"The best sermon is the practice of Truth" (Science and Health, p. 97). Gratitude impels me to tell of this kind of a sermon preached three years ago, and of some of its blessed fruits. My younger son, then about twenty years of age, who had been away from home over a year, returned a day or two before Christmas, very ill. He had written that he did not think he could come home for the holidays, so his return was not of his planning. While in one of the lower hot countries he had become a victim of malaria; had taken quinine until, as he expressed it, it had ceased even to make his head roar, although he had increased the dose enormously. A short time previous to his return, while working in a surveying party during heavy rains, he took a severe cold, which resulted in chills, rheumatism of the back and hips, a bad cough, and other symptoms which disabled him for work. After trying to break it up with medicines, his thought turned to home, where he could get better medical attendance and have proper care.
Seeing his seeming urgent need of help,—for to appearance he was a very sick boy,—hearing how much medicine he had been taking and how much worse he seemed to be getting, I urged him to give Christian Science a trial. He consented to try for a short time, knowing that I had been greatly benefited by it; but he remarked that he was too sick to spend much time in experiments.
A Christian Science practitioner was called at once, and the work began. The first treatment was in the evening, and as a good night's rest, free from pain or coughing, followed, my son announced his willingness to continue treatment. Then error began to be uncovered rapidly,—so rapidly that unconsciousness prevented any choice as to treatment on the patient's part. It was soon pronounced typhoid fever, and a bad case at that. Every stage of the claim presented itself in rapid succession,—violent delirium, hemorrhage from the bowels, stupor,—all of a type alarming to mortal sense. But Truth, calm and confident, recognized no power as able to destroy, and on the ninth night the angels of Love defied the death claim which seemed to assert that Truth must know defeat. The next morning our boy was conscious, calm, and happy, like a little child in its mother's arms. The victory was won, proving the statement: "The silence of Christian Science and Love is eloquent. It is powerful to unclasp the hold of disease, and reduce its cause to nothingness" (Science and Health, p. 410).
