of the Master's words, "Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not," and "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these." She became organist, but each time she seated herself before the organ, it brought back to her vividly the scene in the old homestead when she had first sung for Alton Allen the old ballad, "After touch of wedded hands, why thus joined, why ever met, if we must be strangers yet."

Later on she became superintendent of the Sunday School department. Children's Sabbath dawned joyously. Mrs. Allen, with fellow teachers, conducted the children in special cars to the beautiful Brookline Reservoir, where they gathered wild flowers after the long ride. They went merrily through the fields, singing one of their childish songs,

"Daisies, daisies everywhere,
Daisies drifting through the air."

She forgot her grief and 'thanked the dear Lord for this blessed work of teaching His children. The cars resembled flower gardens as they re-entered the city, and Alton Allen, in the Ladder house window, entered in his diary, "Marion retains her strength of character, even though I ruthlessly cast her down. That scene carries me back to the time when I saw her amid daisies. Hers is the same pure face today that it was in the 'red letter days' of the past."

But for the alarm of Box 52, that broke the spell, he would have spent a remorseful evening. The next morning he read the Church Bulletin: "Concert this evening. Birds, Songs and Flow

ers.

Programme arranged by Mrs. Marion Allen, primary superintendent." He was to all appearances absorbed in the morning paper, and although pleased, did not acknowledge that he had seen the notice. Although he had forsaken her, he felt glad to know that she was with God's children. They never met, but she heard frequently that he was far from being happy. She prayed constantly that God might forgive him, and trusted that He would with pardoning hands reach out and open a way for him to enter through the gates ajar, the

pearly portals to meet the King in His glory.

Marion enjoyed the companionship of Leslie Linwood. Although but twelve years of age, she was very womanly and a good pianist, as well as an omnivorous reader. She was always trudging to the public library, chosing reading matter. Mrs. Allen used to say that Leslie was always traveling library-ward. The child was so considerate-always keeping a late magazine on the table, and would have the gas burning brightly to welcome Marion home, and would strive to be at the piano playing a favorite piece or a march from the March king. Oftentimes they would sit in the quietude of their small sphere while Leslie played nocturnes, sonatas and sacred songs, in which both voices would blend, until both were lulled to the land of Nod.

When the morning sun shone brightly in the cosy room Leslie would hastily get what they called a rustic lunch. A white spread would be laid on the small table, with dainty china, and the breakfast, consisting of boiled eggs, and coffee and rolls from the bakery and fruit from the corner stand, would be relished and deemed fit to "set before the king."

Then there would be a brief tete-a-tete before Mrs. Allen started off to work. She dined at a down-town cafe and there became acquainted with a waitress. At the same table at which she always sat was a wealthy lady. She gleaned from the conversations from day to day that Marion desired a position as governess, and after being introduced by the waitress, she offered Marion a position as companion to her young daughter Priscilla.

Her principle study was to be music. Her recreation was driving, either out to Chestnut Hill or Franklin Park. When weary of drives around the numerous park systems, they would return and study Mother Nature. Priscilla seemed hungry for the companionship of a young girl, so Mrs. Allen interviewed Mrs. Gregg, and obtained permission to introduce to her little Leslie, her boon companion. They made a very congenial trio. Marion was in her right sphere

at last. As Priscilla merged into womanhood, she exercised careful training, lest like Priscilla Alden, she have many admirers. She was instructed to

cultivate the habit of considering well before deciding, and especially the decision that she was obliged to make, lest she "marry in haste and repent at leisure."

A lot of old-timers were talking of the birth of the B. & O.-of the dawning of the railway systems of America.

"I was agent at a little station on the Baltimore & Ohio for a number of years," said Mr. Howser, the ticket agent at 618 Pennsylvania avenue, in Washington, D. C., "and while rummaging through a lot of 'old hoss' one day I found a file of the Richmond Enquirer, beginning in 1830. I did not, at that time, appreciate the value of the find, but contented myself with clipping a few items of interest to railroad men." As he talked the agent reached under the counter and brought out a wellworn pocketbook which contained a number of scraps of yellow paper. When the party of railway men had looked them over, the agent gave me permission to copy some of the paper talk. An item published in 1830 gave a glowing account of the opening of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. From the issue of March 24, 1831, Mr. Howser clipped this graphic description of a

wonderful

achievement in transportation. The writer showed both surprise and appreciation, and hinted that even greater things might reasonably be expected in the distant future:

"The load on the Baltimore railroad has been increased from 100 to 200 barrels of flour, and one horse has succeeded in drawing the whole. The particulars, so interesting to all the friends of internal improvement at this time, are thus detailed in the report of our correspondent, who witnessed the experi

ment.

"The experiment of the transportation of 200 barrels of flour with a single

"The train was drawn by one horse from Ellicott's mills to the relay house, six and a half miles, in forty-six minutes. The horse was then changed, and the train having again set out, reached the depot on Pratt street, Baltimore, in sixty-nine minutes. Thus accomplishing the thirteen miles in one hour and fifty-five minutes, or at the rate of six and three-fourths of a mile an hour.

"The road between the Relay house and the depot is a perfect level except at the three deep excavations where an elevation of seventeen to twenty feet per mile has been resorted to for the purpose of drainage.

"The horse, except at the points alluded to, brought the train along at a moderate trot, and apparently without any extraordinary labor. He is not remarkable, and was not selected for any peculiar powers of draft, and had performed a regular trip outwards on the morning of Saturday. A numerous concourse of citizens and strangers witnessed the arrival of the train at the depot, and although they looked for the accomplishment of the experiment as a matter of course, many of them were, neverthe

less, unable to refrain from loudly testifying their admiration at the ease and celerity with which it was effected.

"It is, we believe, only about a week ago that we notice the fact of the transportation of seventy-five barrels of flour by one horse as a circumstance worthy of remark in comparison with the number of horses required for the conveyance of a load of a few barrels over a turnpike road.

"The experiment which we have detailed above shows that on Saturday a single horse drew three times as large a load, and there is no doubt that horses could be found who could with the same ease transport a load of 3,000 barrels. And, if such results as these can be accomplished by the power of a single horse, who will undertake to calculate the capacity of our railroad either for heavy transportation or great rapidity, or both combined, when locomotive engines of the most improved construction constitute the moving power."

A later issue of The Enquirer contained the following, which must have been very encouraging to those who were contemplating the building of railways:

"BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAIL ROAD. "The fourth annual report concerning this great enterprise, has just been made; and from its statements, the most sanguine anticipations seem to be indulged that the work will be accomplished, and when accomplished will be profitable. A semi-annual dividend is to be declared on the 1st of January next. The report states these facts:

""The first division of the road was opened for transportation of passengers on May 22, 1830; but the preparation of the necessary cars was not completed till the early part of June following; from which time the traveling upon this division, including a distance of about thirteen miles, has been constant and uninterrupted; and on the first of October there had been received $20,012-although but a single track was completed, and the company was not in a situation, until within a short time past, to undertake the transportation of any merchandise or produce, and are still

unable to convey one-tenth part of the quantity that is offered.' ''

Observe the word "rail road" in two sections.

As early as 1859 this railroad, which had begun with one horse, was advertising "through cars from Washington to New York, every day," and they did the whole job in ten hours and six minutes. That was simply flying in those days. Some of the roads in '59 were advertising "Knight's Patent Sleeper." Now, who was Knight, and what has become of his car? We know of the Woodruff, Wagner, Mann and Pullman, but nothing of the Knight patent sleeping car. A change of time was called, in the early days of railroading, a "change of hours."

In 1864 the enterprising passenger agent has changed the tone and character of his reading ads. to suit the changed conditions of the country:

"Sick, wounded, discharged or furloughed soldiers will find this the most desirable route-the charges from Washington being less than by any other route."

The advertisement of a railroad never ends that way these days.

A scrap from the Baltimore Republican, dated Saturday, April 19 (same old '60), contained the advertisement of "Northern Central Railroad." At the top of the column there was a cut showing a four-wheeled locomotive with no tank, gaily blowing off steam, coupled to a three-car train of four-wheeled cars. "Passengers from Washington and the South," the notice said, "will buy tickets to Baltimore only, where they can secure them to all points.

"All colored persons must give bond before entering the train."

On the reverse side of this scrap the following appeared under the heading: "THE NEWs."

"It appears from the well guarded intelligence vouchsafed the public that there has been some pretty severe 'skirmishing' and 'battery practice' in the vicinity of Yorktown. General McClellan telegraphs the war department:

"At about half an hour after midnight the enemy attacked General

I am glad to be here today. I am glad to come as the guest of the Brotherhood, and now let me join with you and the members of the Brotherhood over the country in extending a most cordial welcome to our fellows from Canada and Mexico.

The fact that we are good Americans only makes us all the better men, all the more desirous of seeing good fortune to all mankind.

I needed no precedent to come and accept the invitation tendered through you and through Mr. Arnold to this meeting. I had, gentlemen, always admired greatly the railroad men of the country and I do not see how anyone who believes in what I regard as the fundamental virtues of citizenship can fail to do so. I want to see the average American a game man, an honest man, and a man who can handle himself and who does handle himself well under difficulties, and that is what you are. The last time I ever saw General Sherman I cined at his house, and we got to speaking over the fighting capacity of the dif

ferent types of soldiers, and the general happened to say that if there ever were another war and he were to have a command, he should endeavor to get as many railroad men as possible into it. I said "Why?" He said "Because their profession necessarily develops certain qualities which are essential in a soldier." In the first place, they are accustomed to taking risks. There are'a great many men who are naturally brave, but are entirely unaccustomed to take risks; they are accustomed all the time to hardships; they are accustomed to irregular hours; they are accustomed to act on their own responsibility, and they are accustomed to obey orders quick, like that (slapping his hands together). It is not anything merely for a man in time of war or for men in time of peace engaged in a difficult job, when given an order which involves danger to say "What?" but a railroad man has to learn that when an order is issued it may be a matter of the fraction of a second in which to obey it; he has to learn that orders are to be obeyed, and on the

other hand that there will come plenty of crises in which there will be no orders to be obeyed and he will have to act for himself. Those are all qualities that go to make up and which are essentials of good soldiership, and I am not surprised at what General Sherman said. I am not surprised that you will make good soldiers, I would be ashamed of you if you did not. In raising my own regiment, which was raised mainly in the southwest and partly in the territory in which Mr. Sargent himself served as a soldier at one time-in Arizona-in that regiment I got a number of railroad men. The first requisite was that a man should know how to shoot and how to ride. We were raising the regiment in a hurry and did not have much time to teach him either. He had to know how to handle a horse; he had to know how to handle a rifle to start with, and I found there was no body of citizens from which better men could be drawn than railroad men. But the job of war is but a fractional part of the life of our republic, and I earnestly hope and feel that it will be even smaller in the future than it has been in the past. But it was the work that you have done in time of peace that has especially endeared you to me and that has made me anxious to come down here to see you; that made me glad to speak to you, not for what I can tell you but for the lesson, it seems to me, which can be gained by all of our people from what you have done. Now, at the opening of the twentieth century we face conditions vastly changed from what they were in the country and throughout the world a century ago. Our complex indusirial civilization under which progress has been so rapid, under which the changes have come and have been so great has also inevitably seen the growth of certain tendencies that are not for good, at least not wholly for good and we in consequence as I believe, like the rest of civilized mankind, find set before us for solution during the coming years problems which need the best thought of all of us, the most honest desire of all of us to solve them well if we expect to work

out a solution satisfactory to our people, a solution for the advantage of the nation. Now, in facing these problems it must be the effort of every well-wisher of the nation to see what has been done by your organization. I believe emphatically in organized labor. I believe in the organization of wage-workers. Organization is one of the laws of our social and economic development at this time but I feel that we must always keep before our minds the fact that there is nothing secret in the name itself. Every organization does not make a good one. The worth of an organization depends upon its being handled with courage, with skill and with wisdom, with a spirit of fair dealing as between man and man, and with the wise selfrestraint which I am glad to be able to say your Brotherhood has shown. You now number close upon 44,000 members. During the two years ending on June 30th last, you paid into the general and beneficial fund close upon a million and a half of dollars. More than six and a half millions have been paid in since the starting of the insurance clause in the constitution. More than six and a half millions has been paid to disabled members or to their beneficiaries. Over fifty per cent of the amount was paid on account of accidents and, gentlemen, that is a sufficient commentary upon the kind of profession which it is and its advantages. You face death and danger in times of peace as in times of war the men wearing Uncle Sam's uniform must face it. Your work is hard, but I do not pity any man that does hard work. I admire him. I pity the creature that does not work. It is the law of the social scale, and whenever work is well done it is the light of successful American life. I believe in playing hard while you do play, but do not make the mistake that this means any work-for it is the work that is done that counts. If a man does his work well that is worth doing, then it matters but little in what line the work is done, he makes a good American citizen; but if he does his work in a slipshod manner then no matter what kind of work it is, he is a poor American citizen.