Article October 30, 1954 Issue

WEEDING AND PLANTING

J. LILIAN VANDEVERE

Through the fall sunshine a woman moved about her lawn. She carried a small basket and a sharp knife, and now and then she knelt and worked busily with her hands. A friend who paused to watch could see no apparent plan in the woman's activity, but she knew that it must have a purpose. Just then the busy one looked up, saw the questioning eyes, and answered, "I'm digging up dandelions and planting crocuses." She worked on, lifting out green rosettes and tucking small brown bulbs into the places left empty.

"What worthwhile work!" said the friend. She went away, pondering the lesson she had gained from that simple incident. The homely work of caring for the lawn was seen as a parallel to the spiritual activity of clearing and beautifying the human consciousness. The more this was considered, the more illuminating the parallel became. The dandelion blossoms had seemed bright and cheery in the spring. But because the weeds had been allowed to grow, they had encroached on the lawn. If the small dandelions had been removed before they had blossomed, no winged seeds could have matured to drift away and establish themselves. So with false beliefs which are not speedily dismissed: they soon claim more and more of the field of consciousness.

In "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" Mary Baker Eddy phrases the point aptly when she writes (p. 128), "Watch, and pray daily that evil suggestions, in whatever guise, take no root in your thought nor bear fruit." The one removing the dandelions was not content to cut away only the top of the plant. Roots must be eliminated, or a plant will not stop growing. Her sharp knife had gone deep; then when the leaves were lifted, there came out with them the long taproot.

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