The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-26
OF WRITER'S AND BOOKS.
THE "PILGRIM FlTHERS"-A no
NANCE AND A HISTORY.
An English Novclist's Opinion OF "Thc
saddie"-By lisa Darlington Cabsli.

n DUTY VI NidSodlhu-
sets BY John r. Musick. illustrated.
New York. Funk * Wagnalls Company.
1888.
The breaking waves dashed high
On a stern and rock bound coast,
And the woods against a stormy sky
Their giant branches tossed;
And the heavy night hung dark,
The hills and waters DER,
When band Of edles moored their
bark
On the wild New England shore.
Mrs HeTsans.
"a new day has dawned. The curtain
rises again. and the fifth volume of the
Columbian Historical Novels reveals
new type of humanity, fired with new
motives, new resolves, treading the chores
of the New World. Columbus and the
Spaniards, the French and Virgnians
were all alike fred by lust CT conquest,
all alike thirsting for fame ard gold.
The one passionate desire of the Pilgrim
Fathers was Freedom 10 worship God
in their own way. They were hard-hand-
ed sons of toni, sturdy, resolute, enduring
men and women. looking upward for
heavenly guidance. striving TO live ac-
cording to the light vouchsafed them,
content TO earn their bread ''in the sweat
of their faces" and TO deal honestly and
honorably with their red neighbors, the
children OF the forest.
The founding and establishment OF this
young empire is the historical subject
of the present volume, forming a novel
setting for a warlike scion Of the Este
vans, the Matthew Stevens, brother OF
Phillip Stevens, who played so consplcu-
Gus part in the story OF "Pocahontas."
Matthew Stevens, as the reader already
knows, was bred Puritan, and the
author has admirably portrayed him as
one of whom II were hard 70 say whether
nature or grace were In the ascendant.
In fighting he appears to have combined
the address of the cavalier with the
sturdy resolution of the Puritan; and In
love-making he combined the impetuosi-
ty OF the fiery Spaniard with the staying
powers of the phlegmatic Hollander. And
his staying powers were taxed severely)
Matthew was present at the embarka-
ton of the Pilgrims to Holland I'm the
year 1920. and held back the kings troops
until the men Of the party had safely en-
barked. For resisting the kings forces
he was imprisoned, and, after short In
generation, liberated by bright little
girl. Alice White. while the jailer, Bill
lington. was taking his cup at neighbor-
ing ale-house.
This Ellington is the villain OF the
story: he wanted to marry Alice's mother
Sarah not only disliked him, but had
given her heart to gallant yourg cava-
lier, William Roby. Her parents. being
Puritan, opposed her union with the
young Catholic, but she met and married
him secretly. Ellington, however con-
trived 10 be present at the ceremony, ana
after Roby had gone TO the wars IN Elan
ders, and failed TO return, Ellington an
nounced that the marriage was performed
by a sham priest. Sarah retained her
maiden name. White. She never heard
from Roby again. for Ellington had sue
ceeded in intercepting all his letters.
Matthew Stevens escape from prison
cost Ellington his post. end some ten
years later. when Matthew returned TO
London TO secure charter from the
crown for the intending Puritan emil
era ats, he encountered Ellington, who
recognized and sought to arrest him.
Matthew knocked him down and ned.
Reaching a cottage in the suburb at the
West End, he applied for shelter. and In
the young oman who opened the door
he recognized his fair liberator, Alice
White. She and her mother were also
bent on following the Leyden Puritans
10 the New World at an early date, ana
the two young people, drawn to each
other by mutual affinity, looked forward
to q reunion that should endure.
But Ellington also determined to go
with the Pilgrims, and succeeded In
boarding the Mayfiower.
He and his son were the evil geniuses
Of the colony from the first and the lat
ter was the first criminal TO be executed.
The father however. contrived to live on
and work mischief
The Whites. mother and daughter, ar
rived in due course. and the reunion be-
tween the lovers was a happy one.
Matthew's wooing throve apace. until
Ellington suggested TO him that as Mrs.
Whites maiden name had not been
changed by marriage. there must be some
thing black about it. Matthew cues
toned Alice as to her father. She had
never known him, never thought or him.
She went TO her mother, who declined
to discusa the subject. There was then
something to conceal, and Alice resolved
not to marry until. and unless. the
mystery as TO her birth could be satisfac-
torily solved. And so the years passed
and Matthew's raven hair was ungeo
with gray, until one day the frightened
Ellington. who had long fed the colony.
returned TO tell Sarah White that Roby
was alive and at New Amsterdam.
That same evening Alice, urged by
Matthew, insisted on having the mystery
cleared up, and the mother, asking her
to wait until tomorrow set out on foot
for Providence, resolved TO huht UP W IL
liam Roby. Matthew and Alice and a
small party followed the next day, and
tracked her to Providence. which they
reached soon after she did But VIII
liam Roby, too, was on the track OF his
wife. and soon after there was happy
reunion The clouds lifted. and the
patient lovers were folded in each others
arms
(Side by side with these events the
romance Of history pursues its solemn
onward march on It's career Of empire.
All the leading events Of the early years
of the Puritan settlement are chronicled
in due order and graphically depicted, and
so. too, are the bits Of individual romance
which earlier writers have already woven
into the pages Of history, among others
the courtship of Miles Standish. by proxy
OF John Alden, and the rogush Priscilla's
''Prythee. John. why do you not speak
for YOURSELF" immortalized by Longfel-
low.
The romantic interest Of this volume
is well-sustained. nay more II is here first
that the young American citizen finds
living interest in the deeds his fathers
wrought, and learns to appreciate the
sterling worth Of the founders Of civil
and religious iiberty.-From the Literary
Digest.
Prom Wiikie Collins.
One OF the worlds famous authors was
born under the shadow Of Plymouth
church, and she has lived and worked in
the city almost continually since. Here