Katherine's Sheaves

of the week passed quickly and uneventfully as Katherine fell easily into the way

s either ignored her altogether or treated her with a coldness that, had she not had

m, where he had seemed to be wholly absorbed in his duties a

g itself. The professor's wife was walking beside a wheel-chair, which was being propelled by a nurse in cap and apron, and in which was seated- propped up by pillows-a

ced Katherine to Mrs. Seabrook, who greeted her with

, as she warmly clasped Katherine's hand, "and I hope

for she had become deeply interested in her work, and, as she dearly loved to study, she wa

fond look upon the pale, pinched face among the pillows. "Doro

hat was extended to her and smiled into the grave,

tenderness in her tone that caused the slender fingers inside the mitt

a faint sigh. Then, glancing up at her attendant, she added: "This is

f compassion for the little cripple swept over her heart and softened her

es must cause it to roll very smoothly and

nice about taking me everywhere I want to go; but it would be so much nicer if I could walk and r

the small hand that still clung to hers a loving pres

f endearment; but her pale lips quive

ine, and all the doctors say I never can. I-I- -think I could bear that-not being

seemed to be oblivious to everything, even to the presence of her companions, and sto

Do you love flowers, Dorothy? will you let me fasten this on your coat? It is fresh from the greenhouse and will last so

t it is! Do you ever wonder, Miss Minturn, why God makes the flowers and things t

e not going to involve Miss Minturn in a metaphysical discussion during this first meeting! Dorothy has acquired a ha

d ever made anyone, or anything, imperf

a moment, as if po

od of her head, "there are a lot of deformed, sick and ugly peop

ng that God made was good'; and, in Psalms, tha

Dorothy; "but if He could make things perfect in the first

ss Minturn from their walk," Mrs. Seabrook again interposed, with a note of gentle

a cloud, suddenly broke over Dorothy's face, at o

Miss Minturn will think I am not very good; but, truly, things do seem awfully mixed up sometimes when I get to thinking this way. I like you very, ver

y," Katherine replied, with an i

have the young ladies visit Dorothy, who has many lonely hours. Now come, A

ely rose," cried the child, looking back over he

o the highway, "she has a continual struggle to live, yet she is a remarkable girl,

old i

a month o

to be over seven or eight, although

great deal-sometimes the pain is almost unbearable; but, as a rule, she is very lovable and patient, though, now and then, a remark like what she made to yo

fort,' as Paul puts it-has created a world of such confusion, wherein evil and suffering, instead of peace and harmony, are the predominant elements?-where, for ages, sickness and death hav

er voice which moved Katherine deeply; while what she had said proved to her that these proble

t reply she could make that would best

f a dear little innocent. 'Oh!' I cry within myself, 'it is born only to repeat the struggle with sin, suffering and death.' Of what use is its life? of what use the advent of future generations if there is no way to rise above, or conquer, such adverse conditions? Is God good-if there is a God-to create only to destroy? to arbitrarily force these little

eynolds, you do not

e gently

s a Force-a controlling power and intelligence behind them. We call that force 'God.' We say that God is omnipotent, all wise and good; and certainly, in the government of the universe, everything

of good?" briefly

lds starte

more than a lie can spring out of

at God-which is but

ood-creat

cannot come out of good, where did evil come from? What a paradox it seems!" she went on, without waiting for a reply. "Yet evil does exist in the world-look at Dorothy! Think of the sin, misery and crime all about us! Where did they come from? There are some

e, where does it come from?

il desire to dec

ime, neither does He 'permit them for some wise purpose,' as you have quoted, any more than a just and loving human father would teach, or permit, his son to become a criminal, claiming that he ne

e that has been taught for ages," said Miss Reynolds, thoughtfully. "But

then they are the results of sin- evil. God not being the author of sin and disease, they, lik

e alone responsible for all the suff

is a mort

th-may I call you Katherine?" and Miss Reynolds laid a ca

for your question. God is Spirit, and 'What the Scriptures declare Him to be-Life, Truth an

ead of 'a spirit.' No

Intelligence,

t intelligence, life, truth, love are characteristic

ce of life must be Life itself, must it not? The same must also be true of truth and love. So Life, Truth, Love, Mind, Inte

Miss Reynolds, and dwelling thoughtfully upon each word. Then, turning

ust think more about it, though. I have always thought of Deity as a 'personal God,' and, yes"-smiling-"I used to believe in a personal devil, too; with a very vague conception that although the latter had always managed to keep the preponderanc

aid that it originated in the person's own evil thought and desire to d

rn the fact and are no longer affecte

d suffer from it; but once learn the truth you are free from that illusion and its power over you is gone. Now, you would n

ood-knows nothing of evil in any fo

neither create nor permit w

ust be the outcome of wrong thought on the part of mortals! What unlimited possibilities that suggests! Divine Principle! I begin to understand why yo

e that Christian Science is, as some one h

nown, seems like an olive leaf of hope and promise to me, for I have been tossing on a restless sea of doubt and skepticism for years, reaching out and groping after some substantial plan

t once became an earnest student of Christian Science, and, later, a successful practitioner; consequently its principles, as far as I have gone, are as clear to me as those that gov

ed her teache

strictly forbidden m

I am a stude

be unwise, for, doubtless, the parents of many, if not of all, would object. But I, as your teacher, fe

"But I would not willfully disobey the professor in any way. I owe him perfect

yself upon all moral and religious questions, and I think you may feel at liberty to give me any information that I may seek from you. I have not done with you, eith

eman came into view around a curve in t