"The ocean eagle soared From his nest by the white wave's foam, And the rocking pines of the forest roared-- This was their welcome home! "There were men with hoary hair Amidst that pilgrim band-- Why had they come to wither there Away from their childhood's land? "There was woman's fearless eye, Lit by her deep love's truth; There was manhood's brow, serenely high, And the fiery heart of youth. "What sought they thus afar? Bright jewels of the mine? The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?-- They sought a faith's pure shrine. "Ay, call it holy ground, The soil where first they trod! They have left unstain'd what there they found-- Freedom to worship God!" "Did they have a very hard time at Plymouth?" said Margaret. "Yes, my dear," replied mamma, "a very hard time. There were little children, and they often had to go cold and hungry. After the Mayflower brought them to Plymouth, it had to sail away again to England and leave them in the wilderness alone." "There were Indians, too," said Harold. {273}{274} [Illustration] THRESHING From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by her kind permission. In the East the grain is threshed by the trampling of beasts, or sometimes, as in this picture, by a rude kind of threshing wheel. The wheels are carried in the framework on which the man is sitting. Sometimes a sledge with iron or stone teeth driven into the bottom is used. [End illustration] {275} "Yes," said mamma, "but they had the brave Miles Standish to protect them. At one time, so the story goes, they were almost starving. The winter was coming on, and they did not know what to do. So they set apart a certain day to fast and ask God's help in their distress. I am not sure that it is true, but we will suppose that a little girl and boy like you had climbed the hill to gather a few sticks of wood for the fire. We will suppose that the little girl was looking out to sea, and suddenly she cried, 'Oh, John, what can that be, is it a sail?' "And we will suppose that John said, 'Oh, no, Priscilla, that is nothing but a seagull; there is no ship coming.' "But Priscilla insisted. "'It is, John, it is a sail.' And John looked again and cried, 'Yes! yes! it is, it is a sail!' "Then how they ran to the village shouting, 'A sail! a sail!' and how the people came crowding out of the little church where they had gathered to pray, and how happy they all were! "I do not know whether the children caught sight of the sail first, but it is true that on the day appointed for fast and prayer, a ship came from England, and the fast day was turned into a day of feasting and thanksgiving to God for his mercies. And ever after in New England, and now all over this country, the people keep this day; a day for feasting and joy, but a day also of humble thankfulness to God for all his goodness to his children.