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Letusnowtakeageneralglanceatsomeoftheconditionsoftheearlysettlers；andfirst，astothehealthfulnessoftheclimate。
ThemortalityoftheseasonthatfollowedthelandingofthePilgrimsatPlymouthhasbeensufficientlyaccountedfor。Afterthis，thecolonistsseemtohavefoundthenewcountryagreeingverywellwiththeirEnglishconstitutions。Itsclearairisthesubjectofeulogy。
ItsdaintyspringsofsweetwaterarepraisednotonlybyHigginsonandWood，buteventhemischievousMortonsays，thatforitsdelicatewatersCanaancamenotnearthiscountry。“Thereisatendencytodilateonthesesimpleblessings，whichremindsonealittleoftheMarchionessinDickens’sstory，withherorange-peel-and-waterbeverage。Stillmoredoesonefeelthewarmthofcoloring，——suchasweexpectfromconvertstoanewfaith，andsettlerswhowanttoenticeothersovertotheirclearings，whenWinslowspeaks，in1621，of“abundanceofroses，white，red，anddamask；single，butverysweetindeed；“amostofall，however，when，inthesameconnection，hesays，“Herearegrapeswhiteandred，andverysweetandstrongalso。“Thisofourwildgrape，alittlevegetableIndian，whichscalpsacivilizedman’smouth，ashisanimalrepresentativescalpshiscranium。ButthereissomethingquitecharminginWinslow’spictureoftheluxuryinwhichtheyareliving。Lobsters，oysters，eels，mussels，fishandfowl，deliciousfruit，includingthegrapesaforesaid，——iftheyonlyhad“kine，horses，andsheep，“hemakesnoquestionbutmenwouldliveascontentedhereasinanypartoftheworld。Wecannothelpadmiringthewayinwhichtheytooktheirtrials，andmadethemostoftheirblessings。
“AndhowContenttheywere，“saysCottonMather，“whenanHonestMan，asIhaveheard，invitinghisFriendstoaDishofClams，attheTablegaveThankstoHeaven，whohadgiventhemtosucktheabundanceoftheSeas，andoftheTreasuresAidintheSands！“
Strangelyenough，asitwouldseem，exceptforthisbuoyantdeterminationtomakethebestofeverything，theyhardlyappeartorecognizethedifferenceoftheclimatefromthatwhichtheyhadleft。Afteralmostthreeyears’experience，Winslowsays，hecanscarcedistinguishNewEnglandfromOldEngland，inrespectofheatandcold，frost，snow，rain，winds，etc。Thewinter，hethinks(ifthereisadifference)，issharperandlonger；butyethemaybedeceivedbythewantofthecomfortsheenjoyedathome。HecannotconceiveanyclimatetoagreebetterwiththeconstitutionoftheEnglish，notbeingoppressedwithextremityofheats，nornippedbybitingcold：
“Bywhichmeans，blessedbeGod，weenjoyourhealth，notwithstandingthosedifficultieswehaveundergone，insuchameasureaswouldhavebeenadmired，ifwehadlivedinEnglandwiththelikemeans。“
EdwardJohnson，aftermentioningtheshiftstowhichtheywereputforfood，says，——
“Andyet，methinks，ourchildrenareascheerful，fat，andlusty，withfeedinguponthosemussels，clams，andotherfish，astheywereinEnglandwiththeirfillofbread。“
Higginson，himselfadyspeptic，“continuallyinphysic，“ashesays，andaccustomedtodressinthickclothing，andtocomforthisstomachwithdrinkthatwas“bothstrongandstale，“——the“jollygoodaleandold，“Isuppose，offreeandeasyBishopStill’ssong，——foundthathebothcouldanddidoftentimesdrinkNewEnglandwaterverywell，——whichheseemstolookuponasaremarkablefeat。Hecouldgoaslightcladasany，too，withonlyalightstuffcassockuponhisshirt，andstuffbreecheswithoutlinings。Twoofhischildrenweresickly：one，——littlemisshapenMary，——diedonthepassage，and，inherfather’swords，“wasthefirstinourshipthatwasburiedinthebowelsofthegreatAtlanticsea；“theother，whohadbeen“mostlamentablyhandled“bydisease，recoveredalmostentirely“bytheverywholesomenessoftheair，altering，digesting，anddryingupthecoldandcrudehumorsofthebody。“Wherefore，hethinksitawisecourseforallcoldcomplexionstocometotakephysicinNewEngland，andendswiththoseoftenquotedwords，that“asupofNewEngland’sairisbetterthanawholedraughtofOldEngland’sale。“
Mr。Higginsondied，however，“ofahecticfever，“alittl
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