The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-11-24
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her father but her mother and brother as well,
died, and she was left alone, orphaned and friend
less in a strangA new world. Her plight seems
to have aroused the sympathy of the entire col
cny. The women adopted her en- masse, and as
her beauty was as evident as her goodness, all
the young men IN the colony would have liked to
have done the same thing.
Meantime the Mayfiower was returning to Eng
land. Alden, crushed, disappointed, not daring for
loyalty to his angry friend to push his suit with
Priscilla, planned to return to the old home, for
saking forever the Plymouth colony He threw
together his scanty belongings and went TO the
shore where the Mayflower waited, straining her
anchors. A crowd had gathered there, and as
Alden was about to step on the gunwale of the
boat which would take him out to the waiting yes
sci, he saw amid the solemn faces of the Pilgrims
the tear-stained cOuntenance of Priscilla Liullins.
Reproach, grief and unutterable longing were
in her eyes. He gazed long into them across the
distance between them, then jumped back on
shore. Here l remain" he vowed, raising his
hand to heaven. So under the providence OF God
it happened that not one went back in the May
flower and the colony was intact, save for the raw
ages made by death.
When a woman is as determined as was Pris-
ella to wed the man of her choice, mere man hath
little, indeed, to do with 1t. Thus 1t happened that
before he knew it John Alden was safely be-
trotEed to Priscilla and the wedding day was set.
Finally, the blest day arrived and the Pilgrims
were SdticTcu III cctluS HOuSc vi liz Wcu-
ding ceremony. Miles Standish had left town
some weeks before on another Indian expedition.
After the wedding sermon, according to the good
" custom Of the day, had been heard, a form ap-
peared on the threshold of the church, clad In
armor. Behind him pressed his "invincible army"
now reduced to eight. 1t was Capt. Miles Stan
dish, returned from the wars to find the lady he
loved the bride of another.
Dead silence fell over the church. Priscilla
glanced archly at her erstwhile lover from the
shelter Of her husbands strong right arm. With
one stride Standish came to their side. He put
out his hand to the bridegroom and said, "Lct
us be friends again." John Alden's face.was aglow
as he gladly grasped the hand of his old friend.
Turning to Priscilla, Standish bowed low and said
simply, II should have remembered the adage, IL
you would be. well served, you must serve your.
SELF and moreover, no man can gather cherries
In Kent at the season Of Christmas Priscilla
laughed and flushed.
1t was not long, however, before John Alden
and his reconciled friend went to Duxbury. Mass.
and started q settlement there. The bruised heart
of Mics Standish had heen healed by the soft
fingers of q certain Barbara, one of the passengers
on the second coming of the M%ayflower. She be-
came the second Mrs. Miles Standish and il amity
and affection tie two families lived side by side
in Duxbury. Priscilla became the mother Of
eleven children. Thus tbs Pilgrim romance. like
the story book tale. ends APPLY with the old phrasu
Sand they lived happily ever after"