William Halls Sr.

BILL JONES’ HAY RAKE

(Continued)

When next Bill went to use his rake, it wobbled with a jerk.
It wouldn’t rake, it wouldn’t dump, in short, it wouldn’t work.
And as Bill took it to the shop to get it straightened out,
That his patience was a little bent, I haven’t any doubt.
The blacksmith said, “This is the worst affair I ever knew.
You leave it till tomorrow; I’ll see what I can do.”
When Bill then went to get his rake, and asked about the charge,
“Seven dollars; and you may think that that is rather large,
But it was the toughest job that I have ever found.
I’ll take my pay in butter, at twenty cents a pound.
I’ll be easy on you, seein’ you’re a neighbor.
I’ll throw in all the bolts and screws, and charge just for my labor.”

When Bill went home and told his wife, it caused no little splutter.
Said she, “You know old brindle’s gone; how can we spare the butter?
Now we shant have one speck to eat, for seven weeks or more.”
And then she cussed the rake and Bill, once, twice, thrice, o’er and o’er.
But things soon went all smooth again, with scarcely any flutter,
And Dinah learned the useful art of cooking without butter.

One day, Tim Jenkins came along, and said to neighbor Bill,
“My old hay rake is just give out, I’d like you, if you will,
To lend me yours a little while, I’m very nearly through.
I hate worst kind to borrow, but I don’t know what to do.”
Now Bill had often borrowed Tim’s; he could well say no;
And though it tried his tender heart, he had to let it go.

Tim raked his hay; was coming back, without a thought of ill.
Tom Williams said, “I want that rake, it’s all right with neighbor Bill.”
Tom raked his hay, and left the rake a standing on the field.
Joe Corgan came and hauled it off; it wobbled–fairly reeled.

Two weeks of patient waiting, the rake did not come back.
Bill hitched onto his wagon, and started on its track.
He traced it up to Tim and Tom, and when he came to Joe,
Said he, “I may have seen your rake, but really I don’t know.
About three miles down the river, the boys are makin’ hay.
They may have taken your old rake; I really couldn’t say.”
Bill started off with heavy heart; the rake was broken down!
He put it in his wagon, and hauled it off to town.
The blacksmith said, “This is a case where it’s too late to mend.
Better buy a new one, Bill, be cheaper in the end.”

He left the rake, and told his wife how he had learned with sorrow,
By a short, but sad experience; it’s cheaper far to borrow.

WHAT THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET MEAN TO ME
WHAT WORDS DO THEY STAND FOR THAT ARE WORTHWHILE

Let A stand for Affections for father, mother, brothers and sisters, wife, children and all humanity.

B for Benevolence, to lift up the fallen, help the distressed, and comfort the sorrowful.

C for Courtesy, to help me through the world, to smooth my pathway, to make me friends.

D for Duty to God, to family, to neighbor, to friend, to the Ordinances of the Gospel, to Divine Authority, to all the Covenants in the House of the Lord, for the living and the dead, to the sealings for Time and all Eternity.

E for Equity, give everyone an equal privilege with us, respect to person.

F for Faith, in God, in Christ, in the Divine Mission of Joseph Smith, in all the Ordinances of the Gospel, and in the gifts of the Gospel, to resist evil, and to obey all the Commandments of God.

G for Gratitude, to God for all His goodness, to my family and friends, for their love and kindness to me, for the joy the Gospel gives us in this life, and the hope of Eternal Life, in the world to come.

H for Honesty, to live within my means, to pay all my debts, not to want something for nothing, to earn my living, and help the needy.

I for Individuality, I must live my own life, fill my own mission, work out my own salvation, and do my part in the world’s work.

J for Judgment in all things temporal and spiritual, in the food I eat, the clothes I wear, the company I keep, the books I read, to choose the good, and refuse the evil, lest I make mistakes that may give me sorrow and disappointment.

K for Knowledge, of God and Christ, of the way that leads to joy in this life, and eternal life, in the first resurrection.

L for Love, the great all conquering power, by love of God’s rules in all His dominions, by love Christ died that we might live. It is mother love that sustains all mortal life, true love never dies; it is Eternal. If I love God, I will do His will and become like Him.

M for Meekness, I must put away pride and vanity, and feel my dependence on the mercy and grace of God to overcome my weaknesses and resist evil.

N for Nobility, I must never yield to anything mean and vulgar, I must strive for a seat with priests and kings in the Glory of the Celestial Kingdom.

O for Obedience, to God and Christ, to all the laws of God, to the Priesthood, in Divine Authority, to all the Ordinances of the Gospel and to the laws of the State and Nation. It is my only safety. All things are governed by law.

P for Purity, I must be clean, it is the pure in heart that shall see God and dwell in His presence. I will watch and pray, lest I enter into temptations and become defiled and be cast out.

Q for Quietude, I must be calm, not fret nor worry, but trust in God, and I will never be forsaken. God is my Father and Friend.

R for Reverence for God and Christ, for the Priesthood and Divine Authority, for the Endowments and sealings in the Holy Temple for the living and the dead, and never by word, or deed, or thought, treat any sacred principle with levity, but let the solemnity of Eternity rest upon me, lest I grieve the Spirit and darkness come on me.

S for Service for God and humanity, I will take upon me the yoke and follow Christ, and when called give my time, labor, and means in preaching the Gospel, gathering Israel, the building up of Zion, to prepare for the Kingdom of Heaven to come to earth.

T for Truth, the knowledge of things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come, I will speak the truth, live the truth, and seek to know the truth, and be free from the powers of Satan.

U for Usefulness, in my family, in the ward, I will help all I can to make the world a better place to live in.

V for Virtues that is dearer than life, if I love my life it will, by the Atonement of Christ, be restored, but if I lose my virtue it can never be restored. My Virtue is my passport into the presence of the Sanctified. Without it I am cast out, Lord help me to retain my Virtue that I may enter into the marriage feast with robes of purity, with no stain on my garments.

W for Wisdom, a precious gift, without wisdom knowledge may be misused, power may be used to destroy, instead of to save. Wisdom comes from God, it cannot be learned in schools. Money will not buy it, knowledge of knowing good and evil, often chooses the evil, wisdom always chooses the good.

X for Xyster, which I hope I will never need.

Y for Yes, will I serve God with undivided heart, I hope I may answer Yes, will I be faithful to the end, I hope Yes, will I always be true to God, and my family, and friends, I hope Yes. Do I acknowledge the hand of God over me from childhood, I answer Yes, with all my heart.

Z for Zion, may my home be in Zion, with the pure in heart, with my family and friends, under the protecting care of my Heavenly Fathers is my humble prayer.

A BIRTHDAY REMEMBRANCE
May 25, 1920

I’m eighty-six years old today, and thankful I can truly say,
I am free from care and worldly strife, and I am satisfied with life.
I am thankful that I had my birth, when Gospel light is on the earth,
That in the years of early youth I was converted to the truth,
That a servant of the Lord was led to lay his hands upon my head
And give me power to proclaim the Gospel truth in Jesus name,
That in the service of the Lord, I was called to go abroad
And by the grace of God I went and called on sinners to repent
And when my seven-year mission ended, my heavenly father condescended
To lead me to this chosen land, that I might on Mount Zion stand,
And gave me wives one, two, and three, and a numerous posterity
And when the world in tumult rose, we dwell in peaceful calm repose,
That to work in the temple I was led, for the living and the dead
And now that I have had my day, soon the night will come, I’ll pass away
Obedient to our father’s will, I’ve sought my mission to fulfill
And when I am numbered with the dead, I trust my children may be led
To move on in this temple work, and not a single duty shirk,
That those who lived and passed away, in a dark and cloudy day
May partake the precious things, the everlasting Gospel brings.
Let us pray they may the truth believe, and our vicarious work receive
That when the Savior comes again, we with them may rise to reign
As priests and kings upon the earth at creation’s second birth
It is my earnest humble prayer, that we may meet each other there.
It is a blessing great and grand, that we may on Mount Zion stand
And exercise a saving power for the dead in this eleventh hour.
All glory be to God on high, who left his mansion in the sky
To show his love and father’s care, and came and answered Joseph’s prayer
That holy angels from the Lord, the holy priesthood have restored
The church of Christ to organize, and preach repentance and baptize
In his name whose blood was shed for the living and the dead
“What comfort this sweet sentence gives, I know that my redeemer lives.”

This article appeared in the September 1985 Ensign. It specifically mentions the 1861 voyage the emigrant ship Underwriter among whose passengers were William and Louisa Halls. The article gives us a more complete picture of what their trip to Utah was like, so it is included here.