The Editor on page 12 of the Christian Science Sentinel for February 9, has awakened me to the fact that "the healing work of Christian Science should not be overlooked." Our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, has granted us permission, and requested us to tell what Christian Science has done for us and what it will do for others. That means for us to testify of the healing and other good received from Christian Science. The following is one of my experiences of surgical healing in Christian Science.
Seven years ago I was called to attend a case in Lowell, Mass. On my return, as I got to the depot in Lowell, the day being wet and the streets icy and slippery, as I took the first of the two steps then leading into the depot, I slipped and fell heavily against one of the pillars of that edifice. My right foot twisted under me as I fell with full weight upon it, and dislocated the ankle joint so far as to throw the foot right out of the socket, straining of course to the utmost the ligaments, muscles, and skin on the outside of the foot, which in belief caused me no small agony. Four men standing near at once lifted me up, intending, of course, to take me to a doctor, but I begged them not to do so, but to take me to the men's waiting room in the depot. They carried me there and set me on a seat. The moment the belief of accident happened I of course began to treat myself, but the pain was so intense that all I could do was to fall back upon my old, well-tried system for help, that is, to mentally repeat over and over again, "God helps me, God helps me." When the hackmen that took me in had left me alone (I mean when they no longer kept hold of me to prevent me from falling), I made a desperate effort to put my right leg upon the left, so undid the boot-lacing, and began mentally to treat against pain, dislocation, faintness, lack of strength, strained muscles, ligaments, skin, etc. Instantly the awful belief of agony left me, so much so that it was marvelous even to me, an old worker in Christian Science, to note how soon the pain, and that belief of sick, faint, weak feeling, stopped, so that I could fairly realize the impossibility of any separation between God and man, and the equal impossibility of any accident, dislocation, strain, or any evil in the presence of God, and that God was present there and everywhere; that my foot was not disjointed, neither could it be, since God, the omnipresent All, had never sanctioned such a thing, and that there was no mortal mind in this question to seek consent for dislocation or any evil,—all is God and God's idea.
There were in the room quite a number of people looking at me as though I were a savage. Some said one thing, some another. All of course were for getting a doctor. I had turned my back on them as much as my seat would allow me, and for a little time felt I was with my Father, God. I kept treating, oblivious of the presence of any one but Spirit, God. Very soon, without any human help whatsoever, the foot began to go down. There were three distinct sounds of crack! crack! crack! heard, and the foot went to its place, the ankle joint was as before anything had happened, my right leg sprang from the top of the other. I stood upon it, stamped my foot three times hard on the floor, turned around and thanked the men for their help in carrying me into the room, and walked to the train, which had just arrived. The whole of this did not take more than seven minutes. Of course I will not say that in belief the foot did not pain me while walking to the train, for I know I limped quite a good deal, but I got into the train (the same train I expected to get before anything happened). I treated myself all the way to Boston. When the train arrived there I could walk quite well, and from the second day after that till to-day I have had no trouble from that belief.
