Trail-Tales of Western CanadaRobinson, F. A. (Frank Alfred)
Religion
Trail-Tales of Western Canada
Robinson, F. A. (Frank Alfred)
Canadian fiction -- 20th century; Missions -- Canada, Western -- Fiction; Short stories, Canadian
As was her custom, Dorothy offered up her own prayer at her mother's
knee. A sweet confidence in religious matters had always existed
between child and mother, and there was never any restraint in the
expression of the little one's thought toward God. Tired though she
was, her "poetry prayers," as she called them, were said in full, and
then her own additions followed. "Thank you for taking care of us all,
and we are glad that papa and mamma and Angus and Dorothy are all here.
Help the little boy's mamma to find him, and please to take care of the
poor Italian woman now that her little girl is gone to heaven. Bless
papa and mamma and Angus, and make me a good girl, and please help us
to get another home soon, for Jesus' sake. Amen."
The fire had almost spent itself by nightfall, and with the dawn the
long-wished-for rain began to fall. By the middle of the forenoon the
danger of any further outbreak was past. The construction gang from
the East, and a number of section men from the West, were immediately
put to work at clearing the track and repairing culverts and bridges.
By the middle of the afternoon a number of men who had fled from the
burning town were able to make the return trip. For four or five miles
the outlook from the car-windows was a very dreary one. The underbrush
had been entirely burned up, and of the standing timber little but
charred, jagged remnants of tree-trunks remained. Only here and there
had a telegraph pole escaped, and even the protruding ends of many of
the railway ties had smouldered to the ballast.
The entire business section of Carlton Mines was destroyed. A few
isolated buildings in the residential portion north-west, and a few in
the north-east had escaped, but all the rest had been reduced to ashes.
What could be done under such circumstances? Who would have the
courage to attempt a fresh start and face all the difficulties arising
out of such a disaster? Who? _Every man who that afternoon stood
gazing at those ash-heaps_. With that inextinguishable optimism that
has its headquarters in Western Canada, they began then and there to
formulate their plans. Several contracts for rebuilding were signed
before night, and ere the ashes were cold, men started to rear a new
and better town.
The preacher, with the rest of the impoverished ones, went back to his
job. Not only did he assist in clearing away the debris, in
preparation for a new church and manse, but many a lift did he give to
others who were busily engaged in getting a roof over their heads.
During the months of rebuilding he preached successfully in the
open-air, in shack-restaurant, sawmill, hotel, opera-house, and
finally, after many disappointments and discouragements, in the new
church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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