It was the opening day of school. Among the joyous, laughing children that entered a certain schoolroom was a little girl who appeared troubled. On her face was an expression which showed clearly a state of fear. Had she failed in some subject the year before, and was the thought of it tormenting her now? Or had she been allowed unwittingly to develop a fear of new teachers? Perhaps she had observed that a former teacher had been talking earnestly to her new one that very morning. Possibly the child believed that they had been talking about her and her past failures. The new teacher, a Christian Scientist, observed the troubled expression, and denied that evil of any sort had power to destroy true joy and harmony.
During the morning session, the girl watched the teacher eagerly. She seemed to be waiting for an opportunity to approach the one whose occasional smile in her direction gave her courage. Suddenly, as the teacher turned from welcoming a new pupil, she found the little girl standing directly in her path. Addressing the teacher by name, the child said, "I can't learn fractions." The teacher had only an hour before been given this information about the girl, and she had again brought her knowledge of Christian Science into use. She had denied the mortal law which claims that some children lack the ability to understand and master whatever it is necessary and right for them to learn. Quietly declaring to herself that every child of God expresses infinite intelligence, the one Mind, she had dismissed the error from her thought.
Now the child stood appealingly before her. The little face had lost some of the worried look and had taken on a somewhat expectant attitude. She seemed to be saying, "Can you help me?" Indeed, the teacher could help this child, whose true selfhood as a child of God she was already endeavoring to see.
