THOMAS AND SARAH (1902)
The passenger ferry docked at the Halifax Pier. Thomas Beazley whistled as he jumped onto the wharf. He strode quickly up the hill and when he reached Barrington Street, turned left and continued briskly toward his place of employment. He valued his position with Imperial Oil and was delighted when his employer informed him that he had a bright future with the company. He was a junior bookkeeper and had great ambition to become a success; he was only twenty-two years old, and he already had one promotion.
Thomas Henry Beazley was not a handsome man. He wore thick circular glasses. The gold wired-rimmed spectacles were a constant irritant when he played sports; however, he adapted. His face was awash with freckles that blended well with his fiery red mane of curls. This young man was a revered athlete by sports fans in Nova Scotia. He was a triple threat as he excelled in baseball, tennis, along with several aquatic sports. Thomas was an optimist and his whistling was his constant companion.
As he walked home along Barrington Street at the end of each workday, he often glanced in the various window shops he passed along the way. One day he noticed a portrait of a beautiful young maiden in one of the windows. The store was a photographer’s studio and the girl in the picture held him transfixed. He was not sure if it was a photograph or a painting. The young woman’s cheeks held a hint of pink and they appeared to have been kissed by the sun. Her long hair fell in waves down her back; it was a handsome shade of burgundy. Those were the only colors in the otherwise sepia portrait. Her almond shaped ebony eyes seemed to be looking at him and only him. He was completely enthralled. An angel he thought to himself, a perfect angel.
Each morning and evening he would stop and look at this glorious maiden and tip his hat to her. A few weeks later he noticed that there was a new portrait of this girl which was more beautiful than the last. When Thomas looked into the young woman’s eyes he felt a shift in his equilibrium. The poem by Robbie Burns flashed through his mind; My Love is like a Red Red Rose. Every day for months he would walk by the studio and smile as he glanced at this vision in the portrait.
One particular evening he worked late and when he arrived at the store it was in total darkness. He continued walking to the ferry and reached it just before he left the dock. As he walked toward a bench he thought he saw an apparition. He took off his glasses and cleaned them with his necktie then reapplied them. It was not an apparition; it was the young woman in the portrait.
He thought me might faint so he sat down on the first available seat. Thomas gasped allowed and wondered if other passengers had heard him. He could feel the heat beginning to rise up from his chest and onto his face. Oh God he thought, I’ll bet my face and hair match colors. The gasping, he realized, came because he had forgotten to breathe. I guess this is what it is like when someone takes your breath away. Her portrait was beautiful however seeing her in person was like being in the presence of angels. I can’t believe she is on this boat sitting a few yards away from me.
As he glanced in her direction he was mesmerized by her beauty. How tiny she is, he thought. Soon the ferry docked and he watched her as walked toward the gate. He jumped up and stood behind her, then quickly sat back down. He hoped he might have the courage to speak to her but he was too nervous, so he just backed away. Tom was a self-assured athlete but when it came to meeting girls his confidence waned.
Thomas found it difficult to concentrate on anything but his angel in the portrait. Every thought was of her. He was continuously planning and plotting his next move. The following day he lingered at the ferry until he saw her walking toward him. She was deep in conversation with an older woman. He observed her as the boat crossed the Halifax Harbour. Her burgundy hair was pulled off her face which allowed Thomas to study her loveliness. He never realized that God made eyes so dark or lips so full and luscious. Her powder blue dress fell softly to her ankles and her tiny feet were covered with black leather boots. Tom’s heart was pounding in his ears. He had to pinch himself to believe she was really there.
He wanted desperately to speak to this enchanting young woman yet he lacked confidence. He realized that he could not let her go without at least trying to introduce himself. Garnering all his courage, he decided it was now or never. He jumped up from his seat, walked over to her and asked if she was the girl in the photographer’s window. She whispered softly that she was indeed one and the same. That was the extent of the first meeting but over the months, they began speaking to one another. He discovered that this beautiful lass was called Sarah and her companion was her sister Min.
Due to his easy nature and happy disposition, Sarah and her sister began to look forward to talking with Thomas on the ferry. Before long he would walk with them to their boarding house. Sarah Boutilier, he discovered, came from Glen Margaret. She was an uncomplicated wholesome girl who was brought up on the family farm who had been encouraged to leave home to work in the city. Her family were not prosperous so once the children were old enough, they were expected to support themselves. Sarah had no marketable vocational skills so she went to live with her sister Minerva. She located employment at Moss’s Photography Studio. They needed someone to help around the studio but when the owner saw Sarah’s natural beauty, he began taking pictures of her and his wife would hand paint some of the photographs.
Sarah never met anyone as happy and full of life as Thomas. He asked her if she would like to accompany him to church on Sunday, she told him that she would like that. Their first date was at the Dartmouth Methodist Church. Tom sang in the choir and he was able to watch over Sarah during the service. Soon Sarah was joining Thomas when he played baseball. She would cheer from the stands
He was so proud of her and more they got to know each other the deeper their love. One particular Sunday he told Sarah that the organist was sick and they didn't know who would play for Sunday’s service. Sarah told Thomas that she played by ear but she might not know all the hymns. That Sunday Thomas kneeled down by the organ and hummed the hymns and once Sarah heard the melody, she began playing.
During the next year Thomas and Sarah spent all their free time together. It wasn't long before Thomas asked Sarah to be his wife. She quickly said yes. They went to the local courthouse and on October 1904 they were married. He always called her his little angel and she delighted in his love.
In the early days they rented an apartment and after a few years their first child, Dorothy was born. They would go on to have three more daughters and a son.
December 6, 1917
Thomas was at work in Halifax while Sarah was at home in Dartmouth with the children. The windows in the apartment began to shake and then shatter. The round stove top cover from the oil stove hurdled across the kitchen and landed in the carriage of the sleeping baby. Fortunately the cover landed at the bottom of the carriage so no one was injured. Sarah thought maybe the war in Europe had found its way to the Nova Scotia shores.
Panic-stricken Sarah held her children close. She had no idea what was happening but before long, Thomas came running into their apartment. He had no shoes on his feet, his clothes were torn to shreds, and his face was cut. When Sarah asked him what had happened, he was unsure. He had no recollection of how he been transported from his place of employment to his home. He only knew that there had been some kind of a disaster; and his only thought was of his angel Sarah and his children.
Tom went outside and was able to talk to some of the soldiers who were home on leave and they informed him of the explosion in the Halifax Harbour. A few of the soldiers had seen two ships collide in the harbour and had witnessed a horrific explosion. Everywhere Thomas went he saw buildings collapsed, windows shattered, fires, bodies, and people in a state of hysteria. Together Tom and the soldiers worked tirelessly trying to find and rescue the injured. Sarah was also helping to bandage some of the injured who Thomas brought to their apartment.
The Halifax Explosion was a horrific time for all Nova Scotians, especially those who living in or near Halifax and Dartmouth. Many families’ lives would be forever altered as well the cities infrastructure. Thousands of innocent men, women, and children were injured, and killed.
It was shortly after this terrible time that Tom bought their home on Prince Albert Road.
