"Let us then take joyfully Christ's Christmas gifts of labors andadversities and crosses to-day, that when he shall appear we may havethese great and wonderful gifts at his coming; for if we suffer with himwe shall also reign; but if we deny him, he also will deny us."

And so it happens that the only record of Christmas Day in the pilgrims'journal is this:

"Monday, the 25th, being Christmas Day, we went ashore, some to felltimber, some to saw, some to rive, and some to carry; and so no manrested all that day. But towards evening some, as they were at work, hearda noise of Indians, which caused us all to go to our muskets; but weheard no further, so we came aboard again, leaving some to keep guard.That evening we had a sore storm of wind and rain. But at evening the ship-master caused us to have some beer aboard."