BETWEEN STATIONS by H. H. Haynes

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 12, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 50.

"BETWEEN STATIONS."

By H. H. Haynes

THE writer was traveling from S. C. to S. F. not long ago, when an old lady and gentleman got on at P. Junction. The old lady seemed quite feeble, and had a hard coughing spell. At G. a large colored woman, with a head and face denoting intelligence, sympathy, and kindness, came into the car and sat down opposite the old couple.

It was not long before the old lady had another coughing spell, and the colored woman sat looking at her with her face full of sympathy. In a few minutes she coughed again, this time so violently that the old gentleman raised the window, motioning to me to do the same with mine. This time the colored woman came and sat down beside the old lady, and, drawing her tired head over on her motherly bosom, began to stroke her hair.

I resumed reading my book, but was soon conscious of a sound that did not belong to the rumbling of the train. As I sat listening, I imagined it was a musical sound, and yet I could not tell whence it came. Just at that moment the wind coming in at the open window brought to my ears the low hum of a negro melody, so low as to be scarcely audible. The colored woman was singing an old familiar hymn in a musical, soothing voice such as none but the colored race possess. I felt a moistening of the eye, as I realized that that lowly follower of the gentle Saviour had seen in that needy soul "one of the least of these My brethren."

How many of us, dear reader, prepare to entertain the heavenly Guest, and then refuse to serve Him because He does not come clothed in purple robes, as we expected?

The singing continued until the train stopped at S. J., where the colored woman got off, leaving the old lady with tears in her eyes.

"As ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." H. H. HAYNES.