OLD PLYMOUTH TRAILS BY WINTHROP PACKARD Author of "White Mountain Trails," "Literary Pilgrimages of a Naturalist," etc. ILLUSTRATED BOSTON SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY PUBLISHERS [Frontispiece: The Mayflower at Plymouth] Copyright, 1920, BY WINTHROP PACKARD PRESS OF GEO. H. ELLIS CO., BOSTON FOREWORD The author wishes to express his thanks to the editors of the Boston Evening Transcript and the Atlantic Monthly for permission to reprint in this volume matter originally contributed to the columns of that paper and magazine; and to A. S. Burbank of Plymouth, I. Chester Horton, and Howard S. Adams for permission to reproduce various illustrations. CONTENTS CHAPTER I OLD PLYMOUTH TRAILS II PLYMOUTH MAYFLOWERS III UNBUILDING A BUILDING IV FOREFATHERS' DAY V THE SINGING PINES VI NANTUCKET IN APRIL VII FOOTING IT ACROSS THE CAPE VIII WILD APPLE TREES IX MIDSUMMER MOONLIGHT X TURTLE-HEAD AND JEWEL-WEED XI THE WAY OF A WOODCHUCK XII ALONG THE SALT MARSHES XIII FISHING "DOWN OUTSIDE" XIV VOICES OF THE BROOKSIDE XV GHOSTS OF THE NORTHEASTER XVI JOTHAM STORIES XVII GOOD-BYE TO SUMMER XVIII MYSTICAL PASTURES XIX WHITE PINE GROVES XX THE PASTURE IN NOVEMBER XXI RED CEDAR LORE XXII AUNT SUE'S SNOWBANK XXIII SPORTS OF THE WINTER WOODS XXIV COASTING ON PONKAPOAG XXV PICKEREL FISHING XXVI YULE FIRES ILLUSTRATIONS THE MAYFLOWER AT PLYMOUTH THE FIRST PILGRIM TRAIL PLYMOUTH AS THE PILGRIMS MADE IT LEYDEN STREET TO-DAY FROM BURIAL HILL BIRDS OF THE PLYMOUTH WOODS, WISE AND OTHERWISE BILLINGTON PATH ALONG THE BORDER OF "BILLINGTON SEA" THE STERN AND ROCK-BOUND COAST WHICH GREETED THE PILGRIMS BAYBERRY AND PITCH PINE ALONG A NANTUCKET TRAIL A NANTUCKET LANE ALONG A BYWAY OF THE CAPE DUSTY MILLER BLOSSOMING AMONG THE CAPE DUNES THE SUN SIFTING AND WINNOWING HIS GOLD FOR SUNSET SUNRISE OVER THE POND ROUNDING THE BREAKWATER AT NANTUCKET WITHIN CALL OF THE OLD LISBON BELL CAPTAIN'S HILL FROM MARSH MARGIN ALONG THE SALT MARSHES OUTWARD BOUND IN PLYMOUTH HARBOR GEESE ON THE SAND SPIT AT PLYMOUTH WILD GEESE IN FLIGHT OVER THE POND THE FOX THAT SLIPS ALONG THE WINDING PATHS AT DAWN A CAPE COD CEDAR CENTURIES OLD THE PINES IN WINTER DEER IN THE WINTER WOODS PICKEREL FROM AN OLD COLONY POND CHAPTER I OLD PLYMOUTH TRAILS "The breaking waves dashed high On a stern and rock-bound coast And the woods against a stormy sky Their giant branches tossed."