The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-23
BIRTHDAY OF THOMAS
 HUGHES, THE IMMORTAL
 AUTHOR OF TOM BROWN

They can't let anything alone which they think going wrong. It is an fmpossfbi1ity to 8, Brown to leave the most disreputable lame dog on the oth CT side of the stiIe. One can ques- ton their wisdom, their wit, or beauty, but about their fight there can be no question:
 So said From Brown himself of the lighting Christians whose ideals were 50 admirably set forth in Tom Brown at Oxford. 7 The author of these wfdely-read books has been dead for more than eighteen years, but his native town still commentaries his birthday by an annual festival
 1 Thomas Hughes, the author of the books which crystalized forever the best product of the English national character, and set Up the ideal of the British public scKool-boy who has car rfed the Union Jack to every part of the empi1ses was born in the village kof Ellington, Berkshire ninety-one years ago today, Oct 2s, 1923 He was educated at Rugby under the fa- nous Dg. Arnold, and at OTie1 College, Oxford He was a prauttcdng lawyer when he wrote Tom Browns School 1 its kind of the century. From Brown lat Oxford followed in 1861.
 Practically all of the characters in these two works were drawn from real life. The original Tom Brown'' was Rev. Augustus OrIebar. who died a ponent in the famous fight. '.S1ogger l Williams" became the Very Rev. Chancellor Bulke1ey Owen Jones. John George Holway. who was Tom Browns second in that combat, died not long ago in his ninetieth year. Tom Hughes himself acted as the sec- ond for S1ogger Williams"
 I The birthplace of Thomas Hughes in Ellington has long since been demol- fshed, but the village itself has chang ed little since the creator oE from lBrown'' was born there nearly a. cen- 1 tury ago. It is a cluster of matched and red-t1led roofs, with 8, church spire rising from the center, with it's few l streets lined with ancient oaks, and with pasture land all around, except to the south, where rises White Horse hill It was in this environment. that the son of Squire Hughes formed those first impressions of life which were to be developed into the ideal o: the manly, lighting Christian.
 Thomas Hughes had other claims Ito fame besides the authorship o1 i Tom Brown He was a j1rist and philanthropist, and was, long associa- ted width Maurice and Kingsley in Ethe1r work among the poor people o1 I London During the civil war he was a warm friend of the United States and valiant opponent of slavery Abrham Lincoln he considered to be the ideal of the .eTom Browns. anc one of the greatest men in history
 The author of From Brown he1G views on cooperation which were rather sociaIistic in character and hs helped to found at Rugby in Tenne, see, colony of Englishmen wFier, these ideals might be put in to prsc tice. For about ten years he held seat in the House of Commons as Liberal. Like his father before him he held office as county judge, ant was called tSquire'' Hughes by hi.
 fellow townsmen.
 Whatever the critics may say of tn,
 English governm ent's participation il the present war there Is no doub that thousands of the volunteers ar
 verftable Tom Browns,s' animated b, a desire to help stricken Belgium
 men who can't let anything alone
 which they think going wrong'' And
 too, lone can question their wisrom
 their wit, or beauty. but about thei
 fight there can be no question: