An item of experience in the history of a little child, somewhat illustrative of the practical truth of Mrs. Eddy's teaching, came under my notice quite recently, and has so much interested me that I will try and give it in substance to our readers as she gave it to me.
" I was left an orphan at seven years of age; have never been to school a day in my life, and when ten years old did not know even a letter of the alphabet. One day I was abusively made fun of because of my utter ignorance, which roused me to intense desire and purpose to learn to read; with it also came the thought, that if I would take the Bible, it would teach me how to do so. I said nothing to anyone about it; but would get the Bible and steal away by myself, and as I opened its sacred pages the letters were made plain, so that I could spell out each word, and was also given the pronunciation; which enabled me in a very short time to read by verses correctly.
" I was stopping for a little while with a relative whose custom it was to read aloud the daily paper, which greatly interested me, and I wondered if that would not teach me equally as well. The proof was in trial. The words did not come to me the same; but persevering with the Bible, as at the start, I soon found myself able to take up other reading-matter quite successfully, to the utter astonishment of those around me, and to whom, through this lapse of time, it remains a marvel."
