Article December 31, 1904 Issue

An Experience on Shipboard

MATILDA LEE BAKER.

On the last day of my homeward journey to England, I want to express the thankfulness I feel for all the good which has come to me. Especially am I grateful for the conquest over seasickness that followed a gale in which we found ourselves last Sunday night, resulting in a swell on the succeeding day. I am particularly glad because I had the consciousness during my outward voyage, although I worked mentally as best I knew how, that this trouble was not entirely conquered in a manner satisfactory to myself. This time I felt that the whole difficulty must be overcome by the understanding of Truth as revealed through Science and Health, and through this alone.

Then there came a temptation to let the error, which did not appear at once to yield, hold sway and simply to know that God was my Life, and that it did not matter if I could not eat during the voyage, that I would be all right. I saw, however, that in doing so I was but yielding to an impulse of the weakness of mortal mind, and not reflecting the activity of immortal Mind; that I was not holding aloft the unsullied banner of Truth, and that right here and now was the truth which would free me. In the deepest earnestness I prayed that the whole claim of the mental causation might be uncovered to me, for I knew that thus only could the error be effectually met. Clearly and distinctly stood out the word "fear," with all its claim to weakness. I looked at its shadowy pretensions, analyzed it, measured and weighed it against the perfect Love which "casteth out fear," saw its nothingness through the searchlight of truth which reveals God, and man as His reflection.

I had retired to my berth at night, a truly sorry spectacle, since for two days and nights I had scarcely eaten or slept. I arose in the morning, fresh, bright, thankfully victorious! I was first on deck, enjoyed half an hour's walk, and then ate my breakfast. A lady who had noticed my absence from the dining saloon, exclaimed how well I was looking, "better than when I went on deck," as indeed I had cause to be, for all night, instead of sleeping, I had been striving to realize the strength which Spirit gives. I knew that until the conquest was made I could not afford to spend time in oblivious sleep, and it was my joy to realize that in the consciousness of Truth we find the truest rest. How many times during this voyage, which has meant so much to me, I have remembered the thought passed on to me by a dear Boston friend whom I was bidding good-bye the morning I sailed for England, "We should pray that we may be filled with gratitude in proportion to our indebtedness." This has helped me much and it may help others. Oh, how can we measure, how can we calculate the height, the depth of our indebtedness to divine Love? The measure of our gratitude can only be truly determined in proportion as we demonstrate the truth that God is Love and man His expression and manifestation.

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