The incidents of these journeys would fill a goodly volume. But I had neither the leisure nor the inclination to record them day by day. One or two specially impressed themselves on my memory, however, and may here be glanced at.
On one occasion, after a long Railway ride, I found myself set down on the wrong side of a flooded River, the bridge having been swept away. The Station-Master pointed us to a boat, kept by a farmer, which, if we reached, might ferry us over. But two huge fields betwixt us and the spot were flooded with the overflow, and these had to be crossed. A young lady, a gentleman, and I, all equally eager to get to the other side, resolved to try. We waded to the Boat-Landing, and reached it in a very bedraggled state. There the boat had been left, awaiting some one’s return, but the farmer was across the River. None of us felt very brave about the experiment of rowing across the racing current! Our fellow traveller, nevertheless, resolved to try. Minimizing my warning about rowing a long way up in the quieter water, and then slanting across with the sweep of the current, he went up only a little, and quickly plunged in. His boat was whirled away like a cork. We held our breath, while the young farmer on the opposite bank kept shouting and gesticulating, running down the River, and guiding the rower as best he could. It was with a sigh of thankful relief that we saw the traveller stand up at last on the farther side, safe but badly shaken.
The farmer now took the oars in hand, and with his great strength and greater skill ferried first one and then the other across in safety, but not without peril. In a high light cart he mounted us and bore us securely across another field, through three feet of water if not more, and planted us gladly at his fireside. There the lady waited, that her dripping clothes might be dried, and the other traveller found his way to his desired haven. But, the hour of my Meeting having already arrived, I hastened to address them, with clothes soaked through and through, and was immediately thereafter driven to another town at a distance of several miles. Without any opportunity of proper refreshment, or of getting clothes dried or changed, I spoke for an hour and a half to a large Public Meeting there, and then retired for the night. My clothes were hung up to dry. I had to start by train very early next morning. When I dressed, the damp of yesterday’s drenching still hung about them, and made me shiver. For two days my bones and muscles felt very sore, and the dread of severe rheumatic fever hung over me. But I sustained myself with the assurance that the Great Physician would take care of me, since none of this had been brought on by selfish pleasure, or self-willed obstinacy, but in devotion to His Will and in doing His work. I suffered no further harm, and carried through all the Meetings, praising Jesus my Saviour.
On another occasion I was for a time seriously perplexed. A kind Minister drove me, after conducting several Meetings under his charge, to join the Night Train at a lonely crossing. Arrangements had been made at Headquarters to set me down, pick me up, and set me down again at such places, in order to reach certain Meetings, and thence go on my way to others, with the least possible loss of time. Being duly despatched by my friend, I was set down, in the darkness, at such a crossing, where was neither sight of any house, nor sound of any human being. The Guard, in manifest pity, exclaimed, “I don’t know, sir, what you can do here! I am extremely sorry to leave you. But, for God’s sake, keep off the line. The Express follows. The rails are wet, and you might never hear her! Some one will surely meet you. Goodbye!”
His Train soon disappeared into the darkness. I tried to rest, sitting on my travelling bag, but it was too cold, and rain began to fall. Marching about to keep up the circulation, I kept hallooing as loudly as I could every few moments, but no sound came in reply. Worn out and greatly disheartened, I at last put both hands to my mouth and began the Australian Koo-ee! Koo-ee! and sustained it with all the breath and strength I possessed. By-and-bye, in the pauses, I heard a faint and far reply, like the echo of my own voice. It drew nearer and nearer in response to my cry, and at last grew into the salutation of a glad human voice. It was the Minister, appointed to meet me, who now emerged out of the darkness. There were two crossings in the district, and they had left me at the wrong one! He had tied his horse to the fence, and followed my cries through the night. We stumbled our way back, and were ere long welcomed to his cozy Manse; and I tucked myself into a warm bed as soon as possible. Not without praising our Heavenly Guide, I soon fell into a deep and sweet sleep, and felt able next Sabbath morning for any amount of Meetings. The Holy Day proved to be exceptionally busy, and exceptionally happy; for I was with a good and true Minister of Jesus Christ, and that transforms all work into joyful fellowship.
Once the shaft of our engine broke, and the train stood still. The Guard advised all the passengers to leave and take to the fields across the fence. I decided to stick by the train. A messenger started on the rails behind and another in front, and each ran with all his might, waving the red flag and shouting. But the Engineers never lost their heads for a moment. They screwed and hammered and chiselled; they unloosed one part and pitched it up among the coals; they fixed and adjusted another, in the most mysterious ways, as it seemed to me. And in a very short time, to the delight and amazement of all, that train began to move slowly ahead, and crept on steadily to the nearest Station, one side of the engine only being in working order. The alarm of all was very great, as an Express was due behind us and might any moment have crashed upon the scene. “Our Father knoweth.”
At another time I was travelling, by rail, a great distance to address a Mid-Day Meeting. Only one hour was free, and then I must join another train. Two or three Stations before reaching the former destination, a gentleman surprised me, exclaiming, “Dr. Paton, here is your Lunch! You will not have a minute for food either before or after the Meeting. Leave the jug and plates at any Station, and they will be returned. Goodbye and God bless you!” I looked on this excellent meal with very curious sensations, as if it had dropped to me out of the Hand that feeds the ravens; and I prayed my Saviour to bless the good-hearted giver.
I may here record that this period of my life was fuller of constant stir and excitement, rushing from Meeting to Meeting, and from Town to Town, than any other through which, heretofore, I had ever passed, without one single day of rest, or almost an hour of breathing space. I do not think it is exaggeration to say that, on an average, during these months, I must have addressed ten Meetings on the ordinary days of the week and five every Sunday. I certainly know that, during many special weeks, the numbers far exceeded these. Blessed be God, who so marvellously sustained me through it all. When my throat got a little husky, my only medicine was a sip of pure Glycerine, a little bottle of which I always carried with me. My daily diet was always, by choice, the simplest and homeliest food which I could obtain—a plate of porridge with milk, a cup of tea with bread and butter, and a very moderate amount of flesh meat of any kind, often for days together none at all. And my only stimulant was—the ever-springing fountain of pure joy in the work of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
One thing was at first a great worry to me, but at length solved itself very happily. I cannot, with any conscience, use cars, cabs, trains, or steamboats on the Lord’s Day, except under such an emergency of “necessity or mercy,” that my Lord, if He met me on the way, would declare me “blameless.” On beginning in America, it was enforced on me from every quarter that I must use these conveyances on the Sabbath, owing to enormous distances, or find my mission an utter failure. My one answer was: “No working man or woman shall ever accuse me at the Bar of God for needlessly depriving them of their Day of Rest, and imperilling or destroying their highest welfare.” Shoulders were shrugged knowingly, heads shaken rather pityingly, and gentle appeals made to yield for the sake of the higher interests of the Mission. But I held my ground unfalteringly. It became known that I would not use such conveyances, and that I sturdily trudged from Meeting to Meeting on foot, all through the Lord’s day. Immediately the private carriages of friends of Jesus and His Mission were placed largely at our disposal; and, in all cases, I pled for such arrangements as gave the horse its rest, and the man his opportunity of worship. Whensoever I was necessitated to hire for the Lord’s Day, it was invariably so planned that not only was proper food duly provided for man and beast, but the driver was invited and encouraged to join the Service of the House of God. I pray my Lord to accept my lifelong testimony and practice on this supremely important matter, and to use it for the preservation of the blessed Day of Rest as the inalienable heritage of all His toiling creatures,—next to the gift of His own Son, one of the most priceless of all His boons to the Human Race!
