Evening star., 1911-08-11
Wife Not Mentioned.

We do not know very much about Mrs
Barbara Standish but she was evidently
a modest and well behaved woman. When
Miles died he gave directions that his
body was to be 'laide as neare as con-
veniently maybee to my two deer daugh-
ters, Lora Standish, my daughter. and
Mary Standish, my daughter-in-law." He
said nothing about his wife. and she was
not included in the party.
Among other romances that have been
destroyed by modern iconoclasts who
have insisted upon inquiring too closely
into their origin, is the pretty story OF
the attempt of Capt. Standish to voc
Priscilla Mullins by proxy We have
lost William Tell. and other heroes OF
our childhood have been declared myths
and now Longfelow's romance has crunl-
bled into fragments and blown away in
a breeze of investigation. Some one has
discovered that Miles Standish was mar
ried before John Alden. hence 1t was
scarcely possible for the latter to have
gone to Priscilla. the 'damsel Priscilla
the loveliest maiden OF Plymouth tc
speak for Miles and he requested Il
speak for yourself, John"
The earliest reference to this incident
is said to have been printed in 1914 in {
| is no allusion to it in any Of the records
| or correspondence of the time. Nor is i
possible that the snow white bull
| LED by a cord that was tied to an iror
ring in It's nostrils.
| Covered with crimson cloth, and cush
| ion placed for a saddle"
was ridden by the bride at John Alden
wedding, as described by Longfelow.
The Pilgrims landed the latter part o
| December 162O. John Alden and Pris
ella Mullins were married In the summer
of 162l No cattle were brought TO the
colony until 1924, when Edward Winslov
and a Mr.. Allerton imported "a bull,
| heifer and three or four ladies'
| John Alden's Arrival.
John Alden followed Miles Standisl
| to Duxbury, and built house here II
1851. on the south bank Of the Blue FISH
river which flows into the bay between
| Duxbury and Plymouth. Here he RAISED
| an old-fa shioned family of eleven chill
\ dren, and here he died at an advanced
| age. Alden was eighty-seven years OLE
at the time of his death, and outlived al
| the other signers of the MayfioWer com
| pact The original cabin went to piece,
long ago. The third house to be erected
| on the same site is still standing, ant
belongs to an association of his descend
| ants. 1t Is very old-probably much
as 200 years-and has high-pitchet
roof. a massive chimney. heavy timber:
of white oak and Is sheathed with shin
giles. 1t is now occupied by lineal de-
scendant
John and Priscilla Alden are buried
near the Standish monument. The old
est headstone in the little cemetery bears
the name of their son Jonathan.
| The burial place Of Myles Standish is
unknown, but his grave was marked by
two pyramidical stones. about six feet
apart, and many years ago two such
markers were found and three graves
were uncovered between them. Two OF
them contained skeletons of women, one
with abundant blonde hair, and the other
with tresses of dark brown. Both had
| perfect teeth. Between them, in the
middle grave, was the skeleton of man
which, recalling the injunction left by
Capt Standish as to his burial, was
thought to leave no doubt as to it's identi-
| ty Therefore. the spot has been in
closed by wall of stone guarded by
four old fashioned cannons.
| Not a Churchman.
| It is a singular fact that Capt. Stan
dish was never a member of any church.
lie never professed the creed of the
| Rrownist sect to which the Pilgrims be-
longed. and was a member OF a noble
Roman Catholic family. When he join
ed the May1ower party at Delfhaven he
was returning from Flanders. where he
had been employed as q professional
| soldier Standish came from Dokes-
bury, Lancashire-probably by incorrect
spelling the name was shortened to Dux-
bury when he applied it to the farm he