Robert Hardy's Seven Days: A Dream and Its Consequences

# Robert Hardy's Seven Days

This 1899 serial by Rev. Charles M. Sheldon presents a morality narrative centered on Robert Hardy, a wealthy railroad manager and church trustee who exemplifies selfish indifference. The story opens on Sunday evening when Hardy returns home irritably from church, dismissing his minister's preaching about Christian obligation toward the poor and social responsibility. He refuses calls to teach Sunday school or attend prayer meetings, prioritizing his clubs, chess games, and chemistry hobby.

That same evening, Hardy learns that four workers in his railroad shops were severely injured by an exploding retort, with one man named Scoville losing both feet and another his eyesight. Despite Scoville once having saved Hardy's life, Hardy defers visiting the injured to the morning, unwilling to brave the cold. His wife Mary challenges his priorities and his Sunday operations, but Hardy remains committed to his maxim: "Self-interest first." The narrative establishes the conflict between Hardy's nominal Christianity and his practical selfishness, suggesting that the coming "seven days" will test his character fundamentally.