CHAPTER XXXVI.
"May I reach That purest heaven,--be to other souls The cup of strength in some great agony, Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love, Beget the smiles that have no cruelty, Be the sweet presence of a good diffused, And in diffusion ever more intense-- So shall I join the choir invisible, Whose music is the gladness of the world."
--_George Eliot._
"Mrs. Hayden's was a joyous home-coming. No sooner was the firstrapturous welcome from children and husband received, than in came Graceand Kate, who, in their eagerness to see her, had scarcely been able tolet her have the first half hour to her family.
"I think you will have to include us in your family, Mrs. Hayden, for wecould not resist the family welcome, said Grace, smiling with happiness,as she grasped Mrs. Hayden's hand and drew Kate close beside her withthe other.
"You _are_ included my dears. There is but one family you know," was thecordial reply grasping the hand of each.
"What a change in you, Grace--Kate--why, I should hardly know you,"exclaimed Mrs. Hayden, after the first excitement was over.
"Grace has lost the cloud of perplexity and doubt, and Kate theexpression of fear," she added, turning to Mr. Hayden with a pleasedsurprise.
"Didn't I tell you they were both growing beautiful?" was his laughinganswer. "But girls," he added, "don't you notice something different inMrs. Hayden? That is quite wonderful, I think."
"Really, Mrs. Hayden," exclaimed Grace, with wonder, "you are not nearlyso fleshy are you? I can hardly define the change, if that is not it,but I noticed something the moment I saw you."
"I have lost something in weight since I left home," she replied,somewhat amused at their looks of astonishment.
"Your figure is so much better proportioned, too," continued Grace.
"And your complexion clearer," added Kate.
"Do tell us what it all means. You certainly look better than I ever sawyou," said Grace again.
"I am quite thankful she came home before all resemblance to my wife waslost," said Mr. Hayden, with a hearty laugh, as he looked at each inturn.
"Well, be serious now, and I will tell you something after I have putthe children to bed," said Mrs. Hayden, cuddling the sleepy Jem in herarms. Fred and Mabel stood beside her, frequently interrupting theconversation, for they, too, wanted to share the good time with mamma.When Mrs. Hayden returned, she resumed.
"It may seem strange to you as it did to me at first, but I see itclearly now, that desiring, searching and living for right, brings thebody into harmonious expression. If we think truth, we see it expressedin harmony, beauty, symmetry, because the external is the expression ofthe internal."
"It was particularly by the denial of matter that I lost the superfluousflesh, for since I was too fleshy to be of symmetrical form, it wassuperfluous and----"
"Did you know the denial of matter would have such an effect?"interrupted Kate.
"No, not till I heard some of the rest of the class speaking of it, andthen I could hardly believe it, but after I understood the theorybetter, of course it seemed more reasonable."
"It is both wonderful and reasonable too, I think. Why didn't you writesomething about it?" asked Kate again.
"Oh, there are many things that can be told better than written."
"And many things that can be thought better than told," added Grace,thoughtfully.
"Another lady in the class had about the same experience," said Mrs.Hayden.
"But tell us the scientific reason for such an effect?" continued Grace.
"I will, as well as I can. Have you noticed that it is people who arematerially minded in their tastes and habits that are apt to be fleshy?"
"That depends upon what you would call materially minded," was Grace'ssmiling reply.
"I mean those who like what the world calls the good things oflife--those who think a great deal of material pleasures orenvironments, and find it comparatively difficult to think or realizespiritual things."
"Oh!----yes, I believe that is true, although I have never thought ofit," said Grace, slowly.
"Because the denial of matter makes all these things secondary, theeffect of the new thought is to make the body more spiritual."
"Of course! Why could we not see it before?" was Kate's conclusivequery.
"What effect then, has this denial on lean people?" asked Mr. Hayden,more seriously, for until now he had been inclined to regard this as alittle 'far fetched,' as he would have expressed it.
"It does not effect them like the denial of evil, because materialthings are not so important to them, while they are apt to be pining andfretting about the evils and ills in the world, either as touchingthemselves or humanity in general. Denying evil and evil conditionswould then have the opposite effect, and cause them to gain flesh, orgrow into the expression of physical harmony to correspond with thespiritual."
"This is only a higher reading of what we have already learned, and itis lovely to know we may go on indefinitely, ever reading somethingnew," said Grace.
"Now tell me something of what _you_ have all been doing?" said Mrs.Hayden, as she looked at Grace.
"Oh, Kate has been doing some wonderful treating among her pupils, andthe patients we took up, are all doing nicely."
"Grace is very modest. She doesn't say a word of how quickly she curedme of neuralgia, or a horrible fit of the blues," supplemented Kate,looking fondly at Grace, who had become dearer than ever since theirconfidential talks.
"Mr. Hayden has a good report for himself and the children, too, thoughI suppose you have heard from him," Grace remarked with a smile. Helooked rather pleased at her thoughtfulness, but said: "I would ratherhear more from Marion. Were there many cures in the class?"
"Several. Mrs. Dexter, the lady I mentioned in my letters as having beena long while under the doctor's care, went home perfectly well, and MissSingleton also, of whom I wrote. A gentleman who had been in a previousclass told his experience. His right arm had been fractured in the army.Orders were given that it should be amputated, but by the interventionof a physician with whom he was acquainted, the arm was saved, though hehad never been able to use it much. At times it was very painful. It wasso weak he could scarcely lift a plate of bread to pass it at the table.After a few lessons, that arm was just as well as the other. In his joyhe told everybody. When the doctors got hold of it, they laughed at himsaying if that arm was as large as the other in six months, they wouldbelieve there was something in Christian Healing. In six weeks it was aslarge and strong and sound as the other."
"That was remarkable," said Mr. Hayden, speaking for all. "Did you hearanything about treating animals?" he added after a momentary silence.
"Oh, yes. We may think of an animal as the perfect expression of God'sthought, as manifesting the true Life, the same as human beings."
"After all," said Kate, "that is something we ought to expect, for arewe not promised dominion over all things?"
"Certainly, and we are not proving our right, till we prove thedominion," answered Mrs. Hayden. "It is a beautiful thought to me, andseveral of the class told of successful work in this line. One lady hadtreated a frightened horse, and made him so gentle any one could drivehim. It is mostly fear that is reflected upon animals. They manifestthought, even as humanity does."
"I have often noticed horses. They are apt to show the same dispositionas their masters. This explains it," said Mr. Hayden thoughtfully. "Whydidn't you write about all this?"
"I was afraid it would be too strong meat for you, for I could scarcelyrealize it myself."
"It seems as though we have had so many wonderful suggestions it willtake a life time to understand them," remarked Kate.
"There is no end to the study of Infinity," was Mrs. Hayden's reply.
"How do you account for the _quick_ cures?" interposed Grace.
"It all depends upon how quickly one receives the consciousness ofTruth. That is the healing process. But there are not very many quickcures, comparatively,
though it is the quick cures we should aim forand expect, for the cure is always in the degree of our realization ofthe allness of God.
"Another of the older students told of some wonderful absent healing. Alady that had been four years an invalid, and given up to die by fivephysicians in the place, was healed in three weeks by absent treatment."
"Is that considered as effectual as present treatment?"
"There should be no difference, because we ought to realize that withTruth there is no space nor time. All is the eternal _now_ and _here_.Some prefer to give present treatment, especially in acute cases; withothers absent treatment seems more effectual."
"I am glad to hear that, for I feel that I can do better absently," saidGrace, with a look of relief.
"But tell me," questioned Kate, eagerly, "have all persons the samegifts?"
"In the germ, yes; but all are not equally developed. We enter thisstudy in different stages of unfoldment. Some heal quickly, othersslowly; some teach naturally, while others find it more difficult,especially at first. We develop the gift we desire to use by continuallyclaiming it and using it, and bye and bye we shall marvelously provethat we have it. In Love we recognize no partiality, no time and noplace, and thus we can truly say all we desire is truly ours."
Grace laid her hand on that of Mrs. Hayden, saying:
"Words can never express our gratitude to you both for your extremekindness in allowing us to read your beautiful letters, Mrs. Hayden.They have made life seem entirely different to us." She was deeply inearnest, and her quivering lip spoke more than a volume of words.
"Grace speaks for us both," added Kate, huskily.
"Dear friends," replied Mrs. Hayden, much touched herself, "I am glad,yes, more than glad, that you can speak so of my letters, of which thegreatest merit lies in their simple earnestness--." She ceased abruptly,and for a few moments all were silent....
It was a silence too full for words. A door had opened--a morning dawnedfor each of them. The mysterious future verged into the mighty present.All that was grand and noble and tender filled the measure of theiraspirations. The world surely might enter into their joy, for their joysurely entered into the world.
Mrs. Hayden broke the silence, saying:
"'Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and itshall be opened unto you.' Many years have I asked and sought for thekingdom of heaven, but never till now have I found the right knock."