The First Lesson
: JewelJewel looked up as she heard a knock. Sarah had made the bed and gone.
Who could this be?
At her "Come in," Eloise entered the room. The child's face brightened
questioningly. She rose and gazed at the enchanted maiden, very lovely
in the wrapper of white silk, open at the throat, and with little
billows of lace cascading down to the toes of her white Turkish
slippers.
"Good-mor
or order which she supposed to be forthcoming.
"Good-morning." The girl cast a comprehensive glance around the rather
bare room. Her eyes bore no traces of the tears so recently shed, but
her face was sad. "I heard you singing," she said.
"Yes. Did I disturb anybody?" asked the child quickly.
"No. It is nice to be like the birds that sing in the rain."
"Like the robin out there," returned Jewel, relieved. "Did you hear
him?" She ran to the window and threw it open, listening a minute. "No,
he has gone."
"You said you would show me your doll," went on Eloise when the window
was closed again.
"Oh," returned Jewel pleased, "did you come to see Anna Belle? She's
right here. We were just going to have the lesson." She took the doll
from the depths of a big chair and held her up with motherly pride.
"Would you--won't you sit down a minute?"
To her great satisfaction, her beautiful visitor condescended to take
the chair Anna Belle had vacated, and held out her white, ringless hands
for the doll.
"How neatly her clothes are made," said the girl, examining Anna Belle's
garments.
"Yes, my mother made her all new ones when she knew she was going to
Europe, so that she would be neat and not mortify me. Would you like to
see her clothes?" eagerly.
"Yes, I should."
Jewel brought them, her quick little fingers turning them back and
forth, exhibiting the tiny buttonholes and buttons, and chattering
explanations of their good points.
"It was a great deal for your mother to do all this, when she is such a
busy woman," said Eloise.
"Yes, she did it evenings, and then surprised me just when we were
coming away. Wasn't it lovely?"
"Very."
"I love prettiness," said the child. As she spoke she regarded the grave
face beside her. "When I first noticed that my nose wasn't nice, and
neither were my eyes, I almost cried."
Eloise looked up at her, at a loss for a reply.
"But then I remembered that of course God never made anything that
wasn't perfectly beautiful, so I knew that it would come right some
time, and I asked mother when she thought it would."
"What did she say?" returned Eloise, wondering at this original
optimism.
"She said we could never tell how soon anything would come right to our
sense, but so long as we knew that Creation was perfect and beautiful,
we could be patient about everything--big things and little things; and
then I remember how she talked to me about being careful never to pity
myself." Jewel gave her head a little serious shake. "You know it's very
bad error to pity yourself, no matter what kind of a nose you have."
Eloise had sunk back in the large chair and was attentively watching
the child standing beside her, while she still held Anna Belle. She had
never before held converse with a Christian Scientist, but her state of
mind precluded the perception of a humorous side to anything.
"Wrong to pity yourself no matter what happens?" she asked.
"Yes--because--because--" Jewel looked off. She knew that it was error,
but it was hard to explain why to the lovely grown-up cousin who was so
strangely sorry. "Well, you see," she added after the moment's thought,
"it isn't having faith in God, it isn't knowing that you're His child,
and that He takes care of you."
"No, I suppose not; but I have never learned how to know that, Jewel."
"I know you haven't," returned the little girl, and she slipped her hand
toward her cousin's. The girl met it halfway and held it close. "Since
I've seen you," Jewel went on slowly, "I know that prettiness isn't
enough to make a person happy--nor all your lovely clothes--nor having
people fond of you and sending you presents--nor making the sweetest
music; but you can be happy, cousin Eloise, unless you're doing wrong."
"I am doing wrong, but I can't help it." The girl took her supporting
hand from the doll and pressed it to her eyes a second before dropping
it. "What were you doing when I came in?"
"I was just going to get the lesson."
"Oh, do you go on with your studies? Perhaps I can help you better than
Anna Belle."
"Would you cousin Eloise?" Jewel flushed with pleasure. "Some of the
words are so long. I thought I'd ask grandpa to-night."
"Why didn't you wish to come to me?" questioned Eloise, well knowing
why.
The little girl looked a trifle embarrassed. "I didn't want to trouble
you. Of course you aren't my real relations," she said modestly.
"Do you remember that, too!" exclaimed Eloise.
Jewel started at the hurt voice. "Would you like to be?" she asked
earnestly. "I wish you were, because"--she hesitated and smiled with her
head a little on the side, "because I might look more like you."
The gravity of Eloise's lips remained unbroken. "I want you to promise
me something, Jewel. I want you to promise not to tell your grandfather
that I have been with you to-day."
"Why? He'd be glad I was happy."
"I have a reason. I will help you with your studies every day if you
won't tell him."
"I might without meaning to," rejoined the child, her alert little mind
busy with the new problem suddenly presented to it.
"I will make a rainbow scarf for Anna Belle if you will never speak of
me to your grandfather."
"Why do you say my grandfather? He's yours, too."
"Not at all. Didn't you just say I was not your real relation?"
"Oh but, cousin Eloise," Jewel was sure of the hurt now, though the why
or wherefore was a mystery, "of course he wishes you were."
"Oh no he doesn't." The answer came quick and sharp, and the child
reviewed mentally her own observations of the household. Her heart
swelled with the desire to help.
"Now, cousin Eloise," her breath came a little faster with the thronging
thoughts for which her vocabulary was insufficient, "error does try
to cheat people so. Just think how kind you were inside all the time,
though you wouldn't smile at me. You're willing to make Anna Belle a
scarf. I called you the enchanted maiden, because you were too sorry
to try to make people happy, and now grandpa's just like that; he's
enchanted, too, if he doesn't make you happy, because he's just as
kind inside, oh, just as kind as he can be."
"He likes you," returned Eloise.
Jewel regarded her for a silent moment. "I noticed when I came," she
said at last, apologetically, "that nobody here seemed to love one
another; and the house was so grand and the people were so beautiful
that I couldn't understand; and I called it Castle Discord."
Eloise gave a little exclamation. "I call it the icebox," she returned.
Jewel's face lighted. "That's it, that's all it is," she said eagerly.
"It's easy to melt ice. Love melts everything."
"It's pretty slow work sometimes," said Eloise.
"Then you have to put on more love. That's all. Have you"--the child
asked the question a little timidly, "have you put on much love to
grandpa?"
"Why should I love him?" asked Eloise. "He doesn't love me."
"Oh dear," said Jewel. After a minute's thought her face brightened. "I
guess I'll show you my dotted letter."
She ran to the closet where hung her dotted challie dress and took from
the pocket the message that had come to her the evening of her arrival.
"My mother put a letter into all my pockets for a happy surprise; and
this one came the first night, when I was feeling all sorry and alone,
and it comforted me. Perhaps it will comfort you."
She put the paper into the girl's hand, and Eloise read it. She turned
it over and read it a second time.
Jewel stood beside her chair watching, and seeing that her cousin seemed
interested, she ran and brought her little wrapper. "Perhaps you'd like
to see this one too," she said feeling in the pocket for the second
message.
Eloise accepted and read it. Every word of the two notes came to the
mind of the young girl as suggestions from another planet, so foreign
were they to any instruction or advice that had ever fallen to her lot.
She gave a slight exclamation as she finished. "Is your mother a saint?"
she asked, looking up suddenly.
"No," returned Jewel innocently. "She's a Christian Scientist."
Eloise suddenly put out her hand, and drawing Jewel to her, hid her
forehead on the child's breast.
"I wish you were older," she said.
Jewel put her little hands on the shining waves of hair she had admired
from afar. "I wish my mother was here," she answered. "Did you like
those things mother said?"
"Oh yes; but they're from heaven, and I'm in the other place," replied
Eloise disconsolately.
"Then let's look in another pocket!" exclaimed Jewel. "I'll look in my
best dress. Perhaps she'd put the best one there."
The girl lifted her head, and the child went eagerly to the closet,
coming back with a folded paper. "We'll read it together. You read it
out loud, and I'll look over your shoulder."
The rain slanted against the window in gusts as the two heads bent above
the paper. Eloise read:--
"Mother is thinking of you, little daughter, every day and every night,
and the thing she hopes the most is, that you never let the day go
by without studying the lesson. The words may be hard sometimes, but
perhaps some one will read it with you, and if they do not, then you go
on trying your best, and you will learn more and more all the time; for
truth will shine into your thought and help you. Grandpa will give
you plenty of bread and butter, but you must remember that Spirit,
not matter, satisfieth. You would starve without the Bible and the
text-book, and very soon the joy would go out of everything. Give my
love to Anna Belle, and tell her not to go out to play any day until you
have read the lesson."
"Your mother speaks as if you learned Christian Science out of the
Bible," said Eloise.
"Of course," returned Jewel.
"I thought a woman got it up," said the girl. "I thought your church
worshipped her."
The child smiled at the phrase. "You know Christ was the first one.
That's why we call ourselves that. We couldn't be Christian Scientists
if we worshipped any one but God," she answered. "Of course we love Mrs.
Eddy. Just think how good and unselfish a person has to be before they
can hear God's teaching. He showed her how to remind people of the
things that Christ taught, and how to get rid of their sins and
sickness. We love her dearly for helping people so much, and shouldn't
you think everybody would? But they don't. Some people think hating
thoughts about her, just as if she was teaching bad things instead of
good ones. Mother says it reminds her of what the Saviour said, 'For
which of these works do ye stone me?'"
"Ah, but you see," returned Eloise, "Christian Scientists let people die
sometimes without a doctor."
"But lots of people they do cure are the ones doctors said would have to
die."
"I know they claim that."
"And such a lot of people pass on while doctors are taking care of them
I wonder why it makes everybody so angry when a Scientist goes without
any."
Eloise smiled faintly as she shook her head. "It is more respectable to
die with a doctor at your side," she returned.
"Are you really willing to help me with the lesson, cousin Eloise? If
you are, it would be nice if you would get your Bible too."
The girl looked embarrassed. "I haven't any."
"Well, your mother's would do just as well," said Jewel politely.
"She hasn't any--here, I'm sure."
The little girl stood very still a moment. "No wonder they're sorry,"
she thought.
"All right. We can both look over one," she answered, and going to the
dresser she brought her books.
"Was this the study you meant?" asked Eloise, looking at the three books
curiously. "I thought I was offering to help you with something I knew
about. I used to learn verses out of the Bible when I was a little girl
in Sunday-school. I don't know anything about it now."
"But you can read everything, the big words and all," replied Jewel. "I
wish I could."
Eloise saw that this reply was designed to minister to her self-respect.
She took up the small black book lying with the Bible. "What is this?"
"That is 'Science and Health,' that Mrs. Eddy wrote to explain to us
what the Bible means; and this other one is to tell us where to pick out
the places for the day's lesson." Jewel pulled up a chair, and seating
herself, turned over the leaves of the Quarterly briskly until she found
the right date.
"Please find Zechariah, cousin Eloise."
"What's that?" asked the girl helplessly.
"It's in the Old Testament. Would you rather I'd find them? All right,
then you can take 'Science and Health' and find that part."
"I hope it's easy, for I'm awfully stupid, Jewel."
"Oh, it's very easy. You'll see." The child found the chapter and verse
in the Bible and read, with her finger on the line. Eloise looked over
and read with her. Thus they went through all the verses for the day,
then Jewel began to give the page and line to be read in the text-book.
This volume was small and agreeable to handle, the India paper pleasant
to the girl's dainty touch. According to the child's request, she read
aloud the lines which were called for.
"That's all," said Jewel at last. "Oh cousin Eloise, it's just lovely
and easy to get the lesson with you," she added gratefully.
Eloise made no response. Her eye had been caught by a statement on the
page before her, and she read on in silence.
Jewel waited a minute and then, seeing that her cousin was absorbed, she
laid down the Quarterly and took up her doll and sat still, watching the
pretty profile, undisturbed by doubts as to what her cousin might think
of the book she held, and full of utter confidence that He who healeth
all our diseases would minister to her through its pages.
At last Eloise again became conscious of her surroundings. She turned to
her companion, a skeptical comment on her lips, but she suppressed
the words at sight of the innocent, expectant face. She certainly had
nothing to give this child better than what she already possessed.
"You can read it any time when you feel sorry, cousin Eloise, that and
my Bible too. Mother always does."
"Does she ever feel sorry?"
"Sometimes; but it can't last where the Bible is."
"I never saw that the Bible had anything to do with us," said Eloise.
"Why--ee!" Jewel suddenly dropped Anna Belle and again took up the
Bible.
"What do you think I opened to?" holding the verse with her finger as
she looked up. Then she read, "'If ye love them that love you what thank
have ye?' Now isn't that something to do with you and grandpa?"
"I don't see how I can love people who don't choose to be lovable,"
returned Eloise. "What's the use of pretending?"
"But then," said the child, "the trouble is that everything that isn't
love is hate."
Her visitor raised her eyebrows. "Ah! I should have to think about
that," she returned.
"Yes, you'd better," agreed Jewel. Then she turned to the Psalms and
read the ninety-first.
When she had finished she looked up at her cousin, an earnest
questioning in her eyes.
"That is very beautiful," said Eloise. "I never heard it before. How
well you read it, Jewel."
"Yes," replied the child. "It's so much easier to read things when you
know them by heart." Then she turned to the Twenty-third Psalm and read
it.
"Yes, I've heard that one. It's beautiful of course, but I never thought
of its having anything to do with us." Eloise was watching her cousin
curiously. It seemed too strange for belief that a healthy child of her
age should be taking a vital interest in the Bible and endeavoring to
prove a position from its pages.
When the girl finally rose to go she turned at the door:--
"Remember your promise not to tell grandfather about this morning," she
said.
Jewel, hovering about her, looked troubled.
"Would you just as lief tell me why?" she asked.
Eloise gave the ghost of a smile. "It would be a long story, and I
scarcely think you would understand."
"I think I could obey you better if you would tell me."
"Very well. We, my mother and I, are not Mr. Evringham's real
relations,--to put it as you do,--and we have come here because my poor
father lost his money and we have nowhere else to go. We came without
being invited, and it hurts to have to stay where we are not wanted. I
don't wish grandfather to think that I am being kind to you, for fear he
will believe that I am doing it to make him like me better and because I
want to stay here."
The girl spoke slowly and with great clearness.
Jewel looked at her, speechless with surprise and perplexity.
Eloise went on: "I don't want to stay here, you understand. I wish to go
away. I would go to-day if my mother were willing."
Her large eyes grew dark as she closed, and the child received a sense
of the turbulence that underlay her words.
"Thank you for explaining," she returned in an awed tone. "I wish my
mother was here; but God is, and He'll take care of you, cousin Eloise.
Mother says we don't ever need to stay in the shadow. There's always the
sunshine, only we must do our part, we must come into it."
"How Jewel? Supposing you don't know how."
"You can learn how," replied the child earnestly, "right in those books.
Lots of sorry people grow glad studying them."
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Now it happened that in the early hours of Whit Monday, before Millie was hunted out for the day, Mr. Hall and Mrs. Hall both rose and went noiselessly down into the cellar. Their business there was of a private nature, and had something to do wit... The Gallery
Aunt Matilda needed him desperately, but when he arrived she did not want him and neither did anyone else in his home town. I was in the midst of the fourth draft of my doctorate thesis when Aunt Matilda's telegram came. It could n... The Garden Of Eden
WITH NO HEAVENLY GUIDE, IT IS LITTLE WONDER that I became confused and lost in the labyrinthine maze of those mighty hills. What, in reality, I did was to pass entirely through them and come out above the valley upon the farther side. I know tha... The General Strike
Of course Ernest was elected to Congress in the great socialist landslide that took place in the fall of 1912. One great factor that helped to swell the socialist vote was the destruction of Hearst.* This the Plutocracy found an easy task. It cost... The German Emperor
The German Emperor was paying his annual visit to the moors at Springe. But this year he had little time to spare for the noble sport which usually brought him fresh vigour and recreation in the refreshing solitude of the forest. The telegraph was... The Giant Children
I. For a time at least the spreading circle of residual consequences about the Experimental Farm must pass out of the focus of our narrative--how for a long time a power of bigness, in fungus and toadstool, in grass and weed, radiated from that... The Giant Leaguer
I. Presently Redwood found himself in a train going south over the Thames. He had a brief vision of the river shining under its lights, and of the smoke still going up from the place where the shell had fallen on the north bank, and where a vas... The Giant Lovers
I. Now it chanced in the days when Caterham was campaigning against the Boom-children before the General Election that was--amidst the most tragic and terrible circumstances--to bring him into power, that the giant Princess, that Serene Highnes... The Giant Rats
I. It was two nights after the disappearance of Mr. Skinner that the Podbourne doctor was out late near Hankey, driving in his buggy. He had been up all night assisting another undistinguished citizen into this curious world of ours, and his ta... The Giant's Finger
FOR quite three weeks we pushed forward through the interminable forest until one day we came to a small village beyond which lay a great broad river glistening in the noon-day sun. It was the mighty Comoe. We had entered the kingdom of Anno. In t... The Giddy Bridge
Just for a moment that hostile pause endured. I suppose that both we and the Selenites did some very rapid thinking. My clearest impression was that there was nothing to put my back against, and that we were bound to be surrounded and killed. The ov... The Gift Bearer
By CHARLES L. FONTENAY This could well have been Montcalm's greatest opportunity; a chance to bring mankind priceless gifts from worlds beyond. But Montcalm was a solid family man--and what about that nude statue in the park? It was on... The Golden Judge
A suggestion and a highly intriguing one--on how to settle the problems that involve face-saving among nations! UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., June 16, 1981--(AP)--In one of the most impressive ceremonies ever held in the United Nations building, the wo... The Good Neighbors
You can't blame an alien for a little inconvenience--as long as he makes up for it! The ship was sighted a few times, briefly and without a good fix. It was spherical, the estimated diameter about twenty-seven miles, and was in an or... The Government Joins The Picnickers
Not many days later found our friends comfortably located in a hotel in the national capital. The Doctor was quite well acquainted with the representative from his congressional district, and was supplied with letters of introduction from influent... The Grand Lunar
The penultimate message describes, with occasionally elaborate detail, the encounter between Cavor and the Grand Lunar, who is the ruler or master of the moon. Cavor seems to have sent most of it without interference, but to have been interrupted in... The Gravity Projectile
Hermann Anderwelt had probably suffered many disappointments and waited long for a hearing. Now he seemed to feel that his opportunity had come, for he continued with growing enthusiasm:-- "Hitherto all attempts at space travelling have been too... The Great Adventure
Mr. Wickson did not send for father. They met by chance on the ferry-boat to San Francisco, so that the warning he gave father was not premeditated. Had they not met accidentally, there would not have been any warning. Not that the outcome would h... The Great Aqueduct
The Birmingham reservoirs are a chain of lakes artificially produced by damming up the River Elan, a tributary of the Wye. The great aqueduct which carries the water from the Elan, eighty miles across country, travelling through hills and bridging... The Great Eyrie
The next day at dawn, Elias Smith and I left Morganton by a road which, winding along the left bank of the Catawba River, led to the village of Pleasant Garden. The guides accompanied us, Harry Horn, a man of thirty, and James Bruck, aged twen...