The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-15
BY OLIVE ROBERTS
The University of Montana


led out of Egypt, the little ship-load
of outcasts who landed at Plymouth
are destined to influence the future
of the world. james Russell Lowell.
When an American of today reads
that volume which was written three
hundred years ago, William Bradford's
History of Plymouth, he is apt TO won
der how he would conduct himself if
he were placed in a situation similar
to that of the Pilgrims when they de-
cided that they must leave Holland.
But he knows very well that neither
his own early training nor that which
he is giving his children is conducive
to the development of the most dis
tinguishing characteristic of the Pill
grims-absolute conservation to an
ideal
Persecution, Imprisonment and their
own desire and determination to Sc
cure religious freedom had taken the
Pilgrims to Holland in 1907. There
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 I'M
der the House of Orange religious
freedom was granted alike to Protest
ant, Catholic and Jew. But though
the Pilgrims admired the Hollanders
and enjoyed their "faire and bewtifull
cities. flowing with all sorts of wealth
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
J civil government based on Republican
equality and the preservation to pos
terity of their own customs and ideal;
were dearer to them than peace anC
safety in Holland; in 1920, therefore
they undertook a second and a greater
exile
How many of US, for the love o.
God and loyalty to an ideal, would
have the courage to part forever from
the comforts of civilization, leave
: many of those who were dearest Il
US, take dangerous and seldom tried
ocean voya ge, and make home il
the wilderness-in short, voluntaril.
: go into exile?
: When they arrived in Americt
"they had no friends to welcome
them, nor inns to entertain or refresl
; their weather-beaten bodys, no house
!, or much less townes to repaire to, t
seeke for sucoure." Five month
after landing, the Mayflower returne,
j to England, leaving on the American
!, shores only 40 of the one hundred ant
! one passengers who had landed, tn
: others having died from exposure t
the hardships of life in the wilderness
The Pilgrims did all of these thing
and did them cheerfully, bravely, VI
complaining. 1t did not occur to then
that they were martyrs, because thei
matchless faith in the goodness o
God to those who did His will cause,
: them to believe that all things woul
work together for their good.
! In mentioning the Indifference o
i. the Pilgrims to material comfort an
t prosperity and their decision to eros
the ocean and settle in the wilder
:. ness, Bradford writes: But the
: knew they were pilgrimes, and locke
: not much on those things, but lift u
their eyes to we heavens, their deal
: est cuntrie and quoted their spirits
: for they had other work in hand, an
] another kind of war; to wage an
: maintaine."
: We are apt to think of the Pilgrim
as a severe, stern people, strictly vii
tuous yet, lacking in the gentler qua
tiles of the Christian character, bu
let US recall a well known instanc
which proves that forbeara nee, p;
e thence and tenderness were thei
:, strongest characteristics.
r In. November, 1921, only a year afte
:. the Pilgrims had landed, ship bea
d ing 35 new colonists arrived. Not on
of them had tools, food or clothin
|, other than for his immediate need
y Yet the forefathers shared with thel
q as brothers, and as result there wa
J not time during the next two veal
, when they were not in great need {
food and clothing.
The Pilgrims showed what the
standards of character were whe
they chose their elder, Mr. Villa
> Brewster He was a Christian gent
o man who had gladly sacrificed soci
s position. suffered Imprisonment, al
II gone into voluntary exile for g.
G "Kingdome of God and Religion
D. Sake
n Bradford's description of his lii
d long friend is most satisfying. g
r teaching he was very stirring al
e moving the affections: also very pla
a, and distinct in what he taught, by Il
q which means he became the mo
profitable to his hearers" OF Bre
4. ster's sympathy and kindliness Bra