Through Christian Science I have been cured of constipation, with which I have been troubled all my life, lameness, back-ache, side-ache, and serious mental trouble. It seemed as though there was nothing right about me. I could not sleep, and had no appetite; for two or three years I have had to force myself to eat.
Six years ago I came to America with my father and mother and sister and brothers. We went to Bakersfield. My father and sister had malaria there and we were obliged to go up in the mountains to live. One day in 1896, when I was walking, my ankle turned and slipped out of place. I found I could get it back but it would not stay, and it gradually became harder to put back in place; finally it got so, that I walked on my ankle bone instead of the bottom of the foot. There were no doctors in that region whom my parents dared to trust, my father would bandage my foot to a splint; he would have to use all his force to push it in place and some one had to hold it, for if they let go of it, it would spring back again all crooked. Finally we gave up bandaging it, and I walked on it as it was, until I got some crutches. At last we came to Pasadena.
The doctors said it was nervous hysteria that made it contract so, for when under chloroform my foot became straight, but as soon as the effects of the chloroform were gone, it would contract again. I had it put in a plaster cast, and took medicine for my nerves, but it did no good.
It was decided I must try hypnotism. I did, and for two days I walked on a perfectly straight foot, but after that it began to get crooked again. But no one knows the awful fear and agony I endured while taking hypnotic treatment, but I thought it was going to cure me, so never told anybody how terrified I was, and how it made my head ache more than ever. I then had a doctor in Pasadena who released me from this, and got a good deal better. In the year 1899 I had an operation performed on my foot, but it was not successful and I had another operation. Later I had fainting spells, which afterward changed into what I suppose would be called hysterics. For two weeks, nearly all day long, I would lie on the bed and scream, my eyes would be shut, and my hands clenched tightly. I would lie that way, unconscious, and scream for hours at a time, and would strike at any one if they came near me. After those two weeks I got a little better, and in October I got up from my bed and went to the beach.
I was unconscious all the while I was on the train, although I did not scream, I talked in an insane way; I could not walk. I was in a wheel chair. I got a little better whilst at the beach, but when I came back to Pasadena I began to get worse. I would like to say here, I am satisfied that my state of mind was the result of the hypnotic treatment.
In March, 1900, I was literally forced into taking Christian Science treatment, for I had to be. I was not in a fit state to judge for myself, and my parents arranged for my healer to give me absent treatment. They mentioned Christian Science several times, but it made me furious and sent me off into those "going off" spells, as we called them, in which I seemed to be possessed with a devil, my mother tells me. At such times I would go around in my wheel chair and do what work I could, being quite unconscious of what I was doing, and if any one came near me I would do and say the most awful things, and they had to let me alone till I would get a little quieter, when a kiss would bring me back to my senses.
For six months I would not go in the room alone with my healer. The first time I did go in the room alone I shook from head to foot, I was so frightened; I thought it was like hypnotism. While I was being treated I would think all the mean thoughts I could, and for a very long time I would not acknowledge that I had been helped. I would tell my healer not to come any more, Christian Science would not help me, I was too wicked.
She won my love with her sweet, loving patience. She has never said an angry word to me. There were times when I was unconscious that I said awful things to her, but I remember once or twice I did know what I was doing. I was mean to her, but she looked at me with love in her eyes and always said kind words, and never unkind.
Through her demonstration one fear after another has been overcome. Last April I came to stay with her a while, and when I came if any one dropped a spoon or made any sudden noise I would become unconscious, or if I were left alone two or three minutes. At that time the old fainting spells came up to be destroyed.
June 30, my crooked foot was straightened, and my limb lengthened about three quarters of an inch. Two or three weeks before, through my healer's clear thought, I was able to get on my crutches, although for two years I had not been able to walk at all. I must tell of my foot being straightened. It was on a Sunday evening. I had been to church in the morning, and in the lesson it said, "The crooked shall be made straight." I had studied the lesson during the week, but as it was read Sunday morning I thought, Why, that is meant for me. I thought about it a good deal the rest of the day. In the evening about nine o'clock I said to my healer, "If my foot were straight I could walk," she said, "Could you? well, try." I said, "Oh, but I am afraid to while it is crooked." She said, "There is nothing to be afraid of, God is your strength." I put my crutches down, and started. She declared the Truth, and I did as well as I knew how. I thought about the crooked being made straight. When I started to walk I walked on my ankle bone. I had not walked more than two or three minutes before it straightened and I walked on the sole of my foot and both limbs were the same length. I was just a little pigeon-toed, but now I am not even that. The next day my appetite returned. I now have no back-ache or side-ache, and do not feel tired all the time. I am on my feet a great part of the day, working hard, and I do not get tired. I understand very little of Christian Science, but I am learning how to demonstrate. Although I cannot say I am a Christian Scientist, I am trying to live the life of one, and I hope soon to be able to say I am one.
My healing has seemed slow to me at times, but the last two or three months one claim after the other has gone out very quickly. I am glad it was slow, for perhaps if it had been more rapid I would have gone right back to the old thoughts, but now nothing shall make me give up the Truth. Words cannot express my gratitude for all Christian Science has done for me. One of the most beautiful things it has taught me is what Love is. Love is God, and God is Love. Love fills all space, and when I can fully realize this in my own consciousness I shall be able to say, I know error has no power, and prove it.— Pasadena, Cal.
