What Sally Learned

[Of Special Interest to Children]

LULU M. STALKER

Little Sally had gone to the Christian Science Sunday School ever since she could remember. She loved it, so she was eager to start going to day school. Kindergarten was fun, but when in the first grade the children began to learn words and sentences. Sally seemed to have trouble.

One noon, when she came home to lunch, she didn't want to eat. She just couldn't swallow. She didn't cry, but her mother could see that she wanted to. Laying her hand on Sally's curls, she asked: "Don't you want to tell Mother about it, dear? Is error telling you that you are unhappy?"

"It's nothing—it's nothing," a weak, voice replied.

"Of course it's nothing," laughed her mother; "but you don't look as though you really believe that."

Then Sally burst into tears. "I know all my words. You know I do, Mommie. But when our teacher gives us cards with words on them, and asks us to make little stories, I can't, I simply can't."

"I wonder why?" probed her mother gently.

"I—I just don't know. First, I can't think of any story and then, when I do, I hurry to get it written, and the cards fall off my desk and everything. Mary gets the most stories and she acts so proud about it."

Sally did know her words, for one by one she had written them on her little blackboard as she had learned them; so Mother knew the trouble lay somewhere else.

"You don't need to hurry, honey. There is plenty of time for every right activity, and hurrying only harms you. Fear prompts it, and fear is a lie!" Mother knew that divine Mind would enable her to help Sally, so she asked quietly, "Do you want Mother to help you with your problem?"

"Will you, Mommie?" Sally smiled through her tears. "I was afraid you wouldn't want to."

This reply surprised Mother, but she asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"Would you think up some stories for me; you know all my words! I'd take them in my pocket, and I'd peek at them once in a while. Nobody'd see me."

Mother recognized error's subtle suggestion at once and tried to show Sally how to "stand porter at the door of thought" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 392). "But, Sally dear," she reasoned gently, "then they would be my stories. And if you let your teacher believe them to be yours," she hesitated, and Sally wriggled uneasily, "what commandment would you be breaking?"

Sally thought over the Commandments, but she had to give up. She couldn't think what her mother meant.

"How about the eighth?" promised her mother.

"The eighth? Why, that's the one about stealing!" She hesitated, dropped her eyes. "Yes, I guess it would be like stealing, Mommie, but I never thought of it in that way, honestly I didn't."

"I believe that, dear. Error would not have us stop and think; but to use someone else's ideas would be stealing. And I'm afraid there's another commandment involved too—the last one."

"Thou shalt not covet.' What would I be coveting, Mommie?"

"Mary's place at the head of the class. That won't do either. You don't want to take away any of Mary's joy, do you? All you want is to express intelligence. Nothing can prevent your doing that, because God, who gives us intelligence, is ever present."

Sally was thinking over what her mother had told her.

"Mind is everywhere, just like the air we breathe and the sunshine we enjoy," continued her mother. "Every one of God's ideas has all he needs. Now when you go back to school, dear, remember that you have all the intelligence you need. Remember, too, that the Bible promises (James 1:5), 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.' That verse is for you, Sally."

"I'll try to remember," promised Sally thoughtfully.

It wasn't long before Sally came skipping joyously homeward, her face wreathed in smiles.

"It worked, Mommie! It worked!" she cried. "When I remembered that God knows all, and that He loves me, I thought of the nicest little stones! I didn't beat Mary, but I did get twice as many as I did yesterday, and the teacher said she was proud of me for doing so much all alone. She didn't know, did she, Mommie?"

Sally has proved her inheritance. No matter what problem comes to her, now she knows that she has all the intelligence she needs with which to solve it. She has but to accept this intelligence, because it is hers by reflection. She can face the future unafraid, as we all can, knowing that, as our Leader says (Science and Health, p. 494), "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

"Do the work of an evangelist"

January 12, 1946

Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit