Article August 13, 1904 Issue

"That they may bring forth more Fruit."

J. U. HIGINBOTHAM.

There are educational institutions in this country which teach the laws of agriculture and horticulture, and after learning these, the pupils are required to put them into practice. In such colleges they teach, among other things, the proper way to prune grape-vines. When trimming his first vine, according to instructions, the novice has a feeling of sympathy for the plant, for there does not seem to be much left in the way of foliage when he gets through; it is now only a cluster of brown sticks, and as an ornament, it is quite ruined. He had acted under orders from a superior who knows a great deal about grape-vines, but to the uninformed eye nothing appears but devastation and wreck, after the removal of much that was beautiful and impressive to the eye. Will the result ever vindicate the seeming vandalism?

The purpose was to concentrate the vine's energies on its true mission; viz., fruit-bearing, and a season's sunshine and rain will fill it with purple clusters, while its untrimmed neighbor will bear nothing but leaves. Had it been allowed to waste its energies, it would have been a failure both as a fruit bearer and as an ornament.

In Christian Science we are blessed with a Leader whose range of vision commences at a point beyond where ours terminates. She has often taken steps whose purpose we could not see, and yet prompt obedience has been rewarded in each case by fruitage. In a new By-law, the wisdom of concentrating our energies on one life-purpose is indicated,—a purpose, big enough, broad enough, and grand enough for the true life. This By-law does not go so far as does the vineyard requirement. It does not demand the removal of existing branches from growing vines. It only seeks to apply the law of prevention to those who have not yet put forth their shoots. Are any disturbed by it? Certainly not those who are well grounded in Science, and who have no cravings which their religion cannot satisfy.

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