-_Frances Power Cobbe._

"I have always thought a great deal on the subject of prayer," said Mr.
Hayden, drawing his chair up closer and bending over to look at his
listeners, Grace and Kate, who had called to get the letter which had
just been read, "and it appears to me," he continued, "that subject has
been misunderstood."

"Well?" interrogated Grace.

"Well, we have always been taught to pray to a God who could be informed
of our wants and needs, and be induced to change His mind about the
method of dealing with them, or be softened in His judgments concerning
His children. Now if God is all-wise and all-powerful, why need we so
carefully instruct Him? If He is all Love why need we ask Him with
piteous tears to bless our sick and afflicted? If He is everywhere
present, and no respecter of persons, why need we ask Him to do for one
more than for another? As God is omniscient, is He not all the knowledge
there is?"

"The great mistake has been to regard Deity as Person, instead of
Principle," said Grace, as he paused a moment.

"As God is changeless and eternal, the essence of Love and Life," he
went on, not heeding the interruption, "how can it be otherwise than
that we have an influx of this divine Life into ourselves as we
acknowledge its eternal and omnipresent existence, realizing the truth
of what we say?"

"There the trouble has been," said Kate, taking up his thought, "that we
have not realized the divine Presence which we call Truth, because we
have not acknowledged it."

"That is exactly the reason, and it needs a constant acknowledgment of
the Good to keep us from admitting false beliefs that beset us because
of an acknowledgment of the opposite of the Good."

"What then is your idea of the true method of prayer?" asked Kate, much
interested.

"More of thanksgiving, as Mrs. Pearl teaches. I like her comparison to
the servant and prince. We can not dwell too much on the thought that
God is always giving us blessings. They are here, have been from the
beginning of all knowledge, and our part is to take them. I often think
of that comparison between the earthly and the heavenly Father, given by
Jesus, when he said: 'If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in
heaven, give good things to them that ask Him?' Here is Mabel, for
instance. Passionately fond of flowers as she is, suppose some day I
should bring her a rare bouquet f