te smiled, and drawing her chair up beside Grace, she listened to the
reading, while her face alternately brightened or darkened.

"Well, it sounds very beautiful and very plausible, but I can't see how
any one can say there is no evil when the world is full of it, and to
say there is no sin, sickness or death! why, that is blasphemous! I know
the Bible won't corroborate that," she said, in a horrified voice, at
the conclusion of the letter.

"Hold on, we must not be so fast; there are good reasons for every
statement, and she says it is necessary to say these denials over and
over. It is harder for me to believe there is no matter, but if there is
a way to prove there is none, then I will submit. But first let us see
what the Bible says," said the more moderate Grace.

She got the Bible and concordance, but could find no reference to matter
as pertaining to physical creation, but she found under the word "flesh"
an allusion to John i: 12-13, and iii: 6. "The first reads," began
Grace, "'But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but
of God.' That evidently refers to a creation possible to all, but where
is the authority for saying 'there is no matter'?"

She pondered a moment, then referred to the letter--"Oh, I see! She
says, 'no _reality_ in matter,' and then goes on to explain about the
real. Yes, now I see. Do you understand it, Kate?"

"I can understand that the body is not the real," replied Kate,
thoughtfully, "for Jesus said 'the spirit is all, the flesh profiteth
nothing,' but--"

"That's so. Why didn't we think of that before? Besides, it was taught
by the ancient philosophers as much as 4,000 years ago, that matter has
no reality. Yes, its plain to see how it can be, theoretically, but
where they can demonstrate it practically, puzzles me. Here is a
reference; let us see if that will tell us something."

She read Heb. xi: 3: "'Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made
of things which do appear.'"

"That seems quite conclusive," said Kate.

"Yes, it does. Now we will consider your problem," replied Grace,
running her finger down the references, "and see if we can find anything
in that. Let us bear in mind," she continued, "she does not say there is
no appearance, but