Article October 8, 1904 Issue

A Summer Experience and its Lessons

REV. JESSE L. FONDA.

One morning I was working in my garden and had a handkerchief about my neck in place of a collar. While handling some of the vines I suddenly, and without warning, felt a brisk buzzing in the kerchief's folds. From my boyhood memories I recognized an old acquaintance with some very penetrating peculiarities, and for a few seconds there was quite a vigorous and instinctive demonstration to free his majesty of the yellow and brown coat from the inclosing cloth. During this effort he made a move, quite natural to him, according to mortal belief, and which for an instant I felt very keenly. He was soon liberated, however, and went away, glad, apparently, as I, at the termination of the episode. With a denial of the power of poison to touch my real being, the discomfort ceased, and I proceeded with my work until breakfast was called.

When in the house I thoughtlessly put up my hand to feel what was there any way, and immediately, on thus turning my thought to it, the pain began again with the old-fashioned smart and irritation. I at once returned to my denial, and the pain ceased as quickly as it had begun. This proved the truth of the scientific teaching that pain is a thing of mortal mind, and that mortals can have it if they want it and dispose of it if they dare. After this, I had not the least sensation or inconvenience from the sting, but I did get a pointed hint which set me to thinking along scientific lines.

When Science comes to be the conscious law of being, and when error shall have disappeared so that "the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them," will the "bumble-bee" lose his sting, so that when he lights on the hand his touch will be as the falling of the petal of a rose? Why not! all these creatures belong to the same kingdom, and the prophet has added, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain!"

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