The courtship of Miles Standish and other poems . ncil, Found it already assembled, impatiently waitinghis coming; Men in the middle of life, austere and grave in de-portment. Only one of them old, the hill that was nearest toheaven, Covered with snow, but erect, the excellent Elderof Plymouth. God had sifted three kingdoms to find the wheatfor this planting, Then had sifted the wheat, as the living seed of anation; So say the chronicles old, and such is the faith ofthe people! Near them was standing an Indian, in attitudestern and defiant, Naked down to the waist, and grim and fero-cious in a
The courtship of Miles Standish and other poems . ncil, Found it already assembled, impatiently waitinghis coming; Men in the middle of life, austere and grave in de-portment. Only one of them old, the hill that was nearest toheaven, Covered with snow, but erect, the excellent Elderof Plymouth. God had sifted three kingdoms to find the wheatfor this planting, Then had sifted the wheat, as the living seed of anation; So say the chronicles old, and such is the faith ofthe people! Near them was standing an Indian, in attitudestern and defiant, Naked down to the waist, and grim and fero-cious in aspect; While on the table before them was lying un-opened a Bible, Ponderous, bound in leather, brass-studded, printedin Holland, And beside it, outstretched, the skin of a rattle-snake glittered, MILES STANDISH 55 Filled, like a quiver, with arrows; a signal and challenge of by the Indian, and speaking with arrowy tongues of Miles Standish beheld, as he entered, and heard them debating ^.^-iii-L;: »-tu.«,;. What were an answer befitting the hostile mes-sage and menace. Talking of this and of that, contriving, suggest-ing, objecting; One voice only for peace, and that the voice of theElder, 56 THE COURTSHIP OF Judging it wise and well that some at least were converted,Rather than any were slain, for this was but Chris-tian behavior!Then outspake Miles Standish, the stalwart Cap-tain of Plymouth,Muttering deep in his throat, for his voice was husky with anger,What! do you mean to make war with milk and the water of roses?Is it to shoot red squirrels you have your howitzer plantedThere on the roof of the church, or is it to shoot red devils?Truly the only tongue that is understood by a savageMust be the tongue of fire that speaks from the mouth of the cannon!Thereupon answered and said the excellent Elder of Plymouth,Somewhat amazed and alarmed at this irreverent language:Not so thought Saint Paul, nor yet the other Apostles;Not from the can
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlongfell, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1910
