much confusion & discontent, and retard much imploymēt that would have been to their benefite and comforte. Upon ye poynte all being to have alike, and all to doe alike, they thought them selves in ye like condition, and one as good as another; and so, if it did not cut of those relations that God hath set amongest men, yet it did at least much diminish and take of ye mutuall respects that should be preserved amongst them. And would have been worse if they had been men of another condition.14

This is practical testimony and based upon experience and observation. It is worth being weighed carefully by those who theorize, as some do nowadays, about the establishment of socialistic or communistic settlements, in which most of the labor is to be performed for the general benefit. No such modern colony, it is safe to say, would be likely to be composed of more orderly, intelligent, diligent, or publicspirited settlers than those of the Plymouth Colony, and the policy of common labor as opposed to individual apparently had a fair trial among the Pilgrims and ought to

have succeeded there if it can be depended upon to succeed in the long run anywhere. But it failed completely, and it is not likely that social conditions have altered sufficiently to render a different result probable now. Human nature varies little from age to age.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE DAWN OF BETTER DAYS.

HAT the longest night has an end is

THAT

a true proverb, and by degrees the situation of the colony began to improve. Their change of policy about planting produced large crops in 1623 and afterwards they suffered less from scanty food, although one more alarm first disturbed their peace and even threatened their safety. Their hopes of this harvest were nearly shattered by a prolonged drought.

Notwithstand all their great paines & industrie, & ye great hops of a large cropp, the Lord seemed to blast, & take away the same, and to threaten further & more sore famine unto them, by a great drought which continued from ye 3. weeke in May, till about ye midle of July, without any raine, and with great heat (for ye most parte), insomuch as ye corne begane to wither away and some of ye drier grounds were partched like withered hay. 1

1

After having done all in their own power to remedy the situation in vain, they had recourse to the Almighty, and their prayers were followed by the rain.

They sett a parte a solemne day of humilliation, to seeke ye Lord by humble & fervente prayer, in this great distrese. And he was pleased to give them a gracious & speedy answer, both to their owne, and the Indeans admiration, that lived amongest them. For all y morning, and greatest part of the day, it was clear weather & very hotte, and not a cloud or any signe of raine to be seen, yet toward evening it begane to overcast, and shortly after to raine, with shuch sweete and gentle showers, as gave them cause of rejoyceing, & blessing God. . . . Which did so apparently revive & quicken ye decayed corne & other fruits, as was wonderfull to see, and made ye Indeans astonished to behold; and afterwards the Lord sent them shuch seasonable showers, with enterchange of faire warme weather, as, through his blessing, caused a fruitfull & liberall harvest.

The

Moreover, they had become accustomed to the climate of their new home. surviving original settlers gradually had established themselves in a condition of