The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-24
THURSDAY,

feriors. Toward this spirit John Hall
fax bore himself respectfully but man
fully, exciting the hatred Of his oppon-
ents by defeating their ends. A COM
binaticn of circumstances brought him
in the long run into closer connection
with both than either he or they cared
to recognize.
When I was twenty-three and John
Halifax twenty we took our first holi-
day together, lodging at farmhouse
in the neighboring hills, where also
some cousins OF Richard Brithwood,
Mr.. March and his daughter, Ursula,
were making temporary residence.
The father being an invalid, and grow
ing rapidly worse while we were there,
John Halifax was able to perform val
liable services for the daughter. BY
the time the father died John and
Miss March were in love. The diff
culties to their marriage were OF
kind only to be solved by overriding
them. John Halifax was poor and
nobody; Ursula March was high-born
and an heiress. When he would have
retired it was she who, with the in
stincts Of a big and noble heart. took
matters into her own hands. She did
this the more brave]y, owing to the
fact that Richard Brithwood, her guar
dian, had the power to withhold her
income, which he did for years.
Their marriage was therefore in
modest conditions, but none the less
happy for that. Their first sorrow
may be said to have come when their
eldest child Muriel, proved to have
been born blind. Almost the last act
Of my stern old father was to bless
the babe and proclaim her the child
CT peace.
Next to his wife this little blind
girl was the object of her fathers
Edwin and Walter, were born after
her, and lastly another little girl;
but to none did the heart of John
Halifax go out with the tenderness
called forth by the little one who new
er seemed afflicted because of her
sweet happiness. When at the age of
fathers youth forsook him and middle
age began to draw on.
l now made my home with them, as
brother to the parents and an uncle
to the children. The fulness Of affec-
! ton they showed each other was al
ways shared with me. So too I share
in all the subsequent years of mingled
prosperity and care.
! They were the years, following Wa
terloo, of Englands first great indus.
trial expansion. John Halifax became
one of the new nobility which then be.
gan to so large a degree to supplant
the old, the nobility of commerce. His
progressive mind was always looking
! for new outlets to his energies, which
were also to include new phases OF
prosperity to the people roundabout
/ VINO more and more looked to him as
leader. In addition to the business O.
which my fathers death had made
him master, he took over the old cloth
mills at Enderley. Here Lord Lux
more was the proprietor, and to ruin
the mills, and so ruin John, he de
Elected the stream on the pretext Of
needing the water to supply his owr
fountains. John Halifax was equal tt
the occasion. He had already been II
touch with Arkwright, who first uset
steam in the mills at Manchester
Steam was therefore introduced a
Enderley, the income of the mill-own
er doubling and trebling with eacl
year. From the small house in tow
John and Ursula Halifax moved to
modest estate in the country, movin,
from that in the course of time to on
Of the great houses of the county, ex
erting with each change widening
influence for good which in the Re
gents days was rare
; But prosperity brought them no i'm
munity from domestic trouble. Littl
Muriels death was the first blow
Other blows followed soon. The boy
grew up to be young men. With thei
love affairs came the first real dis
cords in the family.
They began with the appearance O
; a governess for little Maud. She CAV
. her name as Miss Silver. Beautiful
mysterious, and self-contained, she re
PEELED Ursula's motherly sympathie
by GOODNESS not explained till sh
proved to be Louise d'Argent, tn
daughter of notorious French deput
, under the Reign of Terror. But b
this time the worst mischief was don
since Guy, the eldest son, was in low
with her To accept her as Guys f,
ture wife cost John and Ursula Hal
) fax struggle. 1t was surprise [
them, therefore, that Guy should b
refused on the ground that Miss ST
, yer, was in love with another mar
. There was no relief in this, howeve
) since the other man proved to be tn
= second son, Edwin. who was also /
love with her. OF this difficult stu:
ton the animosity between the tw
brothers was not the least Of tn
trials the parents had to undergo. l
household where love had been tn
!, watchword the hatred Of brothers wa
the harder to bear. Before Edwi
I was married Guy had gone abroat
3 nominally on business for his fathe
l but really to be away from the sight
g Edwin's happiness.
E While this change eased the stu
2 ton it was also the source of ne
: anxiettes. Disquieting reports wcI
\ brought from Paris by the Earl
: Luxmore's son, Lord Ravenel Frol
J. boyhood young Ravenel had ente
= tanned an admiration for his father
l opponent. John Halifax, which ha
l. grown with time. The kindness q
ways shown by MIR. and Mrs. Halifa
S to Lord Ravenels sister. Lady Car
Z,,s+ y,