Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/49

26 religiously to win their way to the confidence and toleration of the savages to whose country they had fled for liberty.

History has long since told the story of the Puritan victories under the banner of the Cross, and of the constant additions to their numbers as soon as the news of the successful landing of the expedition and their auspicious prospects was wafted across the seas to the Old World. At the time, they did not fully appreciate the limitless scope of the blessings their labors, endurance and wisdom under the guidance of the Infinite would bring to the unborn millions of human souls of all land who have continually, to this day, sought freedom of thought, personal rights, and religious liberty in our great American Republic, whose foundation was laid by the Pilgrims who came to our shores in the Mayflower.

It has long since been admitted that mothers have always had all to do with the instilling of principles and developing the character of children. Upon this hypothesis, it is easy to account for the sterling qualities which have characterized New England men and women and given them the leadership in the early days of the Republic in religious education and patriotism. Their Puritan mothers, with their deep religious convictions and conscientious scruples as to the discharge of every duty of life, instilled in their offspring their own exalted religious principles. These sons and daughters, as time has rolled on, have followed the course of the Empire and set up altars to Almighty God and their Country wherever they have halted to establish homes.

As civilization has step by step pushed forward its boundaries from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the same principles of religion and patriotism have inspired the succeeding generations until the American Republic represents the full fruition of the tree of liberty planted so firmly on Plymouth Rock by the Pilgrims.