● ● ● work now, I would soon be taking a train to my home. The rebuke to mortal mind, to the errors of “self-will, self-justification, and self-love” (see Science and Health, p. 242), had been emphatic and merited, and presently a clear spiritual realization was obtained. At that moment, my bell rang. Mrs. Eddy wanted me. I went to her calmly and found her smiling, sweet, and pleasant. The error had been destroyed. She did not refer to it again but gave me more work to do.
Another time, in 1903, I was called to Mrs. Eddy’s study and given a fine lesson on watching. She asked me if I had been watching. I replied, “Yes, Mother, I have been going over the Lesson-Sermon and getting much out of it.” She looked at me sternly. “Did you think that was watching?” she asked. “Now I will tell you what it means to watch. To watch is to become conscious of your danger. I will tell you a story which will explain what I mean.” Then she related the following:
During the Civil War, a Confederate soldier was stealthily creeping through the underbrush up to the breastworks of the enemy. He was a sharpshooter and was accompanied by several comrades. As he drew near, he espied a Union soldier marching up and down the breastworks. Creeping near, he knelt down and took careful aim at the Union soldier. As he was about to pull the trigger, he heard the strain of a song. He paused. The man he was aiming at was singing a hymn. He lowered his rifle and listened until the song was finished. Then he arose, turned to his comrades, and said, “Boys, we will go home.”