Having been deeply religious from infancy, and having joined the Methodist Church in my young girlhood, accepting justification by faith in the most orthodox way, and three years afterward, sanctification by faith, as taught by John Wesley, it was hard for me to see the higher and better way — the true Christ way in Christian Science. I, like many other earnest Christian people, had a strong prejudice against Christian Science; and having entered mission work before I was twenty years old, and being considered a successful mission worker, seeing great changes wrought in people who turned from sinful lives to better and nobler living, I thought I was certainly walking in the footsteps of Jesus. And truly I was honestly and sincerely seeking to know and do God's will. Many and varied were my experiences. I submissively accepted sorrows and trials as they came, feeling they were sent for my good, to crucify the self-life, that I might live the Christ-life. I wished to decrease that He might increase. Thus the years swept by, my frail body growing more fragile, and my pale cheeks increasing in pallor. There came a time at last when I felt there must be a better way; and Love, omnipotent and eternal, sent to me a true Christian Scientist who loaned me Science and Health to read. I read it, and bought a copy of the book, and afterward a later edition. But I accepted it as Mrs. Eddy's conception of Truth, Mrs. Eddy's opinions and statements, and consequently failed to get the right understanding. The more I read, the better I liked it, and believed Mrs. Eddy to be a good woman, wonderfully taught of God, and regretted ever having had any prejudice against her or her teaching. Yet false claims held sway, and beliefs of sorrow and sickness stormed the fort continually. It seemed that consumption was fast getting a foothold, and many shadows fell across my path. But as the Psalmist said: "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," even so it was with me. A glorious morn dawned upon my consciousness. It was at the beautiful Easter-tide, on Holy Thursday, April 2, 1896, I realized that Christian Science was God's Truth, given to the world through our Mother, Mary Baker Eddy. Not Mrs. Eddy's statements and opinions, but God's own beautiful, divine Truth. Oh, the blessedness of that hour! Words are inadequate to express the joy and peace which followed. Only those can know who are "walking in the way of God's appointing." The dear Scientist who first loaned me Science and Health to read, was treating me at the time, and she rejoiced with me in my glorious resurrection. Since then false claims have been disappearing. I have been enabled to demonstrate over many ills. One day recently neuralgic headache seemed to come. I went alone to my room taking with me the Hymnal, and sang softly Mother's sweet hymn,
O'er waiting harpstrings of the mind;
and after a few moments the headache was gone. I arose and went about my duties as usual, peaceful and happy. My peace flows like a river; my Joy is "unspeakable and full of glory;" my gratitude unbounded, as I press on in the narrow way of Life, Truth, Love.
