large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb_38
large/8677/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_11_edwards_64kb
English
8677
Half frozen, half starved, sick, depressed, they had been forced to struggle so desperately to maintain even a foothold on the ladder of existence, that it had not been humanly possible for them to fulfill their pledge to the Company. HALF FROZEN HALF STARVED SICK DEPRESSED THEY HAD BEEN FORCED TO STRUGGLE SO DESPERATELY TO MAINTAIN EVEN A FOOTHOLD ON THE LADDER OF EXISTENCE THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN HUMANLY POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO FULFIL THEIR PLEDGE TO THE COMPANY
 letters from home--word from that other world--and bringing also thirty-five new colonists, among them William Brewster's eldest son and Robert Cushman. Probably the greetings were so joyful, the messages so eagerly sought, the flutter of welcome so great that it was not until several days had passed that they realized that the chief word which Thomas Weston (the London merchant who was the head of the company which had financed the expedition) had sent them was one of reproof. The Mayflower had brought no profitable cargo back to England, he complained, an omission which was "wonderful and worthily distasted." While he admitted that they had labored under adverse circumstances, he unkindly added that a quarter of the time they had spent in discoursing and arguing and consulting could have profitably been spent in other ways. That the first official word from home should be one of such cruel reprimand struck the colonists--who had so wistfully waited for a cheering message--very hard.  WITH HER NEWS AND LETTERS FROM HOME WORD FROM THAT OTHER WORLD AND BRINGING ALSO THIRTY FIVE NEW COLONISTS AMONG THEM WILLIAM BREWSTER'S OLDEST SON AND ROBERT CUSHMAN PROBABLY THE GREETINGS WERE SO JOYFUL THE MESSAGES SO EAGERLY SOUGHT THE FLUTTER OF WELCOME SO GREAT THAT IT WAS NOT UNTIL SEVERAL DAYS HAD PASSED THAT THEY REALIZED THAT THE CHIEF WORD WHICH THOMAS WESTON THE LONDON MERCHANT WHO WAS THE HEAD OF THE COMPANY WHICH HAD FINANCED THE EXPEDITION HAD SENT THEM WAS ONE OF REPROOF THE MAYFLOWER HAD BROUGHT NO PROFITABLE CARGO BACK TO ENGLAND HE COMPLAINED AN A MISSION WHICH WAS WONDERFUL AND WORTHILY DISTASTED WHILE HE ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD LABORED UNDER ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES HE UNKINDLY ADDED THAT A QUARTER OF THE TIME THEY HAD SPENT IN DISCOURSING AND ARGUING AND CONSULTING COULD HAVE PROFITABLY BEEN SPENT IN OTHER WAYS THAT THE FIRST OFFICIAL WORD FROM HOME SHOULD BE ONE OF SUCH CRUEL REPRIMAND STRUCK THE COLONISTS WHO HAD SO WISTFULLY WAITED FOR A CHEERING MESSAGE VERY HARD
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