The Pastor's Son

the table, and the father asked, "Walter, what p

ow, father,"

ecide. As for myself I have very little choice; I have read and s

er, may I go up

ou would rather be outside to-day, it is so warm, an

o to my room," said the boy

ough the hall to enter the library. Walter went quickly up st

ut, and asked mother to get me one, but mother had said, 'no, we will never try Christian Science; we are real Christians and believe in God.' I could not hear everything they said, but I did hear the lady say, 'I don't see how you can say that you believe that God is all Good, and at the same time think He made your lovely boy sick.' I did not hear mother's reply, but I know she was a

against it by the way mother acted towards that lady." He laid his head upon his hands and thought silently for some time, then raised his head and said, "Well, I am go

himself: "Science and He

ut shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things whatsoever ye

meant, when he said, 'therefore I say unto you, what things whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe ye shall receive them and ye shall have them.' Oh, how often and how earnestly have I prayed for health, with tears running do

er really believed that He would heal me, and Jesus said, 'Believe that ye receive.' Oh, can this really be true. I am so excited I can hardly think. Here I am again, this time doubting the word of Christ." Then he jumped up with the exclamation, "I must tell father, for his prayers are not answered, and it must be for the same reason. No, I don't mean that. My father is a minister and he co

put the book back in his trunk, t

ed and excited, and we haven't heard a sound from you all the afternoon. We were beginning to get alarmed about you, so I came up to see what w

orse, I only became so

ime, and also that I

l to see that no reading matter that was at all questionable was brought into the house, so

n, Walter, as father is

hts were still centered on what he had read. And now that his excitement had abated, there seemed to be a hopeful gleam

eral times before he would answer, and his father's hear

l, Walter asked to be excused, a

d you notice how Walter acted to-night? It seemed to

d confused, and his eyes were so brig

ange, but I hardly know whether to say the change is for better or worse. I

me, then the pastor said, "I never heard Walter speak as he did this noon. I wonder how he tho

g person for stealing, as it would be to punish the innocent with sickness because some one else had sinned. I have bee

ough to hear it from my own son, but to hear it from you is worse. Don't you think that Almighty God knows what is best for us,

ally believe God

"for we read in the Bible, that G

sin to give him medicine, for we wou

y. Never in his whole life had he been so shocked as on th

udy of the Bible in this house, for from what I have heard to-day it is very apparent to me that my

in an easy chair and began to soliloquize after this fashion: "I wonder where Walter got that idea about sending me to jail, what can that have to do with his sickness; then to think my wife agreed with him. Let me see, what did she say? I was so outraged I can scarcely recall what was said. I believe though she said something about some of the apostles doubting at times. What has that to do with sending me to jail? I don't seem able to think clearly to-day. Then this other matter, about giving medicine being a sin. Why everybody takes medicine; the most pious and devout Christians that ever lived have taken medicine, and this has been so for thousands

dismissed the subject from his thoughts, arose, and walked over to the

to his room and was soon busily eng

ng upstairs to retire for the night. He hastily turned

arose, relit the gas, and continued reading. It was after midnight when he laid down the book and said, "I feel sure this book is true, and that God made only the good, and never ma

. I could not thank you this morning, for then I thought you had made me sick. But now I know that you are all good an