“DOES THIS RAILROAD LEAD TOHEAVEN?” In travelling we often meet with persons of different nationalities and languages; we also meet with incidents of various character, some sorrowful, and others joyful and instinctive. One of the latter character I witnessed recently while travelling upon the cars. The train was going west, and the time was evening. At a station a little girl about eight years old came aboard, carrying a little budget under her arm. She came into the car and deliberately took a seat. She then commenced an eager scrutiny of faces, but all were strange to her. She appeared weary, and placing her budget or a pillow, she prepared to try and secure a little sleep. Soon the conductor came along collecting tickets and fare. Observing him, she asked him if she might lie there. The gentlemanly conductor replied that she might, and then kindly asked for her ticket. She informed him that she had none, when the following conversation ensued. Said the conductor: “Where are you going?” “l am going to heaven, she answered. “Who pays your fare?” he asked again. She then said: “Mister, does this railroad lead to heaven, and does Jesus travel on it?” I think not, he answered. Why did you think so? “Why, sir, before my ma died she used to sing to me of a heavenly railroad, and you looked so nice and kind that I thought this was the road. My ma used to sing of Jesus on the heavenly railroad, and that He paid the fare for everybody, and that the train stopped at every station to take people on board; but my ma don’t sing to me anymore. Nobody sings to me now; and I thought I’d take the cars and go to ma. Mister, do you sing to your little girl about the railroad that goes to heaven? You have a little girl haven’t you?” He replied, weeping: No, my little dear, I have no little girl now. I had one once, but she died some time ago, and went to heaven.” “Did she go over this railroad, and are you going to see her now?“ she asked. By this time every person in the coach was upon their feet, and most of them were weeping. An attempt to describe what I witnessed is almost futile. 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 that I would be an angel some time. Addressing herself once more to the conductor, she asked him: Do you love Jesus? I do; and if you love him, he will let you ride to heaven on His railroad. I am going there, and I wish you would go with me. I know Jesus will let me into heaven when I get there, and he will let you in too, and everybody 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 pathetically and innocently uttered, brought a great gush of tears from all eyes and most profusely from those of the conductor. Some who were travelling on the heavenly railroad shouted aloud for joy. She now asked the conductor: Mister, may I lie here until we get to heaven? Yes, dear, yes, he answered. Will you wake me up then, So that I may see my ma, and your little girl, and Jesus? she asked, for I 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 interrogated him again: What shall I tell your little girl when I see her? Shall I tell her that I saw her pa on Jesus’ railroad? Shall I?” This brought a fresh flood of tears from all present, and the conductor knelt by her side, and, embracing her, wept the reply he could not utter. At this juncture the brakeman called out “H-------” The conductor arose and requested him to attend to his (the conductors) duty at the station, for he was engaged. That was a precious place. I thank God that I was a witness to this scene, but I was sorry that at this point I was obliged to leave the train. We learn from this incident that out of the mouths of even babes God hath ordained strength, and that we ought to be willing to represent the cause of our blessed Jesus even in a railroad coach. (Culled from Touching Incidents and Remarkable Answers To Prayers)
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 09:42:39 +0000