FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>  
is vessel, Glad in his heart to get rid of all this worry and flurry, 595 Glad to be gone from a land of sand and sickness and sorrow, Short allowance of victual, and plenty of nothing but Gospel! Lost in the sound of the oars was the last farewell of the Pilgrims. O strong hearts and true! not one went back in the Mayflower! No, not one looked back, who had set his hand to this ploughing! 600 Soon we heard on board the shouts and songs of the sailors Heaving the windlass round, and hoisting the ponderous anchor. Then the yards[39] were braced, and all sails set to the west-wind, Blowing steady and strong, and the Mayflower sailed from the harbor, Rounded the point of the Gurnet,[40] and leaving far to the southward 605 Island and cape of sand, and the Field of the First Encounter,[41] Took the wind on her quarter, and stood for the open Atlantic, Borne on the sand of the sea, and the swelling hearts of the Pilgrims. Long in silence they watched, the receding sail of the vessel, Much endeared to them all, as something living and human; 610 Then, as it filled with the spirit, and wrapped in a vision prophetic, Baring his hoary head, the excellent Elder of Plymouth. Said, "Let us pray!" and they prayed, and thanked the Lord and took courage. Mournfully sobbed the waves at the base of the rock, and above them Bowed and whispered the wheat on the hill of death, and their kindred 615 Seemed to awake in their graves, and to join in the prayer that they uttered. Sun-illumined and white, on the eastern verge of the ocean Gleamed the departing sail, like a marble slab in a graveyard; Buried beneath it lay forever all hope of escaping, Lo! as they turned to depart, they saw the form of an Indian, 620 Watching them from the hill; but while they spake with each other, Pointing with outstretched hands, and saying, "Look!" he had vanished. So they returned to their homes; but Alden lingered a little, Musing alone on the shore, and watching the wash of the billows Round the base of the rock, and the sparkle and flash of the sunshine, 625 Like the spirit of God, moving visibly over the waters.[42] VI PRISCILLA. Thus for a while he stood, and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   >>  



Top keywords:

strong

 

hearts

 

Mayflower

 
Pilgrims
 
spirit
 

vessel

 
marble
 

uttered

 

prayer

 

graves


illumined
 

departing

 

eastern

 

Gleamed

 

sobbed

 
Mournfully
 

whispered

 

graveyard

 

courage

 
Seemed

kindred

 
prayed
 

thanked

 

Indian

 

watching

 

billows

 

sparkle

 
lingered
 

Musing

 

sunshine


waters

 

PRISCILLA

 

visibly

 

moving

 

returned

 

depart

 

turned

 

escaping

 

beneath

 

forever


Plymouth

 

vanished

 

outstretched

 

Pointing

 

Watching

 

Buried

 
endeared
 

ploughing

 

looked

 

hoisting