"Certainly not. I merely gave you the answer my boy gave me." "A very bright answer, when you think of it," said Rev. Jones, rather stiffly. "Especially so, coming from one of those simple-minded fellows who only believed they were sick and then claimed that book healed them." It had nettled the Rev. Williams a little to hear his son called simple-minded, after the boy had shown that his knowledge of the deep things of the Bible surpassed his own, hence his reply. "Well, all I've got to say is that there is nothing in Christian Science," said Mr. Jones, with a bored look on his face. "Rev. Jones, I did not come here out of idle curiosity, for you well know my wife has been sick for years with tuberculosis, and has been gradually failing until at the present time she is confined to her bed, and our family physician doesn't think she will ever get up from it. My son claims that Christian Science has cured him and that it will cure his mother if I will consent to try it. I told him I would not, and he said forever hereafter he would blame my unreasonable prejudice for his mother's death, and knowing you to be a very well read man, I came to you for advice." "I have given you my opinion of it." "On what do you base your opinion?" "On what I have heard and read about it." "Did you ever investigate it thoroughly, Rev. Jones?" "Thoroughly enough to convince myself of the fallacy of its teachings." "Did you ever talk to one of those practitioners?" "No. They are a lot of hair-brained women and know no more than the author of 'Science and Health,'" said the Rev. Jones with a contemptuous toss of his head. "Did you ever read what they call their textbook, 'Science and Health?'" "No, my time is too valuable to waste it on reading nonsense." "How do you know it is nonsense?" "I have heard enough of what it contains." "Can you quote something, Mr. Jones?" "Yes, here are some of the things printed in that book: "There is no death. You haven't a body. Your stomach can't ache. There is no matter. Brains can't think. There is no sickness. There is no sin. There is no evil. All is good, Good is God, God is Mind, Mind is God, God is all." He stopped and looked at the Rev. Williams, then continued, "All what, I would like to know." "Are you sure the book contains these things?" "Certainly, I have it from a man who bought a book." "If the book contains such assertions, it certainly must be nonsense." "Nonsense, I should say so. No one but a demented person would write such stuff." "I am glad I came to see you about this thing, as I hardly knew what to say to Walter in reply to his accusations of being prejudiced." "Oh, it's always well to investigate a new thing of this kind before you condemn it, at least that is what I did." "But you say you never read the book yourself?" "No, I never saw the book myself, but my friend Dr. Thompson has one." "Do you know whether he has read it carefully?"