I wish to record my testimony on the side of Truth, by stating what it has done for me. Over six years ago I had a severe attack of the grip, and for quite a while my life was despaired of. The intense pain I underwent cannot be described. While affecting all parts of my body yet the misery was greater in my head. When I was finally able to walk around, I found it had left me with an intense roaring (which never ceased for any length of time) in my head and ears, and partial deafness. Then suffering a relapse. I had attacks of neuralgia, tonsilitis, and kindred throat troubles, and was very susceptible to taking cold. Weeks wore on into months and then into years, and all the time I became worse consulting doctor after doctor, they always assuring me that they would effect a cure, but I failed in all this time to receive the least benefit.
Change of climate was advised, and I consequently obeyed, hoping in this to obtain relief, as I had despaired of ever getting well. The same discouragement met me here, and so it was, from time to time, this, that, and the other was prescribed, until I felt I had exhausted all known means and my faith in materia medica, began to wane as one doctor would say you have a severe case of catarrh, and possibly the next one consulted would say you have no catarrh at all, and would say it was something entirely different. So this led me to think on these things. All the while new complaints would be made manifest, until I felt I had all the ills that flesh is heir to.
In the mean time I had to wrap myself carefully, and particularly my head, lest the least air should reach my ears, wearing cotton in them all the time, in the house as well as out of doors, and for a long time I never thought of going out in the night air, as the doctors informed me this was very injurious to one afflicted as I was. My ears gradually grew worse, until I could not endure the slightest degree of air, and on going from one room to the other would have to put something around my head. This was as much the case in summer as in winter, and no matter how warm the evenings were during summer, I was denied sitting out of doors. I could not describe my ears better than by comparing them to a sensitive tooth. I tried to be patient and endure my afflictions, for my friends would tell me it was God's will, and that my reward would be greater by so doing, yet I could not reconcile myself to the belief that God wanted to punish us or have us suffer in this wise.
Such was my case when in January, 1900, a lady acquaintance spoke to me about Christian Science. I had practically known nothing of it up to this time, as I had been raised strong in my orthodox faith, and at the mention of anything different I would class it as antagonistic to God's cause, so I gave but little thought to what she said, as I felt positive it could not reach my case. Yet something in her manner and forbearance seemed to appeal to me in a different way from anything I had heretofore met, and invited my investigation, but about two weeks later a friend to whom I spoke of Christian Science, opposed it bitterly, giving the argument that Paul had a thorn in the flesh, and that it was impossible for us to live without suffering in some way. So again I paused, fearful lest I should do something in opposition to God's will. But Truth was working, and I could not shake off my convictions that this was God's plan.
About a month after this I had occasion to go out one afternoon when a rain and snow storm came up and I got thoroughly drenched. All the way home I kept thinking what will my suffering be for this, and what an attack of neuralgia I must undergo, and so it came as I had predicted and was in all parts of my body, insomuch that I could get no rest at all. In that hour the thought came to me to try a Christian Science healer, and I made up my mind that if I lived until the morrow I would. Accordingly I went to Mrs. R. fairly staggering as I tried to walk, so weak and worn out was I, but as I sat there taking the treatment, I felt the misery and weakness leaving me, and oh, how differently I went back home! I walked with perfect ease, threw the cotton out of my ears, went out the next day in the rain and strong wind, and suffered no inconvenience whatever. My healing is going on constantly. The sweet sleep and peace I enjoy passes understanding. While the physical healing has been truly wonderful and exceeded my fondest hopes (as I had given up all hopes of ever being free from pain), yet to know what God is, to understand the spiritual part, is as far above the former way of serving Him, as the "heaven is high above the earth." Truth is unfolding new joys and experiences each day, and I realize that Christian Science has opened the new—the living—Way, not only to give us victory over all the beliefs of mortal mind, but to teach us how to worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
Bloomington, III.
