Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-09-24
The Conductors Story.

1t was the summer Of 1873. / was run
ming extra on the railroad. A cir
Gus, travelling about the country, came into
the town on our line. An order was issued
for an extra train for Sunday morning.
received notice early on Tuesday morn
ing previous | read the notice care
fully. 1t gave the time of arrival in our
city at nine A. NJ. looked again to see if
it was not nine p. NJ. was a teacher in the
Sabbath-school. | had a bright class OF
boys about sixteen years of age, just the
right age TO be interested in circuses, and to
be wide awake when one arrived in town.
My heart sank. 7, a protesting Christian,
and, withal,a Sabbath-school teacher detailed
to run circus train on the Sabbath and to
arrive, too, in my own city, where everybody
knew me, Just as Christians were ready
for church. What should | do 7 | had
worked hard nearly nine years as brake
man, and had recently been promoted to a
conductor. Could afford to lose all, by re-
fusal TO do as ordered Then | thought Of
my family dependent upon me, and | said, |
cannot throw away all these years of hard
toll, TO satisfy conscience. For | expected
to be discharged if l refused to do as Or
dered Then thought of the boys in the
Sabbath-school. What if some of them
buOulu DdDDtu w DC az tuC ucbOb w occ thc
train, or if they were Just on their way to
church as we arrived, and should see me, as
they doubtless would / thought of the
church and the prayer.meeting, What
should / do2 ! thought of my own inhu-
ence as lost for good, and there was des-
perate struggle between the evil and good.
! had yet four DAYS in which to decide
How strange it was Notices did not usu-
ally reach us until the day previous. What
long, dreary days they seemed And "the
boys heard of the order, and were guessing
what would do. They knew what | had
said in prayer-meeting about desecrating the
Sabbath, for some of them were there.
Would he go, or would he quit I" "No,
he would not quit, for he would not dare re-
fuse to CO." they said. Saturday morning
came. | must notify the office that day what
| would do. Sleepless nights aud weary
days had passed, and | had thought and
prayed, but | was decided. Duty seemed
clear, very clear, and it was that Christian
should not run excursion trains on the Sab
bath My father was deacon in the ortho-
dox church, and, just before going to my work,
| went to him aud told him the story, re-
serving my decision to myself, and asking
his advice what to do. | knew well what
he would say. What look went over his
face as he spoke But" said, " Father,
will you help me to get something to do
shall lose my place. Ihave devoted nearly
my whole life to this business, and now |
must turn to something else" "Trust God,
my boy" he answered promptly, "and |
will help you, too" l returned to the office,
and walked up to the manager as he sat,
and said In respectful tone: " l have
been detailed u run the circus train Sun
day morning, and cannot do it ON tho Sab
BATH Imagine my astonshment, as he
looked me full in the face and said You
been detailed to run Sunday trains. am
surprised You go right home, and don't
you worry about Sunday trains" have
never been detailed for Sunday work since.
But the men who offered to do work for
extra pay upon the Sabbath have long since
been discharged. -CongregaiionalisL