Article June 3, 1911 Issue

LOOKING FOR GOOD

AUREL BEACH

When living on our farm near town, children from different Sunday schools would come to our place for picnics, and gather hazelnuts and walnuts to carry home. One afternoon, when quite a large crowd was there, I went to the pasture, where much shouting and merrymaking were going on, but the first child I saw was a little fellow who was peering under the bushes and around the stumps, carrying a little empty basket. "Why, Donald," I said, "what are you looking for?" "My mama told me to look out for snakes," he replied. "Well, you can't find them if you do look for them," I said, "but look up and see these nice hazelnuts; aren't these what you came for?" Under this new inspiration he quickly forgot all about any possible snakes, and we soon had his basket full of nuts.

Now I knew the mother of this little boy to be a Christian woman who meant always to advise her child for his highest good, but her parting injunction as he left home that morning would have spoiled his whole day with fear, if that fear had not been destroyed. His search for enemies kept him away from those who were looking for good things, even though he like the rest desired to get good. This incident taught me many lessons in Christian Science.

Our dear Leader's constant injunction to all her students is to look for good, and she emphasizes this teaching by pointing out to us over and over again in her writings that good is the only reality which we can look for or expect to find. To follow her teaching brings out in sharp contrast the folly of "looking for snakes," in the guise of ill health, bad morals, financial troubles, and many other things that poor mortal mind thinks are realities, but which leave the seekers only empty baskets and unsatisfied lives.

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