Supper was over at the Craigs' house, and Mr and Mrs. Craig and David were gathered in the living room. Mrs. Craig was busily writing David's brother, Edward, who was a cadet in the Air Force, and Mr. Craig had settled down in his chair with a copy of The Christian Science Monitor. David appeared to be doing nothing more than staring into space.

Suddenly he broke the quiet of the room by saying, "Please, may I go to work for Mr. Harkins?"

Mrs. Craig ceased writing as Mr. Craig lowered his Monitor to his knees. David was in the sixth grade, and both his parents felt he was a bit young to go to work for anyone, even nice Mr. Harkins, their grocer. But they knew that David must have been doing some serious thinking about it, for he had been taught both at home and in the Christian Science Sunday School to look to God, divine Love, for guidance in everything he undertook.

"Why do you want to go to work, dear?" his mother asked. "Now that school has started, you'll be quite busy with your studies, you know."

"It's like this, Mother and Dad," replied David. "If I were bigger I'd be there with Ed, learning how to pilot a plane. At first I used to wish all the time that I was bigger. Then one Sunday morning our teacher told us that unless we could be grateful to God now, we weren't doing one of the most important jobs of all. That made me see there was something I could do about the war after all, even if I'm not as big as Ed."

Mr. Craig nodded approvingly. "But where does Mr. Harkins come in?" he queried.

"Well, while I was busy thanking God," David answered, "I remembered that once Christ Jesus spoke about feeding those who are hungry, and giving water to the thirsty, and clothes to the people who have none. I looked it up in my Bible, and found what he said: 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.' But I didn't know anyone who was hungry or thirsty or didn't have clothes. And then I saw that it's really giving people a chance to find out that 'divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need,' just as Mrs. Eddy says on page 494 of 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.'"

"And about Mr. Harkins?" reminded his mother gently.

"His assistant's joining the Navy," David replied, "and he's looking for a boy to help him an hour and a half each day at the store, when it's most busy just before he closes. It's the answer to what I've been praying about ever since that nice man visited the Rogers' last week end."

"Oh, now I see," exclaimed David's father. "That man, son, is a Christian Science Wartime Minister. And what he told you made you want to do something about the Camp Welfare Activities of The Mother Church."

David looked very serious as he nodded his head. "Yes. Daddy. The Wartime Minister told some of the children who are Christian Scientists about the work he's doing. He told us how the Board of Directors of The Mother Church has established a fund so Ed and the other boys like him can each have a Bible and a Science and Health, or an experienced Christian Scientist to talk things over with when they're troubled, or to help them when they're sick. And the Christian Science chaplains take the textbooks bought with money from that fund to the men overseas, too. He said that sometimes the men are a long way from Christian Science churches and practitioners, and that they might feel rather lost if it weren't for what The Mother Church is doing. It made me want to help, and I remembered what Mrs. Eddy says about children helping."

"Yes, David. I know the reference you mean," said Mr. Craig as he reached for the copy of Science and Health on the table beside him. "Here it is, on page 37: 'It is possible,—yea, it is the duty and privilege of every child, man, and woman,—to follow in some degree the example of the Master by the demonstration of Truth and Life, of health and holiness.'"

"Yes, Dad, that's the one." David's eyes were shining. "You see, if I earned some money— even a little—and gave it to the Wartime Fund of The Mother Church, it would be helping Ed and the others, and proving that even boys and girls can help towards victory. I guess I've learned that you don't have to be big to have a part in wiping out error. The Wartime Minister said that spiritual understanding is the soldier's best weapon, and that it never fails him. I'd like to do what I can to make sure Ed always has that weapon."

Mr. Craig smiled. "You'd better tell Edward in your letter, Mother, that David is working for Mr. Harkins," he said.