In speaking of Christian Science on page 252 of "Miscellaneous Writings," Mary Baker Eddy says, "It is the dear children's toy and strong tower." This can be of much comfort to us when our children are small. All Christian Science mothers look upon this teaching as their children's strong tower, as a protection from accidents, disease, and danger, but not so often do they regard it also as the "children's toy."

A mother's understanding of Christian Science and a child's receptivity to it will supply the necessary sense of contented and satisfactory activity. Children are, in reality, spiritual beings, complete in divine Mind and including all ideas necessary to the expression of their completeness. They are satisfied as reflections of Soul, animated by Spirit, and inspired by divine Love. Man is not a small, helpless mortal, dependent for his happiness, activity, and contentment upon a person, place, or thing, but the perfect idea of Mind. God is his Father-Mother; he dwells forever in his Father's house, supplied with everything necessary to his happiness.

A mother's calm contemplation of the above quotation will impart serenity to the home atmosphere. Sometimes it will result in her thinking of new things to do for the children's happiness; again it will inspire even very young children with ways to spend contented hours; but always it stands like a benediction, ensuring against fretfulness that would sometimes seem to take from those years of babyhood and childhood their native loveliness and joy.

In teaching a Sunday School class of young children, I have found the pupils in need of help with the claim of boredom. Sickness to them is often incidental, something that touches them seldom and is healed almost instantly. The problem of having "nothing to do," however, is one that seems to loom large at frequent intervals for all in the class. As a help in meeting these situations, the pupils are taught to love and ponder David's words (Ps. 16:11), "In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." These young students of Christian Science learn that an ever-present supply of spiritual ideas is being given to them daily by God, and that the utilization of these ideas in willingness to serve in whatever capacity they may be called upon, cheerfulness, co-operation, obedience, and perseverance in daily tasks will supply their need for contentment. This shows them that their understanding of Christian Science is indeed a "toy" suitable for their particular age.

An eleven-year-old girl, a pupil in the Christian Science Sunday School, who had always felt that she was bored with Younger children was asked to stay overnight with her uncle and aunt and their four-year-old daughter. Because of the girl's past ungraciousness, her mother fell it necessary to talk to her before she went, reminding her that as a child of God it was divinely natural for her to express love and co-operation toward everyone. She also pointed out to her daughter the blessing that would result if she would go to this house with the thought of helping with her young cousin in every way possible. So effective were the mother's words, and so receptive was the girl, that her aunt and uncle told her when she left the next day that she had been a great help to them, and they invited her to spend a week at their beach cottage shortly afterwards. This increased spiritual alertness was indeed this young girl's "toy," replacing the usual routine of city life with ideal summer activity.

One Saturday, when one of our boys was about ten, his plans for the day collapsed one after another. The outlook for the afternoon looked very uninteresting indeed, and he made no effort to conceal his feelings about it. I reminded him that God supplies every need and that if he would prayerfully repeat Mrs. Eddy's hymn beginning, "Shepherd, show me how to go" (Poems, p. 14), the great Shepherd, Truth, would give him the necessary ideas.

He left the room, and the truths in this hymn occupied him for several moments. He soon returned, his face beaming with contentment. The idea had come to him to paint his old bicycle, and he set about doing it immediately, a project that found him still completely absorbed at suppertime. His working out the problem in Christian Science by his own efforts helped to make less real the specter of boredom and uselessness.

As their understanding of Christian Science matures and develops, still retaining its freshness and inspiration, children will continue to search in the right direction for supply and satisfaction. Much is said today about the value of hobbies as a means of adding zest to life. To the earnest Christian Scientist the study of this Science, the pondering of its great truths, adds all the zest he needs to his daily business of expressing God. At any age it is his source of joy.

Christ Jesus, who experienced the fullest and most worth-while life of anyone who has ever lived, once said (John 10:7, 9): "I am the door of the sheep. ... By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." The verities which Jesus taught, when received into consciousness, save us from limitation and frustration. They open up countless opportunities for joyous activity where formerly only dull routine and stagnation appeared to be. In proportion as both children and adults learn more of the Christ, Truth, and exemplify it in their lives, the will "go in and out, and find pasture" with which to nourish their minds for worth-while, abundant living.

On page 31 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says, "It is the living Christ, the practical Truth, which makes Jesus 'the resurrection and the life' to all who follow him in deed." We cannot begin too soon to teach children that Christian Science is the living Christ, the practical Truth, which Jesus taught and which Mrs. Eddy discovered and revealed; that the Christ, Truth, satisfies mankind's every need; and that it is, as Mrs. Eddy tenderly describes it, "the dear children's toy."