After remaining two or three weeks with these dear children of God, I was obliged to continue my journey. The road I was now to go on was quite new to me, so I made very careful inquiries as to the route, time of trains, etc. “You leave here at four o’clock in the morning,” explained the station-master, “change twice, and reach your destination at one o’clock the next day.” This seemed plain; and as my brother had written that he would meet me on the twentieth, I left on the nineteenth, expecting no further trouble.
The first change was accomplished most satisfactorily. About noon we came to the second place. On alighting, I found the station filled with a noisy crowd of rough men. After some difficulty I got to the ticket office, procured my ticket, and inquired where I could get checks for my baggage. “We do not give checks beyond this,” was the reply.
“What am I to do about my trunks?” I inquired.
“The best you can,” said the man; “if you can get them on the train, they will go; if not, they remain here.” And he added, “The train goes in ten minutes.”
I would have been in despair, had I not known the Lord—and He who hears the cry of the sparrow did not pass by my cry. I found my baggage without difficulty in the quantity heaped on the platform; and then the Lord put it into the heart of a big, rough-looking fellow to come to my help and lift them into the train for me.
Now, surely, I thought, my troubles are at an end. I have only to sit here until one o’clock tomorrow, and then my brother will be on hand to meet me. But the Lord had a further test for my faith. When the conductor came in for the tickets, he said to me: “You arrive at M— at nine this evening.” Then I discovered for the first time that I had been misinformed, and, that instead of arriving on the twentieth, I should be there on the nineteenth—that no one would be at the station to meet me, and what could I do?
As the train sped along over the vast prairie, again and again I cried to the Lord for protection and guidance till fear subsided, and peace again reigned in my heart.
After some time one of the passengers, an elderly man, came over to where I was sitting and asked for the loan of a spoon, which he had observed in my possession, saying he wished to use it to feed their baby. The mother of this baby was the only female, besides myself, in the car. When she brought the spoon back to me, I ventured to ask if she was going far. “To M—,” she replied, naming my station. I told my difficulty, and she gave me a hearty invitation to cast in my lot with them, adding that her husband was well acquainted with the place.
When we left the train that night how thankful I was for this provision from the hand of a faithful and loving Father. All was darkness, and it was hard to keep our feet, as we stumbled over the rough prairie. Hotels, houses, sidewalks there were none; but our guide led us to a large tent, which he called “A stopping house.” This, however, was full, and we had to turn away. After wandering around in the darkness a few minutes more, we reached a very small log shanty, where the owner was willing to “give the ladies a bed.” The bed was in a corner of the room, surrounded by a curtain, and the young mother, the baby and myself thankfully took possession of it. My heart was filled with praise to God and great thankfulness, as you may well suppose.
The following day, after wandering around this village of tents (which looked very cheerful in the sunshine), and disposing of a few tracts, I gladly welcomed my brother on his arrival.
We remained a second night in the log “Stopping house,” and then set out on our seventy-mile drive home. This was accomplished with only one drawback—the meeting a prairie fire, and having to drive through it; but, through the Lord’s mercy, we were not consumed, though the ponies were slightly scorched.
I have nothing to add to this simple and true narrative, except to advise my readers to, in like manner, cry to God in every time of trouble. As the Psalmist says:
“Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them cut of their distresses.” Ps. 107:6.
ML 07/12/1903