Show r. r Y S CLING TO THE ROCK The west-bound west tr train in steamed up to the little village depot and stopped The heavy door of a car was pushed slowly back and a few parcels of express taken out and carried into the office Ernest Parker was going about the crowd shaking hands with all and receiving comforting comforting comforting com- com forting words from the young and God speed from the old He tried to be especially jolly that morning knowing that if he hf gave way to 1 melancholy the parting would be harder haider to bear He wore a smile but the blandness of that smile at times almost betrayed the sorrow in his bosom His mother and sister stood near with tearful eyes dreading dreading dreading dread dread- ing the time for departure As the bell on the locomotive chimed he embraced them then turned and assisted his aged father into the car just as the train moved Mr Parker was going to accompany his son sona a short hort distance to see him well on his way and then he too would have to say Farewell r Both Ernest and his father were silent even sad as they sat by bythe bythe bythe the open window Ernest thought of the friends and relatives behind whom he might never see again Before his mind rolled the four thousand miles of ocean he would have to cross alone and the weeks of seasickness seasickness seasickness sea sea- sickness that were before him he sighed unconsciously In his imagination imagination imagination nation he saw the fertile shores of distant Australia and pictured the dark natives listening to the words of Christianity from his own lips His eyes wandered out of the window upon the familiar landscape upon the fields hills and telegraph poles as they hurried past him Objects outside held his attention so that for a time at least he forgot forgot forgot for for- got his home and the journey before him Whenever he chanced to look at the mountains opposite they appeared gray barren ing Almost unconsciously his eyes would fall to the more attractive foothills with their dark grassy plats and trickling streamlets or still lower to the ripening grain fields the checkered hay patches or the herds of cows feeding on the meadows Villages passed by as if with each other in a race Suddenly the train swept around a curve hugging the hill as if afraid of being hurled from its course and entered a deep canyon Rocks layer upon layer cliff upon cliff rose on each side A feeling of awe crept over the young missionary as he heard the train rattle over overa a high bridge with a noise that echoed and re-echoed re from the ponderous ponderous ponderous pon pon- derous walk and looked down upon the mad torrent beneath him Ahead through a narrow cut could be seen a cabin near the track Two children were playing in the little canyon hunting for pretty pebbles and did not see the approaching train The locomotive was bearing down upon them With one hand the engineer grasped the throttle with the other he opened the steam chest A shrill whistle startled the little girl As quickly as possible she pulled her still younger brother from between the rails She could not run she could not hide for the sides of the cut rose almost from the ends of the ties Grasping the boy she lifted him into a slight depression Almost at a abound abound abound bound sh she jumped across the track and seized a projecting rock on the ther r 7 opposite ite side There was but a quick glance over her shoulder and the steam from the passing engine completely hid her The breeze wafted into the open window the youthful call Cling to the rock Johnny Cling to the rock The train emerged from the gulch into a large open valley quite to the one it had just left eft but rendered much more beautiful to Ernest and his father by the blue cold aspect of the mountains Another mile and it entered the city where the elder Mr Parker was to take leave of his son The conductor passing from car to car shouted the name of the station and informed the passengers that the train would leave in five minutes for the west To the old gentleman it seemed as asif asif asif if the bell had hardly ceased ringing when the shout All aboard for forSan forSan forSan San Francisco reminded him that it was time to go He grasped the young mans man's hand tenderly and tried to utter a few words of advice at parting but could only say Cling to the rock Johnny Cling to the rock 1 |