Katherine Merritte Snyder Yates

“ He sat flat upon the deck with his feet straight out before him and his hands resting, palm downward, on each side of him, to steady himself from the rolling of the boat. He sat perfectly still, as if glued to the deck, his face chalky white, his lower lip hanging loose and his eyes staring straight before him. He was the perfect picture of fright, and didn't seem to be conscious of anything but the terror that had hold of him.
"Why, the man's fairly paralyzed with fear," said Uncle Fred. ”

“ It's a great deal harder to be sour than'to be sweet."
"Not for me."
"Yes it is. When a thing is all over and you come to average it up, you'll find that all of the hard things have come of the sourness,—and all of the easy things have come of the sweetness."
That was a new way of looking at it.
"And so I was thinking," went on Bess, "that if we each of us want to do something for the other,—not for Christmas, but for friendship,—the really best thing would be for us both to do something for that other girl." ”

“ We gathered the wood and then, while Aunt Fannie and Mrs. Walker were getting things in shape, we sat down on the sand-covered boat and I whittled skewers.
"I never in my life saw anything so beautiful as that lake," said Bess, leaning back in the soft sand. "Isn't it the bluest blue and the whitest white that you ever saw? Just look, where it dashes up against the breakwater!"
I looked. "Gee, those are big waves!" I said. "They're getting bigger all the time. It looks just like a storm, only the sun is shining so brightly, and the only clouds are those little soft, white ones. ”

“ I don't know what to say."
"Well, I've been thinking it over, and this is the way that I've figured it out," said Bess. "It's something as if we held up a pair of scales, and weighed a person's attributes, without knowing that we did it. A pair of scales with two scoops, you know; and we throw into one or the other scoop, our impressions of him; the ideas we get from what we see him do and hear him say, the good things into one scoop and the bad things into the other. And then, if the good things weigh heaviest, we like him; and if the bad things make that side go down,—we don't." ”

“ It was a great globe of stiff stems and twigs, as light as a sponge and nearly as large as a bushel basket. I'd never seen one before, and I took it to examine it, when suddenly a gust of wind snatched it out of my hand and tossed it away up in the air, like a balloon; and when it came down it didn't lie still, but started off down the beach at a perfectly astonishing gait. ”

“ A good many of the people had gone into the cabin, and some of those who were outside didn't seem to be having a real good time. The boat kept rolling more and more and the movement was awfully unsteady. She would rise up, sharply, on a wave, seem to poise on the top for a moment, take a side-wise dip, and then suddenly the sea would seem to drop from under her in the most harrowing way, and in another second she would rise to meet another wave so quickly that you felt as if you'd left something behind and needed it.
"Don't you think we'd better go inside?" asked Uncle Fred, pretty soon. ”

“ Uncle Rob drummed his fingers on the floor beside him. "I wasn't going to suggest any of those things," he said.
"Oh, no! Every one knows something different. They're all simply trying to rub it in."
"Why don't you give them something in return?"
"I feel like giving them a punch!"
"How would it be if you were to give them a kind thought, in recognition that they are trying to help you, as well as they know how?"
"Well, they aren't succeeding, I can tell them that."
"You are sort of using them in lieu of the mustard plaster that you refused, aren't you?" ”

“ Not but that the doctors are honest and noble and good, but I believe that Christian Science treats the real causes, clear down at the foundation of the trouble,—like taking away the reason for the sorrow, instead of putting something in your eyes to stop the tears."
"But," I said, "there are some other ways of healing without medicine,—and they seem to really cure people sometimes, too. Why aren't those as good as Christian Science, if they heal?"
"Well," said Bess, "suppose that when you were a little, wee boy, you had wakened up one night and thought that there was a tiger under your bed. ”

“ Mrs. Walker had had one ear turned in our direction, and just then she leaned forward. "Don't you think, dear," she said, "that when Jesus said 'Heal the sick,' he meant the sick at heart?"
Bess's eyes opened wide. "Why, no!" she said, very earnestly. "He healed their bodies and their hearts, too, and told us to do just the same."
Mrs. Walker looked at her curiously, and then turned back to Aunt Fannie. "It's all Greek to me," she said, sighing and shaking her head;—"but I wish that I could understand it; for they are always such happy people." ”

“ So I went back and yanked them to the top, one at a time, and the only way I could do it, was by making them run a few steps and then drop in the sand, so as not to slide back, and then get up and run again. At last we were up, and stood there in the big wind, with the girls' hair and dresses flapping wildly, and the gulls swooping all about our heads.
"Oh, isn't it splendid!" cried Bess, waving her arms. "I always feel like singing and shouting when I'm out in the wind. I could almost fly! Isn't the lake perfectly grand? ”

“ And then Uncle Rob drew in his neck and looked at the corner lot, where we were standing. "H'm!" he said. "Isn't that just the way! When we're looking for something wonderful, we always stretch our necks and look a long way off, when, if we'd shorten the focus of our eyes and look close beside us, we'd find something wonderful all the time." ”

“ Bess shook her head. "It's odd," she said. "Folks are willing to study all sorts of other things, like arithmetic, and music, and how to be doctors and lawyers, and house-builders,—they spend years and years at it; but they don't seem to think it's worth while to study how to do the wonderful things that Jesus did. They seem to think that if it is possible to do these very greatest things in the world, they ought to be able to do them without studying or practising at all,—and because they can't, they don't seem to like it because other people do. ”

“ I have to believe that scratch on my hand,—I know where I got it, too."
"That's the main trouble," said Uncle Rob; "you think you know where you got it;—and lots of times you hit your hand and think you've hurt it, until you look and see that there isn't any mark, and then you decide that you haven't, and it doesn't bother you any more. Experience, based upon lack of understanding, is what makes all the bother." ”

“ Do you suppose they all came down just to see the boat go out? You'd think they never saw a steam-boat before!"
"They're a jolly looking crowd, aren't they?" I said. "They look as if they were having a lot of fun about something,—wish I was in the joke."
"See, we're almost out of the river," cried Twinny, hanging over the rail. "Isn't the lake lovely and foamy? Oh, we're beginning to rock some! Isn't it fine? I don't mind it a bit."
"Look at the people at the life-saving station," called Bess. "See, they're all waving to us. Let's wave back. What are they all cheering and laughing for? ”

“ I shouted, "Look at him, look at him!" for the stem had proved his downfall, and instead of spinning along like the others, the sharp end of it would strike the ground at every turn, and the clumsy ball would rise upon it, make a funny leap into the air, and then roll over and come up again; giving it the most ridiculous, limping gait that you ever saw, and leaving him ever so far behind the others.
"He's gone lame,—he's gone lame!" I shouted. "He's got the string-halt!"
Bess laughed and cheered with the rest of us. "Oh, isn't he funny?" she cried. "Look at him jump! ”

“ Bess and I laughed. "Isn't that just the way," said Bess. "We struggle and struggle to get something; and then we spend so much time thinking about how hard it was to get, that we entirely lose sight of the thing itself, and don't get any good out of it."
"Here's the place," called Twinny, who had run a little way ahead. "This is where we ate last year."
"Why, how can you tell?" asked Bess, looking around; "It's just the same everywhere—only smooth sand." ”

“ Doesn't he know a thousand times as much about base-ball as all of the rest of us put together? Hasn't he had the practice, and the experience? That's what we wanted him to help us for,—so he could advise us and tell us the best way to get results. We used to make errors right and left, because we couldn't see far enough ahead in the game;—but he's got us to thinking quick and thinking right. Even if we can't always see at a glance why we should do as he says,—when we've done it, we see the reason in the end; for it always proves to be the very best thing to be done under the circumstances. ”

“ Once upon a time there was a deep, dark cave; and away down in this cave, away from the light, there lay a man. And he was very miserable. And all day—and all day—he lay there and moaned and cried because of the dreadful darkness that surrounded him upon all sides. It was absolute blackness, without a ray of light. ”

“ Bess bit her lip.
"What's the matter?" I asked. "It's all right for her to use her Science to help her know it isn't lost, isn't it?"
"It certainly is," said Uncle Rob. "Bess, you tell him what was the trouble."
"Partly bad manners," said Bess, shrugging her shoulders. "It's just as bad manners to take your dose of Christian Science out loud in public, as it is to have your bottle and teaspoon at the table and take your dose of medicine under everybody's nose. When any one brings his medicine bottle to the table, every one else feels like throwing plates at it ”

“ Uncle Fred shook his head solemnly and pulled down the corners of his mouth. "Chester," he said, "I am compelled to believe that you and Elizabeth think too much. When one thinks too much, one asks questions—hard questions—and people who ask hard questions aren't popular in most circles."
"They are in ours," said Bess. ”

“ After dinner Bess and Uncle Rob came over and we waited for Bob. At three-thirty, sharp, he drove up, and, say, the horses were feeling fine. We made Uncle Rob sit with him, on the front seat, because the scenery would all be new to him; but Bess and I sat with our chins on the back of the seat the most of the way.
"Pretty good horses," said Uncle Rob, when we were started.
"Yep," said Bob. "They've only one fault, and that's when they see a railroad train."
"Scared?" asked Uncle Rob.
"No," said Bob. "They don't wait to be scared!" ”

“ When we reached Aunt Fannie's, I got into a Morris chair and went back into my store-room until Uncle Fred, with a tease is his eyes, said,—"Chet, you're in a brown study. That's bad. Don't take up a religion where you have to think. Don't puzzle over the deep things. Take up something where all you have to do is to be good according to rules laid down,—then you don't have to exercise your gray matter. It's much easier and more comfortable, and doesn't interfere with your usual pursuits." ”

“ I used to ask Bess a lot of questions—not so that I could contradict them, but because I wanted to know how she looked at them.
One day I said, "Bess, if the healing isn't the most important part of Christian Science, why couldn't a person be a Christian Scientist and leave that part out of it?" ”

“ Uncle Fred tipped the chair off of his head "Well, Bess," he said, "I was going to have a lock of your hair and a little shoe to remember you by, anyway."
And just then the captain appeared in the door-way of the cabin, a broad grin on his face. "There's no danger," he said, laughing. "There won't be any more like that. We got a big sea when she turned, coming out of the harbor; but there won't be any more bother. She's headed for home now, and is taking the waves finely." ”

“ Is your intellect so colossal that what you can't seem to grasp, must necessarily be a mere jumble of words containing no meaning whatever? You might be generous enough to give these other people credit for an ordinary amount of intelligence and honesty; or at least, you ought to give some time to examining into the things that they are doing every day to prove that they do understand, before you set them down as liars, frauds, or superstitious puppets."
Uncle Rob was very much in earnest, and I didn't have anything to say,—so I kicked the railing again. ”

“ I have never seen a city anywhere nearly so beautiful as that little village of twenty-five hundred people;—even our town is clumsy compared with it, and the world doesn't joggle as it turns around, there. ”

“ Not one Christian Scientist looks upon the author of our text-book with worship, or as in any way supernatural; but they are all wholesomely grateful, and love her and look upon her with the reverence that one must feel for a person who has done such a great work;—and I'll wager you anything you like," she wound up, "that you will never, as long as you live, find a Christian Scientist who will tell you anything different." ”

“ I don't see how the practitioners can think it's right to charge for it."
"Well, I'll tell you one reason," said Uncle Rob. "It happens that the practitioners haven't yet outgrown the necessity of eating food and wearing clothes and having roofs over their heads! When a person gives up whatever work he is doing to earn a living, and takes up the study and practice of Christian Science, can you tell me how he is going to get food and clothing and pay his rent, if he doesn't charge anything for the time he gives to his patients?" ”

“ Well, that is the way that we Christian Scientists feel, Bob. We are grateful more than anything else,—grateful from the bottoms of our hearts to her for giving us the results of her study and work and demonstration. We see the years of wrongly directed effort, and unhappiness, and pain, that she has saved us from, and the start that she has given us toward doing our work right for all time, because she has shared with us the fruit of her labor ”