Evening star., 1914-04-05

with the spring new folfaSe clothing
the world in emerald verdure, and - :
an almost infinite multitude of
flowers rioting in color and perfume.
Nor there loveler day in all that years srngtide
than this, with a cloudless sky and gentle breeze
that Just di1nped the blue of the river down
which John Rolfe coming from Narna, Coxen-
dale, to claim his bride. 1t holiday in James
and all along the river, and all the folk in
their bravest attire to the nuptals of of the
foremost citizens of Virginia and the daughter of the
most powerful of all Indian Kings.
The little church richly adorned for the cere-
nony. Sir Thomas Dale, the Marshal and acting Gov
of the colony, insisted that every day should
he decorated with flowers; but this day the pro
fusion of blossoms was greater than ever before. The
cedar pews, the black walnut pulpit, and communion
table that served altar, and the font, hewed in
canoe fashion from cedar log all embowered in
laurel and magnolia blooms, and the bride and her at
tendants bore great clusters of the same.
The bride gown of fine white linen, which
was mantle of richly embroidered silk, the gift of her
adopted father, Sir Thomas Dale. She supported
the altar and given away by her uncle Opechisco,
who had been commissioned for that service by her
father, the Werowance Powhatan and wore the mantle
of royal Prince of Acknowledgements. The bride
groom wore the picturesque costume of British cav
acr and accompanied by two brothers OF the bride
The ceremony performed by the Rev. Thomas
Alexander Whitaker OF Coxendale, who had been the
brides religious instructor and had scarcely be-
fore baptized her and received her into the church at
Jamestown and he was assisted by the of the
church, the Rev. James Buck.
Among the guests Sir Thomas Dale, who
attended by his staff, all in dress uniform Ralph
anor, Esq, secretary of the colony; Mrs. Easton and
child; Mrs. Horton and grandchild; Miss Elizabeth
Parsons; Henry Spelrnan, Esq, whose life had been
saved some years before by the BRIDE George Percy,
ESQ., brother of the Duke of Northumb ,rland; and
George Sparkes, Esq, the bridegrooms comrade and
partner
Following the ceremony a banquet served by
Sir Thomas Dale, after which the happy couple pro-
ceecd up the river the bridegrooms plantation of
Narna whence they afterward departed for England,
where the bride welcomed by her husbands family
at Heacham Hail. Norfolk and presented Court.
THUS far the social chronicle is might have been
written three hundred years ago. But that April
wedding in the little Jamestown church much
more than fashionable function of the day 1t was
an event of surprising moment to the young colony
and of enduring historical interest only Virginia
but the whole nation, whose fairs the offspring
l,f that union have played conspicuous part.
The story of Pocahontas is invested with some inven
ons, and with details of disputed authentictv
but its essential facts Among the disputed
features is the incident perhaps most familiar of ALL
her alleged saving OF Captain John Smith, copied
by him from similar story in the Portuguese narrative
of De Soto's expedition, in which John Ortiz was said
have been saved in just such fashion by the daughter
of Chief Ucta. Yet all that know of Smiths char
acer and record forbds such asperson upon him:
while the fact that in his time and for
turies and more aterward his story was never ques-
tioned-though he had countless enemies and critics
tends strongly to confirm its truth The against
1t artificial and specous; while that support of it
is clear, and should probably be regarded convincing