The Bible Story Part 97

"Ay, call it holy ground, The soil where first they trod!

They have left unstain'd what there they found-- Freedom to worship G.o.d!"

"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.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

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 ill.u.s.tration]

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"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 G.o.d'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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d for all his goodness to his children.

"Now, we will draw the curtains and sing a Thanksgiving hymn."

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"O G.o.d, beneath Thy guiding hand Our exiled fathers crossed the sea, And when they trod the wintry strand With prayer and psalm they worshiped Thee.

"Thou heard'st well pleased the song, the prayer: Thy blessing came; and still its power Shall onward through all ages bear The memory of that holy hour.

"Laws, freedom, truth, and faith in G.o.d, Came with those exiles o'er the waves.

And where their pilgrim feet have trod, The G.o.d they trusted guards their graves.

"And here Thy name, O G.o.d of love, Their children's children shall adore Till these eternal hills remove, And spring adorns the earth no more."

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

SHEEP By Jacque

"Little lambs, so white and fair, Are the shepherd's constant care; Now he leads their tender feet Into pastures green and sweet.

"Now they listen and obey, Following where he leads the way; Heavenly Father, may we be Thus obedient unto Thee."

--_Selected_ [End ill.u.s.tration]

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WHO WAS THE NEIGHBOR?

"What is that long word?" asked Harold.

"That is 'neighbor,'" said mamma. "Can you tell me what it means?"

"Oh, yes," said Harold. "It means the people who live close by. Ralph and Elizabeth are our neighbors, because they live in the house next door."

"Yes," said mamma, "and in the old times when people did not travel as much as they do now, they did not know much about any except their neighbors. The Old Testament says that you should love your neighbor.

That meant the people you meet day by day. The people of Jesus' time said that you should love your neighbor, but you might hate your enemy. Jesus said that was not right. Do you remember what he said about that, Harold?"

"I know," said Margaret, "we had it in our Sunday School cla.s.s last Sunday. 'Love your enemies.'"

"Yes," said mamma, "and he once told a story about neighbors. It is called the story of

THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

"'And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

"'He said unto him, What is written in the law? How readest thou?

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"'And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

"'And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

"'But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

"'And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

"'And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he pa.s.sed by on the other side.

"'And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and pa.s.sed by on the other side.

"'But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compa.s.sion on him.