Article July 6, 1912 Issue

"FEAR NOT"

EMILY A. ASHCROFT

One evening when I was visiting a friend, the conversation turned upon a present which the lady of the house had received from her son. He had seen active service in the Boer war, and during his stay in South Africa had sent her interesting objects from time to time, among them being a bomb, made for use in the war. This strange present was accompanied by a letter from the son, warning his mother not to let the bomb come into contact with anything which could set it alight, for fear it should explode; so the lady put the dangerous article in the cellar.

The warning voiced in the letter, however, greatly troubled her, and as the days went by her anxiety increased. The fear of an explosion haunted her until the thought of the danger became a veritable nightmare. All kinds of evil suggestions arose in her mind. Suppose the house should get on fire and the flames reach the cellar! Suppose some one should break into the house and look for treasures in the box containing the bomb! For weeks she insisted on staying up every night until every other member of the family had retired. Her fear was that they might not turn off the gas properly and there would be an escape. What would become of the bomb then? None of the family was allowed to go near the box which contained it, and night after night the good lady prayed earnestly that the household might be saved from any accident through it. Still the fear remained.

A time came when the family removed to another house, and fearing for the safety of the furniture removers, the lady conscientiously told them where the loaded bomb was. They instantly refused to move the box. Here was a dilemma, for if the box were left behind it would endanger the safety of the next occupants, and yet it was too heavy for the lady to carry. At length a friend, who was a Christian Scientist, and who knew that no harm could come to her through a kind act, helped the lady's daughter to carry the heavy box. The incident afforded considerable amusement to the Christian Scientist, for being free from fear, the ludicrous side of it appealed to her.

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