Dear Journal:— A few days ago I received a letter from my dear friend and sister living in Denver, Colorado. She wrote of the sermon delivered on the first Sunday in January in the Boston church by our dear Mother, Mrs. Eddy. The few moments she spoke must have been wonderful, and the fruits are seen, for some were healed in the Mother Church during the sermon. I was rejoiced to hear of this. I know by experience that there is a mighty power of God through Christian Science. So I will tell you my experience. It is possible that I can do good to others and cause them to believe in the great work of God. My friend wrote me she would be glad if I would write to the Journal and tell my experience in coming to America, and how after my return, my wife was healed; it would be an interesting letter to publish in the Journal; but it is not easy for me to write in a strange language, and if you publish it, it is necessary for you to correct this wrong and broken English, and make it proper to read.
In December, 1892, we went,—my wife, daughter of ten years, and my aged mother, with many other emigrants from Holland,—to settle in the San Luis Valley, Colorado; but when we got there we found no water for irrigation. My mother passed away while we were there. We went to another place, but found no water, meantime living in a wagon much of the time. The emigrant agent ran away from there with the wife of his friend and took the money of many of the emigrants with him. So we went to Denver. We tried to find work, walking about all day, but evening came and no work. We rented a furnished room, but found we could not cook our meal in it, so we looked in a store for an oil stove; the storekeeper (a lady) came out and asked us if we wanted something. We told her our story, and she said she had read about the Holland Colony. She talked with us, comforted my wife, and gave us good counsel, saying she and her brother would help us get work, and everything would be all right very soon. I cannot tell, my dear sir, how glad and happy we were. We needed a good word and warm heart, and she was that moment for us an angel from heaven to guide and direct us. She allowed us to make supper in her room, and before eating we shut our hands in prayer. After this she said, "I see we belong to one Father in heaven. This morning my prayer was to do something good, and now this evening I am able to help wandering people."
Since that time we have had a bond of friendship; yes more! she taught us Christian Science. It was a very happy time. I found work in my trade, rented a house, and we got everything we needed; but this good time was short. The silver question made the factory close and I was out of work. We went to Sterling, Colorado, because I thought to get a small place to make a living. Our friend Miss R——(the Scientist) said it was a mistake to leave Denver, and I am sorry we left, because we could have learned more of Christian Science there, but I understood not enough of Christian Science then to see. I bought a piece of land at Sterling with a right to water from a ditch, but when spring came I could not get the water. Then our friends in Holland wrote that I could get work back there, so in 1894 we went back. As long as we lived at Sterling we had communion with Miss R——. We lost all material by travelling to America, but we found a great spiritual treasure,—an everlasting treasure, much better than all material treasure of the earth, which nobody can take away, and this treasure of Light and Truth is Christian Science.
