er set with pearls, and
the third a poor casket of lead.

"Now it was given out that each comer should have but one choice, and if
he chose the one with the picture he should have the lady to wife.

"Divers kings, knights, and gentlemen came from far, but they never won,
because they always snatched at the gold and the silver caskets, with the
pearls and diamonds. So, when they opened these, they found only a
grinning death's-head or a fool's cap.

"But anon cometh a true, brave knight and gentleman, who chooseth for
love alone the old leaden casket; and, behold, within is the picture of
her he loveth! and they were married with great feasting and content.

"So our Lord Jesus doth not offer himself to us in silver and gold and
jewels, but in poverty and hardness and want; but whoso chooseth them for
His love's sake shall find Him therein whom his soul loveth, and shall
enter with joy to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

"And when the Lord shall come again in his glory, then he shall bring
worthy gifts with him, for he saith: 'Be thou faithful unto death, and I
will give thee a crown of life; to him that overcometh I will give to eat
of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name
that no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. He that overcometh and
keepeth my words, I will give power over the nations and I will give him
the morning star.'

"Let us then take joyfully Christ's Christmas gifts of labors and
adversities and crosses to-day, that when he shall appear we may have
these great and wonderful gifts at his coming; for if we suffer with him
we shall also reign; but if we deny him, he also will deny us."

And so it happens that the only record of Christmas Day in the pilgrims'
journal is this:

"Monday, the 25th, being Christmas Day, we went ashore, some to fell
timber, some to saw, some to rive, and some to carry; and so no man
rested all that day. But towards night some, as they were at work, heard
a noise of Indians, which caused us all to go to our muskets; but we
heard no further, so we came aboard again, leaving some to keep guard.
That night we had a sore storm of wind and rain. But at night the ship-
master caused us to have some beer aboard."

So worthily kept they the first Christmas, from which comes all the
Christmas cheer of New England to-day. There is no record how Mary
Winslow and Rose Standish and others, with women and children, came
ashore and walked about encouragi