Article July 21, 1917 Issue

Children and Science

JOHN A. DEADRICH

In the book of the prophecy of Isaiah we find the declaration that "a little child shall lead them;" and every faithful student of Christian Science is striving for that same absolute trust in and reliance on God as our heavenly Father which is shown by the little child toward its earthly parents. Today the Christian Science Sunday school is doing a great work for the little ones, and both parent and teacher should constantly bear in mind that the child thought, which so readily takes in the truths taught in Christian Science, expects nothing less than their practice by parent and teacher. The following experience will illustrate the writer's meaning.

About nineteen years ago Christian Science came into our home when it was very much needed, bringing us health, peace, and happiness, together with an earnest desire to live the truths it taught and to have the children grow up in that faith. We lived in a small town where there were no other Scientists, and of course there was no Christian Science Sunday school for the children to attend; so the Lesson-Sermon and other passages from the Bible and Science and Health, also The Christian Science Journal, were read aloud each day to the children. Owing to the limited understanding which we ourselves had of this truth, it was thought that the children were too young to understand much of it, and regret was expressed that they could not attend a Christian Science Sunday school; but we were soon to learn a lesson which destroyed this erroneous thought.

A trip had to be made to the nearest railroad town for lumber and other materials, also for a new harness and a new buggy. The two older boys, aged about eight and five respectively, accompanied the writer, the buggy horse being tied behind the wagon. Our purchases made, we started for home, with the boys in the new buggy. We drove until night and then camped by the roadside, all fully enjoying it. During the night, however, a terrific sand storm set in. We were up early next morning, but the horses were restless and the buggy horse refused to be harnessed. I motioned to the boys to leave the horse alone (it was impossible at times to hear one speak, on account of the storm), and after the team was hitched to the farm wagon an effort was made to harness him, but without success. An examination showed that the new harness had hurt the horse's back.

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