“I have thought about it,” returned the child, “and it seems hard to know what to say; but I love you and Dr. Ballard both, so it will be sure to come out right.  He feels sorry if you are beginning to like to study Christian Science.”

“Really, did he speak of that to you?  I think he might have chosen a man of his size.”

“Of course he spoke of it when he found out I wanted to ask you to take me to our church.”

“Where is the church here?” Eloise abandoned her lazy tone.

“They have a hall.  Mr. Reeves wrote it down for me.  Do you really care, cousin Eloise?  You’ve been so kind and helped me, but do you really begin to care?”

“Care?  Who could help caring, if it is true?  I’ve been reading some of the tales of cures in your magazine.  If those people tell the truth”—­

“Why, cousin Eloise!” The child’s shocked eyes recalled the girl’s self-centred thoughts.

“I beg your pardon, dear.  It was rude to say that.  I’m not ill, Jewel.  I’m so well and strong that—­I’ve sometimes wished I wasn’t, but life turned petty and disgusting to me.  I resented everything.  It is just as wonderful and radiant a star of hope to read that there is a sure way out of my tangle as if I had consumption and was promised a cure of that.  I don’t yet exactly believe it, but I don’t disbelieve it.  All I know is I want to read, read, read all the time.  I was just thinking a minute ago that if we had the books here it would be perfect.  This is the sort of place where it would be easiest to see that only the good is the real, and that the unsubstantiality of everything evil can be proved.”

Jewel gave her head a little shake.  “Just think of poor Dr. Ballard being afraid to have you believe that.”

“But who wouldn’t be afraid to believe it, who wouldn’t!” exclaimed the girl vehemently.

“Why, I’ve always known it, cousin Eloise,” returned the child simply.

“You dear baby.  You haven’t lived long.  I don’t want to climb into a fool’s paradise only to fall out with a dull thud.”

Jewel looked at her, grasping as well as she could her meaning.  “I know I’m only a little girl; but if you should go to church with me,” she said, “you’d see a lot of grown-up people who know it’s true.  Then we could go on Wednesday evenings and hear them tell what Christian Science has done for them.”

“Oh, I’m sure I shouldn’t like that,” responded Eloise quickly.  “How can they bear to tell!”

“They don’t think it’s right not to.  There are lots of other people besides you that are sorry and need to learn the truth.”

The rebuke was so innocent and, withal, so direct, that honest Eloise turned toward Jewel and made an impulsive grasp toward her, capturing nothing but the edge of the child’s dress, which she held firmly.

“You’re right, Jewel.  I’m a selfish, thin-skinned creature,” she declared.

The little girl shook her head.  “You’ve got to stop thinking you are, you know,” she answered.  “You have to know that the error Eloise isn’t you.”