Minneapolis, Minn.
MRS. M. F. EASTAMAN, Boston. Mass.
Dear Sister:— Enclosed I hand you my check for $2.00 to cover per capita tax for the Mother Church for my wife, Florence M. M. Hollis, and myself, which amount should have been sent last October. In making this remittance I feel that Truth demands of me a little humiliation in the way of a confession. Although Mrs. H. has several times called my attention to the matter since it was due I have paid no attention to it because I have not felt right about it. With our little church here struggling along under financial difficulties, seemingly much to overcome, I have felt all along that the great church in Boston with its thousands of members should not call upon us for this per capita tax, and as error always does if it gets a little start, that feeling had gradually grown until I had almost come to the conclusion not to send the money at all, believing all the while that my first duty in that direction was to the little home church here. Finally I was confronted with a severe physical claim which would not give way to ordinal' treatment, and try as I would, I could not dispel the error until to-day. Having taken up almost every point I could think of, with, to mortal sense, nothing but an aggravation of the error as a result, I at last in desperation seized upon about the only Christian Science book at hand which I had not read, and it was the Mother Church Manual. I had purchased it when first published but had never opened its covers until now —the old error-thought, you see. This time I read it thoroughly and had gotten no further than the daily prayer for the members, when I saw clearly just where my error-thought about the per capita tax was leading me. For the time being I forgot all about the physical claim, and when I felt that I had cleared my thought and was again in harmony with our work, the next step was to sit down, write the check, and make this little confession. My claim is already disappearing and I know error is fleeing before the Truth. It seems all so clear to me now that in our membership in the Mother Church we are each of us taking a part in that great and grand demonstration, which shall one day give to Christian Science the place and recognition that we all so surely desire for it, and any thoughts of inharmony which are allowed to disturb our relations with the main organization, will make just so much more error to overcome. This per capita tax comes now in the nature of a personal sacrifice, a material evidence of our real desire to be counted in the one thought, and I feel now that we who are not, to mortal sense, privileged to attend the services at the Mother Church are yet, every one of us, reaping each his share of the harvest of good thoughts and demonstrations which our Boston brothers and sisters are constantly sending out to the field. How little, then, comparatively speaking, is the small annual tax required of us, and how gladly and promptly should we pay it. I have been converted this time and through sufficient suffering to make the lesson lasting. In future you may count upon two, at least, of the members who will pay and consider it a privilege to do so.
