As I've said, Jerry Barker believed in having Sundays off.
Spending time with his family was worth more to him than any money he might earn.
One day he was hitching me to the cab when a gentleman walked into the stable yard.
I recognized the man. We often carried him and his wife around town.
"Good morning, Mr. Briggs," Jerry said politely.
"Good morning," the gentleman replied.
"I came to offer you a business arrangement.
Mrs. Briggs and I have decided to try a new church, and it's too far to walk.
We'd like to have you drive us there each Sunday morning."
"Thank you, sir," Jerry said. "But I'm afraid I can't. I never work on Sundays."
"I understand, but of course we'd pay extra for your trouble," Mr. Briggs said.
"It would only be a short trip."
Jerry shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir.
I used to work seven days a week, and it was miserable.
Year in and year out, never a day's rest for me or the horses.
I didn't get to spend any time with my wife and children.
For the past five years I've made it a rule not to work on Sundays, and we're all happier than we've ever been."
"I see." Mr. Briggs frowned. "I suppose I'll have to find another cab."
He walked away, and Jerry gave me a pat.
"I'm afraid I've disappointed him, Jack," he said.
"But we can't give up our Sundays."
When Polly came outside, he told her what had happened.
"It was difficult to say no," Jerry said.
"Mrs. Briggs is one of my best customers.
She often goes shopping or visiting for hours at a time, and always pays the whole fare without arguing.
She's never in a hurry, and driving her around is easy work for the horses.
We might lose her as a customer because of this. What do you think, Polly?"
"I think you did the right thing," Polly said.
"I remember how things were when you worked all the time.
I wouldn't go back to those days even if you earned twice what you do now!"
For three weeks after that, we saw no sign of Mrs. Briggs.
I could tell Jerry missed both her company and her fares.
One evening Polly announced that a servant had come that day to ask Jerry to pick up Mrs. Briggs the next morning.
"I said you would, of course," Polly said.
"But I also said I was surprised, since we thought Mrs. Briggs had hired someone else."
"What did the servant say?" Jerry asked.
"He said Mr. Briggs was annoyed that you wouldn't work on Sundays, so he'd been trying other cabs," Polly reported.
"But Mrs. Briggs wasn't happy with any of them.
Some drove too fast, some too slow, and none were as nice and clean as yours.
So she insisted they hire you again!"
Jerry was glad to have his favorite customer back.
He was just as glad he'd stood by his decision not to work on Sundays.
But one day soon after that, he made an exception to his Sunday rule.
A neighbor needed a ride out into the country to visit her dying mother, and he agreed to take her.
"It's the right thing to do," Polly agreed when he told her.
"Poor Dinah has no other option.
And we should always try to treat others as we'd like to be treated.
I would certainly appreciate a ride to visit my own mother if I needed it."
I was chosen for the journey, and we set out.
I was tired from the work week, but Jerry had borrowed a lighter cart for the trip.
After the heavy four-wheeled cab, it felt easy to pull.
It was a fine May day, and it was nice to leave the city behind and breathe the fresh country air.
Dinah's family lived in a small farmhouse.
Two cows were grazing peacefully in the grassy field behind it.
"You can tie your horse in the cowshed while you wait," a young man said.
"I wish we had a better stable to offer you."
"If your cows wouldn't mind, I'm sure there's nothing my horse would like better than an hour or two out in the grass," Jerry said.
The young man agreed gladly.
Jerry led me into the field, removed my harness, and set me free.
I could hardly believe my good fortune!
At first I wasn't sure what to do. Should I graze? Roll in the soft grass?
Lie down to rest? Or gallop across the field out of sheer freedom?
I did all those things.
Jerry smiled as he watched me, and I knew he was glad we had come—even on a Sunday.