When I came to Christian Science for healing, three years ago, I had been an invalid many years, being confined to a wheel-chair some of the time. I had been treated by many physicians; I had been in the Battle Creek, Mich., Sanitarium about two years, and I had undergone two surgical operations. Relief was always temporary. Five years ago my husband was taken away, and it seemed absolutely necessary for me to be well, in order to straighten out my financial affairs and bring up and educate two children.
I was willing to try anything but Christian Science. For ten years a dear cousin had been trying to lead me to the Truth, and at one time I had purchased Science and Health and taken it with me to the Catskill Mountains, and read in it all the time I was there. I decided it was a beautiful but unbelievable theory. However, although I was confined to a wheel-chair when I went to the mountains, in a very short time I could take long walks; but was again obliged to use the chair when I returned home, and had laid the book aside. I now heard of a new kind of treatment and decided to try it. It was most heroic treatment and unspeakably horrible. I also went to a clairvoyant. I kept this up all winter, but grew worse and worse. Another year dragged around, and then I was ready for Science. It is needless to say that I was healed, but it was slow work, and I went down into the valley of the shadow of doubt again and again. I had about five months' treatment and class instruction, then two or three months of my own work, and I was free. Now I can walk ten miles. I can do anything that is necessary to be done. I have had long and hard struggles with malice, hate, and revenge and all their kindred, but in a measure I have been conqueror, for I am well.
Although I suffered agony from these physical ills, it was nothing compared with what I suffered from fear, the most unreasoning, unreasonable, and absurd fear,—fear of some impending evil, I knew not what, that would keep me awake night after night. I remember, about twenty years ago, that I did not sleep for six days and nights although I took all kinds of narcotics, and had a trained nurse to care for me, because I had to have a new cook. My husband had to telegraph to New York for his mother to take the first train and come to take charge of the house. I did not sleep until she came.
