Article January 22, 1916 Issue

Lack Overcome

LIDA HERVEY SPENCE

During a time of great sense of lack, a couple of years ago, opportunity was given a Christian Scientist to prove the truth of the statement that "man in God's image can lack no good thing." She was then working long hours as a stenographer in a busy commercial office, and her evenings were employed in writing fiction, which did not sell. Discouragement with all its train of wrong thinking crept in, and persuaded her that if only she had a better typewriter to use at home when she was too weary from her day's work to remain in the office, she could write better stories and thereby meet with sales. But there appeared to be no way to procure a new typewriter.

Presently a Christian Science friend called, and during the conversation the troubled one spoke of her problem and of her sense of discouragement. The friend asked why she did not buy a new machine, to which the reply was made that she simply could not afford it, that her salary barely met expenses. The friend looked earnestly at her for a second and then asked, "Why do you not work it out in Science?" To this the response was made that she did not know how, with the hope that the friend would offer help. Instead the friend said, "If you really want to work it out scientifically, you will be shown a way."

Later, in accompanying her friend to the train, she carried some of her companion's books and parcels, and after the train had gone, discovered that she had inadvertently retained one of the little books, which proved to be a pamphlet containing reprints from the Christian Science periodicals. As she walked home, idly turning over the leaves, these words seemed to stand out from the printed page: "Man in God's image can lack no good thing," and she said to herself with a smile that a typewriter was a good thing, and that she certainly needed one. She thought no more about the little book and its message, however, until later in the evening, when on going to her desk she again noticed it, and picking it up, turned over the leaves so as to get an impression of its general contents. Again the same words arrested her eye.

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