All the Dead Horses: Journey Stories of Inspiration and Hope

By James Dalton

What does one do when one has literally reached the very depth of despair and loss?

How does one find that sense of inspiration and hope for a better life? Is all lost? Will my life become an inspiration and hope for others?

The stories woven in All the Dead Horses are true and actually happened. The “Dead Horses” act as a metaphor for all the many tragedies, hurts, betrayals, and all manner of injustice that we have left behind on our journey of life and in many ways hold us back from moving forward in life. Through courage, determination and the underestimated power of community and love the two characters in this book weave a magnificent message of inspiration, courage, hope, community, faith and love.

Follow the many twists and turns in their lives, and may you find in your own life the many inspirations around you that may bring to others as well.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Sep 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685623524

James Dalton

James Dalton (Reverend Jim) and his wife (Reverend Brenda S. Bell) retired from active Christian ministry in the United Church of Canada, and live in Pointe-Claire, Quebec. Jim spent 17 years in professional accounting (R.I.A., C.M.A.) from 1963 to 1980. Returning to university in 1984, he graduated from Brock University (B.A. in Psychology) in 1987 and in 1990 graduated from Queen’s University Theological College with his M.Div. Jim served in Pastoral Ministry within the United Church of Canada from 1990 to 2017. Jim and Brenda have five grandchildren. All the Dead Horses is Jim’s second novel, the first being The Leaky Rafta village Raises a Child (2017). Jim is currently musing on a third novel and taking Piano lessons.

Book preview

About the Author

James Dalton (Reverend Jim) and his wife (Reverend Brenda S. Bell) retired from active Christian ministry in the United Church of Canada, and live in Pointe-Claire, Quebec. Jim spent 17 years in professional accounting (R.I.A., C.M.A.) from 1963 to 1980. Returning to university in 1984, he graduated from Brock University (B.A. in Psychology) in 1987 and in 1990 graduated from Queen’s University Theological College with his M.Div.

Jim served in Pastoral Ministry within the United Church of Canada from 1990 to 2017.

Jim and Brenda have five grandchildren. All the Dead Horses is Jim’s second novel, the first being The Leaky Rafta village Raises a Child (2017). Jim is currently musing on a third novel and taking Piano lessons.

Dedication

For my father, who would always say, Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

Harold Ivan Dalton 1905 – 1979.

Auditor M.J O’Brien Gold Mines.

Secretary Treasure, Deloro Smelting and Refining Company 1939–1952.

For my mother, who would always say, O for the God’s sake, just do it.

Dora Evlyn (Mobley) Dalton 1906 – 2012 (In her 107th year).

For my two sons Allan and Scott – whose love and support are ever-present.

For my wife Reverend Brenda S. Bell, whose support and love I will always cherish.

Copyright Information ©

James Dalton 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

All of the events in this memoir are true to the best of author’s memory. The views expressed in this memoir are solely those of the author.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Dalton, James

All the Dead Horses

ISBN 9781685623517 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781685623524 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023908501

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

Acknowledgment

The Ignatius Jesuit Farm Community, and Father Bill Clarke S.J. Guelph, Ontario.

Sister Christine Leyser I.B.V.M., sister of Loretto Order of Teachers, and the Founder of the Welcome Inn Drop In Center Guelph, Ontario.

Reverend Desmond McConnell and his wife Dorothy.

Henry Goertzen and The Chapel Singers.

Donna (Dalton) Brix, my sister.

The MacLeod Family

Byron Dunn

Connie and Nancy

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Vs.1

Why should I feel discouraged?

Why should the shadows fall?

Why should my heart be lonely

and long for heaven and home?

When Jesus is my portion? My

constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and

I know He watches me.

His eye is on the sparrow, and

I know He watches me.

Words by CIVILLA DUFREE MARTIN 1905

Music by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

PSALM 27

vs.1&2

The Lord is my light and my salvation

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life

Of whom shall I be afraid

Forward

A Story

Nine young soldiers had received overnight passes from their base camp. When morning came, not one of the nine was present. An hour after their absence was noted, the first soldier struggled back to camp. He immediately was taken to his company commander. I’m sorry to be late, sir, the soldier said, but I had a date, lost track of time. And missed the bus. I wanted to make it back on time, so I took a taxi. About halfway back to camp, the cab broke down, so I went to the nearest farm and bought a horse. As I was riding the horse, the animal suddenly fell to the ground and died. So, I did the last miles on foot and here I am. Although he was skeptical about the chain of weird excuses, the company commander let the young man off with a mild lecture on the virtues of punctuality. Thereafter, seven more stragglers reported in, one by one, each with the same story! They had a date, lost track of time, missed the bus, took a cab, cab broke down, bought a horse, horse fell dead.

Finally, the ninth man replied, Sir, I had a date, lost track of time, missed the last bus, hired a taxi…

Wait a minute! Wait a minute! cried the officer. Are you going to tell me the cab broke down?

No, sir, the soldier replied, the taxi was fine. The problem was we couldn’t get through. There were so many dead horses on the road.

And that’s the premise of this novel, if you will. Beyond All the Dead Horses (those many tragedies, hurts, betrayals and all other manner of injustices) in our lives that we have left behind us our journey in life—there is a message that needs to be shared, a message that often doesn’t get through because of all The Dead Horses on the road behind us. There is such a beautiful message of Inspiration, Courage, Hope, Community, Faith and Love to be shared despite all that may have hindered us from doing so.

This can be your story as well. Can you have the courage to tell it?

Following are two unique stories that has the courage to be told and, in the telling, offer a glimpse of a Loving God, as I understand him(her) to be and brings to life the inspiration and hope for each of our lives.

Part 1

All the Dead Horses

Introduction

It is January 2021, and in my 84th year, I begin to write this story of Inspiration and Hope, with significant thought and planning during 2020. What a time to search for such as we find ourselves in the middle of a worldwide Pandemic, relentlessly killing in every country. In my country, Canada, at this point we are over 756,000 infected and near 19,300 deaths and in its infancy of vaccination roll outs. Why would we not look for inspiration and hope as the pandemic rolls on?

On top of this, on January 6, 2021 on the urging of (in words used by many)