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Edition 18 February2013

Pic: Polly Lugsdin

Lachlan Street Hay 02 6993 1600 New Crown Hotel

Daily Lunch and Dinner Meals Icy Cold Beer on Tap

TAB Quality Accommodation

Function & BBQ Facilities

Plus one of the best Air-Conditioners in Hay!

Hi Krista,

Thanks for allowing me to post on your two7eleven page After all the trouble the town has

been having with Medical Issues, I thought I'd send a big well done to your Community!

This week just gone I took my daughters up to Hay to visit friends. While we were in Hay

we visited the John Houston Memorial Swimming Pool, once to see my niece having her

swimming lessons and also again for my daughter to go for a swim. Having lived near and

in Hay quite a long time years ago, I always remember the Hay pool being wonderful, but I

have to say this time, wonderful isn't quite enough praise! Hay Shire and community

should be so very proud of their beautiful pool. Walking in I couldn't help but notice the

upgrade to the pool itself, all of the shade areas (compared to years ago when I lived in the

area), but also the wonderfully kept grounds; it was truly lovely to walk in to a pool that

looked so well loved and cared for. All of this on top of it being free of charge to go to.. I so

wish I could swap community pools with you!!

I really do hope the community of Hay realise what an amazing Swimming Pool they have

and utilise it accordingly!! WELL DONE HAY!!

Hayley Burns Ettershank

CTP Greenslips

Call Now for a

Quote!

Barry and Lyn Clifton with Laura.

The afternoon party was held at Hay Services Club on Sat-

urday 19 Jan 2013.

Guests attended from Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Quean-

beyan and Hay

Clifton Family Celebrates Ivy Clifton recently marked a wonderful milestone, surrounded by family, when she celebrated her 100th Birthday. Granddaughter Many McAlister (nee Clifton) writes… “Nan's maiden name was Ivy Laura Louden. She moved to Hay after applying for a job in what she thought was Yay, in Victoria. She didn't realise it was Hay until she was on her way and saw she was heading in the wrong direction. It was in Hay that she met my Pop Lindsay Clifton, who was known in town as Brocky. Pop died at the age of 75, and Nan continued to live in her own home up until about 12 years ago. The picture above was taken at the party and is of Nan with her four children, and all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Nan's birthday cake was made by a good friend of mine and a fantastic cake decorator, Jade Carruthers (Cakes By Jade) in Queanbeyan NSW. It has a little Nan sitting in her favourite chair, knitting her 100 blanket. The cake survived the 6 hour drive to Hay (just!) with the temperature that day being 44 degrees”

Photos: Mandy McAlister

application should preferably be made by a relative or friend in advance of the special day.

The format of anniversary messages has changed many times since they were first regularly sent out by the Royal

Household in 1917.

Initially, the message did not come from the Sovereign, but from the Private Secretary of the time on their behalf.

Originally, congratulatory messages were sent as telegrams by the Royal Mail's Inland Telegram Service.

Messages were renamed Royal Court Telegrams, probably in the early 1940s, and a Royal Crest was added to the top

of the page.

When the Post Office introduced the Special Greetings Telegram (a colourful letter template onto which the

telegram was written or printed) The Queen agreed that the birthday telegrams should be sent out in this format to add to the sense of occasion. These special templates changed design over the years, reflecting the developing tastes and

fashions of the times. The telegram service was discontinued in 1982 and was replaced by a telemessage – a combination of telegram

and letter – sent by British Telecom.

The Royal Household took the opportunity presented by the changed format to create a special card in which the telemessage would be inserted. A design showing the

Royal Coat of Arms on the front and a picture of a Royal Mail Coach inside, indicating the nature and the

provenance of the message, was approved by The Queen. The messages have been sent out in cards ever since.

The cover image is changed every five years to ensure that

it looks as fresh and up to date as possible, and so that those who are lucky enough to receive multiple cards are

not sent duplicates. The text on the current card is generally not made public, to retain the element of surprise

for those who have yet to receive their special greeting from The Queen.

Her Majesty's signature has appeared on every card since 1999.

Visit wwwroyal.gov.uk to lodge an application

The delivery of congratulatory messages marking 100th birthdays and 60th wedding anniversaries is

arranged by the Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace.

For many people, receiving a congratulatory card from The Queen to mark a significant birthday or wedding

anniversary is a very special part of their celebrations. Since 1917, the Sovereign has sent congratulatory

messages to people celebrating notable birthdays and anniversaries.

Cards are sent to those celebrating their 100th and

105th birthday and every year thereafter, and to those celebrating their diamond wedding (60th), 65th, 70th

wedding anniversaries and every year thereafter. The Queen's congratulatory messages consist of a card containing a personalised message. The card

comes in a special envelope, which is delivered through the normal postal channels.

The delivery of these messages is arranged by the Anniversaries Office, part of the Private Secretary's

Office in the Royal Household, based at Buckingham Palace.

The Pension Service informs the Anniversaries Office of birthdays only for recipients of UK State pensions. But, for data privacy reasons, there is no automatic

alert from Government records for wedding anniversaries.

For this reason, to make sure that a message is sent

for birthdays and wedding anniversaries alike, an

Hay’s Dance Spectacular

Aboriginal communities in the western Riverina were traditionally concentrated in the more habitable river corridors and amongst the reedbeds of the region. The district surrounding Hay was occupied by at least three separate Aboriginal groups at the time of European settler expansion onto their lands. The area around the present township appears to have been a site of interaction between the Nari-Nari people of the Lower Murrumbidgee and the Wiradjuri who inhabited a vast region in the central-western inland of New South Wales. In late 1829 Charles Sturt and his men passed along the Murrumbidgee River on horses and drays. They launched their whale-boat near the Murrumbidgee-Lachlan junction and continued the journey by boat to the Murray River and eventually to the sea at Lake Alexandrina (before returning by the same route). During the late-1830s stock was regularly overlanded to South Australia via the Lower Murrumbidgee. At the same time stockholders were edging westward along the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Billabong and Murray systems. By 1839 all of the river frontages in the vicinity of present-day Hay were occupied by squatters. By the mid-1850s pastoral runs in the western Riverina were well-established and prosperous. The nearby Victorian gold-rushes provided an expanding market for stock. The prime fattening country of the Riverina became a sort of holding centre, from where the Victorian market could be supplied as required. One of the popular routes established in the mid-1850s crossed the Murrumbidgee River at Lang’s Crossing-place. The locality where Hay township developed was originally known as Lang’s Crossing place (named after three brothers named Lang who were leaseholders of runs on the southern side of the river). It was the crossing on the Murrumbidgee River of a well-travelled stock-route (known as “the Great North Road”) leading to the markets of Victoria. In 1856-7 Captain Francis Cadell, pioneer of steam-navigation on the Murray River, placed a manager at Lang’s Crossing-place with the task of establishing a store (initially in a tent). In December 1857 Thomas Simpson re-located from Deniliquin to establish a blacksmith shop and residence at Lang’s Crossing-place. Six months later the Canadian shipwright Henry Leonard arrived; he commenced building a hotel and dwelling-house near Simpson’s buildings and launched a punt on the river. In August 1858 steamers owned by rival owners, Francis Cadell and William Randell, successfully travelled up the Murrumbidgee as far as Lang’s Crossing-place (with Cadell’s steamer Albury continuing up-river to Gundagai). Henry Jeffries, the leaseholder of “Illilawa” station (which included Lang’s Crossing-place at its western extremity), was

vehemently opposed to Henry Leonard's operations; threats against his punt caused Leonard to stand guard with a loaded gun. An

attempt by Jeffries to pull down Leonard’s hotel as it was being constructed caused an outcry from those advocating a settlement at the location. In consequence the NSW Government sent a surveyor to map out a new township. Henry Leonard completed his inn and opened it on 30 October 1858. The Murrumbidgee Punt Hotel was described as a "large size" weatherboard building with a shingled roof "and a fine verandah along the front". By mid-1859 the Department of Lands had proclaimed reservations on either side of the river at Lang's Crossing-place and Henry Shiell was appointed Police Magistrate. By October 1859 the township had been named "Hay" after John Hay (later Sir John), a wealthy squatter from the Upper Murray, member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and former Secretary of

Lands and Works. Later the same month successful land-sales were held at Hay Sir John Hay KCMG (23 June 1816 – 20 January 1892) was a New South Wales politician. Hay was born at Little Ythsie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the son of John Hay (a farmer) and his wife Jean, née Mair. Hay graduated M.A. at King's College (now part of the University of Aberdeen), in 1834, and then studied law at Edinburgh, but did

not finish it. In 1838 Hay married Mary Chalmers and they travelled to Sydney on the Amelia Thompson, arriving on 1 July and settled at Welaregang on the Upper Murray. Hay migrated to Sydney in 1838 and took up land in the Murrumbidgee district and became a successful squatter. Hay was a strong opponent of tariffs on trade between New South Wales and Victoria and was elected in April 1856 as the member for Murrumbidgee in the first Legislative Assembly and took up residence in Sydney. In September he moved a vote of no-confidence in the Cowper ministry, which brought the government down. Hay recommended to governor William Denison that Henry W. Parker should be asked to form a coalition ministry in which Hay was secretary for lands and works. This ministry was defeated in September 1857 and Hay did not again hold office. In 1859, he was elected as a member of the new seat of the Murray and strongly opposed John Robertson's land bills and

A History of Hay Everything you thought you knew!

sought to protect the interests of squatters. In the December 1860 elections, fought on the issue, he was one a few opponents of Robertson elected. In June 1860 Hay moved that negotiations should be opened up with Victoria for the purpose of establishing a uniformity of customs duties. This would have been a valuable step towards a federation system, but his motion was defeated. On 14 October 1862 Hay was unanimously elected speaker of the Legislative Assembly and carried out his duties impartially. In 1864, Hay successfully contested the seat Central Cumberland, near Sydney to make clear his opposition to the making of the Riverina into a separate colony. In October 1865, finding his health had been affected, he resigned as speaker. In June 1867 he was nominated a member of the Legislative Council and in July 1873 was appointed its president on the recommendation of Sir Henry Parkes. He held this position until his death in the Sydney suburb of Rose Bay, survived by his wife for ten days. They had no children. Hay was not a party man but he had knowledge and wisdom, and though he originated little he was a good speaker and debater who had no little influence on the legislation of his time. Hay carried out his duties as speaker of the assembly and president of the council with great ability. Lang’s Crossing Place Post Office opened on 16 April 1859 and was renamed Hay in 1861.In early 1860 a brick court-house and lock-up was built at Hay (at the site of the present post office). The census taken in April 1861 revealed that there were 172 people living at Hay township, consisting of 115 males (of whom 25 were aged 15 years or under) and 57 females (of whom 23 were aged 15 years or under). Of the 90 males aged 16 years or more, only 38% were married or widowed; of the 34 females in this category, 76% were married or widowed. The census also enumerated the buildings at the new township: 4 brick structures; 17 of “weatherboard, slab or inferior”; and, 14 tents. In April 1861 two new hotel licenses were granted at Hay: the Caledonian Hotel (Thomas E. Blewett and George Dorward) and the Argyle Hotel (Thomas Simpson). The two

hotels were located side-by-side in Lachlan Street. During 1862 the Argyle closed its doors, and was offered for sale. In September 1865 George Maiden briefly re-opened it as the Royal Mail Hotel. In February 1866, Christopher Ledwidge, landlord of the Caledonian Hotel since 1864, purchased the Royal Mail and incorporated the two into one hotel. Regrettably, the Caledonian Hotel was badly damaged by fire in 2006, and demolished in 2007. According to the 1871 census of the Colony of New South Wales there were 664 people living at Hay township: 388 males and 276 females. The proportion of those in the Hay community aged less than 16 years had increased from 28% in 1861 to 38% in 1871. In November 1871 a petition was prepared by the residents of Hay requesting that the township be granted municipal status. Elections for aldermen were held in August 1872. At the first municipal meeting the local businessman, Frank Johns, was elected mayor. The first bridge over the Murrumbidgee River at Hay was built in 1872 at a cost of £20,000. The structure included a turntable which enabled the middle-section to be swung open to allow the passage of steamers. The opening of the Hay Bridge was delayed while the approaches were formed. It was finally opened on 31 August 1874 by the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, Henry Parkes. The old bridge was eventually replaced by a new one, opened in June 1973. The old Hay Bridge was subsequently

C 1935 - Hay’s first Fire Engine

C 1870 - View of Lachlan Street, showing Blewett’s Store, Bank, Court House & Telegraph Office

demolished. The turntable, last used in 1946, was placed in the river-bend just north of where the bridge had been. As it developed Hay became an essential hub of the surrounding district. Pastoral runs surrounding the township were the main employers of labour; with its stores and hotels, hospital, post-office, banks, court-house and police-station, Hay became an important focus for rural workers and resident squatters alike. Carriers, contractors, wool-buyers and dealers in stock established themselves at Hay and the township became a busy port for the steamers plying the inland rivers. Stores for the township and district stations were unloaded at the wharves at Hay, and the steamers and barges loaded with wool-bales for the return trip (usually to Echuca, which by 1864 had been connected by rail to Melbourne). During 1879-80 the local building firm, Witcombe Brothers, constructed a new gaol at Hay, to replace the old Lock-up in Lachlan Street (at the site of the current Post Office). The new Hay Gaol was opened in December 1880 During 1881-2 the railway line was extended from Narrandera to Hay and a new railway station constructed at Hay. The new line, connecting Hay directly to Sydney, was opened in July 1882. The extension of the NSW railway to Hay signalled a decline in the importance of the transportation of wool by river-steamer and a shift in the local economic focus from Melbourne to Sydney. The railway to Sydney operated with a differential price structure, ensuring that rail became a desirable mode of transporting wool for many of the Riverina stations. In 1883 the extensive Anglican diocese of Goulburn was divided, with the western half designated as the major portion of the newly created Diocese of Riverina. Hay was chosen as the episcopal seat of the new diocese and Bishop Sydney Linton was consecrated on 1 May 1884 at St Paul's Cathedral, London. Linton and his family travelled to Sydney

and then on to Hay, where the bishop was enthroned on 18 March 1885 in the old St Paul's church. The new St. Paul’s – pro-cathedral of the new diocese – was completed by the end of 1885. In 1889 a residence was completed for Bishop Linton at South Hay; the design and materials used in constructing the corrugated-iron clad ‘Bishop’s Lodge’ was an attempt to cope with Hay’s climatic extremes. Hay remained the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Riverina until 1953 when it was transferred to Narrandera, New South Wales. The writer Joseph Furphy lived at Hay in the 1870s while working as a carrier in charge of a team of bullocks. Furphy later used the area surrounding Hay as the setting for his novel Such is Life (published in 1903). During the First World War 641 men enlisted for service from Hay and the surrounding district (one of the highest per capita enlistment rates in Australia). Of the men who enlisted one-in-six died during the war, with devastating effect on the close-knit communities of the Hay district. In 1919 a proposal was adopted to build a High School at Hay as a memorial to those who died in the Great War. The Hay War Memorial High School was opened on Anzac Day, 1923, with Mr. L. E. Penman as the first headmaster. During World War II Hay was used as a prisoner-of-war and internment centre, due in no small measure to its isolated location. Three high-security camps were constructed there in 1940. The first arrivals were over two thousand refugees from Nazi Germany and Austria, many of them Jewish; they had been interned in Britain when fears of invasion were at their peak and transported to Australia aboard the HMT Dunera. They arrived at Hay on 7 September 1940 by four trains from Sydney. They were interned in Camps 7 and 8 (located near the Hay showground) under the guard of the 16th Garrison

C 1870 - The swing bridge at Hay

Battalion of the Australian Army. In November 1940 the other compound at Hay, Camp 6 (near the Hay Hospital), was occupied by Italian civilian internees. Camps 7 and 8 were vacated in May 1941 when the Dunera internees left Hay; some were sent to Orange (NSW), others to Tatura in Victoria, and others to join the Pioneer Corps of the Australian Army. Upon their departure Italian prisoners-of-war were placed in Camps 7 and 8. In December 1941 Japanese internees (some from Broome and islands north of Australia) were conveyed to Hay and placed in Camp 6. In April 1942 the River Farm began operating on the eastern edge of the township, enabling market-gardening and other farm activities to be carried out by the Italian internees and POWs. In February 1941, in the wake of the Cowra POW break-out, a large number of Japanese POWs were transferred to Hay and placed in the three high-security compounds. On 1 March 1946 the Japanese POWs departed from Hay in five trains, transferred to Tatura. During 1946 the Italians who remained at Hay were progressively released or transferred to other camps, and the Hay camps were dismantled and building materials and fittings sold off by June the following year. The first group of internees at Hay became known as the ‘Dunera Boys’. The internment at Hay of this assemblage of refugees from Nazi oppression in Europe was an important milestone in Australia’s cultural history. Just fewer than half of those interned at Hay eventually chose to remain in Australia. The influence of this group of men on subsequent cultural, scientific and business developments in Australia is difficult to over-state; they became an integral and

celebrated part of the nation’s cultural and intellectual life. The 'Dunera Boys' are still fondly remembered in Hay; every year the town holds a 'Dunera Day' in which many surviving internees return to the site of their former imprisonment Sources: Text - Wikipedia Images - State Library of NSW

HMT (Her Majesty's Transport) Dunera

Pic www.colinhickman.me.uk

C 1890 - rebuilding on the corner pf Alma & Lachlan Streets (Now Japps Pharmacy)

Why Didn’t I Think of That?

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AssociationAssociationAssociationAssociation

90TH Anniversary Reunion90TH Anniversary Reunion90TH Anniversary Reunion90TH Anniversary Reunion

25th April 201325th April 201325th April 201325th April 2013

Contact Nerida Reid 02 6993 21176 or

nevneri@bigpond.com Geoff Tuckett 02 6953 3716 or

g.tuckett@bigpond.com This Promotion Proudly Provided by two7eleven magazine

Peter “Parra” Montgomery’s story continues

Chapter 12

MY INSPIRATIONS

You are in charge of your feelings, beliefs,

and actions. And you teach others how to behave toward

you. While you cannot

change other people, You can influence them

through your own behaviours and actions.

By being a living role model of what you want to receive from others,

You create more of what you want in your life.

Eric Allenbaugh I am fortunate to have made a lot of friends in Hay. Lots of really good friends. People I know I can rely upon. I have many who have inspired me, made me laugh, and when required made me see reason and provided encouragement on the numerous occasions whenever I felt down. Everyone needs re-assuring during their lifetime, and whenever I felt ‘lonely’ I gave my friends a call to cheer me up. Never fails. Gary Perrot and Noel Corliss have been mates for as long as I can remember. We have a weekend away every year, catching up with Michael Johnston and his sons in Melbourne. The weekend takes in an NRL match between Parramatta Eels

for a couple more years. It’s a standing joke amongst Gary, Mick and I that Noel resigned as selector over a controversial omission of a prominent player who missed training to attend a funeral. "Rules are Rules" was his edict, and I admire him for sticking to his principles. (That’s my story anyway and I’m sticking to it) ‘A place for everything, and everything in its place’ Michael (Gooska) Johnston is the most inspirational person I have ever known. No wonder he has that midas touch when it comes to business – and life. His optimism is a wonderful attribute to possess. I would imagine that one of Mick’s many mottos in life, would be ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ because he lives that idiom to the fullest. Gooska is a leader of men. He has a wonderful relationship with his three boys Paul, Tim and Sam and their partners. The love and respect they have for each other is wonderful to see. They are best mates. Mick and his late wife Lesley certainly did a great job raising the boys, and Lesley would be absolutely proud of the men they have become. Kevin Goldspink was my business partner for over 20 years. We were not only business partners but great mates - and still are. Goldy has integrity. He would never let a mate down. Never Goldy gave me the opportunity to fulfil a lifelong ambition to own a Hotel and I appreciate his faith in me. The partnership lasted because we respected each other. We had some great social times together. For instance, we attended the 1982 Grand Final with Phil Carver and Garry ‘Zip Zip’ Symons and I will never forget Goldy coming out of a Kangaroo reunion at the NSW Leagues Club to be with us. He spent about 45 minutes at the

and Melbourne Storm, a visit to the Casino, a trip to the Races, and another trip to the Casino, before coming home on Sunday. If there is time, we also take in an AFL Football match – probably featuring Mick’s favourite team St Kilda. We look forward to the time away – it is a good break with plenty of laughs, and it has become a regular feature of our Year. Mick Johnston is the perfect host, and his home in East Melbourne is very close to everywhere we want to go. Gary Perrot is a bloke who has that great knack of making you feel special. He can turn a negative into a positive and I appreciate all the assistance, friendship and advice he has given me over the many years I have known him. A true friend. Believe it or not, Gary and I both spent our formative years living in Granville. Gary probably lived a kilometre away from me, but I did not know him then. Noel Corliss is an unsung hero in our community. What Noel does not know about Sheep, Rodeo’s, Country music, golf, hard work and life as well as developing kids for cricket is not worth knowing. Noel is a clear and positive thinker. He never has a BAD word about anyone. I have never seen him flustered or cranky. What a fantastic attitude to life . He has spent a lifetime as a member and worker for the Hay Sheep Show Society, The Hay Rodeo Club, and was awarded Life Membership of the Hay Cricket Association. He spent a long time in the Apex Club working for the people of Hay. Noel has been a volunteer at Shear Outback since opening day, giving up his free time to assist at Hay’s biggest Tourist attraction. He was a selector for the Magpies Rugby League Club in its premiership winning year of 1972 – never missing a training session. He remained a selector

reunion, before rejoining us in the Bar of the Club. "Goldy, what’s happening at the reunion. Why aren’t you still in there?" we asked him. "I’ve caught up with who I wanted to catch up with. I came down with you blokes for the weekend" The following Monday night, Kevin got us into the Canterbury ex Players reunion at the Canterbury Leagues Club. Goldy is one of the most generous people I know. He and Ann made their beautiful home in Wagga available to my brother and sisters when my Dad, Frank, passed away in 1998. He lent me his brand new car to take away on a holiday after I had trouble with mine. No hesitation. We had plenty of fun during our time at the Pub – over 20 years in partnership. That is something we are very proud of. Danny and Marg Byrnes – This wonderful couple put on my 21st Birthday at their home in 1967 – and it is an occasion I will never forget. I had been in town for just 15 months and for them to honour me that way was simply amazing. They organised a good roll up of friends, and made it so special for me. I will never forget it. Danny was a terrific bloke. I loved talking sport – and life – with him, he was always full of sense and fun. I loved his involvement in all sports, and I loved hearing him sing. He faced his life full of courage and faith, and his legacy lives on through his children. I remember talking to Danny before he went to Sydney for his operation. He told me that it had risks involved but the risks of not having the operation were just as bad. "I’m putting my faith in the hands of the doctors, and the Lord". Danny died a couple of days later, and Hay lost one of its much loved sons. The naming of the Danny Byrnes Bistro at the Hay Bowling Club is a fitting memorial to the contribution Danny made to the development of the Club, and the sport of Lawn Bowls. Marg is a very special friend, and I love catching up with her whenever I can. She is always positive, and has that ‘Mick Johnston’ ability to make you feel good. Peter Hemphill and I have been great friends for over 40 years. He is a bloke who does the little things right.

go north up the Cobb Highway the better the people get. The quartet from the Booligal/MossGiel region, to me represented, the qualities that make Australia a great Nation. I am proud to have been their friend. They were the characters who belonged to another era. Thankfully, their sense of humour and principles of life have been passed on to their sons and daughters.

Parras story continues next month

He is generous with his time and I value the friendship that Pat and I have with Peter and Janet. Peter, for instance, came over home recently and asked me if I wanted the gutters of my home cleaned out. Up he got on the roof, and cleared the gutters of leaves and other rubbish. It took him over five hours. Bloody unbelievable. That’s a good mate. He is a hard working man, who is TRUE BLUE. No pretensions with Pete - What you see, is what you get. David Beckwith has the ability to make people happy. I just love Becky. My first meeting with him was when he was performing in a band with Jade Hurley and Daryl McCleary at the Rugby League Balls in the late sixties and early seventies. Dave remembers the little things in life, the important things We have had some great times together following the Eels. He has developed a great friendship with his idol Mick Cronin. Who could forget his development of Croninsville and the official opening by Mick in 1980. Becky is one of the town’s most loved characters. A great mate to everyone who knows him Billy Baird (Dec) - When you talk Hay legends, Bill must be included. ‘Bairdy’ was a ‘hero’ and inspiration to the people of the Outback with his weekly deliveries to Ivanhoe, which continued into his nineties - A bloody marvel. The boys from the ‘Back Blocks’ – Eric (Salt) Ireson, Eric (Bootlace) Huntly, George Cannon and Greg (Pubby) Loveridge. I am a firm believer that the further you

Chapter 15

From this Day Forward

The cold night air enfolded John and Izumi Johannes as they slowly walked back to the little yellow house. Chaumont Bay reflected the moonlight, giving the appearance of two moons. Izumi rested her head on John's shoulder. The peacefulness of the night mirrored her heart. Was it possible that she was really Mrs. John Johannes? She remembered the vows of the marriage ceremony, that had taken place a little while ago. "I, John James Johannes, take thee, Izumi Mizukiyo, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward..." Izumi stood still. "What's the matter, Little Dove?" John stood beside her, gently smiling into her face. "John, I'm scared." "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee," he reminded. Izumi smiled when she heard the familiar words. "So that was the magic," she thought out loud. "Magic?" "Don't you remember? On the bus ride here, you said those very same words. They gave me such peace, for the darkness outside the bus was no longer terrifying." "I will always remember that," he said quietly. "When I saw the little-scared-rabbit-look on your face, I HAD to say something." John paused. "Does the darkness usually have that effect on you?" Izumi stared at the ground, trying hard to think of a reply. "No secrets, Dove. Whatever is in your heart, will spill over into mine."

"My father," she slowly began, "would try to hurt me in the dark. He never succeeded, though," she quickly added, seeing John's alarmed face. "God always sent the moon's light to my rescue. As long as I stayed in the light, I was safe." John looked at the bay thoughtfully. "Thank God, that part of your life is forever over." He put an arm around his wife. "Just now, when you said you were frightened, what were you frightened of? Not me, I hope," John added jokingly. A shy smile parted Izumi's lips. "No, not you. Tonight, you said 'to have and to hold from this day forward.'" "That's what I intend to do," said John seriously. "'Are you sure you want to spend

'from this day forward' with me?" The years of neglect from her parents made Izumi incredulous that anyone could possibly want HER. It was just too good to be true. "With God's grace, I will have and hold you from this day forward... forever. Never doubt that," he said firmly. "It's too good to be true," she said, repeating her thought. John shook his head in disagreement. "With God, all things are possible." Izumi hugged John, as they resumed their walking. When her grandparents' home was in sight, John quickened the pace. After reaching the little yellow house, he placed her on the porch swing "Stay here. I must go speak to your mother." Izumi looked up into

John's steady face. "Why? Let's not spoil this night," she pleaded. "Nothing your mother can say or do, could spoil what has happened today. I must tell her. I don't want the police to show up at our doorstep, searching for you." John squeezed Izumi's hand reassuringly. "She must know." Izumi remained silent. Her mother had always extinguished any happiness she had ever tried to share. Since today was the happiest day of her life, the threat was even greater. John watched in silence, as his wife struggled with her emotions. It pained him to see how much Izumi dreaded her mother, but it was growing late. "I must go, Little Dove. Stay here, and keep quiet. I'll be back soon." He kissed her, then quickly made his way down the walk. Izumi hid in the screened porch, John's sweet kiss still on her lips. She pulled out the card he had given her earlier that evening. She read Romans chapter eight, verses thirty-eight and thirty-nine. "I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us”

Chapter 16 She Must Know

John hurried down the walk, preparing his thoughts. When he reached Mrs. Mizukiyo's door, he paused. "God, give me wisdom." John rang the door bell. A tall blonde headed woman opened the door. "What do you want?" Anna's voice sounded as cold as her stare. "Are you Mrs. Mizukiyo?" asked

A novel by

Judith Bronte

"I have come to tell you that your daughter, Izumi, was married tonight”

John, full knowing that it was her. "That's my name." "I have come to tell you that your daughter, Izumi, was married tonight." John spoke without any hesitation. If he was nervous, he did not let it show. She clenched her jaw. It was not Izumi's nature to go against her. Someone had put her daughter up to this. "Who did she marry?" Anna demanded. "She married me." Mrs. Mizukiyo looked him over. His grey eyes had an intensity which she could not avoid. "Aren't you the one who spoke to me on the bus? Yes," she remembered, "you wouldn't shut up about God. So that's where she got this 'Christian' business! You bring her home immediately!" Anna's eyes flared. "She is MY daughter!" John met her fiery glare with a calm that Anna found unnerving. "Izumi is home, Mrs. Mizukiyo. She is my wife - I will not let her go." John continued, "I have come for her things." Anna could not stop him from entering. He saw Izumi's shopping bag beside the door, the blue dress still inside. He picked it up, and walked over to the pile of suitcases on the couch. "What did she tell you about me?" questioned Anna. John remained silent as he opened each suitcase,

chance to be rid of her curse. "You want her? Then take her!" she shouted, quickly returning to the house. John shook his head sadly. As he turned to resume his walk, John saw Mrs. Mizukiyo leave her childhood home, carrying her luggage. He watched her tall frame disappear into the night. She didn't look back. "For my Little Dove's sake, I'm glad to see her go," he said gratefully. Soon after, Izumi saw John come up the walk, her bags in his hands. She ran down the steps and threw herself into John's outstretched arms. "She knows," he whispered. Any sadness Izumi felt over her mother, was eclipsed by the fact that John had returned, unshaken. As John carried his bride over the threshold, the crickets began to chirp merrily, as if listening to Izumi's heart.

Continued next Month

Legal Disclaimer: The characters and events depicted in these love stories are fictitious, and should not to be interpreted as medical

advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely

coincidental.

Copyright: These original love stories are copyright © 1998-2011 by Sarah L. Fall

(a.k.a. Judith Bronte). All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission

trying to locate Izumi's. "Did she tell you her father jumped off a bridge? Did she tell you..." "Mrs. Mizukiyo," John interrupted, "if you have something to tell me, please come out and say it." He spotted a small doll in one of the suitcases. Content that the bag was Izumi's, he picked it up, ready to leave. Anna stood in the doorway, blocking his exit. "If you refuse to bring her home, don't ever send her back." "I don't intend to."

Anna despised her daughter more than ever. Why should her child, who gave her

nothing but trouble, have such a refuge? Yoichi never protected her as this young man was protecting Izumi. Anna moved aside, realizing that he would not be stopped. John stepped back into the cold night air, relieved that his errand was over. As he walked away, he could hear footsteps following his. He came to a dead stop, and turned to see Anna standing close behind him. "I want to see my daughter! If I can't force you to bring her home, I'll do it myself! Where is she?" "Go home, Mrs. Mizukiyo. There is nothing for you here." Why was she fighting this change? Here was a

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"You want her? Then Take her!”