The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-11-22
JOHN ALDEN'S DINNER
FRUGAL REPAsT or A THANKSGIVING
LONG AGO.
Thanks There We're A-pienty For Divine
Mercy-Escspe Of Hunters From the In
dians-siiies standish's vanity--From .
Diary of 1890.

Morcy-Escape Of Hunters From the In
disns-Sliies standish's vanity-From .
Diary of 1890.
This yeare IL pleased God of his rich
grace To transport over into ye bay Of Mas
sachusetts divers honorable personages
and mapye worthy Christians, wherebye
the Lord began in manifest manner and
which he had of planting ye gospel in this
remote and barbarous wilderness and hon
oring his own way instituted worship,
causing such and so many to adhere there
unto and fall upon ye practice thereof
Among ye rest a chief one among them,
was that faymous pattern of pietie and
justice, Mr.. John Winthrop, ye first gov
ernor of ye jurisdiction, accompanied
with divers other persons, sons of Sion
whych mighte be compared to We most
tyne gold, amongst whom i might also
name that reverend and worthie man,
John Wilson, eminent for love and zeal
1t pleased We Lord to exercise them with
much sickness, and being destitute Of
housing and shelter, and lying up and
down in booths, some of them languished
and died. A pestilent fever swept away
many of We Indians.
Last spring there was a numerous COM
panic of flies, which were alike for bigness
unto wasps or humblebees. They came
out of little holes In We ground, and did
eat up We green things, and made such a
constant yelling noise as made We woods
ring of them and ready to deafen We hear
ers. mad never seen their like, but ye
Indians said sickness would follow and so
it did. Our excellent governor did well to
appoint day when ye goode people can
after a more special manner rejoice to-
gether. And although We weather is very
hot, much more 80 than we ever knew in
Olde England in ye month of June, and ye
harvest is not yet gathered, we can be
thankful to We Lord that we have escaped
ye prosecutions of We olde world and have
been miraculously preserved to each other.
And there have been divers and sundry
special providences. Indeed our being here
instead of landing at we Hudson river, as
we intended, Is of itself providence.
Then mcsts especially do we give thanks
that part Of our crop has been saved
from the mildew, and that, while many of
our gOodlie companie have been taken
away, through Gods mercy many of our
lives have been graciously spared. And
the four fowlers whoie our excellent gov
ernor sent out for provisions were spared
in a miraculous way. They had gone deep
into ye woods I'm search for game, and
hearing stealthy footsteps knew that there
were unfriendly savages near They could
SEQ no one, but, hearing sharp twang,
an arrow sped through We cOate OF William
White This was followed by shower of
arrows coming from every side, some of
which went through ye coats and bats Of
ye f6wlers, but none was killed, and they
returned with much game.
This afternoon we gathered at We home
of. Mystresse Priscilla Alden, where were
all ye goode neighbors.
Captain Miles Standish was there, great
ly honored for We service he has done, but
ye hand of ye Lord is upon him, and his
health is breaking. told him So. and he
became angry, for his weakness Is his
vanitie as 1t was when he was the sutton
for ye hand of Mystresse Priscilla Alden
while she was yet hayden Eorsooth,
the manner of ye house bestirred olde
memories, for she Is a. model housewife,
comelie aud God fearing. John and Mys-
tresse Alden have been diligent in spirit
ami in action. Each log that went into
ye building of their house is neatly hewn
and fastened in It's place with clay. No
unsightly things are upon We walls, moth
ing but picture, which was brought from
olde England, that they persuaded ye min
lister to allow them to keepe, notwith
standing that il might be accounted van
lite.
Then there are We fowling pieces and
powder horns above ye doore, and am
tolde that Mystr. $50 Alden puts new
creased paper in ye windows every day,
that 1t may always be clear. Ye oak logs,
of which We fioore Is made, are scrubbed
and sandcd every morning, ye andirons
are always bright. John has made benches
of hickory that all who visit him may be
seated, and ye spinning wheel shows that
1t Is not often idle.
But today We companie was too many to-
be in ye house, and ye tables were set out
under We four big elm trees and we two
oaks that are between ye house and ye
garden. There were but some parched corn
and We game ye fowlers brought, but 1t
was plentie, and when our excellent gov
ernor, Mr. John Winthrop, and those godly
men who were governor, MIR. William
Bradford and Mr.. Edward WinslOw, called
upon God to bless us and set forth ye
manifolde mercies that we had enjoyed,
we were humblcd in ye sight of God and
felt our create unworthiness, for we had
often repined, and many OF us had even
murmured at cure portions.
There was one unregenerate younge
hayden present who had wore a bleu rib
bon which she had hidden when she came
over In We good ship Mayfower. To her,
our excellent governor gave u rebuke and
wisely taught her humilitie and meekness.
I trust that 1t will crush ys rebellious
spirit within her that can come only of
satan, and she will be willing to appeare
like unto other maydens, without adorn-
ment AZ God intended. Her features are
very comelie, which must be n create trial
to her father and mother, who are God
fearing, for beautie Of face cometh from
satar to bring about temptation to vanitie.
had never before seen how comedy she is,
and think that am called to know her
better, that may correct her and guard
her from We temptation of worldlie affairs.
She has much BRAIN but talks in a man
ner unbecoming to a woman, who should
be meek and silent, especially In We pres
ence of men in authoritie. She even spoke
without honor of Ann Hutchinson, who
has so far forgot her womanly MODESTO
and we injunctions of holy writ as to speak
in publick upon matters pertaining to we