The Republican journal., 1877-01-18
John Alden.

The Alden house Of DuXburyis is probably the
most ancient in New England. excepting the
" Stone House" at Guiltord, in Connecticut,
which was built in 1910.
This Alden house is believed to have been
built in 1853, by son of that John Alden who
came over in the Mayhower in 1G20-one of the
immortal 'hundred' who founded the colony
of Plymouth.
John Alden had been a cooper in England,
and Joined the first band of Pilgrims to come to
the New World. He was but twenty-one years
of age. being the youngest of all the Pilgrims,
and, tradition says, the handsomest. 1t was
one OF the regulations of the colony that un-
married persons should live where the author
tiles directed not at all where they chose; so,
in the division of the Pilgrims into families
(December IS, 1920, Alden was put into the
family of NIyles Standish. After the death Of
Rose Standish, when Myles turned his eyes
toward the pretty Priscilla MullenS, we can
see how natural it was that the soldier, who
had courage enough to grapple with the most
powerful Indian, should have hesitated to at
tack Priscilla, and should have sent young AL
den to sue for him.
Let us try to picture the scene. The pretty
Priscilla is sitting at her wheel, and she does
not look like one of the Fates who arc drawing
out the thread of life. She wears on her head
a small cap, for the ''water-fal" or the rat
had not been invented. Her dress well, a
white jacket made of linen is belted about the
waist with white cord, and meets the blue
Wooen petticoat, which harmoniZes we'll with
the deep gray eye, fair face, and silky hair of
the lady. OF what is she thinking?-of whom:
Is it of the slender, dark-eyed young cooper
who came on the ship when she put back to
England: The saving was then Old, "Speai
of the devil, and he is at your elbow"
When the young John Alden appeared before
her, with hat in hand, and wearing a doubling
look. why did the pretty Priscilla blush as she
answered his ''good-day?" Only that she was
surprised; for no good girl then would be
spending her time in wanton thoughts, Won
derlng and wishing that the one she loved, or
might love, was ut her side.
John had AN errand, and how was he to tell
it: lie was loves messenger, coming from
Myles StandiSh-Myles. who was the captain
of Pilgrim soldiers. ready at a moments warn
ing to buckle on his sword and fight. lie was
thirty-siX years old. How Old.
1t was not easy to tell his elrand, we may
we'll believe. That he brought in the name Of
the captain, told of his virtues, was certain ::
but when he said, 'And Captain Standish likes
you, Priscilla" we can sec the toss Of that head
and the glance OF the demure eye at the hesitate
ing John.
He likes YOU, and wants To marry YOU"
"Nonsense, John, Don't talk such things to
me-"
But he does: | speak the truth and he has
sent ine to say SO TO you.
Then Priscilla jumped from her wheel and ran
out OF the room, leaving John to wonder. Was
she angry was she unwilling? What now
was he to do = Tor he must carry back an an
eWeT
She soon came III, but her face told 10 tale
John must renew his message.
But he is so Old, she said. And then he
is short, and his hair is red, and he has
freckles."
But he is 50 manly and 50 brave, and so
many believe i'll him and depend on him, and
all nell and all women look to him in the hour
Of danger"
S'But he is so old ~ auain
But" Then Priscilla looked out of her
dark gray eyes at the handsome young fellow
with little bit of coqnetry-can we doubt it:
and said. ''Prithee, John, why do you not
speak for yourset?'
reader to guess what happened then. Priscilla
never told, nor did John, and we do not know.
We can accept the pretty story of the love-
making AZ true; while the other story, that
when Alden went to marry Priscilla, he rode
on his bull, and carried his wife back to his
house on the same lordly beast, is quite out of
the question. The fact being that cattle We're
not carried from England to the colony till
1924, while Johns trst-born say the light in
1922. we are forced to drop the pleasing incl
dent, or regulate it to the lovely domain Of po-
esv, where all things are possible. Marriage
was a civil contract there, and was perform ed
by the magistrate, not by he minister.
Upon the matter of lovemaking the Pilgrims
We're strenuous, for, of all the virtues chastity
held highest place. SO in l6}S sit is ordered
that if any man make a motion of marriage to
any mans daughter or maid without first OBJ
tanning leave OF her parents or master, he shall
be punished by fine not exceeding five pounds,
or corporal punishment, or both, at the discre-
ton of the bench. according to the nature of
the offence" What money, what Whippings,
would now ensue, were this old statute still
standing. Harper's Magazine for January.