PILGRIM COSTUME.

The stockings of the time were gartered beneath the knee, and the garters fastened with a large bow, or rosette, on one side; and the stiff ruffs of Queen Elizabeth's time had been exchanged for wide horizontal collars and broad falling bands. To these succeeded the small Geneva bands, like those worn by clergymen. Girdles were used in place of suspenders; and caps, the best of which were made at Monmouth, were much worn, and especially by soldiers; the other parts of the dress of a soldier consisted of a loose cassock or sack, covering the whole of the body, and usually

without sleeves::

cent work by the poet Whittier. The fortifications were provided against the Narragansett war :

"In 1690 six garrisons were established in different parts, with a small company of soldiers attached to each. Two of these houses are still standing. They were built of brick, two stories high, with a single outside door, so small and narrow that but one person could enter at a time; the windows few, and only about two and a half feet long by eighteen inches wide, with thick diamond glass secured with lead, and crossed inside with bars of iron. The basement had but two rooms, and the chamber was entered by a ladder instead of stairs, so that the inmates, if driven thither, could cut off communication with the rooms below."

Many private houses, the author goes on to say, were strengthened and fortified, one of which, familiar to his boyhood, he describes as follows:

"A venerable old building of wood, with brick between the weather boards and ceiling, with a massive balustrade over the door, constructed of oak timber and plank, with holes The door opened upon a stone-paved hall, or through the latter for firing upon assailants. entry, leading into the huge single room of the basement, which was lighted by two small windows, the ceiling black with the smoke of a century and a half; a huge fire-place, calculated for eight feet wood, occupying one entire side; while overhead, suspended from the timbers or the shelves fastened to them, were household stores, farming utensils, fishing-rods,

guns, bunches of herbs, gathered perhaps a century ago, strings of dried apples and pumpkins, links of mottled sausages, spareribs and

About him a mandilion that did with buttons meet,

Of purple, large and full of folds, curl'd with a warmful nap,

A garment that 'gainst cold in nights did soldiers use to wrap."

Leather breeches were worn chiefly by the common people, and the fashion, on account of its durability, held for a long

time.

The pilgrim houses have, as I said before, all disappeared, and from the description we have had, it seems they were not built substantially enough to withstand the war of elements for any very protracted period, even if no violent hands had been laid on them. Some very old houses, however, are still standing. I make the following interesting extract from a re

dimly revealing the checked wooden coverlet of the bed, in one far-off corner, while in another the pewter plates on the dresser caught and reflected the flame as shields of armies the sunshine."

An old Dutch Bible brings us to the close of the Pilgrim relics.

That this book was read and trusted too, the subjoined narrative illustrates better than any words of mine. The severe and simple beauty of the style commends it better to the heart than any elaborate effort could do. It is copied from "Young's Chronicles of the Planters," and is the account which Anthony Thatcher himself gives of his shipwreck, though condensed considerably from the original for want of space. He says:

hand to indite the story of such sad news as "I must turn my drowned pen and shaking never before this happened in New-England."

DUTCH BIBLE.

There was, he goes on to say, a league of perpetual friendship between his cousin Avery and himself, to be partakers of each other's misery or welfare, as also of habitation in the same place. This cousin Avery was a minister, and had, shortly after coming from England, a pastoral offer, which he declined, on account of their unwillingness to be apart. At length they arranged to go together to Marblehead, for which purpose they embarked at Ipswich, August 11, 1635, with their families and substance, being in all twentythree souls::

"The next morning," says the narrative, "having commended ourselves to God, with cheerful hearts we hoisted sail. But the Lord turned our cheerfulness into mourning and lamentations, for on the 14th of August, 1635, about ten at night, having a fresh gale of wind, our sails being old and done, were split. The mariners, because that it was night, would not put to new sails, but resolved to cast anchor till the morning. But before daylight it pleased the Lord to send so mighty a storm, as the like was never known in New-England since the English came, nor in the memory of any of the Indians. It was so furious that our anchor came home. Whereupon the mariners let out more cable, which at last slipped away. Then our sailors knew not what to do; but we were driven before the winds and waves. My cousin and I perceived our danger, and solemnly recommended ourselves to God, the Lord both of earth and seas, expecting every moment to be swallowed in the waves and drenched in the deeps. And as my cousin, his wife, and my tender babes, sat comforting and cheering one another in the Lord against ghastly death, which every moment stared us in the face, and sat triumphing on each one's forehead, we were by the violence of the waves and fury of the winds (by the Lord's permission) lifted upon a rock between two high rocks, yet all was one rock. But it raged with the stroke which came into the pinnace, so we were presently up to our middles in water. The waves came furiously and vio

lently over us, and against us, but, by reason of the rock's proportion, could not lift us off, but beat her all to pieces. Now look with me upon our distress, and consider of my misery, who beheld the ship broken, the water in her, and violently overwhelming us, my goods and provisions swimming in the seas, my friends almost drowned, and my own poor children so untimely, (if I may so term it without offence,) before mine eyes drowned, and ready to be swallowed up and dashed to pieces on the rocks by the merciless waves, and myself ready to accompany them."

And in continuance of the woeful relation, he says:

"In the same room whereas he sat, the master of the pinnace, not knowing what to do, our foremast was cut down, our mainmast broken in three pieces, the fore part of the pinnace beat away, our goods swimming about the seas, my children bewailing me, as not pitying themselves, and myself bemoaning them, poor souls,

whom I had occasioned such an end in their tender years, whenas they could scarce be sensible of death. And so likewise my cousin, his wife, and his children, and both of us bewailing each other in our Lord and only Saviour Jesus fulness; insomuch, that from the greatest to Christ, in whom only we had comfort and cheerthe least of us, there was not one screech or outcry made; but all, as silent sheep, were contentedly resolved to die together lovingly, as friendly. Now, as I was sitting in the cabin since our acquaintance we had lived together

room door, with my body in the room, when lo! one of the sailors, by a wave being washed out of the pinnace, was gotten in again, and coming into the cabin room over my back, cried out, We are all cast away. The Lord have mercy upon us!' His speech made me look forth, and looking toward the sea, and seeing how we were, I turned myself to my cousin and the rest, and spake these words: O cousin, it hath pleased God to cast us here between two rocks, the shore not far from us, for I saw the tops of trees when I looked forth.'

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Whereupon the master of the pinnace, looking up at the scuttle hole of the quarter deck, went out at it; but I never saw him afterward. Then he that had been in the sea, went out again by me, and leapt overboard toward the rocks, whom afterward, also, I could not see.

"Now none were left in the bark, that I knew or saw, but my cousin, his wife and children, myself and mine, and his maid-servant. But my cousin thought I would have fled from him, and said unto me, 'O, cousin, leave us not let us die together;' and reached forth his hand unto me. Then I, letting go my son Peter's hand, took his hand and said, 'Cousin, I propose it not; whither shall I go? I am willing and ready here to die with you and my poor children. God be merciful to us, and receive us to himself;' adding these words- the Lord is able to help and deliver us.' He repliedTruth, cousin; but what his pleasure is we know not. I fear we have been too unthankful for former deliverances. But he hath promised to deliver us from sin and condemnation, and to bring us safe to heaven through the all-sufficient satisfaction of Jesus Christ. This, there

fore, we may challenge him.'

To which I, replying, said, That is all the deliverance I now desire and expect.' Which words I had no sooner spoken, but by a mighty wave I was with the piece of the bark washed out upon part of the rock, where the wave left me almost drowned. But recovering my feet, I saw above me on the rock my daughter Mary, to whom I had no sooner gotten, but my cousin Avery and his eldest son came to us; being all four of us washed out by one and the same wave. We went all into a small hole in the top of the rock, whence we called to those in the pinnace to come unto us, supposing we had been in more safety than they were in. My wife, seeing me there, crept up into the scuttle of the quarter deck, to come unto us. presently came another wave and dashed the pinnace all to pieces, carrying my wife away in the scuttle as she was, with the greater part of the quarter deck unto the shore, where she was cast safely. All the rest that were in the bark were drowned in the merciless seas. We four by that wave were clean swept away from off the rock also into the sea; the Lord in one instant of time disposing of fifteen souls of us, according to his good pleasure and will."

But

He describes himself as hanging on the rock with only his head above water a great while, but on reaching a hand to lay hold of a plank, was by the violence of the waves washed off, "and driven hither and thither in the seas,"" and had many dashes against the rocks." He

continues:

"At length, past hopes of life, and wearied in body and spirits, gave over to nature; being ready to receive in the waters of death, and lifted up both my heart and hands to God in heaven. For note, I had my senses remaining perfect all this time that I was under and in the water, who at that instant lifted my head up out of the water, so that I might breathe without any hinderance by the waters. I stood bolt upright, as if I had stood upon my feet; but I felt no bottom, nor had any footing to stand upon but the waters."

After remaining in the water for at least a quarter of an hour, overwhelmed and driven to and fro, now catching at pieces of timber, and now striving to find the ground, he at last found his face to the shore," and made haste to get out." Having blessed God, he turned to look about for his wife and children, but saw neither. Presently his wife "got herself from among the broken timber;" and when they were come to each other, they went and sat under the bank of the sea. Whence (for they could not rest) they "went up into the land, and sat them down under a cedar-tree, where, almost frozen with cold, they remained an hour. But," says Thatcher,

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My heart would not let me sit still any longer; but I would go to see if any more were gotten to the land in safety, especially hoping to have met with some of my own poor children; but I could find none, neither dead nor yet living. Now came to my remembrance the time and manner, how and when I last saw and left my poor children and friends. One was severed from me sitting on the rock at my feet, the other three in the pinnace, my little babe (Ah, poor Peter!) sitting in his sister Edith's arms, who, to the uttermost of her power, sheltered him from the waters; my poor William standing close unto them, all three of them looking ruefully on me on the rock, their very countenances calling unto me to help them; whom I could not go unto, neither could they come to me. O, I yet see their cheeks, poor silent lambs, pleading pity and help at my hands."

From this account he passes to a relation of God's goodness unto him in the desolate island in which he was cast away

they were wet and cold, even unto death, and almost naked, but succeeded in finding some of the clothes of their drowned children, which they wrapped about them. They found also two cheeses, some butter, and a drowned goat. Thus, says Thatcher, the Lord sent us some clothes to put on, and food to sustain us in our new home, and means also to make a fire; for in a horn I had some gunpowder, which, to my own, and since to other men's admiration, was dry. So, taking a piece of my wife's neckcloth, which I dried in the sun, I struck fire, and so dried and warmed our wet bodies; and then skinned the goat; boiled some of her. Our drink was brackand having found a small brass pot, we ish water-bread we had none.

The island he named "Thatcher's Woe," and the rock, "Avery his Fall."

The island is now called Thatcher's Island; and a long line of descendants have perpetuated the name of Thatcher; for two children were born to them after their rescue from the island. I find it stated that "a cradle coverlet, of scarlet broadcloth, is now in the possession of one of the descendants; and such is the veneration for the relic, that every child of the Thatcher family that has been baptized in Yarmouth, has been carried to the baptismal font enwrapped in it."

The times in which we live, and the circumstances that surround us, in a great measure, mold and make us what we are; and it were well to remember this in estimating the character of the Puritans, and judge them, not from our own stand-points

of observation, but from theirs. The high motives by which they were actuated will soften our condemnation of their hardest dealings, while their child-like faith and pious resignation will forever challenge our admiration and imitation.

The more we study the history of their times, the more shall we become tolerant of their intolerance, and the more shall we rejoice that we live in this good time, and have liberty to speak and to act as conscience dictates. They are gone who cleared the field where now smiles this universal harvest of liberty-the solemnity of another and a greater life is about them, and in its shadow and shelter we will leave them

"Nor further seek their merits to disclose, Or draw their frailties from their dread abode."

We cannot better conclude this article than in the words of Captain Roger Clap to his children :

"You have better food and raiment than was in former times; but have you better hearts than your forefathers had? If so, rejoice in that mercy, and let New-England then shout for joy. Sure all the people of God in other parts of the world, that shall hear that the children and grand-children of the first planters of New-England have better hearts, and are more heavenly, than their predecessors, they will doubtless greatly rejoice, and will say, 'This is the generation whom the Lord hath blessed.""

[For the National Magazine.]

THE SNAKE NECKLACE.

BY H. N. POWERS.

SITTING one pleasant evening in my room,
As the October sunset's yellow bloom
Lay on the meadows, and through window-pane

Stream'd like a flood of saffron-tinted rain,
I listen'd to the story-sweetly told

By one whose innocence had made her bold-
A little maid, whose eyes were full of May,
And on whose lips a half-blown rosebud lay,
Glowing with her sweet breath. Methinks that

now,

Shaking the soft brown ringlets from her brow,
And lifting toward me that delicious face,
I see her glide with airy, dove-like grace
Upon my loneliness, as she did when
Her words had such a meaning. I may pen
All that she spake-but ah! the picture there
Her attitude, and tone, and artless air,
Her face, like those blest faces in a dream,
Are needed to illustrate such a theme
As melted from her lips. But it is time
The tale itself soothes down this rugged rhyme.

Sitting beside me, hour most brightly fair, The golden sunlight woven in her hair, While we held curious talk of curious things,

ease

And dreary rest, as each one's chance might please,

The young child was forgotten for a space,
Till finally, love's triumph on her face,
She came embracing in her rosy arms,
And fondling with a kiss's tender charms,
A snake of gorgeous hue, whose green and gold
Flash'd on her neck in many a radiant fold
A fearful splendor! But with happiest smile,
Unharm'd and glad, without a thought of guile,
She held the monster; and there bright and
calm,

As a wild bee rock'd on a bed of balm,
It lay entranced, till many a fearful shriek,
And sudden pallor on each gazer's cheek,
Made the fair child dismiss its gorgeous prize,
With nerveless haste and wonder-beaming eyes.
Such was the story. In the silence then
Wondering at such a tale from lips so fair,
I thought what truth its simple sense might
yield,

How innocence is e'er a light and shield-
That one who thinks no ill and seeks no

wrong

In life's dark path is beautiful and strong;
And that large love that reaches things forlorn
Can baffle hate and triumph over scorn.

SCANDAL. A disposition to scandal is a It never urges an opinion with the bold compound of malignity and simulation. consciousness of truth, but deals in a monotonous jargon of half-sentences, conveying its ambiguities by emphasis. Its propagators lay a mighty stress upon the

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May be's," and "I'll say no more," "Let us hope not," "They do say," and "Time will show;" thus confirming the evil they affect to deplore, more under the semblance of pity and prudential caution, than they possibly could in any shape, short of demonstration. Observe the greatest reserve with persons of this description: they are the hyenas of society, perpetually prowling over reputation, which is their prey; lamenting, and at the same time enjoying, the ruin they create.