The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-09-13
Equal To The Occasion.
DIPLOMATIC GENERAL PASSENGER AGENT
ALLEN, OF THE SEABOARO AIR LINE.
A Good Story Told at the Expense of
"Billy" misunderstanding in a
Name Whether Shakespeare Thought
soor Not-How a Party of Religious
ly Inclined Females Were CIeverly
Disposed Of
CNoWitZky's Monthly Magazine.

railroads often find it necessary to
use considerable diplomacy to keep
their Office from being invaded during
business hours
1t is strange that well-meaning
people cannot realize that the office Of
transportation company is work
shop, instead of a conversation room,
to relieve the tedium Of wailing pas
scngers.
a good story iii this connection is
told in which Mr. Allen. General Pas
senger Agent Of the Seaboard, Mr.
Christian of the same department,
and number Of very religiouslv in
cllned young ladies, chaperoned bv
an elderly evangelical enthusiast, who
had come down on a Northern steamer
several hours too late to take the
Southbound train. were the leading
figures.
1t appears that the Young ladies
had got tired of the long wait and
concluded to look about to find where
they cOuld relieve the tedium aud
make men better. They enpuired of
a railroad man if there were not
offices up stairs in when large mum
bcr Of men were employed.
The gentleman, observing at once
that they were travellers and thinking
that they might have some business
with the passenger department, di-
rected them to that office.
As soon as they arrived they asked
for the gentleman in charge, and in 4
moment later Mr.. Allen approached,
and when he saw the bevy of beauty
and culture that surrounded him he
came near losing his heart. but not
| his head. With smile that showed
| his appreciation of the visit he asked
them in most pleasing accents if he
could be Of any service to them, par
| ticularly in connection with the rail
road he had the honor to represent.
They informed him that they had
no particular business to transact;
that they were waiting for the next
train, which would leave in about sin
hours, and would like to take up a
part of it in discussing religious
topics with any sinners that might be
in his office, with the hope of improv.
ing their spiritual welfare.
Mr.. Allen Immediately squared hiu.-
self to make formal but courteous
address, and these, as near as | cal
gather. were the words he spoke:
Ladies', | know you will be sur
prised when | tell you that this is one
of the most remarkable office build
| ings in America. II there is con
| frmed sinner in it, | do not know it
There is a moral atmosphere thai
prevails here that is astonishing" anc
then, dramatically pointing into hi:
office, he continued, "do you see tina
studious and melancholy gentleman
who looks as if he had ust left the
stage, after speaking the lines of tht
Dane in Hamlet" The ladies assured
him by their looks and gentle mods o
the head that they were paying stric
attention. We'll, he continued, "ht
is one of the best Christians | have
ever seen.
Il say best" he added enthusias
tically, from the fact that he ha
ALWAYS been Christian, not a Pagan
one day and saint the next. bu
| ALWAYS the same man. AS child, hi
was gladly proclaimed Christian
he grew to manhood a Christian, an(
now in full maturity nothing give!
him greater pleasure than the knowl
edge that he is to-day what he ha
always been a Christian: and no mat
ter what may occur in the future
when the final summons comes he will
die a Christian.
Has he always been railroa.
man." asked the chaperon of th'
party
No. madame" was the reply. ''Be
fore he Joined our road he was one o
the brightest of newspaper men. an'
in gathering the news he would otter
find himself in some exceedingly bat
places and at other times surrounded
by many temptations. but it made NJ
difference whether in the slums. will
the air blue with profanity, or at tn
banquet of millionaire, where cham
payne flowed like water, he neve
forgot that he was a Christian, an,
the beauty of it is that all the othe
men in my department are just lik
him. moral, conscientious and indus
trious.'
The ladies. greatly impressed wit
the religious air that dominated ever
desk of the passenger department o
the Seaboard Air Line Railway, drey
memorandum books from thei
pockets and made notes of what the
had Just heard, to assist in futur
literary work. and then bade thei
genial and descriptive new foun
friend goodbye.
AS to Mr. Allen. when he reache
his office. where dozen busy me-
were pushing pens and tapping type
, writer's with all the energy that the
could command in order to ge
through in reasonable time the grea
amount of work that the rapidly in
creasing passenger business of tn
road compelled. he walked up to III
gentleman he had just pictured as th
: ideal for the rest of the world
model after, and said:
3 Mr.. Christian. | believe it wa
Shakespeare who wrote: That ros
t by any other name would smell 8
sweet
lit was, replleu the man az
dressed
well, Shakespeare is, general.
Justly considered good authority. bl
he was way off when he tried to col
. vince the public that there was notl
ing in name, for your name b!
= saved this office from an invasion
. which as far as we are concerned
. with the work accumulating ahead
: us taken into consideration, would