PREPARING FOR THE LESSONS
The next morning, when Walter awoke it was broad daylight, and the
hands on the clock pointed to the hour of ten, as his mother came into
his room with an anxious look on her face and said, "I have just come
up to wake you as your father was worried because of your sleeping so
long; how do you feel this morning?"
"Oh, mother, I feel better this morning, and I had the best night's
rest I have had for years. I never woke up once all night, and I feel
strong and hungry."
"Thank God you are better, I will go down and get your breakfast ready."
"All right, mother, I will be down as soon as I wash and dress." Before
going down, he went over to his trunk, took out "Science and Health,"
and said, "I believe that you contain the truth and will free me of
this disease." He then placed it in his trunk again, being careful to
hide it from the view of any one who should carelessly look into it.
Hastily descending to the dining-room, he ate a hearty breakfast. As
he was leaving the table his mother said, "I am sorry you did not take
advantage of the beautiful sunshine yesterday, for the wind has changed
and is now blowing severely from the north and it is very cold and
dreary out."
"I don't mind it at all to-day, mother, for I feel so much better that
I hadn't noticed the weather."
His mother was somewhat astonished to hear him speak so cheerfully,
as it had been customary for Walter to complain of feeling worse on
dreary days. Then she thought, "It must be that new medicine, for he
certainly is better, and I pray God he will continue to improve."
As for Walter, he was glad it was a dreary day, as this would give him
an excuse for staying in his room and continue his reading. He wished
he was there now, but did not want to awaken the suspicion of his
mother by too hurried a departure. So he walked about the room, trying
to think of some excuse. Finally a happy thought occured to him, and
he said, "Mother, I believe I will take the Bible and go to my room
and read, so as to be prepared for our lesson this evening."
"Very well, Walter, you will find it on the library table."
Walter walked into the library, secured the book, then went up to his
room, took out "Science and Health" and was soon absorbed in its
contents.
The afternoon was a repetition of the morning.
At the supper table the Rev. Williams said, "I am sorry we cannot start
our Bible lessons for a few evenings, as I have received a notification
to be present at some meetings to be held by the local clergy."
"Any matter of importance, James?" asked his wife.
"Not particularly so. The Rev. Mr. Johnson said that they wished to
find a way to successfully combat this new heretical idea called
Christian Science, and they want to arrange so that each clergyman
will give a sermon denouncing it, each on a different Sunday, and Rev.
Johnson asked me if I was willing to deliver a sermon on it, and I
told him yes."
"Why father," said Walter, "I did not know that you had ever read or
looked into Christian Science."
"No son, I never did look it up or study it, and what is more I never
intend to. The Bible is good enough for me."
"But, father, how can you preach a sermon on it if you do not know
what it is?"
"I did not say that I did not know what it is. I have heard enough to
know that it _is not_ Christian and that they claim to heal in the same
way that Jesus Christ did. This claim alone proves that it is false, for
Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that is why He could heal the sick,
and for any man to consider himself equal to Jesus Christ is
blasphemous."
"Father did not Jesus bid His disciples heal the sick?"
"Yes, certainly, He gave His disciples the power to heal the sick, but
His disciples have been dead for a long time, and nobody else was given
the power to heal as Christ did," said the pastor. "Was St. Paul one
of Christ's disciples?"
"No Walter, he was not in reality one of Christ's disciples, but he
was a very good and holy man."
"Did not St. Paul heal the sick?"
"Yes, there are several accounts in the Bible of St. Paul's healing
power."
"Well father, where did St. Paul get his power to heal the sick if he
was not one of the disciples that Jesus gave the power of healing to?"
"Why you see it was like this--that is--I mean to say--" the pastor
stopped rather confused, then finished with, "It is too long a story
to tell to-night, as I must be getting ready for that meeting. I will
explain this all when we start our lessons."
The pastor left the room and entered the library, thinking deeply. "I
wonder where that boy gets those queer ideas from. I am very much
pleased that I suggested those Bible lessons, for if he was not
enlightened, he would surely go astray."
Shortly after, the pastor was wending his way to the meeting, still
thinking of what Walter had said regarding St. Paul. Walter made an
excuse to retire to his room and was soon reading in his precious
"Science and Health;" and it was precious to him, for in it he saw the
only hope he had ever had of getting well. He read far into the night,
and every spare moment of the next few days, so that when Wednesday
evening came he had finished the book. But Wednesday evening was prayer
meeting, so there would be no Bible lessons until Thursday evening.
He spent almost all day Thursday reading Genesis in the Bible and
comparing it with the scientific interpretation as found in "Science
and Health," by Mary Baker G. Eddy, under the subject of Genesis,
beginning on page 501.
About six o'clock his mother called him for supper, and as he laid
down his books he said, "It must be true; I feel that it is the truth.
I will have father start with Genesis to-night and will ask such
questions as will be most apt to get father to see the Bible in its
true light. How I wish I had found this book long ago, then I would
be better prepared to convince father. Still I know that God is good
and will help me, and with Him to help me I cannot fail."