Loveday A. Nelson

“ We like to see people going to the church that helps them most.
As it costs much money to build churches and pay the preachers, people must give money or there can be no churches. John may want to give his pennies to the Methodist Church or Sunday-school. Mary would rather give hers to the Baptist. Gretchen’s money is given to the Lutheran, and Margaret’s to the Roman Catholic. In our country we think this, too, quite right. No one forces us to give money to any church. When we have any to give, we may do with it as we choose. ”

“ Now the English who had come to Holland, having left their farms and made new homes in a Dutch city, found themselves without a way to make a living. The Dutch neighbors all around them were great workers. They worked steadily, and they worked hard. The men all had some business or trade to keep them busy. The women were fine housekeepers and kept their houses clean and neat as a pin. They were all careful and saving, and had ways of using many things which some people throw away as useless. ”

“ In some lands where there are kings instead of presidents, the kings have sometimes said that all the people must go to a certain church, and that they must pay that church money. Some of the kings have forbidden the people to have any other churches.
Sometimes there have been people who loved another church which they were unwilling to give up. Sometimes there have been kings who have put these people in prison and done other harsh things in trying to force them to worship God according to the king’s will. ”

“ They still loved England, and English ways, and the English language. Their love for their old home country made them grieve to see their children forgetting [11] it. Therefore, they began to think of moving again. They said to themselves: “We can not stay here any longer. Before long our children and grandchildren will be like the Dutch. Our young men and young women will be marrying the Dutch. We must go somewhere else, where we can stay always and still be Englishmen.”
Long before this, people had sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to this country which we now call America. ”

“ While living in Holland the Pilgrims had seen the Dutch keep a Thanksgiving day every autumn. The people of Plymouth thought that after their crops had been gathered and their hard work was finished for the season, it would be a good thing for them to have a time of joy and thanksgiving. So Governor Bradford sent out a company of men to shoot wild turkeys and other game, and the women set to work to cook all sorts of good things, so that [27] they might feast and frolic for a week. He sent an invitation to the Indian neighbors to enjoy the fun with them. ”

“ The people of Holland are called Dutch, but you must not confuse them with the Germans, whom some persons call Dutch by mistake. The people of Germany speak German, which is quite different from Dutch, the language of Holland. ”

“ ARAPAHOE INDIAN CAMP
The English people in Holland had heard that in this great country there was plenty of room, with no cruel kings. They thought that if they could only get here they could build themselves houses, and have a church to suit them, and pray and live as they thought right. Every day they thought more and [14] more how much better it would be if they could come to this new country and have a home of their own.
DEPARTURE OF THE PILGRIMS FROM DELFT HAVEN
Although they did not have much money, they managed finally to get two ships in which to sail across the ocean to America. ”

“ When the English people had looked around, and saw how things were, they made up their minds that they must learn to work like the Dutch. Therefore, they learned to spin wool into thread and yarn, to weave cloth, to twist twine, to make rope, hats and pipes, to build houses of either brick or lumber, and to make tables, chairs and other pieces of furniture. ”

“ It is not so in every country. In some countries, [4] instead of a president there is a king, who expects to be king as long as he lives. At his death his son becomes the king. If the king happens to be a good one, it is well for the country and for the people; but if he chances to be a wicked, cruel one, the poor people have a sorry time as long as he lives.
When Sunday comes, John goes with his mamma and papa to the Methodist Church. ”

“ PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
[3]
OUR PILGRIM FOREFATHERS THANKSGIVING STUDIES
You often hear people talking of the President of our country. Doubtless most of you know him by name. Some of you may have seen him.
You also know that once in every four years we have an election day, when papa votes for the man whom he thinks best for President. Then the one who gets the most votes becomes our President for four years.
If this man makes a good President, he is sometimes chosen again for another four years, or term, as we call it. ”

“ As, in both content and vocabulary, there is much in the story that is new for ordinary public school little ones, it is more profitable for teachers, especially of the lowest primary grades, to use the time in repeating the story over and over, until the tale and the expressions have been caught, before demanding much oral reproduction in class. If the child is attracted, it will without conscious effort absorb, and more will come from the work than is in evidence in the schoolroom. ”

“ Finally, late in November, the Mayflower came in sight of land. There had been more and more sickness among the Pilgrims, and the weather was stormy [18] and cold. They were miserable on the ship, and yet on land they would be more miserable still. There were no houses, no place for them to go. What were the poor wanderers to do?
THE MAYFLOWER IN PLYMOUTH HARBOR
The Mayflower sailed as near to the shore as she could get, as we see her in this picture (1331. B. The Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor) , while a party of men went ashore to hunt a good landing place. ”

“ Several others have their Bibles in their hands, but the men all carry guns. When they reach the meeting-house the guns will be kept close at hand. [23] The same artist has painted another picture showing us that even when a young man takes his sweetheart to meeting, he must have his gun upon his shoulder (1337. John Alden and Priscilla) , while she carries her Bible.
PILGRIMS GOING TO CHURCH
Have you noticed that in all of the pictures in which it has been possible to put a Bible, the different painters have given the Book a prominent place? ”

“ But if he has not pleased the people, they choose some one else, anybody else, next election day. We never know who will be our next President until he is elected. One term he is a man from one part of the country ”

“ In this picture (1332. Landing of the Pilgrims) one painter has shown us what kind of a day he thought it was. The skies are dark, the wind is blowing hard, and the waves are rough. The men [20] pull the boat close to a rock, and hold her steady while the wanderers step upon it.
PLYMOUTH ROCK
This rock has ever since been called Plymouth Rock, and it has been kept and carefully guarded through all the many, many years that have passed since the Pilgrims first stepped upon it. ”