long ago. How they will comfort our hearts in those weary hours of
winter when the days are so short and the nights so long! And, please
you, sir, there will be enough for us to eat, for the good Lord has
blessed us abundantly. But I must not delay to attend to them; so
kindly excuse me, I must go."

The minister looked after her with grateful eyes, and then turned to
the men and women standing around him.

"A pious woman she is," he said; "a rich reward will be hers for her
great kindness."

Then the congregation dispersed, each family departing for the cabins
and quarters where they lodged during the long, long voyage over the
Atlantic.

Traveling at that time was not as comfortable as it is now, for the
conversation that we just related took place just three hundred years
ago, to be exact in the year of our Lord 1630.

Since that time many and great changes have taken place in the world,
and should the people of that time rise from their graves, they would
be amazed at the transformation that has taken place.

At that time the voyage across the ocean was slow and dangerous; the
ships were small and propelled by the wind, so that when the weather was
contrary, it took the emigrants a long time to reach America. Usually
the food was poor, and quite often the water gave out, so that the
people on shipboard suffered extremely. At the time of our story there
were many who wished to settle in America, and in consequence the
vessels were usually crowded to the utmost of their capacity. The
result was that sickness spread among the passengers, and many did not
reach the country where they hoped to find liberty of conscience.

Among these was the mother of the two children, of whom we just spoke.
The boy's name was Fred, and he was eight years old; the name of his
sister was Agnes, and she was seven.

They were strong and healthy children, but their frail mother could not
stand the hardships of the voyage. For six years she had lived in
anxiety, for in 1624 her husband had left England to settle in the
plymouth Colony, which the Pilgrims had established in 1620. He was
very sincere in his faith, and rather than stay in good old England and
do what his conscience forbade him, he joined the sturdy emigrants who
left their homes for the Lord's sake, as they were fully convinced.

He arrived safely in Plymouth Colony and at first sent cheering letters
to his wife. But suddenly these ceased, and she worried da