Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-08-14
The First BuriaI-PIace of the Pill
gTimS-

The wind. sweeping by my windows to
night, carries my thoughts away with it,
carries them back back many years into
the past. l am thinking Of the early
settlers Of this Pilgrim State of Massachu
setts, how much they endured, especially
the first few months of their stay here.
and of the little " Gods Acre " where
they laid away their first offering for " con
science sake"
Coles Hill, Plymouth, is interesting for
various reasons. 1t interests because;
looking directly down upon Plymouth
Rock.
1t attracts the visitor also from the
breadth and beauty Of the outlook obtain
ed here. Take some day in October, when
nature invites to contemplation, when the
light kindled on the hill-tops by the au-
tumn-colors is fast dying down TO a soft
purple haze, when we think of the things
behind us that have faded and died Now
look off from Coles Hill. Over to the
lett is Captains HILL" in Duxbury,
Miles Standish's later home To the right
is Town Brook, where the tide beats in
and out like pulse Round in front cury-
ing its long arm about Plymouth Har-
Dor, is the narrow reach of land ending
in Manomet Point. Just before US Is the
harbor itself some little breeze turning
up its waters and sending the waves shore
ward, each with a star in its breast Of
to the northeast, is the Gurnet-light. bold
ly facing Cape Cod Bay, that stretches of
till its edges are lost in the vapors firing
ing the horizon. No one can be insensl-
bic to the beauty Of the scene, and still
this is not the most attractive thing about
Cole, Hill
This sloping hill was the first burial,
place Of the Pilgrims. 1t all comes back
as we stand here. The purple autumn
haze about the hills seems to descend to-
ward the town, and as it sweeps on. efaces
all the present scenery. 1t melts away
the buildings, removes the street-lines. !
leaves lust the rough hills of the Pilgrim |
settlement, with Town Brook slipping
between its unoccupied banks Up the /
sIanting ground TO the right, straggle the /
two rows Of rough log-huts the fore-fath- |
ers occupied. We think Of the wasting |
and dying all through the early months Of I
the colony, Of the many little funeral
trains that came reverent and slow out of
he Lighthouses up to this place Of burial,
IF that sad April day when the remains
If Governor Carver were borne here and
aid away forever
We are told that the earth was careful
J leveled above the graves to conceal
rom the Indians the actual weakness of
he colony through the frequent deaths.
There Is no sign to-day that the slope of
he grassy hill was ever broken by single
Indulation of the " wave OF death. No
tone was lifted that the finger Of its shad-
w might point out the resting place of
he fathers
How precious the first bural-spot of
he Pilgrims Burial Hill, afterwards
ct apart for cemetery purposes, covers the
ormer with its shadow and dwarfs it, but
coles Hill has for is a peculiar interest
hat Burial Hill can never take away.
1t Is to be regretted that no memorial
tone was ever raised by later generations
0 mark the spot. 1t certainly should be
lone. And yet there is a memorial duty
hat we can delegate to no shaft Of mar
lie or granite,-to commemorate every day
y our better lives the blessed deeds of
hose gone before.
1t is for us also to bear in mind the
esson silently taught US as we stand above
he Pilgrim dead at Plymouth, the val
e of consecrated suffering.