Article May 24, 1919 Issue

The Reading Room and the Children

BERTHA GRAY COLE

Our Master said to his disciples: "If ye love me, keep my commandments;" and one of those commandments was, "Feed my lambs." A little girl was advised by her Sunday school teacher to go to the reading room to find something which would help her to understand Love. With the help of the concordance the child found several references, and chose this one from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 6): "'God is Love.' More than this we cannot ask, higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go."

Two little children, a boy and a girl, in the reading room one afternoon were very happy over their first experience in using the concordance to Science and Health. One child had the word "pure" to look up. After reading the references given she selected two or three and wrote down the page and line on which they were to be found. In the meantime the boy was busy with Webster's dictionary. The girl offered to help him with his study of the Beatitudes. It was interesting to note their choice of references. They did all of their thinking aloud, for they happened to be the only visitors in the room at that time. It is really the spiritual idea of God, the Christ, Truth, that invites and attracts one to a Christian Science reading room; and we are happy in remembering Jesus' words to his disciples, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."

In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" by Mrs. Eddy, we read (p. 12): "The dear children's good deeds are gems in the settings of manhood and womanhood. The good they desire to do, they insist upon doing now." A little girl about ten years of age who had become convinced that now was the time for her to have her own copy of Science and Health, came into the reading room with five dollars she had just drawn from her savings account in the bank. She had argued and struggled somewhat before arriving at her decision. She said she could have bought just the doll cart she wanted,—and nobody knew how much she wanted one with nice high handles. A few days later a lady came into the reading room with a little girl, and after buying some literature remarked that they were moving away and would be so happy if a little Christian Science Sunday school girl could have the doll house which was being left behind. It developed that she also had a doll cart, and the transfer was made to the delight of both children. The child's greatest joy was, however, in the recognition of her demonstration in Christian Science. She recognized the fact that she had proved the practical truth of the Bible verse, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

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