Article October 7, 1911 Issue

"AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM"

MARY E. BARBOUR.

Perhaps in the experience of every Christian Scientist the truth of the above Scripture has been seen. Jesus loved little children, and set them as an example for us, even saying we could not enter the kingdom of heaven except we became like them, thus making it clear that the quality of thought requisite for the attainment of harmony is that of the little child.

What is so fearless, so trustful, so loving, so hopeful as a little child! It is the experience of the present writer to have been at times almost awed, and certainly humbled, by the utterances of these lambs of the flock. A little girl of eight years once asked her mother who made the multiplication table. On being told that it always was, because it was true; in fact, that God made it, she was perfectly satisfied. This same little girl was reproached for her faith in Christian Science by a worldly-wise relative, who said to her, "You are taught that God is All. Now that is not true, for God is not that tree." Instantly the child replied, "No, God is not that tree, but God is the life of that tree."

The following incident may interest the big children as well as the little ones. A little girl of three years sat in her grandmother's room, busy with her play. Presently, putting her hand to her neck, she exclaimed, "O grandma, my neck hurts!" Her grandmother bade her tell the hurt to go away; that it did not belong to her. The little one did so, and after a moment's waiting said, "But it doesn't go, grandma." "Then," said the grandmother. "we will say the Shepherd Hymn." So the first verse of Mrs. Eddy's beautiful hymn was repeated, then a second and third time at the child's request. Then she said, "Now it is all gone, grandma," and immediately asked for more of the same hymn. So the first half of the second verse was repeated, and for a few minutes nothing was said. The child had not changed her position on the floor, busy with her cutting, and the grandmother had not stopped her work; but presently the child said, "I'm not him."

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