Much may be said as to the character of testimonies to be given at our Wednesday evening meetings,—not that any should be barred, but that wisdom should govern their telling; and this in view of the fact that there may be many who are taking their initial steps in Christian Science by attendance at these meetings. First impressions are strong with many people, and those who are yet "babes" may be won or repelled, according to the nature and expression of the testimonies presented. Paul says to the "babes in Christ." "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat." The matchless wisdom thus displayed may, perhaps, apply more particularly to the smaller congregations, where the presence of strangers is quickly noted.

I remember my own first impressions of Christian Science. I was shocked at the idea of any one claiming to heal as Christ Jesus healed, and I so expressed myself. It seemed a sacrilege that I could not consider for a moment. I was not at the time a church-going man, and had not been for many years, yet early orthodox training by excellent parents had left a vivid impression upon me that spiritual healing was confined wholly to the personal ministry of Christ Jesus, hence my startled surprise at the character of the testimonies I heard given. A loving wife held me to the meetings, and I gradually began to realize that these people must have a reason for the faith that was in them, so I started to study into it for myself. I have often thought since how easily I might have been repelled, for the time being, had I early heard extreme statements, as I was not then ready for "strong meat." A parallel case occurs to me, and I will give it, as it helps to emphasize the injunction from Paul.

A business and social friend who knew of my growing interest in this Science and who tacitly disapproved of it, although in his loyal friendship he made no sign, other than quietly turning the subject to avoid discussion, finally asked to attend a service with me, and as Love directed the opportune time, it proved to be the Wednesday evening at Mechanics Hall, immediately following Communion Sunday. He listened intently to several testimonies, with a look of growing astonishment and doubt on his face, and as one "strong meat" testimony of a seemingly incredible character was recounted by a gentleman who announced himself as from California, my friend turned abruptly to me and asked, "Do you expect me to believe that?" It is generally conceded that among traveling men there is scant courtesy with one another in the matter of argument, and I instantly knew that I had to nail him then and there, or lose him, so without a moment's hesitation I said to him, "There are just two points for your consideration; the first is, that this man is a liar, that he has come clear from California, at an expense of several hundred dollars and several weeks' time, simply to stand up here and tell a deliberate falsehood to an assemblage of several thousand people, most of whom he never saw before and many of whom he never will see again. The second point is, that he really has been healed, and out of sheer gratitude to an omnipotent God, for his physical and moral wholeness, has spent his time and money to come on here and tell it."

Well, he was silenced for a moment; he hesitated, then said, "Of course I can't believe he would come here to lie." "Very well," said I, "now, furthermore, if one is truthful, they are all truthful. Look them over and see if they appear like a lot of romancers or whether they are like a gathering of honest, earnest, intelligent people, who have found the answer to that question which Pilate put to Jesus nineteen hundred years ago,—'What is Truth?' These people think they have found in Christian Science the answer to that question, and it devolves upon you, as a student of men and affairs, to know why they think so. There are thousands of people on this floor from all parts of the world, all animated by the one supreme the Scriptures declare Him to be, spiritual, eternal, forever expressed, Life, Truth, man as His image and likeness is forever spiritual and not material, however much we may think so, and that Jesus was the type of attainable Sonship, not to be found in the unreliable, fleeting, and kaleidoscopic sense of mortal existence or the dream of life in matter; that as we are transformed through spiritual understanding we become like him, materiality drops away because we are putting off the old man,—working out our own salvation and being the transforming of our minds,—just as the Scriptures declare."

A few weeks passed with no further mention of the meeting between us, when one day he came to me, a new copy of our text-book in hand. with a perfect volley of questions. asking me to explain this and that to him. This onslaught was so impetuous that I laughed aloud with joy, but I answered his questions as best I could, reserving some of them for one to whom we afterwards went and were kindly received, and had our questions splendidly answered. his immediate family are interested in the study with him and attend our church services.

In this instance the first adverse impressions were promptly met, and the listener made to see that a new thought had come into his life, to be followed up and studied into. I realize now that divine healing is wrought by the governing eternal Principle, whether the healing be large or small; that the spiritual understanding of Christ's mission as the Way-shower, effects the healing, either through the tried and found not wanting practitioner, or through our own clarified consciousness; but at my first visit I was not yet ready for anything more than small quantities of milk, and even that mortal sense threatened to reject.

Our weekly and monthly literature is invariably full of many excellent things for our earnest consideration, when once we have grasped the hem of the garment,—under standing. The continual study of study of our text-book, together with the Bible lessons, opens up a subject with a center but no circumference, unfolding a delightful and unending realm of study,—the study of spiritual man and his relation to his creator and the spiritual universe. It seems to me the same day and hour with the Discoverer of Christian Science.—the Leader in this new realm of this new realm of spiritual knowing.