The hymns in the Christian Science Hymnal are not merely a collection of beautiful words set to pleasing music; they have a spiritual message. Some years before I became actively interested in Christian Science those hymns made an impression on me, and I found myself humming one, the words of which were written by Mrs. Eddy (Poems, p. 12),
"Father, where Thine own children are,
I love to be."
A year or two elapsed during which time I studied many esoteric religions only to find that they lead thought downward instead of upward. Out of these studies grew three clearly defined wants. I wanted purity. I wanted that serenity of mind which was exhibited by the letters of a sister in England whose only mention of the war was occasionally to say that it almost made her late for a Christian Science meeting. And, finally, I wanted release from the tobacco habit, which had bound me for more than fifty years. I never expressed these desires to anyone, but they were there.
