I was brought into Science by being healed of inflammatory rheumatism in June, 1899. I will relate in part my experience, hoping it will help others. I first had medical attendance for one week, growing worse every day. The day I decided to take Christian Science treatment, the doctor informed me it would be at least three months before I would be able to work, and left medicine of different kinds for me to take every half hour.
I knew of Christian Science through the healing of my sister. I had my wife write to my sister's healer, who was one hundred and eighty-eight miles from Charlemont, Mass., where I was then residing. After writing for treatment my wife laid away all medicine and material remedies.
I wish to say my wife was a trained nurse, and up to that time had worked at her profession constantly for nearly ten years. After deciding to try Christian Science, for about five days I seemed to be balancing on a pivot between Christian Science and materia medica, but at the end of five days I fully decided to stand on Truth—Christian Science. I then gained quite rapidly. In ten days I went out and to work for two days; meanwhile I was fretting, worrying, and saying to myself, "I don't gain very fast. I ought to get along faster than I am doing." I did not read Science and Health much, but my wife read it to me a great deal. After working two days, I was again confined to the house, then to the bed, seemingly worse than ever, not being able to move hand or foot, or even move my fingers. I still maintained Christian Science, not once thinking of returning to medicine after my first struggle. While in bed the second time I decided to go right to my healer in North Hanson, Mass. I had been in bed six days, gaining a little each day, and in the evening I told my wife, brother, and sister that we would start in the morning for North Hanson. When morning came I arose, dressed myself, and went downstairs to breakfast. The previous six days I had hardly been able to move. After breakfast we took a hack to the depot in Charlemont and came into Boston to the North Union Station. I looked after all the baggage for myself and wife, ate dinner, took a hack to the South Union Station, looked after baggage there, then took train for North Hanson, and arrived there seemingly pretty well played out.
We walked right in upon my healer, not having told her we were coming. It being a rainy day, she told us we might stay with her over night. We were assigned to a room upstairs, and she told me I could do just as I felt about coming down to my meals. In the morning she told us she had decided to let us stay in the house, so of course I said to myself I must be smart and go down to my meals, being in a Scientist home. I only went to three meals, then I thought I would like to stay upstairs. I was again taken down to the bed, seemingly as bad as ever, not being able to help myself. The third night, about 2 A.M., all my pain seemed to locate itself in my big toe joint. The pain seemed beyond endurance, so I allowed my wife to go downstairs and wake my healer. I will say here I had been very restless all night, but before my wife got back upstairs I was fast asleep and slept until 9.30 A.M. After that wonderful demonstration I gained very fast, and in seven days from the time I went to the healer's house I went away again with only a slight limp. I went to my home in Keene, N. H. After being at home three weeks I went to work, still having that slight limp. In ten weeks the limp left me, and I could say I was made whole. I only received three weeks' treatment in all. I can now see where the limp I had was a benefit to me. It reminded me that I had got to work out my own salvation. I studied Science and Health and the Bible constantly, and am just now learning my true relationship to God, and who my mother and my brethren are. I also wish to say the appetite for tobacco and the use of profane language was destroyed at the same time.
When I first sought Christian Science it was physical benefits only I was looking for, but I wish to say the spiritual benefits I received far exceed the physical in value to me. My wife is also a firm believer in Christian Science, and we both have had many demonstrations, which I will not mention now.— Winsted, Conn.
