Footprints in the Cornfield

[For children]

LETA BAILEY

The telephone rang in the midwestern farm home where Anne lived. A neighbor called to ask Anne's father to come over right away to help fix some farm machinery. But Father was out in the field cutting weeds out of the corn.

"Anne," Mother called from the kitchen, as she brushed some flour from her apron, "would you please go and find your father, and tell him to come home? I've just popped a chocolate cake into the oven and I can't leave the house."

"Sure, Mother," Anne replied, "I'll go right away."

Anne called to Jackie, her poodle dog, and together they started down the long country road toward the cornfield.

She was glad for Jackie's company, but he soon ran off to chase a rabbit along the hedgerow. Now error tried to tell Anne she was all alone and very far from home, but she denied it. In Christian Science she had learned that God is ever present.

"I am not afraid. He is right with me this very moment," she said aloud.

She decided right there that she was going to listen only to God's thoughts, just as Christ Jesus did. Part of Mrs. Eddy's definition of "angels," that Mother read to her that morning, from Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, came to her.

"Angels," she said firmly, "are 'God's thoughts passing to man.' "^{Science and Health, p. 581;}

As she continued down the road, she thought of a verse in the ninety-first Psalm: "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."^{Ps. 91:11;}

Anne stopped at the edge of the field, looking at its rows and rows of corn. How could she find Father? The corn had grown very tall. Why it was even over Father's head! All at once she remembered the hymn " 'Feed My Sheep' " by Mrs. Eddy. In a plucky voice she began to sing:

Shepherd, show me how to go
O'er the hillside steep,
How to gather, how to sow,—
How to feed Thy sheep;
I will listen for Thy voice,
Lest my footsteps stray;
I will follow and rejoice
All the rugged way. Christian Science Hymnal, No. 304 .

Anne was quiet as she stopped to listen, to know which way to go. Right then an idea came to her. She remembered that in a story in one of her books some Indians watching for footprints had once found a lost boy. Anne started watching for footprints in the soft plowed earth. Sure enough, she found some! They looked as if they would fit Father's boots. She kept following the footprints, and was so intent on what she was doing she didn't mind being alone as she went down the long rows of corn. The soft rustling of the corn pleased her; she felt each stalk whispering a greeting as she passed by.

All at once there was Father looking at her in surprise.

"How did you ever find me in this great big cornfield!" he exclaimed.

"I just let God show me the way," replied Anne, putting her hand in his. "Come on, Dad, you're wanted back at the house."

Just as Father and Anne started for home, Jackie came dashing out of a far corner of the cornfield to catch up with them.

When they returned to the farmhouse, Mother came out to greet them. She was happy Anne had found the way.

"After I sent you, Anne, I remembered how tall the corn was, and I thought you might get lost. I just thank God for bringing you safely home."

As they entered the house, Anne saw a bowl of chocolate frosting on the table. "Come, help me frost the cake," she heard her mother say.

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