large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb_101
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
English
8677
But the end was not yet. In 1880 it was once more laid hold of and carted back to its original setting, and welded without ceremony, to the part from which it had been sundered. Now all of this seems quite enough  more than enough  of pitiless publicity, for one old rock whose only offense had been to be lifting its head above the water on a December day in 1620. BUT THE END WAS NOT YET IN EIGHTEEN EIGHTY IT WAS ONCE MORE LAID HOLD OF AND CARTED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL SETTING AND WELDED WITHOUT CEREMONY TO THE PART FROM WHICH IT HAD BEEN SUNDERED NOW ALL OF THIS SEEMS QUITE ENOUGH MORE THAN ENOUGH OF PITILESS PUBLICITY FOR ONE OLD ROCK WHOSE ONLY OFFENCE HAD BEEN TO BE LIFTING ITS HEAD ABOVE THE WATER ON A DECEMBER DAY IN SIXT
 accordance with this suddenly acquired respect, it was decided to move the huge bulk to the more conspicuous location of the Town Square. When it was lifted from its prehistoric bed, it broke, and this was hailed as a propitious omen of the coming separation of the Colonies from the mother country. Only the upper half was dragged up to the Town Square--a process which took twenty yoke of oxen and was accompanied by wild huzzahing. There the poor, broken thing lay in the sun, at the bottom of the Liberty Pole on which was flying, "Liberty or Death." But its career as a public feature had only begun. It remained in the square until 1834, and then on July 4 it was decided to drag it to a still more conspicuous place. So with a formal procession, it was again hoisted and hauled and set down in front of the entrance porch of Pilgrim Hall, where it lay like a captive mammoth animal for curious folk to gaze at. Here it was granted almost half a century of undisturbed if not secluded slumber. ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SUDDENLY ACQUIRED RESPECT IT WAS DECIDED TO MOVE THE HUGE BULK TO THE MORE CONSPICUOUS LOCATION OF THE TOWN SQUARE WHEN IT WAS LIFTED FROM ITS PREHISTORIC BED IT BROKE AND THIS WAS HAILED AS A PROPITIOUS OMEN OF THE COMING SEPARATION OF THE COLONIES FROM THE MOTHER COUNTRY ONLY THE UPPER HALF WAS DRAGGED UP TO THE TOWN SQUARE A PROCESS WHICH TOOK TWENTY YOKE OF OXEN AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY WILD HUSSAWING THERE THE POOR BROKEN THING LAY IN THE SUN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIBERTY POLE ON WHICH WAS FLYING LIBERTY OR DEATH BUT ITS CAREER AS A PUBLIC FEATURE HAD ONLY BEGUN IT REMAINED IN THE SQUARE UNTIL EIGHTEEN THIRTY FOUR AND THEN ON JULY FOURTH IT WAS DECIDED TO DRAG IT TO A STILL MORE CONSPICUOUS PLACE SO WITH A FORMAL PROCESSION IT WAS AGAIN HOISTED AND HAULED AND SET DOWN IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE PORCH OF PILGRIM HALL WHERE IT LAY LIKE A CAPTIVE MAMMOTH ANIMAL FOR CURIOUS FOLK TO GAZE AT HERE IT WAS GRANTED ALMOST HALF A CENTURY OF UNDISTURBED IF NOT SECLUDED SLUMBER
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb.flac