“This,” said he, “was the beginning of 56 the struggle for rest to my soul; and I found it.”
An incident leading to his immediate, possibly ultimate safety, was a conversation in a saloon. It does not always transpire that we are benefited by the act of the talebearer, but in this case it was highly salutary. One of his engineer friends, drinking at the bar, said: “Never fear about H–––. He will soon get over all this and be along with us as usual.”
Hearing it, he became very righteously indignant and said: “By the grace of God, never! I’ll go up to the church my wife attends and join with her, and when they know I am a church member they’ll let me alone.” He did so at once. He was saved. He lived for many years, always happy, always helpful, and without fear he ascended the snowy hills of old age, with their enveloping mists.
Afflicted with a creeping paralysis, he lingered long, ever cheerful, and interested in his friends, to whom he sent many messages. To his brothers of the Odd Fellows he sent this message: “Boys, I’ll not see you any more. I am just like a boy at 57 Christmas Eve, who with stocking hung up, is anxious for daylight. The shadows have come over me. My stocking is hung up by the Father’s fireplace and I am almost impatient for the morning. I haven’t the remotest idea what I will get, but I am sure it will be something good.” A few days before his translation he was visited by one of his old-time railway associates, who said to him: “H–––, you are now up against the real thing, according to your belief; and it looks to us the same, just as if you would have to go some one of these days. How does it seem? What is it like?”
Looking at the questioner lovingly, the dying man said, “Charley, you’ve worked for the railway company a long time, and never had many promotions, have you?”
“Yes, about twenty years––and no promotions.”
“Well, Charley, suppose there’d come to you to-day a wire from headquarters saying there’s a big promotion waiting for you on your arrival, and at the same time a pass for your free transportation. How do you think that would seem to you?”
“My soul, but that’d be fine,” said he.
“Well, Charley, that’s just my case exactly,” said the radiant man. “I’ve been working for God and his company for about that same length of time and never had much promotion so far as I could see, and now I have a summons direct from the glory land telling me there’s a big advancement for me, and it sounds mighty good.”