large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb_77
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
English
8677
They may return with her, if they wish, any or all of the sturdy little band; they may leave the small, smoky log cabins; the scanty fare of corn and fish; the harassing fear of the Indians; they may leave the privations, the cramped quarters, and return to civilized life  to friends and relatives, to blooming English hedgerows and orderly English churches. THEY MAY RETURN WITH HER IF THEY WISH ANY OR ALL OF THE STURDY LITTLE BAND THEY MAY LEAVE THE SMALL SMOKY LOG CABINS THE SCANTY FARE OF CORN AND FISH THE HARASSING FEAR OF THE INDIANS THEY MAY LEAVE THE PRIVATIONS THE CRAMPED QUARTERS AND RETURN TO CIVILIZED LIFE TWO BLOOMING ENGLISH HEDGEROWS AND ORDERLY ENGLISH CHURCHES
nd upon the little plateau--possibly it is no other than the base of Cole's Hill, that pathetic spot on which the dead were buried those first sad months, the ground above being leveled and planted with corn lest the Indians should count the number of the lost--and look out upon that selfsame harbor, but the sight which meets our eyes will be a very different one from that which met theirs. Let us, if we can, for the space of half an hour or so, imagine that we are standing beside this Pilgrim man and maid, on the day on which Mr. Boughton portrayed them. Instead of 1920 it is 1621. It is the 5th of April: the winter of terrifying sicknesses and loss has passed; of the hundred souls which left England the autumn previously more than a half have died. The Mayflower which brought them all over, and which has remained in the harbor all winter, is now, having made repairs and taking advantage of the more clement weather, trimming her sails for the thirty-one days' return voyage to England. PON THE LITTLE PLATEAU POSSIBLY IT IS NO OTHER THAN THE BASE OF COLES HILL THAT PATHETIC SPOT ON WHICH THE DEAD WERE BURIED THOSE FIRST SAD MONTHS THE GROUND ABOVE BEING LEVELED AND PLANTED WITH CORN LEST THE INDIANS SHOULD COUNT THE NUMBER OF THE LOST AND LOOK OUT UPON THAT SELF SAME HARBOUR BUT THE SIGHT WHICH MEETS OUR EYES WILL BE A VERY DIFFERENT ONE FROM THAT WHICH MET THEIRS LET US IF WE CAN FOR THE SPACE OF HALF AN HOUR OR SO IMAGINE THAT WE ARE STANDING BESIDE THIS PILGRIM MAN AND MAID ON THE DAY ON WHICH MISTER BOWEN PORTRAYED THEM INSTEAD OF NINETEEN TWENTY IT IS SIXTEEN TWENTY ONE IT IS THE FIFTH OF APRIL THE WINTER OF TERRIFYING SICKNESS AND LOSS HAS PASSED OF THE HUNDRED SOULS WHICH LEFT ENGLAND THE AUTUMN PREVIOUSLY MORE THAN HALF HAVE DIED THE MAYFLOWER WHICH BROUGHT THEM ALL OVER AND WHICH HAS REMAINED IN THE HARBOR ALL WINTER IS NOW HAVING MADE REPAIRS AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE MORE CLEMENT WEATHER TRIMMING HER SAILS FOR THE THIRTY ONE DAY'S RETURN VOYAGE TO ENGLAND
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