Page:Christian Science War Time Activities.djvu/108

 something for him which no one around there knew how to give. Others could write his letters and I would proceed to do the good I knew how to do. To this he agreed and what had been written was then torn up. The next half hour was spent in telling him of simple truths he could easily understand.

“Next day I returned. Our friend was tremendously cheered. In civil life he had been a school-teacher and as he could not read now I asked him if he knew ‘The Ancient Mariner.’ Immediately he began to quote it with spirit and effect. He knew little of Christian Science but he did know ‘The Ancient Mariner.’ That was enough! That part where the Mariner felt a little love in his heart and saw that all things began to take on a new aspect was metaphysically explained and dwelt upon. From that moment there was a ‘ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.’

“The day he had expected to die he was moved from the insane ward to one for nervous troubles. Here the doctor was openly hostile. He could not stop me from visiting but he used up the two-hour period as much as he could by having something done to the patient during that time. For a week this doctor and others had a new experiment to try each day. One day it was to be an operation on the spine, another on the head. Always he or others were intending to do something for the patient but they never did, although our friend was taken to the operating room twice and then sent back for further diagnosis. Daily the case appeared different to the doctors, so that what would be decided upon for the following day, the patient would then be found unsuited for. Things came to such a pass that it required higher demonstration.

“About this time I was reading Jacob's experience with Esau at the ford Jabbok. It was evident that Jacob had to realize the metaphysical concept of ‘brother’ or meet with certain destruction. After that famous meeting Esau asked Jacob a question and he answered, ‘I have seen thy face, as