The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1922-02-24
sHoUGH ! BOY e. sixteen. I :


rushed my hsnd~zrvaage under an
archway. Taking shelter there we
found handsome bog Of thirteen.
yen britt, strDng and hooking more
shan his age
Fearing 10 lose time from work an
MS tannery. my father engaged this
Boy to pnsh me hozne when the rain
ceased. Arrived NJ our house, asked
Rim In for meal Amer his dinner
In the kitchen lie joined me IN the din
ing room, telling ms something OF his
history. Els name was John Halifax.
an orphan. without home, relatives
or money. and 50 obliged to roam
tbs country, hooking ssr work His
one treasure wRs o Greek Testament,
On the Hg-aeaf Of which was Rratten
the name Of Guy HaEttnL- In addition
there were eBtraes Of the marriage CT
Guy Halifax. gentleman, TO Nuraa
JORGE, spanster, In the yenr 1772. Of
the birth CT John Halifax In I7sos and
OF the death OF Cry halifax In ITs1-
Being unable TO write, the lad asked
ne to make the additional entry. MI
rsea Halifax. died January ], l7gl"
gsver having Ind q companion, I
took this boy rs q friend, tnduci1g my
father, Abel Fletcher, 70 gare him
work in the lanyard II WIS humble
work, at q pft1ance week. and the
boy took sneh good care Of himself as
he could. sleeping In or on a pile Of
tanhark, and eating DO more thEn
enough to keep him alive
Those were the days Of hard times
Incidental to the SHpoleanlc wurs,
with scarcity both CT work and food.
As Was helpless, 1t Tneunt mach to
my father TO hare growing MP under
his eye q had 10 whom his master
interests were his OWL In q measure
John Halifax took MY place in the tEn-
merry, and during the labor riots from
which my fnther suffered, rs did most
employers of the time, my friend WIS
always on hand to soefhe the war1lDen
and protect my fathers property.
In proportion as Abel Fletcher grew
did and znf-1n greater respansIbilit
fen On THE younger mants shoulders
By the time he Was tEanty-one MY fR-
ther WIS willing TO take him into part.
nsrship. promoting him Tins from the
stHnding CT . wait which wAs that
which be held in the eyes Of gur COD
sentative feIlgT-1gvnsmRn In Norton
Bury, in E4eucestsrshire, 10 that Of
solid citizen. No young man ever de.
served good fortune mere. Develop
ing. too, force Of character which
could not but be progressive, he more
than once found himself nj odds with
the old Tory elements that had long
held Cur 1oEnspenple In submission
and contempt
Chief among the petty 1yrHnrs Of the
arlsto6rar5r class were the earl Of Lux.
mere and his san-in1aw, Richard
Brithwood, the Important landowners
Of our Deighbprhood Hara-lr1nktEg
hard-r1aing and prafiEa1e, they made
use Of the fun privileges Of birth and
position which in those days allowed
the nobility to be UEerbeH-dng 10 al
whom they regarded as Interiors To
ward this spirit John Halifax bore
himself respectfully hut manfuly, Elk.
citing the hatred Of his opponents By
defelring their ends. A combination
Of circumstances brought him In the
long run 1Efl3 closer connection with
baa Ihan either he or they cared n
reoagnize
When was fwenty-fs1rae and jain
Halifax twenty. we took Our first hol-
iaay tagefher. lodging at farmhouse
IN the neighhoring hills, where some
cousins eff Richard R-athwood, Mir.
March and his daughter, Ursula. were
making temporary residence Tx
father being an invalid. and growing
RAPIDLY worse while ne we're there,
9ahn Halffnx was able to perform val
aah1e services fer 1he 5aEg4ter- ~
the time the fafhsr died John and
Miss March we're in love. The difa.
cDlties to their marriage were ut 8
Kind only to he solved by Overriding
them John Halifax was poor and ;
nobody Ursula March Was hiEA-h0rI
and an heiress- When he would have
retired 1t was she who, with the In
sTfncts Of a hig and Noble heart uook
matters into her own hands, She did
this the mere hrars3y. owing no the
fact that Richard Rrfthwood- Ae'
guardian. had the power 10 withheld
her income. which he did for years
Their marriage was therefore n
modest conditions. but none the less
happy for that Their first sorrow HAY
be said 60 have come when their eldest
child. Mursels proved TO have been
born blind Almost the hast act 0f M
stern old father WIS - bless The babe
and proclaim her the chI1d Of peace.
Next TO his wife this little hind Ei.a
was the object OF her fathers dearest
affections Three boys. GuF. Edwin
ard Walter. we're bern after Der a1d
T.. !. -. 4.