"Marlow, September ——.
"Dear Husband: Your letter seemed the only bright spot in my yesterday's experience, for, strange as it may seem, I awoke with the same old headache and pain in my limb, and felt so dull and stupid, that I was almost doubtful whether I had ever known anything. In vain I tried to treat myself, but the more I tried the more perplexed I became, until about noon, when I began to feel better, though the whole day was a novel and rather disagreeable experience. When I went into class to-day, from nearly every quarter was heard a similar story of how the day of rest had been passed.
"It was more and more astonishing. Dr. Bright had hardly recovered from her sick headache; Mrs. Dawn was still feeling stupid; two ladies were not able to attend class; Dr. Johnson and Dr. Lorimer actually looked angry, and the two ministers in the class were gravely discussing the knotty points and knitting their clerical brows over 'doubtful explanations' as they called them, while a perplexed and troubled air seemed to settle on everybody. But there are a few old students in the class, and they looked at us with a knowing smile, saying: 'This is only chemicalization; you will be all the brighter after you get over it.'
"They did not explain further, but I knew something about it from the experience we have had, but had never thought of it in that light. 'It is a comfort to know there is some prospect of an end to our darkness anyway,' said Mrs. Dawn, with a long-drawn breath of relief, voicing the sentiments of all.
"The kind and gracious look Mrs. Pearl gave us as she came in, sent a wave of peace and satisfaction over me, for I felt that she understood the situation and would lift the curtains and let in the light.
"After the usual silence, which seemed longer than before, Mrs. Pearl began in a calm clear voice:
"We have come now to a point where it seems necessary to explain the process of growth, and the phenomenal changes which take place at certain stages of our development, whether known or unknown to the individual.
"Hitherto we have recognized material ideas, objects and processes. We have looked upon our physical being as the indisputable creation subject to all changes, circumstances or conditions. Having experienced a material birth, we conceive of no other as being either possible or necessary, and like Nicodemus we go in the night of our ignorance to ask the divine Teacher, Truth, questions concerning spiritual things, only to be told we must be born from above if we would know the things of the spirit. 'That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit.'
"We are covered with the cold, hard shell of material beliefs, which must be broken and cast away before the sweet and tender germ of spirit can spring up. We are born like the flowers, and blossom like them. 'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.'
"Seed typifies the desire for truth planted in the conscious and unconscious being. The more constantly and persistently we hold the desire, the more rapid and perfect will be the development that produces the fruit. The hard little kernel must first lie in the dark earth, while hidden forces make it swell and sprout until the outer shell dies and falls away, leaving the pure white germ to push its way up and up through the cold dreary earth. At this period it is very delicate and tender, and yet it must pass through a trying stage, for when the white spire just peeps above the ground it has to encounter elements that at first seem bent upon its destruction.