Article September 26, 1908 Issue

AN INHERITANCE

HATTIE V. MOSS

Some time ago I read a news item which interested me greatly on account of the comparison it suggested. The story was that of a woman in very moderate circumstances, who as a means of economy did her own housework, sometimes with the aid of a little maid. When she went shopping or marketing, she found it necessary to consider the cost of every article before making a purchase, and a ride home on the car was to her a luxury seldom indulged. Then, one day, the whole situation was suddenly changed. The news came that her husband was heir to an immense fortune. It would no longer be necessary to buy the cheaper articles of food and clothing, when her whole being cried out for the better things.

One of the first uses she made of her wealth was to dress her two little ones in such clothing as she had always wanted them to have,—handsome suits, in keeping with her long-suppressed taste in such matters. She walked back and forth through the shopping district of the city, making such purchases as she wished, and often she caught herself considering the cost before deciding to buy, forgetful for the moment that her means were no longer limited. Then, remembering her wealth, she would laugh softly at the very idea, and turn to examine some more expensive fabric. There was nothing tedious or tiresome about her shopping that day, and when at last she started home she had walked briskly for several blocks before the thought occurred to her that she could take a car. Then in the car she remembered that she could have ordered a carriage just as well, and it would certainly have been more pleasant than a crowded car. It was quite a while before she grew accustomed to the new order of things, and often she would catch herself trying to economize, then laugh heartily at her fears of insufficiency. It was hard to remember all the time that she was the wife of a millionaire, and the old habits, which had been so long forced upon her, were not easily shaken off.

The thought suggested by this story was that we, you and I, have also received good news, which comes to us well authenticated in Christian Science. We are heirs of a great inheritance, more vast and enduring than that which came to the woman of whom we have read. We are heirs, joint-heirs with Christ, children of the King. Our supply is indeed unlimited, and we are given dominion over all the earth. Do we realize it? If so, our actions often fail to show it. We too often observe the strictest economy, not only in matters of finance, but also in health, peace, and happiness. Do we look at our scanty income and say it is not sufficient to meet the demands made upon it? Is our supply of health so small that we cannot eat what others eat, and cannot do what others do? Is our measure of happiness reduced to an occasional smile? If so, then we are forgetful of the fact that all things are ours, and we are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

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