The Washington herald., 1907-03-10


everything was arranged but the buying
of the tickets. when Providence inter-
vcned. and I did not go"
What kept you from going?" some
body asked.
"A beautiful smile played over the fea-
lures Of the lady who had been spared.
Why" said she. my friend fell down
Snd broke her leg"
We were all brought up to believe that
when one gets near enough the gates Of
death TO have a peek in, all the events
of his past life come crowding into his
mind. Between the now and the never,
never country his past actions return TO
taunt him. He secs the sum of his sins
in a flash. We have always been taught
this. / say. but the belief rests on insult
ficient data. one has so few chances TO
pry into the mental processes Of persons
who are going down for the third time
or falling off "a ten-story building. / did
meet d man last summer. though. who
came mighty near being drowned. and
when 7 asked him whether all his past
life flashed before his minds eye. he
laughed
he said Il didn't seem TO be worried at
all about drowning, though 1 imagined
I'd been under water about week. The
thing that troubled me was the sudden
recollection that / had my laundry ticket
in my pocket tt seemed to me too hideous
Tor words that that ticket should be
ruined by the wet Maybe it was race
prejudice, but ] couldn't die comfortably
and have five shirts and "a dozen collars
in the hands Of q sOullcss Chinaman.
MOI one other earthly thing occurred 10
me. ] think il was the laundry ticket
that gave me superhuman strength to
grab a rope I saw dangling in the water
above me If I hadn't had that ticket
I'm perfectly sure I'd have stayed where
] was, for I really didn't care a bit TO
come back to life for anything but that.
was walking with my small friend.
Lucy, last Sunday and Lucy's thoughts
carried her far into the future
Wish / was grown up and married
and had five children" she said.
Naturally, although her anti-race sui
eide views faxed me, / made the usual
speech of a ''grOwn-up." I told her that
childho0d's days were the happiest she'd
ever know. and that maturity would come
an TOO soon.
Well" said she. I'D just as soon not
bee grown up. but I wish I had those five
children right now
Why ] asked. delighted at this mani
festation of the maternal instinct.
Well said Lucy. II want somebody
I can hit when I'm mad. Mother won't
let me hit anybody, but she spanks me
whenever she wants 20. If had five chill
dret.. Ia just lam 'em every time I was
mad
Speaking of the childish point OF view
reminds me of woman who has lately
gone into Christian Science. She is not
yet especially skillfuI I'm the handling Of
her formulate. but she is extremely earn
est, and endeavors 10 bring her new
faith to bear on all the events Of her
daily life. Her small son came in one
day not long ago. complaining that he
had hit his head with his shiny stick and
IL hurt The mother cOmbated the err
rOr
There is no life truth. substance. or in
telIigeuCc I'm matter she said Matter
has no sensation. tt is mortal error.
Spirit is eternal truth. You have only
false claim of pain. There is no pain in
your head. tt does not hurt you. Go
out and play
The boy listened. but mortal error still
swayed him. He lifted his stick and hit
his mother a resouuding whack. a little
later when Old-fashiOued methods not
disconnected with the use of the back Of
a hair brush had temporarily taken the
place OF New Thought. the mother was
brought face To face with an issue which
no repetition of the Statement OF Being
could settle.
II don't see why 7 can't hit YOU"
sobbed the b0v. IF il didn't hurt me
20 be hit, I don't see why It does you.
You said it didn't hurt, you know you
did. and 7 just wanted 10 ind out if you
was fooling me. There amt no sense TO
il if il don't work on you, same as ON
kids
II would be worth while TO be a child
again for no other reason than 10 sing
the songs IN the new musical primer, for
which the music has been written by Miss
Bently. Of the music department of the
Washington public schools. and the words
by Arthur Henry Miss Bently and Mr.
Henry have been at work for many
months on the little book and it is like
unto no other set of songs for children.
Many OF us who are not Yet in our
dotage can remember when we sang
words which might as well have been
Houentot for all we understood of them
AT more than one school exhibition in my
day, an infant phenomenon used to pipe
that cheering song. I Should Like 10 Die
Said WHY" and I always did sympathize
with WHY'S papa, who said he had so
much 20 do that he couldn't take time
20 die Eternity with a boy of WHY'S
bent of mind never did look alluring
And We used to sing the lay about the
poor blind hoy. I remember well how
II went There was something about
And God took up the poor blind boy and
opened first his eyes in Heaven" though
in my school days. learning the words
by ear. the words shaped themselves 10
my mind And God took cup. o poor
blind boy. and opened for his size in
Heaven" which was neither comforting
nor ineligible. limiting at a divinity ad-
dicted to cups and poker. It was d day
when
Mother hoW s,il tie babg lies,
! caunot hear his breath.
] cannot see his sparkling eyes
., tell NE, is this deatbt
Was accounted cheerful reading for tie
infant mind. and "Tra-la-la. tra-la-la, 8"
was supposed TO express natural gayety
when we sang Mr. Henry has supplied
Miss Bently's music with words which
mean something to child. THE wind
las such a splendid voice is not likely