The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-03-17
A RAILROAD INCIDENT.
A PATHETIC STORY FOR OUR RELIGIOUS
READERS.

READERS.
| [Some stories, especially If they are true, are
good enough to bear frequent repetition. The
| following narrative is one of that kind; 1t Is
republished here by special request. AS 1t is
some years old it will no doubt be new to most
uf the readers. 1t is ascribed to the Rev. J. NJ.
Dash.]
In travelling We meet with incidents
Of various character, some sorrowful,
some joyful and instructive. One of
the latter I witnessed recently when
travelling on the cars. The train was
going west. In the evening at a STA
tion, a little girl about eight years old
came on board, Carrying little bundle
under her arm. She came into the car
and deliberately took seat. She then
commenced an eager scrutiny of faces,
but all were strange to her. She ap.
peared weary. and placing the bundle
for pillow she prepared to try to Sc
cure little sleep. Soon the conduc-
tor came along collecting tickets OBJ
serving him, she asked if she might lie
there. The gentlemanly conductor re-
piled that she might, and then kindly
asked her for her ticket. She informed
him that she had none, when the fol-
lowing conversation took place:
Said the conductor, Where are you
going 2 She answered, Il am going to
heaven" He asked again, who pays
your fare p She said, Mister, does
this railroad lead to heaven, and does
Jesus travel on it T. He answered, Il
think not. Why did you think so ?"
why, sir, before my ma died, she
nsed to sing to me of heavenly rail-
road. And you looked so nice and
kind L thought this was it. My ma
used to sing to me of Jesus on the
heavenly railroad and that he paid the
fare for everybody, and that the train
stopped at every station to take the
people on board. But my ma don't
sing to me any more. Nobody sings to
me now, and 1 thought I'd take the
cars and go to ma. Mister, do you
sing to your little girl about the rail
road that goes to heaven? You have o
little girl, haven't you p
mo, my dear, 1 have no little girl
now. l had one once, but she died
some time ago and went to heaven"
Again she asked, Did she go over
this railroad and are you going to see
her now p
BY this time all the persons in the
car were upon their feet, and most of
them were weeping. An attempt to
describe what l witnessed is impossible.
Some said, God bless the little girl"
Hearing some person say that she
was an angel, the little girl earnestly
replied, Yes, my ma used to say +
would be an angel some time
Addressing herself once more to the
conductor she asked him: DO you love
Jesus? do, and if you love him he
will let you ride to heaven on his rail-
road. am going there and l wish you
would go with me. know Jesus will
let me into heaven when I get there,
and he will let you in too, and every
body that will ride on his railroad.
Yes, all these people. Wouldn't you
like to see heaven and Jesus and your
little girl?"
These words, so earnestly and pathet.
ically uttered, brought a gush of tears
from all eyes. but most profusely from
the eyes of the conductor Some, who
were travelling on the heavenly rail
road, shouted aloud for joy. She then
asked the conductor, mister, may l
lie here until we get to heaven?" He
answered, Yes, dear, yes" She then
asked, "Will you wake me up then, so
that | may see my ma, your little girl
and Jesus? l do so much want to see
them all.
The answer came in broken accents,
but in words very tenderly spoken,
Yes, dear angel, yes God bless you.'
amen + was sobbed by more than a
score of voices.
Turning her eyes again upon the
conductor she asked him, What shall
l tell your little girl when 1 see her 2
Shall l say that saw her pa on Jesus
railroad shall p
This brought fresh food of tears
from all present. The conductor
kneeled by her side. and, embracing
her, wept the reply he could not utter.
AT this juncture the brakeman called
out "H-s." The conductor arose
and requested him to attend to his (the
conductor J duty at the station, for he
was engaged. That was precious
place.
| thank God that was a witness to
this scene, but was sorry that at this
point l was obliged to leave the train.
A few months after the above occur
renee 1 received the following from the
conductor:
REV. DASH: wish to relieve my heart by
writing to you and saying that that angel VISIT
on the cars wasa blessing to me. although
did not realize it in its fullness until some hours
after. But blessed be the Redeemerl know
now am hi and he is mine. no longer won.
der why Christians are happy. Oh, my joy,
my joy! The instrument of my salvation has
gone to God. had proposed adopting her In
the place of my little daughter. who is now In
heaven. With this intention took her to C..
B., and on my return trip took h + back to g.
N, where she left the cars. In consultation
with my wife in regard to her adoption, she re.
piled, Yes, certainly, and Immediately too. for
there is a divine providence in this oh,
said she. Il never could refuse to take under
nv charge the instrument of my husbands sal
vation made inquiry for the child at S. N,
and learned that in three days after her return
she died suddenly without any apparent dis