large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb_61
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
English
8677
It is estimated that over one hundred thousand visitors come to Plymouth annually. They all go to see the Rock; most of them clamber up to the quaint Burial Hill and read a few of the oldest inscriptions; they glance at the National Monument to the forefathers, bearing the largest granite figure in the world, and they take a turn through Pilgrim Hall. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND VISITORS COME TO PLYMOUTH ANNUALLY THEY ALL TO GO TO SEE THE ROCK MOST OF THEM CLAMBER UP TO THE QUAINT BURIAL HILL AND READ A FEW OF THE OLDEST INSCRIPTIONS THEY GLANCE AT THE NATIONAL MONUMENT TO THE FOREFATHERS BEARING THE LARGEST GRANITE FIGURE IN THE WORLD AND THEY TAKE A TURN THROUGH PILGRIM HALL
ns that we are not at all sure that the Pilgrims landed on this rock, and we are entirely sure that its present location and setting possess no romantic allurement, yet bare facts are not the whole truth, and even when correct they are often the superficial and not the fundamental part of the truth. Those hundreds--those thousands--of earnest-eyed men and women who have stood beside this rock with tears in their eyes, and emotions too deep for words in their hearts, "believing where they cannot prove," have not only interpreted the vital significance of the place, but, by their very emotion, have sanctified it. It really makes little difference whether the testimony of Thomas Faunce was strictly accurate or not; it really makes little difference that the Hammatt Billings canopy is indeed dreadful. Plymouth Rock has come to symbolize the corner-stone of the United States as a nation, and symbols are the most beautiful and the most enduring expression of any national or human experience. E THE BARE FACT REMAINS THAT WE ARE NOT AT ALL SURE THAT THE PILGRIMS LANDED ON THIS ROCK AND WE ARE ENTIRELY SURE THAT ITS PRESENT LOCATION AND SETTING POSSESSED NO ROMANTIC ALLUREMENT YET BARE FACTS ARE NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH AND EVEN WHEN CORRECT THEY ARE OFTEN THE SUPERFICIAL AND NOT THE FUNDAMENTAL PART OF THE TRUTH THOSE HUNDREDS THOSE THOUSANDS OF EARNEST EYED MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE STOOD BESIDE THIS ROCK WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES AND EMOTIONS TOO DEEP FOR WORDS IN THEIR HEARTS BELIEVING WHERE THEY CANNOT PROVE HAVE NOT ONLY INTERPRETED THE VITAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PLACE BUT BY THEIR VERY EMOTION HAVE SANCTIFIED IT IT REALLY MAKES LITTLE DIFFERENCE WHETHER THE TESTIMONY OF THOMAS FOWUNUS WAS STRICTLY ACRID OR NOT IT REALLY MAKES LITTLE DIFFERENCE THAT THE HAMMOT BILLINGS CANOPY IS INDEED DREADFUL PLYMOUTH ROCK HAS COME TO SYMBOLIZE THE CORNERSTONE OF THE UNITED STATES AS A NATION AND SYMBOLS ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND THE MOST ENDURING EXPRESSION OF ANY NATIONAL OR HUMAN EXPERIENCE
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
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