save at the expense and trouble of bringing them from England. Well,you must know that there is a plant which grows here plentifully,called milkweed. It has a silken down like unto silver in color, and wechildren gather it in the late summer.

 

  It is spun coarsely into wicks, and some of the more careful housewivesdip them into saltpetre to insure better burning. Do you remember thatpoem of Master Tusser's which we learned at Scrooby?

  Wife, make thine own candle, Spare penny to handle. Provide for thy tallow ere the frost cometh in, And make thine own candle ere winter begin.

  When candle-making time comes, I wish there were other children in thishousehold besides me, for the work is hard and disagreeable, to saynothing of being very greasy, and I would gladly share it with sistersor brothers.

  Mother's candle-rods are small willow shoots, and because of not havingkitchen furniture in plenty, she hangs the half-dipped wicks acrossthat famous wooden tub which we brought with us in the _Mayflower_.

  DIPPING THE CANDLES

  It is my task to hang six or eight of the milkweed wicks on the rod,taking good care that they shall be straight, which is not easyto accomplish, for silvery and soft though the down is when firstgathered, it twists harshly, and of course, as everyone knows, therecan be no bends or kinks in a properly made candle.

  Mother dips perhaps eight of these wicks at a time into a pot ofbayberry wax, and after they have been so treated six or eight times,they are of sufficient size, for our vegetable tallow sticks in greatermass than does that which comes from an animal.

  A famous candle-maker is my mother, and I have known her to make asmany as one hundred and fifty in a single day.

 

  The candle box which your uncle gave us is of great convenience, forsince it has on the inside a hollow for each candle, there is littledanger that any will be broken, and, besides, we may put therein thehalf-burned candles, for we cannot afford to waste even the tiniestscraps of tallow.

  Captain Standish has in his home candles made from bear's grease, andas wicks, dry marsh grass braided.

  When the second winter had begun, and the snow lay deep all around,save where our people had dug streets and paths, Sarah and I wereforced, as a matter of course, to remain a goodly portion of the timewithin our homes. Those of the men who were not needed to hew hugetrees into lengths convenient for burning, were hunting and settingtraps, in the hope of adding to the store of provisions which was soscanty after it had been divided among those who came in the _Fortune_,and Sarah and I had little else to do than recall to mind that whichhad happened during the summer, when all the country was good to lookupon instead of being imprisoned by the frost.

  WHEN JAMES RUNS AWAY

  We went back to the time when James Billington, son of John, caused usall such a fright by his wayward behavior.

  Because James was not a favorite with any of us girls, being proneto tease us at every opportunity, and spending more of his time inmischief than in work, I must be careful how I speak of the lad, lestI fall into that sin which Elder Brewster warns us to guard against:allowing one's feelings to control the tongue, thereby speaking moreharshly against another than is warranted by the facts.

 

  I must, however, set it down that James was not a favorite with anysave his parents; but seemed ever watching for an opportunity to maketrouble for others, and just before the harvest time did he succeed inthrowing the entire village into a state of confusion and anxiety.

  On a certain afternoon, I cannot rightly recall the exact time, it wasnoted by Sarah and myself, that, contrary to his usual custom, Jameshad not prowled around where we children were at work in the fieldswith the intent to perplex or annoy us, and we spoke of the fact as ifit was an unusually pleasant incident, little dreaming of the troublewhich was to follow.

  That night, while father was reading from the Book, and explaining tous the more difficult passages, the mother of James came to our home,asking if we had seen her son.

  Even then but little heed was given to the fact that the boy had notreturned for his share of the scanty supper; but mayhap an hour laterevery one in the settlement was summoned by the beating of the drum,and then did we learn that James Billington had disappeared.

  The first thought was that some of the evil-disposed savages hadcarried him away, and, acting upon the governor's orders, CaptainStandish set off with eight men to hunt for the missing lad.

  I have never heard all the story of the search; but know that theyvisited more than one of the Indian villages, and perhaps would nothave succeeded in their purpose but that Squanto was found at Nauset,and, aided by some of his savage friends, he speedily got on the trackof the missing boy.

  Captain Standish and his men were absent three days before they cameback, bringing James Billington, and when his mother took him inher arms, rejoicing over his return as if he had really escaped somedreadful danger, Governor Bradford commanded that she and her husbandgive to James such a whipping as would prevent anything of the kindfrom happening again, for, as it appeared, the boy had willfully runaway, counting, as he said, to turn Indian because of savages' notbeing obliged to work in the fields.

  EVIL-MINDED INDIANS

  It was during this summer that we had good cause for alarm. Word wasbrought by Samoset that a large party of Massasoit's people, beingangry because of his having showed us white folks favor, were bent onattacking him and us, with the intent to destroy entirely our town ofPlymouth.

 

  Captain Standish marched forth once more, this time with twelve menat his heels, and I heard John Alden tell my father that the bravesoldier went directly to the village of those who would have murderedus, where, without the shedding of blood, they took from all theevil-minded Indians their weapons.

  It seems more like some wild fancy than the sober truth, to say thattwelve men could, without striking a blow in anger, overcome no lessthan sixty wild savages, and yet such was the case, for John Alden isknown to be a truthful man, and Captain Standish one who is not givento boasting.

  The long dreary winter passed slowly, and during a goodly number ofdays we of Plymouth were hungry, although having sufficient of food tokeep us from actual starvation. Yet never once did I hear any repiningbecause of our having been brought to such straits through the neglectof those who came in the _Fortune_, and who should have providedthemselves with food sufficient for their wants until another harvesttime had co
me.

  LONG HOURS OF PREACHING

  We went more often to the meeting-house in the fort than would havebeen the case, perhaps, had our bodily comfort been greater, and ElderBrewster preached to us more fervently than mayhap he might have donebut for the gnawing of hunger in his stomach.

  Every Sabbath Day from nine o'clock in the morning until noon, andafter that, from noon to dark, did we sing, or pray, or listen tothe elder's words of truth, all the while being hungry, and a goodlyportion of the time cold unto the verge of freezing.

  My mother claimed that there was no reason why we should not have afireplace in the meeting-house, even though none but the children mightbe allowed to approach it; but Elder Brewster insisted that to thinkof bodily suffering while engaged in the worship of God, was much thesame as a sin, and it seemed to Sarah and me as if his preaching wasprolonged when the cold was most intense.

  Again and again have I sat on the puncheon benches, my feet numbedwith the frost, my teeth chattering until it was necessary to thrustthe corner of mother's mantle into my mouth to prevent unseemly noise,almost envying Master Hopkins when he walked from his bench to thepulpit in order to turn the hourglass for the second or third time,because of his thus having a chance for exercising his limbs.

  You must know that, having no clocks, the time in the meeting-house ismarked by an hourglass, and it is the duty of one of the leading menof the settlement to turn it when the sand runs out. Therefore, whenMaster Hopkins has turned it the second time, thus showing that thethird hour of the sermon has begun, I am so worldly-minded and so coldas to rejoice, because of knowing that Elder Brewster, save on especialdays, seldom preaches more than the three hours.