Norwich bulletin., 1921-07-20
CHILD TRAINING AT HOME
The Pilgrim Character

ne FU9Tiu SHNT ANACt
 "Next to the fugitives whom Moses led out of Egypt, the little shipload of outcasts who landed at Plymouth of the world.
 James Russell Lowell
 When an American of today reads that volume which was written three hundred years ago, William Bradford History of Plymouth,-he is apt to wonder how he would conduct him self if he were placed in situation similar to that of the Pilgrims when they decid ed that they must leave Hol- land. But he knows very well that neither his own early training nor that which he is giving his children is con ductive to the development Of the most distinguished characteristics of l the Pilgrims, absolute consecratlon | to an ideal.
 Persecution imprisonment and their own desire and determination to se- cure religious freedom had taken the l Pilgrims to Holland in 1907. There 1 they had been safer and happier than | in England for at that time Holland was more advanced intellectually
 than any other country of Europe and under the House of Orange, religious 1 freedom was granted alike to Protest ant, Catholic and Jew. But though l the Pilgrims admired the Hollentlers
 and enjoyed their "faife and bewtifull cities, flowing with all sorts of welth l and riches" they regretted that their
 own children were destined to lose the traditions and language of Eng land if they remained in a foreign | land. After long and prayerful con
 sideration the forefathers decided that their love of God, their dream of civil lgovernment based on Republican equal- | ity and the preservatie n to posterity
 of their own customs and ideals were
 dearer to them than peace and safe ty in Holland; in 1920, therefore they undertook a second and a great
 CT exile.
 How many of us, for the love ol God and loyalty to an adeal, would , have the courage to part forever from t the comforts of civilization leavt many of those who were dearest tt ? us take Ia dangerous and seldom trieC ocean voyage, and make a home 1T the wilderness,-in short, voluntaril, , go into exile?
 When they arrived in Americ; Y they had no friends to welcom s them, nor inns to enterta in or refresl l 1 their weather beaten bodys, no house
 or much less towfes to repaire too, t 1 seeke for sucoure." Five months Sf
 ter landing, the Mayfiower returne,
 to England, leaving on the Americal
 shores only forty nine of the one hun
 dred and one pssengers who ha
 landed the others having died ffor
 exposure to the hardships of life i : the wilderness.
 : : The Pilgrims did all of these thing u and did them eheeffully, braFely, uii 4 complaining. It did not occur to thef X that they were martyrs, because thei e matchless faith in the goodness C = God to those who did His will cause = them to believe. that all thifgB woul ,i ,i work together for. their good.
 U In mentioning the indifference of tn . Pilgrims to material comfort and pros perity and their decision t6 cross tn X ocean and settle in the wilderness Y Bradford writes, But they knew the v were pilgrimes and looked not muc < on those things, but lift up their eye e to ye heavens, their dearest cuntri d and quieted their spirits; for the < had other work in hand and anothe
 kind Of war to wage and maintain
 We are apt to think of the Pilgrim E. as a severe, stern people, strictly vii ie tueus yet lacking in the gentler dual II ties of the Christian character. but l. 2 us recall well known instance whie o1 proves that fofbearAnce, patience an Ia tenderness were their strongest chal s acteristics.
 -a In November, 192J, only yet n after the Pilgrims had landed, ahl n bearing thirty five new colonists al l!s rived. Not one of them had tool 'h food or clothing other than for his in le mediate needs. Yet the forefathel " shared with them as brothers, and
 result there was not time durif 'n the next two years when they wel ir not in great need of food and clotl T. ing.
 nc The Pilgrims shower wha: the q standards of character were wht ne they chose their Elder, Mr Willia at Brewster. He was q Christian kentl in man who had gladly sacrificed soci i'll position, suffered imprisonment, al O. gone into voluntary exile for ', oy Kingdof11e of God and Religions sakt IS Bradford's description Of his If in long friend is most satisfying. q
 teaching he was very stifrinig a, on moving the directions; Also very piA r- and distinct in what he taught, by u Of which means he became the mo ae profitable to his Aeafers." Of Bres