The Republican journal., 1888-11-08

|
rot-g!,t. In addition to this ten gallons were s.
| cured recently in one haul, carefully packed
away in Sour barrel.
The Genesis Of the Aldens.
4 VISIT TO JOHN AI.DENS HOMF-TEN GENE
RAlioNS FROM CAPT. STtNDISi'S MI.sSENG-
! ERrlIE STORY OF IHECoI'HrslllPEi Ei.roI.D.
AS you look out over Plymouth BAY from
| Burial Hill the most prominent Object in >iel,.
| is the rounded height Of Captains Hill ri,in.
| up from the shore Of the bay on The northeast
| and crowned by what looks like the haIf-ri,in-
| ed turret of some di>mantlcd castle Tile hin
is in the town Of DuXbury. notable a. tile
home of Miles StanIi>h, of John Alden. aMd
| Priscilla Mullens. his wife. The tuwer was he
| gun is monument to the doughty Captain.
but to the grave discrcdt of Massachusetts has
never been finished, for lack of funds il is said.
1t Is SIX miles across the bay t. the base OF the
| hill, and nine by the carriage road around the
trend OF the shore; too far to drive" we dericlp.
with plymouth for our >tarting-pOint. But lV
| going north four miles by rail TO X tng>ton, we
| learn. we shall be hut four miles from CAP
| tain'> Hill, and there can take carriage for a
eisurcly drive about the Old town. OF DuNhury.
| This programme one beautiful jane day We
| carried out. The road from Kingston 10 the
hill skirts the shore of Plymouth Bay. crossin.
many rove> and salt meadows. and then a.
| cends for mile to the pretty little Nilla4e of
| South DuXbnry. The hIl i, on the south q
| short half-milc. accessible Nv rouyh hv-roa1
which ends abruptly at a farm gate near its
base When one ha> crossed This pasture ana
| climbed the hill, be is rewarded III 4 marni-
| cent prospect.
Plymouth Bay is at hi> feet. Gurnct Point
| Light marking tile entrance to the bay. i be
| fore him a little to the left. Just inside is
| tlarks Island, the first andn--plarc Of the
| Pilgrims. Eastward of tLi> i, Standish l>laId.
defended by small fort, and terminating i'll
| Standi>h Point Directly across is Manome
| Point, formin" the southern limit Of the har-
| Dor. Within all this is the sweep Of tie inner
| harbor, with Plymonth and its >trepIas and
monument at its head. The unfinished monte
| mcnt rises beside Us some fifty feet; blocks 0f
stone. hcwn and unhewn. and tilnber> Of the
| scallodlng are scattered around. 1t i> 4 mas
| slvc. circular tower, hollow within. and If
| raised to its projected height of 100 feet would
| be mighty landmark, and iittng memorial
| to the brave Captain to whom Ma>sachu>ttt>
| owes so much. The Old Bay state, which i
| really bur'ened with supertuouS wealth. ought
| TO take this monument and that Of the fore
| fathers at Plymouth and complete them. Neith-
| er of them i'll their present condition reflects
credit on the descendants of the Pilgrims
we left the monument and drove away up
into North Duxbury two miles to the >ile Of
| the cottage where John Alden ANA Priscilla
Mullens enacted their pretty idyl. Following
| directions, we drove down around DuXhurv
| Church and Town Hail. through forest Of
| oaks and white birchcs. until we came to a re-
| @ion of farms; then across the tracks Of the
| Old Colony Line. and saw on the south IT the
| mead of i. lane brown, moSsv. long-rpof.d
| farmhouse = the Alden homestead, .'A!oen
| Avenue" is marked on sign-post ut the
| mouth Of the lane. We knock al luoI IL
which the path leads. and are admitted hi AII.
| john Alden. the owner and sole occupant Of
| the house. 1t was built in 1868, lie tells Us,
| and always has been owned by an Alicn
The heavy Old beams and low ceilings re-
| mind one of old-time builders. There Is an
| ancient cupboard built into the wall. and an
| Old CHAR of 1858. but most of the Old furniture
| of the house is in the keeping of members Of
the family residing at Rockand Mass. Paint
| ing> of vessels and portraits of captains oil
the wall remind us that the Aens have III
ways been of a nautical turn. Our host him
| self was master of a ship for twelve years.
| But his house. though 50 Old. was not the one
| to which Priscilla rode on the mlk-whitc bull
on the day of her wedding. Mr.. Alden could
| not show it to us, because long since it dsap-
| peared. but he led the way to its Site. in tie
| midst of a meadow about 300 yards South beast
| Of the present dwelling. A small stone pillar
| on the site bears this inscription: ''Site OF
John Alden's House, built in 1927" 1t is
| pretty spot. Through the trees we caught
| glimpscS of the blue ocean about haf-a-nlile
distant, the village of North Duxburv was
| near by on the north, and green ielti> and
| groves surrounded Us. II the scene was as
| pretty in 1927. no bride ever hal n!orc au-!.i-
| cious homecoming.
| We were curious to know something of the
family. and especially concernin. the original
source of the story Of Miles SandsIl'> court
| ship, which the poet turned so effectively into
verse, and we found in Mr.. Alden wise and
| entertaining raconeur. lie WAS himself
| lineal descendant of the john Alden of the
| Mauho,rer and Priscilla Mullens, the descent
having been through John, Jr. Jonathan,
John, Briggs. Judah. John, John-he bein.:
| the eighth in line from the Original >igner OF
the compact. Mr.. Alden has a son John and
| grandson John. bringing the line 10 the tenth
! generation. Although there have been numer-
Gus Johns in the family, Mr.. Alden tells Us.
there is no record Of a Priscilla until the birth
of his last granddaughter year ago, whom he
| named Priscilla MullenS. after her far-of an
| ceStors.
AS TO the source of the story of the court>hip
of Miles Standish it is related by the Rev.
Timothy Alden in his collection Of American
| epistles as follows: In very short time af-
| ter the deceaSe of Mrs. Standi>h. the Captain
| was led to think that if he could obtain Miss
| Priscilla Muens, 4 daughter Of Mr.. William
| Muens, the breach in his family would be
happily repaired. He therefore, according to
| the custom of those times. sent to ask Mr.. Null
lenss permission to visit bis daughter. John
| Alden, the messenger. went and faithfully
communicated the wishes of the Captain. The
| old gentleman did not object, as he might have
done on account of Capt. Sandsh's recent be-
reavement. He said it was perfectly agreeable
to him, but the young lady must also be con-
suited. The damsel was called into the room,
| and John Alden, who is said to have been Il
man of most excellent form, with fair and
| ruddy complexion, arose. and in very court
! Iy and prepossessing manner delivered his er
rand. Miss Mullens listened with respectful
attention, and at last, after a considerable
pause, fixing her eyes upon him with an open
and pleasant countenance said: 'Prithec. John,
why do you not speak for yourself!' lie
bushed, and bowed. and took his leave, but
| with look which indicated more than his diff
fdence would permit him otherwise to en-
press. However, he renewed his visit, and it
was not long before the nuptias Were celc-
brated in ample form. Standish never forgave
him."
The happy couple came to live in The new
house herethe second built in the town of
DuXbury-and in due time four sons were
born to them, from whom 4 large and notable
family are descended. In the veins of at least
two residents of the United States John
Adams and his son John Quncy--the blood of
gentle Priscilla Mullens has lowed.