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For those of us who have puzzled over Porter's references to a place she calls Halifax in "Noon Wine" and "The Fig Tree," there has come some welcome information.

In "The Fig Tree," Grandmother's farm, Cedar Grove, is "always called," by Father, Halifax: "'Hot as Halifax,' he would say when he wanted to describe something very hot." Clearly, the name is used here as a euphemism for Hell, following the common principle of substitution using the same first letter. Miranda, of course, with her inquiring but often literal mind, takes it as an alternative name: "'Are we going to Halifax, Aunty?'" Aunty does not answer. But Grandmother does: "'Don't say Halifax, child, say Cedar Grove. Call things by their right names.'"

In "Noon Wine," though, the use of Halifax (occurring at the end of the murder scene) is quite different. There it appears to be a true place name: "Mrs. Thompson sat down slowly against the side of the house and began to slide forward on her face; she felt as if she were drowning, she couldn't rise to the top somehow, and her only thought was she was glad the boys were not there, they were out, fishing at Halifax . . ."

Janis Stout recently received a friendly e-mail message from William T. Johnson, head of the Burdine Johnson Foundation that will play a role in seeing that the Porter house is preserved. Mr. Johnson quoted the "Noon Wine" passage and added the following:

Greetings from Halifax--the Halifax Ms. Porter had in mind (or so I'd like to think) . . . I've been living on the Halifax Ranch (4 miles west of Kyle) since 1971 but have only quite recently become interested in Katherine Anne Porter. It's my perhaps sentimental belief that "fishing at Halifax" refers to Halifax Hole, a long deep stretch of the Blanco River (in view from my house) that has been known as a good fishing hole to the locals around Kyle since well before 1900.

Four miles west of Kyle would indeed put Halifax very near Buda and Aunt Cat's farm. Thanks, Mr. Johnson.