The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-06
A CENTENNIAL ROMANCE.

'Wlll spring time ever come to me
A CENTENNIAL ROMANCE.
It may not be opportune just now,
| when patriotism is SO rife in the hearts
of our enthusiastic countrymen, 10 sub
nit little sketch of centennial romance
| which found room, budded and blossomed
| in the heart Of one Of Massachusetts
earliest Governors, proving that no mat
ter how full and earnest may be the pur.
pose that inspires the heart and life Of
the most. jealous the ''tiny god'' can
ever find room to set up his banner, on.
which is transcribed ip letters Of light.
f*'Ven;, vi@t, vl0i.'
William Bradford, who become second
governor of Massachusetts, after the mel
ancholy death Of Governor Carver (who
soon slept by the side of his wife snd
only chilly, was born at chesterfield,
Yorkshire, England, March 1888. His
father and mother died when he was
quite young. He was tenderly cared for
by his grandparents, and subsequently,
by an uncle. His family were among the
yeomanry of England, and very respect
able. He was reared to agriculture.
When quite young he assumed the care
of his own landed estates, and enjoyed his
occupation in cultivating and identifying
them; and, though much of his time he
was busy with his men in the field: he
still found opportunity to be quite stu.
dent. He became proficient in the Latin,
Greek and Hebrew languages, and was
familiar with the German and French,
which he spoke fuently. He had en-
braced the faith of the Puritans, and at
seventeen years of age was one Of the
company who made an effort to escape to
Holland in search of religious liberty,
bnt was unsuccessful, having been be-
| trayed and was for a season imprisoned
in Boston, Lincolnshire (frcm which
the city Of Boston received it's name).
But though religious and other momen.
tous subjects claimed his attention and
seemed to engross all his mind, there was
one less grave, but not less potent, that
permeated his whole being, and gave to
his life halo Of brightness. Love had
taken possession Of the heart Of young
! Bradford; and often when he seemed
most engrossed in his books, the golden
curls and soft blue eyes of Alice Carpen-
ter We're all he saw. His lands Joined to
her fathers, and they had been play
mates and companions in childhood, he
| being only a few years her senior. As
time passed rapidly away and she grew
into Womanhood, her sunny curls turning
! into soft chestnut brown, she only be-
came to the earnest, honest heart Of
William Bradford more dear and more
beautiful; and yet he said nothing to her
of the deep and earnest passion which he
never forgot, even in his sleep, till one
evening in autumn they had been enjoy
ing long and pleasant conversation,
leaning over the hedge that divided their
lands, when Alice told him she was soon
to so to London to reside with a rela tive.
This was very sad announcement to
him. - =;
| The Carpenter family had in former
times received the title Of knighthood,
but they were comparatively poor, and
| William determined to know his fate and
ask Alice of her naughty old father,
hoping his. own worth and broad lands
| might induce the father to accept him as a
suitable match for his portionless daught-
| er. But he was mistaken. He had never
| before had occasion to fathom the pride
of the strange old man. His religious
belief alone would have been a sufficient
barrier had there been no other, ana he
Was haughtily dismissed. There wasa last
sad meeting of the lovers across'the hedge.
! that night, and the moon looked on two.
heavy hearts and two fearful faces as
they both turned to their homes, the one
to wet the pillow with her tears, the
other to walk his room in bitter repinings,
at the fate which seemed to be settling
on his life in clouds and thick darkness,
forgetting for the time to listen to The
still small voice which was Whispering.
Come unto me, all ye, that are heavy.
laden, and I will give you rest -;
Alice was hurried off to London, and
and after a few years was married to Mr..
SouthWorth, a man Of wealth and honor :,
Mr.. Bradford sought alienation from his
disappointment in books and farm, AND
subsequently, married Dorothy May,
woman OF his own rank and persuasion,
who provedIa genial and faithful CONF pam
ion. After "a few years we find them
abandoning their pleasant home, for he
was one of the first advocates for the re.
moval Of the little band of Puritans to
American; and next we see them upon the.
tempestuous ocean, in the cabin Of the
May-fower. After arriving in Cape Cod
harbor, Mr.. Bradford set out with a
small party to explore the coast, and or
returning was panied and afflicted to find
that during his absense his wife, Dorothy,
n