It is recorded of the celebrated naturalist, Charles Darwin, that he raised over sixty wild plants from seed imbedded in a pellet of mud taken from the leg of a partridge. Where an untrained eye would have found only the barrenness of death, the penetrative vision of the great naturalist beheld a bright prophecy of growing plants and flowers. Likewise, oftentimes where blind material sense sees only clay and nothingness, spiritual sense finds substance, being, and immortality. In this connection it is worth remembering that those who have eyes which see, also have hands which dig, since demonstration accompanies understanding. Practice is the close comrade of perception.

In the observation of human experience, that which is but a pellet of mud to some, many upon analysis be found to contain many valuable seed-thoughts, and a few of these, having blossomed for one gardener, are now shared with others. The first of these ministers of good to voice its message, represents the lily family, and bears the suggestive name of Wild Oats. It immediately calls to mind the returning prodigal who was sentenced by two judges. One, the elder brother, weighing all things from the standpoint of material sense, saw in the homecoming wanderer only a hardened criminal. The other, having a father's tender eyes, and knowing that the soiled raiment is no part of the real man, found not a child of sin, but the long-lost son. This latter judge, being like him of whom it has been said, "A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench," accorded to the younger son the character which pertained to his true selfhood; and, lo, what to the elder brother appeared to be a pellet of mud, was found to be instinct with life. The prodigal returned, redeemed, restored, was no longer an outcast, but a loving son, and from a father's joyous heart went forth the glad acclaim: "This my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."

The next of these seed-thoughts may be given the name of Heal-All, and it suggests how differently two physicians may view the same sick-chamber. The first sees only matter and the material conditions surrounding the patient. Taking into account the testimony of material sense, he attempts to remedy sickness and suffering, disease and death, by material means. The other, the follower of the "great Physician," is not blinded by the material conditions which seem to encompass the patient. Having eyes that see, he knows only Spirit, and the spiritual, the ever living God and the man of His creating. Refusing to accept the material as the real, he perceives not a sick and suffering mortal, but the immortal, spiritual man; and, because of this higher understanding, Paul's words are again proved true: "The things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

The blossom of another of these seed-thoughts is identified as the Sensitive Plant. This shrinking messenger tells of the mortal who, allowing the senses to hold sway, has permitted the enemy to give him a tinge of blue. This azure cast, so charming in the sky and in flowers, is far from agreeable in men, for it hides the real from consciousness, and leads to persistent self-condemnation. How many mortal sensitive plants, enveloped by this earth-mist, have falsely dubbed themselves pellets of mud, alias ne'er-do-wells, or sick men. Such as these should ponder well Mrs. Eddy's weighty words: "You have simply to preserve a scientific, positive sense of unity with your divine source, and daily demonstrate this. Then you will find that one is as important a factor as duodecillions in being and doing right, and thus demonstrating deific Principle. . . . A single drop of water may help to hide the stars, or crown the tree with blossoms" (Pulpit and Press, p. 4).

As the keen-eyed naturalist sees in a piece of clay, not a lump of dirt, but the promise of flowering shrubs and ripened fruit, so should the Christian, every loyal to his faith, discover not mortal man, when the eye is turned on self, but the reflection of Life, the idea of Truth, that which is spiritual and Christlike. If the human sensitive plant will but come out of the mist and into the sunshine, he will find himself not clay, nor even a sensitive plant; but, facing the sun, he will know himself to be a joy-reflecting, health-imparting Easter lily, the resurrection flower.

No better name can we give the bloom of our next seed-thought than the Star of Bethlehem. All know that the great Master was an illustration of "eyes that see." The blinded Pharisees said of him: "Who is this that speaketh blasphemies?" but simple fishermen and true-hearted women beheld in him the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. This clear-visioned one never let the enveloping mire hide from his view the vital germs of truth and beauty. Once, when at a banquet, there came behind him a woman who washed his feet with her tears and anointed them with ointment. Said the Pharisee, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner." The true seer, turning to the woman, said, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." What to the eye of the Pharisee was a poor outcast, was to Jesus a child of faith, she whom we know as Mary Magadalene, the last at the cross, the first at the tomb. On a different occasion, when the Master was at the grave of Lazarus, the weeping Martha, who knew her brother only as lifeless clay, cried out, "Lord. . . . he hath been dead four days." But Jesus answered, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Refuting the testimony of all the testimony of all the world, this man with the seeing eye beheld Life, not death; and at his command the grave gave up its victim, and life and immortality were brought to light.

Another witness to the seeing eye, whose beauty is hid only from those that are blind, blossoms in the modest Mother's Heart. In this example of the open vision a new old evangel is given to the world, and its message is named "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." Eyes that see not declare the volume to be meaningless; but its author, with penetrating sight, knows the "little book" to be pulsating with life and love. Its seeds of truth, bedewed with a loving woman's tears of joy, are borne to every land. Multitudes, who once found earth a dreary wilderness, greatly rejoice that their desert has been made to blossom as the rose; and this happy throng, awakened to the radiance of a new day, are calling to their brothers: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."

Our last seed-thought is represented by one of that widely scattered family which bears the significant name of Loosestrife. This floral envoy has a special message for those who honor the man of Galilee. All such will not let these illustrations, taken from the pellet of mud with its sixty plant-germs, hide the facts of Science. They will understand that spiritual creation is not within the material universe, and that there is neither birth, growth, nor decay to the spiritual universe, since all the real is perfect and eternal, "having neither beginning of days, nor end of life." To true Christians, those with the open eye and active hand, there is given the solution of age-long problems. However discordant the seeming conditions, they know that Life, Truth, and Love, joy, peace, and plenty, are the realities of being. In their consciousness all strife is stilled, all discord ended. "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Where the blinded see only pellets of mud, Christian Scientists may find the living seeds that give sure promise of flowering plants and ripened fruit. Having eyes, they see.