THE GOLDEN RULE 953The lawyer smiled.
"Maybe that's why I overheard it. Maybe it was meant for both of
us to hear. My mother used to sing about God's moving in a myster-
ious way, as I remember ie'
"Well, my mother used to say it too," said the claimant, as he
twisted the claim papers in his fingers. "You can call in the morning,
if you like, and tell them the claim has been met:'
"In a mysterious way:' added the lawyer.
Neither this lesson nor any other part of this course is intended
as an appeal to maudlin sentiment. But there can be no escape from
the truth that success-in its highest and noblest form-brings one
finally to view all human relationships with a feeling of deep emotion
such as this lawyer felt when he overheard the old man's prayer.
It may be an old-fashioned idea, but somehow I also can't get away
from the belief that no one can attain success in its highest form with-
out the aid of earnest prayer. In this age of mundane affairs-when
the uppermost thought of the majority of people is centered on either
the accumulation of wealth or the struggle for a mere existence-it is
both easy and natural for us to overlook the power of prayer.
I am not saying that you should resort to prayer as a means of
solving the daily problems that require your immediate attention. No,
I am not going that far in a course that will be studied largely by those
who are seeking the road to success that is measured in dollars. But
may I not modestly suggest that you at least give prayer a trial after
everything else fails to bring you a satisfying success?
I have another, although very different, illustration of the effect
of the Golden Rule and the power of prayer:Thirty men, red-eyed and disheveled, lined up before a judge at
the San Francisco police court. It was the regular morning company
of drunks and disorderlies. Some were old and hardened; others hung
their heads in shame. Just as the momentary disorder of the bringing