that does
not question, that expresses the divine tenderness in terms of human
love. Through the times of darkness and doubt which must inevitably
come, there will be for those who cherish such a vision, and who come
back to it again and again, no utter darkness, no trouble that wholly
crushes, no loss that wholly destroys.

If we could not understand it before, it will slowly dawn upon us that
the life of Christ exemplified all these things. Charity, kindliness,
service, patience,--all these things which have seemed so hard will
become in our lives, as in his, the substance and expression of our
faith. The great human virtues will become easy and natural, the
untroubled mind, or as much of it as is good to possess, will be ours,
not because we have escaped trouble, but because we have disarmed it,
have welcomed it even, so long as it has served to strengthen and
ennoble our lives.

XI

THE CURE BY FAITH

The healing of his seamless dress
Is by our beds of pain--
We touch Him in life's throng and press,
And we are whole again.
WHITTIER.

I cannot finish my little book of ideals without writing some things
that are in my mind about cure by faith or by prayer. It is a subject
that I approach with hesitation because of the danger of
misunderstanding. No subject is more difficult and none is more
important for the invalid to understand. We hear a great deal about the
wonderful cures of Christian Science or of similar agencies, and we all
know of people who have been restored to usefulness by such means. Has
the healing of Christ again become possible on earth? No one would be
more eager to accept it and acknowledge it than the physician if it
were really so. But careful investigation always reveals the fact that
the wonderful cures are not of the body but of the mind. It is easy
enough to say that a cancer or tuberculosis has been cured by faith, and
apparently easy for many people to believe it, but alas, the proof is
wanting. The Christian Scientist, honest and sincere as he may be, is
not qualified to say what is true disease and what is not. What looks
like diseased tissue recovers, but medical men know that it could not
have been diseased in the most serious sense, and that the prayer for
recovery could have had nothing to do with the cure, save in a very
indirect way.

The man who discards medicine for philosophy or religion is courting
unnecessary suffering and even