Article March 13, 1943 Issue

"Never be a victim of circumstance"

[Of Special Interest to Youth]

ARTHUR W. SWAN

Vacationing in the Canadian north woods, two young students of Christian Science recently found themselves confronted with a perplexing situation which threatened to outwit them. On the pine-girt shores of an inland lake, many miles from their home camp, they were eagerly making preparations to cook their long overdue shore dinner when they discovered that their cooking utensils and other necessary equipment had been left behind. Invigorated and hungered by hours of fishing, their courage and patience were about to fail them when one, acting as their guide, remonstrated, "Never be a victim of circumstance!"

Conforming his actions to his words, the guide set about in a thoroughly practical way to dispel the prevailing sense of anxiety. Ingenious rough contrivances were adroitly improvised for boiling the water, cooking the vegetables, and baking the corn; a novel device to supplant the missing frying pan was discovered; pieces of clean white bark peeled from birch trees were skillfully made into cups and plates, while cleverly carved twigs sufficed for forks and spoons. Thus all needs were abundantly provided for, an added zest was given to the occasion, and a lesson of abiding value gained from a wholesome experience that proved the practicability of right thinking in solving the exigencies of daily living.

Mentally reviewing this incident in the light of Christian Science, the students clearly perceived that what had formerly appeared to be the overcoming of limitations and restrictions imposed by a material environment was in reality the conscious recognition and practical application of the law of divine Mind, manifested humanly in resourcefulness, self-reliance, initiative, wisdom, originality, freshness, joy, satisfaction, completeness, and dominion.

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