KATHRYN was thirteen when she first attended the Christian Science Sunday School. She liked it at once and asked to become a regular pupil. Although her parents knew nothing of Christian Science, they readily gave their consent, hoping to further their daughter happiness. On a certain occasion, six months later, Kathryn found herself putting her new teachings to the test.

The older pupils attending the Sunday school of a great stone church opposite her home were having their annual fall festival and party in their parish hall. Each pupil was to invite one guest, and many of Kathryn's friends would be going. She learned this during recess, one day, from Ethel.

"Don't you wish now you had joined our Sunday school? I should like to take you to the party, but mother has already asked my cousin to be my guest. You could come if you would only join next Sunday. Please do!" teased Ethel.

"Oh, I couldn't do that. Thank you just the same," said Kathryn, and hurried away so that she might be alone to think more clearly. She knew at once she did not want to change from her new Sunday school, but she did want to go to that party. Suddenly she thought she had solved her problem. She remembered another friend, Marian, who always walked home with her. Surely Marian would be planning to ask her!

At noon, however, as the girls hurried from school together, Marian did not invite Kathryn. In fact, she told her happily how she had chosen Ruth, a new girl in her grade, for her guest.

"I think it is kind of you to ask Ruth," said Kathryn rather tonelessly. "Since she is so new, it will be nice for her to get acquainted with the boys and girls around her." But her heart was no longer singing within her.

That evening as Kathryn returned from her piano lesson, she thought about the party a great deal. Suddenly she stopped, and listened to some of the thoughts which were racing through her mind.

"Why, I am thinking jealous thoughts!" she cried. "But I cannot be jealous; jealousy is unkind, evil. I love Marian and I like Ruth. Why should I be jealous of them?"

Then Kathryn knew that although she still wanted to go to the party, she wanted much more to be freed from this unkind, evil thinking. She said to herself, "I won't be jealous; I won't think of that party any longer." Instead, she began to think of her new Sunday school, wondering how it could help her to overcome the trouble. Each Sunday, lessons had been unfolded to her in a practical and hitherto unknown way. There seemed to be no limit to the good in store for each one. In the Christian Science Sunday School there were no parties — only these lessons about God and man which could all be proved in everyday living.

She recalled that she herself had had such proof when she had been healed instantly of a sore throat, simply by reading the little book her teacher had lent her. Since then, mother too had been reading this book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy; and now it was helping her baby brother daily.

As the young girl's heart became filled with joy and gratitude for these blessing, her thinking was lifted to a higher level. Like a ray of sunlight came the thought: "I can be healed of jealousy and wrong thinking, just as surely as I was of a sore throat. A child of God reflects only good, because he reflects God, who is good! I am a child of God!"

What was it the Sunday school teacher had called her when she had brought her Science and Health? "You are an idea of God," she had said, and read her something from the textbook which Kathryn now remembered (p. 495): "When the illusion of sickness or sin tempts you, cling steadfastly to God and His idea. Allow nothing but His likeness to abide in your thought." If sickness had been healed by such a declaration, jealousy could be healed too, because Mrs. Eddy had said "sickness or sin." Sin did not belong to "God's likeness." Therefore it could not abide in her thought.

From the Sunday lessons on the Lord's Prayer with its spiritual interpretation, these beautiful words came to Kathryn to comfort and cheer her: "And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death" (ibid., p. 17). God was not leading her into this wrong thinking, and He could deliver her from it! Then came the words of a Golden Text from a recent Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly, "God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect." With that, Kathryn knew she was healed.

At home the supper hour passed happily. No thought of the party recurred. In fact, during the next few days Kathryn forgot about it entirely.

On the following Friday her mother said, "Is there to be a party across the street soon?"

"Yes, mother, next Friday evening. Why?"

"Well, Mrs. Richards called me this morning to say that Helen had written she was coming home next week end, and she wanted you to go to a party with her. Helen will come to see you on Friday."

Kathryn was astonished. She had never once thought about her friend who attended a girls' school away from home. Since Helen's family all went to the stone church, Helen would surely be coming for the party. "Thank you, mother; I am glad—glad—" but Kathryn couldn't finish the sentence aloud, because she knew that she was glad, not so much for the invitation, as for the beautiful new proof Christian Science had given her of the ever-presence of God, whose goodness she was learning to reflect.

And suddenly the young girl realized that she could never really be dependent again upon mere social forms for true happiness. True happiness, joy, contentment, love, goodness, were already hers by reflection, and could never be increased by merely material manifestations of pleasure, because true happiness is spiritual.