Books: The Pastor's Son
W >>
William W. Walter >> The Pastor's Son
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 Produced by Mary Wampler, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
THE PASTOR'S SON
BY WILLIAM W. WALTER
DEDICATED TO
F. S. B.
IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION
OF WORK WELL DONE
PREFACE
My sole reason for writing this book and placing it before the public
is to call the public's attention to _another book_, wherein is
contained the Christ truth, the understanding of which will free you
from all your troubles.
If in sin, it shows the way out; if sick, it will heal you; if
grief-stricken, it will mend your broken heart; if in poverty, it will
give you plenty. I speak from experience, having been sick for more
than seven years, at the edge of the grave, reduced to poverty, and
all earthly hope gone. I was rescued from this inferno on earth, my
health restored, my supply sufficient, my joy complete; surely I can
say, my cup of happiness runneth over. Truly that book sayeth--"Come
all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I THANKSGIVING MORNING
II THE TURKEY DINNER
III WHAT WALTER FOUND
IV PREPARING FOR THE LESSONS
V THE FIRST LESSON
VI CONFUSION
VII THE SECOND LESSON
VIII THE THIRD LESSON
IX THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE JOURNAL
X HUMANITY'S MISTAKE
XI FALSE INVESTIGATION
XII A FAIR INVESTIGATION
XIII THE UNREALITY OF EVIL
XIV THE DREAM
XV TRUTH BEING MANIFESTED
XVI THE FAREWELL SERMON
A PARTING WORD
CHAPTER I
THANKSGIVING MORNING
"What a beautiful Thanksgiving morning this is," said the Rev. James
A. Williams to his son Walter, as he looked out of the dining-room
window. "There isn't a cloud in the sky, and this soft, balmy breeze
from the south makes one almost believe that it is a June morning
instead of the 30th of November. I know there will be a large attendance
at church this morning, which will please me very much, as I have
prepared an excellent sermon, and feel certain that the congregation
will enjoy it."
He glanced at his son as he finished speaking, and some of the joy and
cheerfulness that had shown in his eyes faded away, for he saw no
return of his joy and happiness on his child's face; all that was
written there was sorrow, pain, and feebleness.
His son, who was nearly seventeen, had always been sickly and feeble
since birth; the best physicians had been employed, change of climate
had been tried, and everything else that promised relief, but of no
avail. The best specialists had been consulted, but they gave little
hope that hereditary consumption could be cured, for the minister's
wife had been similarly afflicted for many years.
The Rev. Williams thought silently for a few moments, then tried to
regain his cheerfulness by changing the subject to something that might
interest his son; so he said, "Well, wife, I suppose that turkey Deacon
Phillips gave us will be done to perfection by dinner time; I am
beginning to feel hungry already, just from thinking of it and it is
two hours to dinner time yet."
Lillian his wife, looked up from her work with a careworn expression
on her face, and said, "Yes, it is a fine large turkey." His wife
always looked worn-out and tired, for not being strong and still
compelled to do all the housework, it fatigued her very much.
It had not always been this way, for the Rev. Williams was a man of
ability, his congregation large, and his salary ample under ordinary
circumstances, but the constant drain of physicians' bills, and the
great expense of sending mother and son to a warm climate each fall,
as the rigors of the northern winters were considered too hard for the
two invalids to bear, had reduced them almost to poverty; consequently
the expense of a maidservant had long since been dispensed with.
Rev. Williams now turned to go to his study, and as he was turning,
said, "I know that I will do justice to that turkey, after delivering
my long sermon, and I am very thankful to Deacon Phillips, and to God,
for having given it to us."
There was silence for a few moments after the father left the room;
then Mrs. Williams said: "Walter, dear, you had better get ready for
church; I will soon have this turkey so I can leave it, then I will
get ready and we will both go to church, there to give thanks to God."
Walter turned to his mother saying, "What have we to be thankful for,
mother?"
His mother looked up, somewhat startled, and answered, "Why for
everything that God gave us." "Everything, mother?" asked Walter.
"Yes dear, everything."
"Oh, mother, I don't see how I am going to do that, father told me
that God gave me this sickness, and I don't see how I can feel thankful
to Him for making me suffer."
The mother anxiously looked at her son, then said, "Remember Walter,
Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, also suffered."
"Yes, I know, but it was not God that made Him suffer, it was the
Pharisees; but father said it was God gave me this sickness and that
I must bear it with love and patience, which I have tried to do, but
I have never been able to understand why a good and loving God should
care to see me suffer."
"I am sure I cannot tell," said his mother, "but it must be for some
good purpose; we will ask your father to explain some time. Now hurry
and get ready."
A few minutes later they both walked to the church, which was only a
short distance away, and entered its wide-open doors.
CHAPTER II
THE TURKEY DINNER
"Well wife, what did you think of my sermon?" asked the pastor as he
sat down to enjoy the turkey dinner.
"I think it was the best sermon you ever delivered, James," answered
his wife, quietly.
"I think so, too," said James, "and what's more, it ought to make every
person that heard it feel very thankful to God, for all He has given
them," then looking around the room he asked, "Where is Walter?"
"I don't know," said his wife, "he became so nervous and tired, that
he left just before the last hymn was sung. I suppose he went up to
his room, you had better call him to dinner."
"I will," answered the pastor, and going to the hall door, he called
aloud, "Walter, dinner is ready."
"All right father, I will be down in a minute," came back the answer
in a rather faint voice. The pastor turned to his wife and asked, "Do
you think that last medicine is doing him any more good than the others
we have tried?"
His wife raised her sad face to his, and replied, "No, James, I don't
think it is helping him, for he seems to get weaker and more nervous
all the time. I feel that he is losing ground even more rapidly than
I am."
Here Walter entered the room, his face more flushed than usual, and
his father's watchful eye took note of it, but he spoke up cheerfully,
"Just look at that turkey, Walter, isn't it a fine one? See how nice
and evenly it is browned, and the oyster dressing, I'll bet it's fit
for a king."
Walter merely glanced at the turkey, then seated himself beside his
mother.
After the pastor had said grace, he picked up the carving knife and
said, "Now, son, just tell me what piece you like best and I will have
it carved out for you before you can say, Jack Robinson."
"You are very kind, father, but I don't believe I care for any turkey,
I am not feeling very well," answered Walter.
"Just try a little, Walter," said the mother coaxingly, "I know it
must be very tender and nice, for Deacon Phillips said it was a young
turkey."
"Yes, Walter," said his father, "hand me your plate, and I will give
you a little of the dark and a little of the light meat, with some of
this delicious dressing."
The boy listlessly handed over his plate without any more ado, his
father put onto it a liberal piece of each kind of meat and some
dressing, then handed it back, with the remark, "Eat all you can son,
for it will make you strong." Then he added, "Now wife, it's your turn,
I know you like the dark meat the best," and while he was talking he
carved a nice piece of the turkey and laid it on her plate, and then
said, "Now father, it is your turn, and I know your failing to be the
leg," and suiting the action to the word, he carved for himself the
leg.
Then, addressing his son once more, he asked,
"How did you like the sermon, Walter?"
"I thought it was very fine, father, and as I looked over the
congregation, I could see many heads nodding their approval of your
words telling them they ought to be thankful, and I tried, oh, so hard,
to be thankful, but I couldn't, for something seemed to say, you have
nothing to be thankful for, God gave you this sickness as a punishment.
I tried to think what I had done to merit this punishment, but found
it could not have been anything I had done, as I remembered that you
had said I always had been sick even when a little child, and then--"
"Tut, tut, child, now don't get excited," said the pastor. "We all
know that your punishment is not for anything you may have done, but
you are probably suffering for the sins of others, the same as Jesus
did; why, Walter, just think, Jesus Christ died for all our sins."
"For my sins, father?" asked the boy.
"Yes, Walter, all our sins."
"But father, I don't see how that could be. We weren't any of us living
at that time, and if we sinned, it must have been since then, and Jesus
could not die for sins that had not been committed."
The father was so surprised at what he heard, that for a moment he
just stared at his son; the idea was entirely new to him, and yet it
was only common sense. He tried to find some reply that would be
reasonable, but before he found it, the boy continued.
"I cannot believe that God punishes any one person for the sins of
another. If He would do this, He would not be a just God. Why, father,
even man is more just than that. Supposing Judge Baxter had pronounced
sentence like this: 'Yes, I find Mose Webster guilty of stealing Mr.
Johnson's chickens, and have decided to send the Rev. James Williams
to the county jail for ten months, because Mose Webster stole those
chickens,' would you think that justice? and could you feel thankful
to the judge for sending you to jail to suffer in the place of Mose
Webster, and--"
"Silence, child," said the father, more sternly than he had ever spoken
to his son before. He was so confused by what the boy had said that
he could not find words to speak. After a time he said, "Walter, never
let me hear you say anything like that again, to think that you, a
minister's son, should say such things. Why, they are almost
blasphemous."
"Never mind, James," said the mother; "think how hard it must be to
suffer year in and year out, without any relief, and remember, dear,
that even some of the apostles doubted at times. Now, let us finish
our dinner." Then, turning to her son, she added, "father will explain
all this to you as soon as he finds time."
The father looked at the flushed face of the boy and his anger softened,
then in a kind voice said: "I think it would be a very nice idea for
us to set aside one or two evenings each week for Bible reading and
study; in this way we would all get a better understanding of God, and
His great love for mankind. What do you think of that plan, Walter?"
"I should enjoy it, as there is a great deal in the Bible that I should
like to have explained."
"All right, Walter, now what would you say to starting our Bible class
to-morrow evening?"
"That would please me," said Walter.
"How about you, mother?" asked the pastor.
"Oh, I certainly want to be a member of the class. I know it will be
very entertaining and instructive, besides it will be such a pleasant
way to spend the long winter evenings."
"Why mother, I thought we were going south this winter."
"No, child, it will be impossible for us to go this year. You know
that this last medicine which you and I are taking costs father five
dollars per bottle, and we each need a bottle a week, so it has been
impossible for father to save the money necessary for our going."
For a moment the boy's face looked sad and grave, and the pastor
swallowed a lump that had risen in his throat, for it hurt the good
man severely to think that he had not the necessary funds to gratify
their every wish, but had already borrowed more than he could pay back
in several years. Still he was willing to make more sacrifices, had
his wife agreed, but she had said on one occasion when they were
discussing this subject, "No, James, I will not leave you again. I
think the separation does us as much harm as the warm climate does
good, and I feel that we have not many more years to be together, so
I cannot bear the thought of being separated from you for another five
months. I think Walter and I will be better off to be at home with
you. We need not go out in the cold very much, and you and I can arrange
some way to entertain and amuse Walter."
The pastor had answered: "Well, Lillian, it may be the better way, for
I must confess that these long separations were very unpleasant to me,
yet I was more than willing to endure them, if thereby you and Walter
could be benefited, still it seems that the change of climate idea did
not prove as beneficial as we had hoped for, but please don't speak
in that hopeless strain again, for you certainly have heard that old
saying, 'while there is life there is hope,' so never give up, and
remember that there are many noted physicians and chemists, working
day and night to get a sure cure for tuberculosis, and who knows but
that the morrow will bring it forth. You know that I am constantly on
the lookout for everything that looks promising."
And so the thought of a southern trip had been dismissed.
CHAPTER III
WHAT WALTER FOUND
Dinner over, they all arose from their seats at the table, and the
father asked, "Walter, what part of the Bible shall we start to study
first?"
"I hardly know, father," said Walter.
"Well, you can take the old family Bible, look it over and then decide.
As for myself I have very little choice; I have read and studied it
so often that I feel very familiar with all it contains."
"All right; father, may I go up to my room now?"
"Yes, certainly, if you choose, but I should think you would rather
be outside to-day, it is so warm, and there won't be many more days
like this this year."
"I believe I would rather go to my room," said the boy, starting in
that direction.
"Just as you please, son," said the father, as he stepped through the
hall to enter the library. Walter went quickly up stairs to his room,
and his mother wondered greatly at his hurry.
Once in his room he closed the door and quietly locked it, then going
to his trunk, he excitedly pulled forth a little book with a black
leather cover which looked very much like a small Bible. He opened it
and began reading in a low tone. "_Science and Health, with Key to
the Scriptures, by Mary Baker G. Eddy_." "Yes, I am sure it is the
same book that lovely lady down south told me about, and asked mother
to get me one, but mother had said, 'no, we will never try Christian
Science; we are real Christians and believe in God.' I could not hear
everything they said, but I did hear the lady say, 'I don't see how
you can say that you believe that God is all Good, and at the same
time think He made your lovely boy sick.' I did not hear mother's
reply, but I know she was angry. Now I wonder who lost this book? I
saw no one in sight when I picked it up this morning; there is no name
in it, so I can't return it to the owner. I wonder if I ought to read
it? I don't need to believe it if I do read it. Anyway, that lady did
not look like a person that was bad, and she said she read Science and
Health every day, and that it had healed her of a severe sickness."
As he talked he turned a few pages and then read, "Contents, Chapter
I, Prayer. I wonder if that chapter is in favor of prayer or against
it. I suppose though it must be against it by the way mother acted
towards that lady." He laid his head upon his hands and thought silently
for some time, then raised his head and said, "Well, I am going to
read it. That lady said reading 'Science and Health' cured her, and
I am going to see if it will cure me if I read it. I suppose the place
to start is Chapter I."
Walter began to read to himself: "Science and Health. Chapter I, Prayer.
"_For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this
mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall
not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he
saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore
I say unto you, what things whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe
that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Your Father knoweth what
things ye have need of before ye ask him. Christ Jesus_."
Then he stopped and said, "Why that is just the same as I read in our
Bible; there certainly can be no bad in that. But maybe they only
printed that so as to ridicule it farther on in the book; anyway, I
wonder what Jesus Christ meant, when he said, '_therefore I say unto
you, what things whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe ye shall
receive them and ye shall have them_.' Oh, how often and how earnestly
have I prayed for health, with tears running down my cheeks, but my
prayers never seem to have been answered; now I wonder why, for I know
that what Jesus Christ said must be true, for He was the Son of God, and
would not deceive us; why, oh why, doesn't God answer my prayers?"
He stopped to consider for a moment, then turned pale as death, pressed
his thin hands to his breast, as a new thought came to his
consciousness, then he gasped in a whisper, "I--believe--I--know."
He paused a moment, then continued, "It must be that--I see it all
now; I see my mistake. I prayed to God for health, and in the next
instant doubted Him, doubted that He would heal me. In fact, I never
really believed that He would heal me, and Jesus said, 'Believe that
ye receive.' Oh, can this really be true. I am so excited I can hardly
think. Here I am again, this time doubting the word of Christ." Then
he jumped up with the exclamation, "I must tell father, for his prayers
are not answered, and it must be for the same reason. No, I don't mean
that. My father is a minister and he could not doubt God. But why
aren't his prayers answered? I don't know what to do. If I tell father
or mother, they may take the book away, and then my last hope would
be gone. I think I will read it first." So saying, he sat down in an
easy rocker, and was soon absorbed in what he was reading, nor did he
notice how the time flew until he heard his mother's anxious voice and
knock at the door.
He answered at once, and hastily put the book back in his trunk, then
went to the door and opened it.
His mother greeted him with, "Why, Walter, what is the matter? Since
when have you taken to locking your door in the daytime? You look so
flushed and excited, and we haven't heard a sound from you all the
afternoon. We were beginning to get alarmed about you, so I came up
to see what was the matter, and to tell you that supper was ready.
What have you been doing? Don't you feel as well as usual? Tell me,
Walter, are you worse?"
"No, mother, I am not worse, I only became so absorbed in reading that
I forgot all about time, and also that I had locked the door."
His mother did not think to ask him what he was reading, as she had
always been very careful to see that no reading matter that was at all
questionable was brought into the house, so she had no idea that he
had been reading anything but what she had read and deemed proper.
"We had better hurry down, Walter, as father is waiting for his supper."
They both started down the stairs, his mother still talking to him;
but he scarcely heard a word she said, for his thoughts were still
centered on what he had read. And now that his excitement had abated,
there seemed to be a hopeful gleam in his eyes. As soon as they entered
the room, his father noticed that his eyes were brighter, but took it
as a bad sign.
All through the evening meal they had to address him several times
before he would answer, and his father's heart grew heavy as he noticed
the thoughtful mood of his son.
When they had finished their meal, Walter asked to be excused, and
immediately went to his room.
As soon as he was gone the pastor said, "Lillian, did you notice how
Walter acted to-night? It seemed to me that he was very much more
thoughtful than usual."
"Yes," answered the mother, "he seemed confused, and his eyes were so
bright, but he ate a very hearty supper."
"I also noticed that," said the pastor, then added, "It seems there
is a change, but I hardly know whether to say the change is for better
or worse. I hope it is for the best; it may be that the medicine has
just taken effect."
"God grant that this may be so," reverently said the mother. They were
both silent for some time, then the pastor said, "I never heard Walter
speak as he did this noon. I wonder how he thought of such an absurd
thing, as sending me to jail because some one else stole some chickens."
"I know, James, that it does seem absurd at first thought, yet it seems
to me to be just as sensible to punish the wrong person for stealing,
as it would be to punish the innocent with sickness because some one
else had sinned. I have been thinking seriously of this all the
afternoon, but have not arrived at a satisfactory conclusion," said
Mrs. Williams.
The pastor slowly turned toward his wife and said, "Lillian I am
astonished beyond measure to hear this from you; it was bad enough to
hear it from my own son, but to hear it from you is worse. Don't you
think that Almighty God knows what is best for us, do you dare question
anything He does? Do you think the allwise Creator would have made him
sick if it were not for the best?"
"James, do you really believe God made our boy sick?"
"It must be so," answered James, "for we read in the Bible, that God
made everything that was made."
"If this be true James, it would be a sin to give him medicine, for
we would be trying to undo the work of God."
To say the pastor was astonished would be putting it mildly. Never in
his whole life had he been so shocked as on this day, and each shock
was greater than the preceding one.
He now stood perfectly still for a full minute, then said, "It seems
high time that we begin the study of the Bible in this house, for from
what I have heard to-day it is very apparent to me that my wife and
son are quite ignorant of what the Bible contains." Then turning, he
strode from the room.
The pastor was a good and kind man. He had always been a good husband
and father, always patient and sympathetic with his invalid wife and
son; but this day had been a very trying one to him, first in hearing
his son say things that he considered little less than blasphemous,
then to notice that the mother seemed to indorse what the son had said,
and to make matters worse, to actually hear his wife questioning the
doings of God, as he understood them. This was the last-straw. He was
really angry and out of patience, and somewhat confused, so he decided
to go to his library and think it all over. As soon as he arrived there
he impatiently seated himself in an easy chair and began to soliloquize
after this fashion: "I wonder where Walter got that idea about sending
me to jail, what can that have to do with his sickness; then to think
my wife agreed with him. Let me see, what did she say? I was so outraged
I can scarcely recall what was said. I believe though she said something
about some of the apostles doubting at times. What has that to do with
sending me to jail? I don't seem able to think clearly to-day. Then
this other matter, about giving medicine being a sin. Why everybody
takes medicine; the most pious and devout Christians that ever lived
have taken medicine, and this has been so for thousands of years. The
Bible says that the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the
nations. Then why may not the roots and the bark be used as well? Of
course Jesus Christ did not heal with medicine. He was the Son of God
and was endowed from on high with supernatural power. He didn't need
the medicine. Well, all I can say is that I am glad we are going to
have those Bible lessons, for I know that as soon as we get to studying
them they will get the truth, and then I will hear no more of this
nonsense. I don't think I will mention the matter again until we get
to studying the lessons; then as we get to this medicine question, I
will point it out to them."
So the pastor, after having thought himself into a better frame of
mind, dismissed the subject from his thoughts, arose, and walked over
to the bookcase, selected the book he wanted, and was soon absorbed
in reading.
In the meantime Walter had hurried to his room and was soon busily
engaged in reading "Science and Health."
About nine o'clock he heard his father and mother coming upstairs to
retire for the night. He hastily turned out his light and scrambled
into bed, clothes and all.
A few moments later when his mother looked in she found him in bed
nicely covered up, and supposing him asleep, quietly left the room.
As soon as Walter was sure they had retired, he arose, relit the gas,
and continued reading. It was after midnight when he laid down the
book and said, "I feel sure this book is true, and that God made only
the good, and never made me or any one else sick. I believe I will get
well when I understand how to pray aright." Then he undressed and got
into bed, a happier and more hopeful boy than he had ever been.
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8