This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 Excerpt: ...virgin waters; the full region leads New colonies forth, that toward the western seas Spread, like a rapid flame among the autumnal trees.--Bryant. NATICK. This town received its name from an Indian word meaning "the town of hills." An old description of this town in an ancient looking book, which you can find (only ...
Read More
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 Excerpt: ...virgin waters; the full region leads New colonies forth, that toward the western seas Spread, like a rapid flame among the autumnal trees.--Bryant. NATICK. This town received its name from an Indian word meaning "the town of hills." An old description of this town in an ancient looking book, which you can find (only you will not care to) in the Boston Public Library, says: "Natick, the place of hills, is watered by the Charles River and contains numerous fish-ponds. There are two villages a mile apart--North Natick, the new, consisting of thirty dwellings, and South Natick, the ancient, consisting of twenty dwellings." This would hardly be a satisfying description of the Natick of to-day, I fear. Most especially would the bustling, busy North Natick resent it. But Natick, the place of hills, was a beautiful town in those days, even if it was not busy and bustling. South Natick claims our attention most for its historical interest. It was here the first Indian meeting house was built, the Indians being brought together and instructed by John Eliot, the Indian missionary. This good man was called the Apostle of the Indians. He worked and preached among the Indians for many long years. He learned their languages, lived among them, sat about their camp fires, slept in their tents, taught them to read, to till the ground, to spin. He founded schools and churches. He even wrote out in their own crude language, the Bible, ' and this he read to them and taught them to read. This Bible was, by-and-by, when printing-presses came, the first book printed in the American colonies. He lived a long, happy, useful lite. Here on the Charles, where South Natick now stands, an Indian town was laid out, which consisted of three long streets--two on the Bosto...
Read Less
