"Can't tell," said the surly baggage-master. "Nothing is certain to railroad men."
"Except one thing," said Mr. Mapleson.
"What's that?" said the surly baggage-master.
"Death," said Mr. Mapleson.
"That's a fact," said the surly baggage-master. "Specially certain to railroad men."
"And there is one other thing certain," added Maurice.
"What's that?" asked the baggage-master, no longer surly.
"That we ought to be ready for it."
The baggage-master nodded thoughtfully. "So we ought," said he; and he added as he turned away, "I hope you're readier than I be."
I note this little incident here because it revealed so much of Maurice Mapleson's character to me. I think it did more to disclose to me the secret of his success than any sermon he has ever preached. Mr. Work when he went away read us the statistics of his ministerial industry. He told us how many sermons he had preached, how many prayer meetings he had attended, how many sick he had visited, and how many religious conversations he had held with the impenitent. I should as soon think of Maurice Mapleson's keeping a record of the number of times he kissed his wife or taught his children-if he had any.