The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-02-01

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Rev Waiter Mo1Ubray aUas the focus OF all
eyes as he arose IN the pulpit.
Thetford by the Danes and passed over
the exploits of old Geoffroi with q mere
glance at his ':several victorious hand to
hand contests with the foreign foe.
NV father thought he should have con-
siderably enlarged upon the puissance Of
this old thane, seeing that he consti-
tuted the very taproot Of the johnson
family tree. s3s.
After tracing the history Of the John
sons during the days of their wealth and
power, the orator came to where they
were overtaken by misfortunes through
being involved in costly litigation, in
augurated by needy lawyers and greedy
neighbors. This brought him to Sir Ar
chibald johnson, my great-great-grand-
father-by importation. He said that,
harassed by litigious neighbors and re-
duced to comparative poverty, Sir Ar
chibald at last in his old age determined
to seek home in the new world. He
would bid an eternal farewell to coun-
try wherein he had suffered so much at
the hands of avaricious and unprincipled
persons. With what could be saved
from the wreck of his fortune he sent
his only son. Walter johnson, to Amer
lea, intending to follow as soon as a
place of shelter was found for him in
one of the New England settlements.
But misfortune attended the family in
the new world as well as in the old.
Before Walter was able to permanent
~ establish himself and send for his par
ents Lady Eleanor died. Soon after Sir
Archibald fell ill. When informed that
his sickness was likely to terminate "a
tally, he dictated letter to his son Wal
ter in which he made it his dying request
that as soon as possible his remaihs
should be taken to America for perma-
nent burial. He could not endure that
even his bones should He in country
where he had suffered so much and
among people who had so prosecuted
him. - s8
The various misfortunes which had
prevented my great-grandfather and my
grandfather from fulfilling this sacred
trust were then touched upon, and it
was shown that my father was the
only one of the descendants of Sir Archi-
bald who had ever been in position pc
'cuniarily to bear the great cost of COM
plying with the dying request made so
long ago. But the dying request had
never for moment been forgotten. The
removal of the remains of Sir Archibald
and their reinterment in the soil of free
America was bequeathed as sacred
duty by father to son till at last we were
witnessing the fulfllment Of that duty
in a most notable and honorable way.
Eyes" said the reverend gentleman, lin
another hour the dying request made
nearly 100 years ago will have been COM
piled with, and the bones of Sir Archi-
bald will repose in American SOIL"
Here my father buried his face in his
handkerchief, and could see by the con-
vulsive shaking of his frame that his
feelings were almost too much for him.
Ny father was highly complimented
by the speaker for the pious manner in
which he had fulfilled the sacred trust
bequeathed to him. He had indeed so
far exceeded the strict terms Of the dy-
ing request as to bring over the remains
of Lady Eleanor. He carried in his breast
q heart that respected the mandate,
Whom God hath united let no man
separate" 3
Here observed one of my fathers
eyes slyly peering out at me from be-
meath the handkerchief that covered his
face. ..-.. |
Our orator greatly extolled my father
for the deep reverence he bore for his
ancestors as exemplifed in the mourn
full task in which the people Of Pasona-
gessit had seen him so long and earnest
ly engaged. Ialso came in for my full
share of this praise, during which I eau
tiously turned my head SO far as to see
that Prudence was slyly peering at me
from behind her fan. Even old Anna
riah threw an eye in my direction. E9
In speaking Of the evil days when the
johnson family in England fell into Pc
cuniary embarrassment Rev. Walter
Mowbray said that so honorable was
their course and name that they still
formed matrimonial connections with
the highest families in the land. Lady
Eleanor" said the orator, twas How
ard, the proudest name in Norfolk, and
Norfolk gives the title Of premier, duke
and peer of England to the Howard
family as descendants Of the Now
brays." VIZ Z
At this my father gave me nudge
and whispered: ''There he got in neat
little stroke of work on his own account.
As though by mere slip Of the tongue
he sets the Mowbrays above the How
ards, tho Johnsons and all others in
Norfolk. The Mowbrays indeedl But,
Sam, we can't help it. We must be sat
listed with that which we can fairly and