Veronica: From the 2014 Archives. Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving, or else a simply beautiful November day.
I’ve been saving some of my Victorian 1880’s trade cards for this week because they have the
right theme. I’ve written before about being descended from Priscilla Mullins and John Alden (along with literally about 1,000,000 other people!), so I was thrilled to find the ad cards from “Alden Fruit Vinegar Company” that featured some of the family. You’ll see those further down in the post.
I like this quote from Buzz Aldrin, and wholeheartedly support his general stance that we should be returning to space, not relinquishing the foothold we made there. I’m sure my adventuresome ancestors would approve! “The pilgrims on the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. To my knowledge, they didn’t wait around for a return trip to Europe. You settle some place with a purpose. If you don’t want to do that, stay home. You avoid an awful lot of risks by not venturing outward.”
To and fro in a room of his simple and primitive dwelling,
Clad in doublet and hose, and boots of Cordovan leather,
Strode, with a martial air, Miles Standish the Puritan Captain.
Buried in thought he seemed, with his hands behind him, and
pausing
Ever and anon to behold his glittering weapons of warfare,
Hanging in shining array along the walls of the chamber,–
wished to remarry. and of course, my ancestress Priscilla Mullins, who he describes to John Alden thusly:
There were angels on earth, as there are angels in heaven,
Two have I seen and known; and the angel whose name is Priscilla…
So off he sends his friend, poor John Alden, who of course is wildly in love with Priscilla himself, to make the case why she should marry him. Until she of course says, Why don’t you speak for yourself, John?” And we all know how that story turned out! But not for a LOT of stanzas – that’s quite a lonngggg poem. John and Priscilla had ten children (one of whom married a son of Captain Standish).
