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KANSAS CITY MID-WEEK MEETINGS.

A report of the Mid-week meeting held Wednesday, june 21st, at Unity Headquarters, 1315 McGee Street.

Miss Alice Tainter, leader. ship."

66

Subject: Fellow

Well has Mr. Calamy said, "Men are made for society and mutual fellowship," for where is the gain or happiness for anyone to live unto himself alone? We grow along many lines by coming in contact with people and things. We should not be wholly occupied with "Man, know thyself." In endeavoring to become more acquainted with ourselves, we should not forget to get acquainted likewise with our brothers.

I believe it was Tennyson who said, "I am a part of all I have met." What a wonderful statement, and quite true, for, consciously and unconsciously, we do absorb as we go here and there, as we meet this person and that one, etc. We sum it all up in the one word experience. We have heard it said that experience is a hard teacher. For all, or most of us, this no doubt is true. Until we have learned our lessons, have overcome, have found the Way, the Truth and the Life, will we continue to have varied and trying obstacles in our path.

As we hold in thought, as our brother, every one whom we meet, and to him do, or should always stand, in the attitude of helpfulness. At the same time, if we are open, if we are in readiness to receive, we may often learn a helpful lesson, may add a little, perhaps, to our store of knowledge, in thus coming in contact with him.

It is a good sign if one enjoys his own society. It denotes growth if he can, by his own thoughts, entertain himself or be contented. One's happiness should not always depend on the presence of another or other people. But by fellowshipping with others

we

become well rounded characters, as it were. Fellowship is a stimulus. That which others are interested in, talk about, etc., often causes us, too, to fall in the same line. Many good qualities which heretofore have lain dormant within ourselves, have been awakened or developed by a recognition on our part of similar traits in other people.

So we want to encourage fellowship. Our coming together here from week to week and relating our experiences, giving forth of our best, either in the form of talk or in song or in silent meditation, is indeed a source of great comfort and helpfulness to all who attend these Wednesday meetings.

We are chiefly concerned about our experiences along spiritual lines. We are endeavoring to make our religion practical. Many and varied have been the spiritual, or religious roads or paths, which all, or most of us, heretofore have trod. No two of us, perhaps, would have exactly the same story to tell. Many of us have been unconsciously obeying the command, "Seek, and ye shall find." Dissatisfaction with ourselves and conditions, we are certain, has been the cause of our leaving the old centers the old fellowship was not wholly satisfactory. We have found the Truth, and this Truth has made us free. Some have had a greater realization of this than others.

This new or true understanding has wrought miracles, as it were, for many who have been faithful in the application of its principles. My testimony so far cannot be the most helpful or convincing, for I have not been the most faithful. I have been more of a student than a demonstrator. One year, however, has brought a wonderful revelation to me along many lines. The Bible is a new book to me, as it so becomes to all Truth students.

I stand in an entirely different attitude to all, people and things. Like Bartimeus of old I can say, "One thing I know, and know it well, though I once was blind, I now can see;" and that is news,

light, truth and joy enough for me. This new fellowship is what I need. Not that I still feel dependent altogether on people or meetings, but I feel quite sure that this fellowship which I now always look forward to, is one of the greatest blessings that has

come to me.

MEETING OF JULY 12TH.

Mrs. Lillian Hudson, leader. Subject: "Woman - Motherhood."

When I find, sometimes in books, advice or examples that I think may be of service, I take care to copy them. Engrave in your memory, and even write down the things you hear and read; then from time to time study this little collection, and you will prize it none the less that you have not made it all yourself.

This paper which I have carefully prepared to read to you today is a collection of noble and loving thoughts of woman and motherhood, and is intended to help. I have chosen this subject because I love them. They are moral receipts, I have discovered, and I feel and know my paper will be appreciated and understood. So I give it with its message of love and peace on earth to all our sainted mothers as a unit in the motherhood of the race. Now, let us take into the Silence this thought: "Without the motherhood there would be no expression of Being, and God could not express itself to itself."

In

Woman has ever been a ministering angel. Last at the cross and first at the tomb of our beloved Savior, her hallowed influence proves most potent. It is felt, acknowledged and appreciated by all classes and in all countries. Women is now moving on the same intellectual plane as man. art, in science, in literature, she is his peer. woman we recognize the home-maker, whose sweet voice is the music in the march of life, and who diffuses around her the grace and the love which are alike the strong safeguard and chief ornament to

In

society. We shall soon find out the real divinity of the world is mother; a few know it now. Every man exalts some thing or some one to whom he pays homage. Every man has one place more sacred than all the rest of the universe, where he stands in awe. No man can worship without taking upon himself the image and likeness of the being or thing he adores.

It is for this reason we should study religion scientifically. For its proper and beneficial use, intelligence and knowledge are required. We know that men have always worshipped, and we know that they have worshipped various and useless things; but we know nothing more worthy of the homage of man than the mother of man. As mother she is the sacred minister, the guardian angel of nature, who embodies the miracle and sanctity of life. Lying beneath her loving heart is the strange mysterious birth-sleep, fashioned by the unseen hands of nature awaiting the moment when, with surprised and startled cry, it comes upon the shores of this strange world. If thoughts of God are sacred, what should be the thoughts of father- and motherhood? Long, long before the need is, she has dreamed of its coming, with loving thoughts of its approach; between the heart of the new life and her own there have been those mysterious and subtle changes of sympathy that men know nothing of. The most helpless thing in the world is the human infant, and but for the providence of womanhood, but for her presence, her fore-looking, her divine and loving care, life could not be. So she is more of a providence in this world than anything we know of.

Wherever sickness, sorrow and suffering exist, there woman, the ministering angel of mercy, is ever to be found, offering consolation; her earnest prayers are sweet music wafted to the throne of grace. Oh, how many women have perished in the battle of life who have trusted and been deceived, stung to death by chattering neighbors, by the utter heartlessness

and cruel assaults of her own sex, the cold sneer, the haughty shake of the head, the suspicious whisper in passing by - how could they so soon forget the priceless words of the sublime Nazarine when he said, "I do not condemn thee; arise, go and sin no more. He that is without sin among you let him cast the first stone." Oh, grandest of words spoken of woman! They divide the history of the race in twain.

It is "let there be light" of the second creation. From that hour woman's release from being downtrodden was begun. Can a being who is wholly without sin admonish others? Test your heart — let him that is without sin cast the first stone. Oh, truest words of justice that ever came from human lips and heard by human ears! Woman, motherhood of man, behold, when all thy accusers go and sin no more, from that hour woman kneels no longer. She became the sacred motherhood of a dying world which in ages yet to come she will redeem. She looks up to the Infinite, and all the angels spreading their garment of love and mercy over her, whisper softly, "Woman, thou art forgiven," and from her grave there arises a reconciled and glorious spirit.

The understanding of Spirit and her own nature will come to drive away the awful sorrow from the bleeding heart of woman, and heal the sadness of the centuries echoed from the quivering lips of the motherhood of the race. The teachings of the old orthodox church made woman suffer without redemption and condoned the sin of man. Hence, in the Christian church up to the tenth century, woman was held to be so far mentally and morally inferior to man that in the administration of the sacrament of the Lord's supper she was not allowed to take the consecrated bread in her bare hand; a napkin was placed on the hand and she ate it off that without touching it, except with her mouth, which certainly was no more free from sin than her hands.

Woman, in her lowest estate, when the cares of her womanhood have been laid in the dust, still

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