Ted climbed onto the school bus and hurried to his seat. As the bus began to move, he settled back and listened to the sound of the wheels. Rule-out-of-me-all-sin...rule-out-of-me-all-sin... the wheels seemed to be saying.

Ted recognized the words in his thinking. It was part of the "Daily Prayer" from the Manual of The Mother Church by Mrs. Eddy, which Christian Scientists all over the world pray every day. He and his mother said it together each morning before he left for school: '"Thy kingdom come;' let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!" ^{Man., Art. VIII, Sect. 4;}

The prayer made Ted feel very close to God. He had attended the Christian Science Sunday School ever since he could remember, and he did a lot of thinking about God. He had learned that God didn't make sin, but he didn't quite understand how the words "rule out of me all sin" applied to him. He would ask his mother to explain that part to him again.

Just then the bus arrived at school. It was a private school for children from many religions. They started out every day with a Bible verse. As he hurried toward his room, he remembered that his teacher went to a Church of Christ, Scientist. Maybe she could explain what "rule out of me all sin" meant. He would ask her.

Everybody was already lined up outside the classroom door. Ted went to the head of the line and shoved Toby aside. Toby shoved back. "I've got a very important question to ask the teacher," Ted said. "I've got to be first in line."

Just then the teacher opened the door. The boys were still scuffling for first place. "I want to talk to you two," she said, looking at Ted and Toby. The other children entered the classroom.

Ted and Toby tried to explain how the pushing and shoving all began. The teacher listened. Then she said, "Both of you were breaking the rule our class has been thinking about all week. Do you know which rule I am talking about?" Ted and Toby repeated the Golden Rule Jesus said we must follow: "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." ^{Luke 6:31;}

"Well, you both know the words," said the teacher, "but did you obey the rule?" Both boys looked down in silence.

Then the teacher said that to know what is right but to think or do what is wrong is a sin. She said that rules are made to help us but we have to obey the rules if we want to receive that help. She told them that Christ Jesus was the most obedient man who ever lived. He said, "I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." ^{John 5:30.} He was so obedient to God, always expressing God's qualities of love, that he did not sin.

Then it was decided that their names would be put up on the blackboard. And each time either Ted or Toby disobeyed a rule, the teacher would draw a little sad face beside the rule breaker's name. Nobody else in the class would know why she did this. But the little sad face beside the name on the blackboard would remind that boy to try harder to obey the rules.

During the day quite a few little sad faces were drawn upon the blackboard. By the end of the day Ted had twelve and Toby had three.

On the ride home Ted heard the wheels of the bus again: Rule-out-of-me-all-sin...rule-out-of-me-all-sin.

This time the words seemed to be just for him. And he knew what he must do: obey the Golden Rule, be more kind and courteous to others, just as he would want them to be to him. Then he would find it easier to obey the rules at school. He would raise his hand instead of interrupting the teacher, stop talking to his neighbor during seatwork time, keep his hands to himself, wait his turn in line without shoving. He didn't like to see all those little sad faces on the blackboard beside his name. He didn't want to have one single sin. He would ask God to help him.

By the end of the week there wasn't a single little sad face on the blackboard. When she shook hands at the end of the day, the teacher smiled at Ted and Toby and said, "Congratulations!"

On the way home the wheels of the bus played his song again. Ted settled back and enjoyed the sound.