CHAPTER XII.
"Our weary years of wandering o'er, We greet with joy this radiant shore; The promised land of liberty, The dawn of freedom's morn we see. O promised land, we enter in, With 'peace on earth, good will to men,' The 'Golden age' now comes again, And breaking every bond and chain; While every sect, and race and clime, Shall equal share in this glad time."
--_E. B. Harbert._
Mrs. Hayden immediately sent a few words to her husband informing him ofher safe arrival, but said nothing concerning her plans until later inthe week, she wrote:
"I attended a reception last night that gave me a good idea of the greatinterest manifested in this new subject by people from all parts of thecountry as well as this great city. Many who have been attending aconvention of truth seekers this week were there, and I met, amongothers, Mrs. Harmon. She is lovely, with such a sweet pleasant face andclear mild eyes. I do not wonder Miss Greening was charmed with her. Wehad quite a chat about mental healing. She gave me an interestingaccount of how she came into the work and what she is doing. I also metmany others. One thing noticeable about these people that seemspeculiarly characteristic, was the bright, happy faces so full of reposeand trustfulness contrasted with the dull, sluggish care-wornexpression of people in general. It really rests and cheers wonderfullyto look upon countenances that carry the gospel of healing with them.
"After a pleasant social time, Mrs. Pearl, in whose honor the receptionwas given, was called upon for an address, the substance of which isabout as follows:
"It is an unexpected pleasure as well as privilege to thus meet face toface so large a body of people who are working or desire to work for theuplifting and healing of humanity by this new yet old Christ-method.
"While there are so many thousands of the world's best workers engagedin lifting the burdens of sickness, sorrow and sin, there are none whoaccomplish more marvelous or speedy results than Christian healers.Indeed they have already demonstrated this philosophy to be a mostpowerful means of reclaiming the sinful and adjusting social relationsas well as healing the sick.
"It already promises a better method of dealing with intemperance thanthat of any other class of reformers. Why? Not because earnest, devotedwomen do not give time, labor and hearts' blood to the temperance cause;not because wise, honest men are not doing their best with tongue andpen, in legislative halls and political conventions, but because neitherwomen nor men have learned the true principle of moral reform.
"The wise mother knows that the best way to keep her child from mischiefis not to talk about his temptation but cause him to forget it bythinking of other and better things. She encourages him to do better byrecognizing his higher nature and showing him a better way. She'overcomes the evil with the good.' Thus his moral nature graduallygains ascendency over the lower. This, and this only is the true reform;but the same mother fails to carry out the same principle with largerchildren. She must learn that the same management which corrects andimproves the child will correct and improve the sinner, for a sinner isonly a child of larger growth.
"Thus far, the world has been most attracted to the healing of bodilyills, and all discomforts of the flesh, but the material demand is onlya forerunner or symbol of the spiritual, and the signs of the times areeven now ready for the keenest readers. People are beginning to enquireif this wonderful power for healing the body can not be used for thehealing of vicious minds, the curing of depraved appetites.
"Since religious teachings and ethical lectures seem to be so inadequateto meet the crying need, why not try this new method which claims to bea panacea for all ills, ask the moral philosophers.
"'The world moves slowly,' it is said, but the world awakes slowly, itshould be. We are ministering angels to one another, in our process ofawakening. If we have not enough realization of truth to keep ourselvesawake, some one comes along and wakes us up, by telling us more and we,in turn, wake some slumbering neighbor.
"Invisible and silent are the workings of Truth, and none may judge whatbest teaches the law. None may know what has given this or that insightinto a broader truth, but all at once some one has the new light, andhastens to impart the knowledge.
"All effort for truth points to one end--Truth. All reforms, allreligions point to a higher standard of living, a clearer realization ofthe highest and best, a broader vision of truth, a breaking away fromthe false and a bringing about of the true.
"Mankind is conservative and must needs consider many things in manyways. Old opinions are not easily relinquished because they are 'bone ofour bone and flesh of our flesh' and not till we awake to spiritual aswell as intellectual knowledge, shall we realize that we are free--freeto listen, learn and live.
"As in the history of every reform, we find opposition and persecutionfacing the Christian healers, but as time goes on, even the unbelievingand conservative shall be brought to a knowledge of the truth. Manythings unaccepted and unestablished to-day shall be proverbialplatitudes of to-morrow.
"We who have a clearer vision of the better way, who are demonstratingour position with such wondrous signs, must realize more and more theimportance of the first and only law--the law of love. Judge not. Be aunit in Truth.
"We come together as many, but should go away as one. We now havethousands of Christian healers all over the country who are striving asnever before to live a higher life, to work for humanity according tothe Master's teachings, and it becomes us, as true disciples of such aleader to so live that we shall see the fulfillment of that blessedpromise: 'Greater works than I, shall ye do.'
"Let us recognize the use and beauty of unity. Let us be as one, andthen, like the brave and faithful Joshua, we shall be able to break downthe walls of any Jericho.
"Christ followers, truth seekers, friends! Make use of the goldenprivileges of to-day, use every moment for the furtherance of good, makeevery silent thought or uttered word a stream of influence that shallcause the desert to blossom like the rose. Send your thoughts out to thegrand reformers, the women workers and the men workers, the tiredmothers and the anxious fathers, the faithful teachers and the innocentchildren. Sow the seed diligently, no matter what the soil. Never mindthe coldness, the indifference, the slighting disparagements, forbye-and-bye will come the harvest. Do in all ways as you would be doneby.
'Thou must be true thyself if thou the truth wouldst teach, Thy soul must overflow with truth, the true results to reach.'"