The Indianapolis journal., 1886-02-20
THE PURITAN YOUNG NAN.
Rev.N. A. Hyde Talks to Young Peopleat
Plymouth Church on John Alden.
"A Graphic Recital Of the Adventures. Hard
ships and Pastimes of Our Puritan An
cestors-Early Days in New England.

Rev Nathaniel A. Hyde talked to the children
of the public schools yesterday afternoon. at
Plymouth Church, his subject being John
Alden" whom he took as type OF the young
man of colonial New England. Mr.. Hyde mod
estly refrained from giving to the children the
interesting fact known to the reporter, that he is
himself descendant of this typical young man,
his full name being Nathaniel Alden Hyde. The
lecture was among the best of the course, being
happily gauged to the demands of his youthful
audience. and his hearers listened with the
closest attention. His anecdotes. particularly
those favored with Indian, were keenly relshed
By the boys, and the applause was if anything
at times, too exuberant
He described the landing of the Pilgrims in the
Mayhower. For one hundred and fifty years the
American colonies grew rapidly by natural in
crease of population, and they remainedsa pure,
nnmixed English race, as much so as any part of
England According to the best estimate. from
these colonies third Of the people Of this
country has descended
There were boys and girls in the company that
came over in the Mayfower, but John Alden,
twenty or twenty-one years DID, was the only
handed that he was the first to leap from the boat
and step upon Plymouth Rock; but the friends
of Mary Chiffon claim that honor for her. The
main things that may be said Of his character
and experience would be true of ali the young
men of the colony
The first question that interests US and calls
for an answer is, how did this Puritan
young man look? We must remember he is very
English; he is transported Englishman, born
in the fatherland. He has the look, the man
ners. the dress and the speech of the English of
that day. He belonged to the middle Glass; these
Puritans were not the roughs, the vicious nor
the poor class of their country. They belonged
20 the best type of the yeomanry and gentry of
England Many of those who settled in the New
England colonies were men of wealth, rank
and learning, well-bred people. This youlk man
As physically strong and robust. In the Ply
mouth Museum of relics of the fOrefathers, are
two things that belonged to John Alden, and
were brought by him from the old country-his
Bible and his halberd. The latter is pike ten
feet in length, with a heavy iron head, with
which helmet could be split open. 1t required
a very strong arm to WELD this weapon. do
not think Englishmen were larger two hundred
and fifty years ago than they are now. Their
Armor preserved in the Tower Of London must
have been worn by very strong men. Their
outdoor life and their coarse food
largely of flesh, made them hardy and vigorous
men. We have no portrait of John Alden. but
tradition has handed down to us good idea OF
his appearance. He was young man OF noble
form, fair, fiorid complexion, bright blue eyes,
simple dignifed manners. He wore a broad
brimmed, high crowned. pointed hat. His doub-
let or jacket, with large pockets on the hips
short breeches tied or buckled at the knees, and
broad. low shoes, made up his dress. 1t was a
very sensible dress compared with the long curls
the laceS, the ruffies and the rainbow colors of
the garments of the Cavaliers of that time. The
Purtans were laughed at by the loyaists for their
dress; because their hair was cut short they were
cailed CQnpdS heads their grey, every day clothes
and their blaaF SuAday garments were made
sport of because they were so somber But the
tables are now turned, These Puritans saw
further ahead than their critics. We all
roundheads now, and the black coat is the dress
garment in every civilized country.
This Puritan youth. if you should see him,
would be pronounced sedate, sober-looking,
.baehful youth, but you would also say ne has
the look Of an honest true hearted young man.
who would make a loyal friend in trouble and a
hero in danger He is specimen of the young
men that Oliver Cromwell had in his armies,
with whom that great leader won his victories
over the dashing, gaily-dressed Cavaliers He
was of the same sort that followed George
Washington in the battles OF the Revolution,
and by his endurance and self control won our
truth in it-handsome is that handsome does
this Old Colony boy was handsome fellow.
But you are interested to know something of
Ehe surroundings and everyday life Of the
young man of tho colonial times. His occupa-
tions, of course, were determined by his circum-
stances. John Alden and his companions on
his Hrst arrival iE this country, had before them
hard struggle for existence. They had come
to an inhospitable wilderness. The first ship
load had the seyerest experience Look at the
n%aNln bod opda a1 fvx 1xvsp pfav Nth
out shelter; their supply of food ID limited to
the provisions in the ship, and that is fast be-
coming exhausted. They are compelled
at once to hunt for game and fish
to keep from starving. In the winter the
game is scarce. Hard work and exposure are
the necessities of that colony. The young man
can have no idle hours no luxures and very lit
The play. When he left old England he left be-
hind him cozy cottages, pleasant fields, sweet
scented hedges. wholesome food and the good
country, and he must have long rough fight
with stern nature with wild beasts and savage
men. 1t was emphatically an outdoor life with
every able-bodied young man. When the
were to be built l see the younger
ones, under the lead Of Carver, Brewster.
Bradford. their prominent men, go out
into the nearest timber with their broad Dutch
axes and strike Justify into the great trees and
fell them and cut them into proper lengths and
then, for want of horses oxen, join hands in
dragging the logs to tho spot on the hillside
where the little hamlet is to be built. The first
that goes up is the common house into which
their goods were to be stored. While this is
going on they went back every night to the ship
that was anchored in the harbor. When this is
done they commence the erection of a few plain
aog houses for dwellings. They were placed
close together, to insure safety against
the Indians. The next thing to be done was the
building of stockade around this little village.
This was a high fence Of timbers or stakes
driven into the ground, which was a good pro-
lection against the arrows of the Indians In
ahese houses, eight in number, the colonists
were divided into as many families / dare say
Il one had been there to report all the talk dur
tng the days of house building we should have
heard of good deal of fun aai many dry jokes
that spiced the hard, serious work they were
engaged in. These men were the ancestors
of Brother Jonathan and Sam Slick. who could
give and take joke as easily as anybody. But
lha fond niiasfion sonn hscanaa sario,s o-.o.