Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-05-12
Early Settlers of New England.


We often hear of sour Pilgrim Fathers y
who left their native land and came to this,
then a desolate wilderness full Of wild beasts
and savages, where they endured almost uu-
parsileled hardships. Their courage, their
undaunted spirit and Christian for;itude, has
been theme which has inspired the pen OF
some of our ablest writers, both in prose
and poetry. Their resignation to the will
Of high Heaven has been the admiration of
the past ages. And why did sour Pilgrim
Fathers" leave their comfortab lie 6resides,
and pleasant houses, to endure this vast
amount of suffering and in many cases death
ITSELF Was it to advance their earthly
store and accumulate wealth! No. 1t was
,kst they might worshi? God according TO
the dictates Of their own coEscieEces, that
they might enjoy what we are now enjoying
the prsceless boon Of Liberty. The transact
tons in the Eastern Continent pricr to the
year 1920, were undoubtedly the means BY
which God weaned the affections of those
stalwart Christians from their homes, snd
sent them to settle and populate this con-
tinen,. The same divine hand which Sc:
the star in the East more than 1890 years
ago, to guide the wise men TO where the
Babe Of Bethlehem lay sleeping, guided those
Pilgrims to this, then wild and rugged
shore. Notwithstanding so much has been
written, both in prose and poetry oc "our
Pilgrim Fathers" who has ever heard o. cur
Pilgrim Moihersl Why has not the heroic
character, the Piety, Virtue, and courage,
of our Pilgrim Mothers inspired the pen of
cur poets. Do you suppose tha: those
Fathers would have left those pleasant
homes and fresides. without the sustaining
love OF those Mothers, Do, you suppose
that young men. would have left the parent
al roof. had they not been incited BY rha
cheering smile and sunny face Of some fair
damsel. No. Never, Methinks there wss
many long consultation between those
Fathers and Mothers, those Brothers and
Sisters. ard the young men and their be-
tTothed And had it not been Cor the en-
couragement received from that fair portion
Of creation, which is ever the fairest, the
geatlest, and yet the most enduring under
severe trials. me,hinks this now fair land
would have been still in possess ion of savage
hordes.
Many of those early settlers, were entire
ly unused TO hardships, having been raised
in the lap of luxury and ease. Their b. ads
had been pil!owed on beds of dowHy soft
ness, splendid horses and elegant carriages,
carried On their vast domains. Lireried
servants came at their beckon, & plenty sat
smiling at their doors. Ard did they find
the same luxurious ease and plenty here!-
Did they expect the eDjuymeuis of the
home circiel No! they came here TO toll
aud suffer. They exchanged their boauti-
fu! fields, and meadows of grass and grain,
for the trackless forest. Their splendid man
sions, for cabins; their circle OF friends, for
circle of savage foes; their plenty, for
starvation or a pittancs at best.
During those long years when the tcm:-
hawk OF the Red Man vas ready to clsaye
the skull OF the defencelsss sleeper, or the
giitering knife 10 be buried IA the snowy
bosoms of loved oaes. did our Pilgrim Faith
ers sufferi Yes, What. those stout, robus,
muscular men, those lords Of creation SUI
fer. Yes, truly their suffering u9, great
( Then how much more intense must have
! been the suffering OF those ? l:rm NJ Mothers.
these delicate females. Who were reared
with corresponding care.
While poets sing OF "our Pilgrim Faith
ers." Angels should tune their hsrps snd
sing praise OF our Pilgrim Mothers =.
MAIrls.viLtr. April 1859