The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

sew on soles with wax thread and two awls. I watched him make his own wax thread etc. Heused to heat irons and put warm wax around the edge of soles to put the last touch of finish onthem. He worked hard from day light till after dark, year in and year out, never stopping to eathis meals properly. Mother used to take his meals into him on a tray so he wouldn't have to leavethe shop. Father was beginning to look rather pale and worn out with the every day labor. Oneday a man came into the shop and they got acquainted, he too was in the same category. Theytalked things over, and father said he would like to take a trip to Victoria British Columbia andlook things over. Just a passing thought you know. We can all dream. So the two men decidedif they could sell out, they would like to go to Victoria B. C. Western Canada, and later send fortheir families, of course it might be some time before they could sell out.A Prophecy Came True By A Servant of the LordOne Sunday at church the president of the branch went up and shook hands with myfather and asked him how he was, and how was business? Father told him he had plenty of workbut needed more strength to keep going and mentioned his plans to leave England and go to B. C.Canada. The president put his hand on father's shoulder and said "Brother Tagg the time has notcome yet for you to leave England. Your sons shall go out first and make a home for you in lateryears." My father thought that was strange, his plans were made, what could possibly changethem. About two weeks later a letter came in the mail from father's friend to say he had been inan accident and badly crushed his foot, and it put off all prospects of leaving England.God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform. The president of the branch hadbeen shown or told by a higher power that the time had not come for father to leave his nativeland. We attended church regularly. There was a lady in our branch, a good faithful person wholived close to the Lord and had a wonderful personality. She told my brother Stephen that thenext time she saw him, would be in Salt Lake City, Utah (I met her in 1928, Ruth. He was only ayoung lad about 16 years and had no intentions of going anywhere. But the months passed byand father worked on in the shoe shop with help of his young sons. Three of them big enough togive him a helping hand. Steven and James were twins. Robert was still younger.One day Stephen heard one of the neighbors talking about going to Canada. He was at arestless age and wanted adventure. He asked father if he could go to Canada with the neighborsand mentioned about a harvest ticket, something on order of going out and working duringharvest and many returned home after. Father said it would be better to get a permit to stay incase he decided he didn't want to come back. In the long run it would save extra expense andworry of passports etc. Steve might like it and want to stay.They decided to let him go, and asked the neighbors to keep watch over him on thejourney. Steve only saw them twice during the whole voyage (landing at Halifax). They stoppedtheir journey at Winnipeg, Manitoba and Steve kept on going west as far as Alberta, Canada.There he got a job in the harvest fields and had his board and room with those he worked for,($10 a month). Here we will leave Steve for awhile and talk about my oldest sister Florence, asthose two were the first to leave the family circle.Ruth Tagg Caley pg 2