Sixteen years ago this summer I was suffering with Bright's disease, catarrh of the bladder, and dyspepsia. My food fermented, causing great distress, so I stopped eating different things until my diet was reduced to bread and water, and even that distressed me. I was also afflicted with chronic constipation, which caused great suffering. I got no relief from doctors' medicines, to say nothing of being healed. I wished so many times, that I could be cured by my own faith, so that I would know I was living something near right. I decided to go home to my mother, who lived in a little place. I took with me a good-sized valise full of bottles, and boxes of medicines. I would not let the hackman take my satchel for fear he might break some of the bottles; you see, I had my god in my valise. After I had been home a day or two with my mother, she put Science and Health in my lap, and said, "Here is a book that they say some have been healed by reading. I bought it of a lady and gentleman who stopped here for a week or two, and who were going from place to place to spread the truth." They did spread the truth, for which I am very thankful. I looked at the book a little, but did not read much. A day or two later, however, mother and I went to call on a doctor's family, and found a lady from another place visiting there.
She told of a number of wonderful demonstrations of healing through reading Science and Health. This gave me courage, and on our way home, I said to my mother, "If any one else can be healed by reading that book I know I can." So I put away all my medicine, and started to read. At the end of three days I was much worse, and then I went back to my medicine, for a day, but a great sense of remorse came over me. I sat down and had a good cry, and I said to my mother, "I will die reading Christian Science before I will die taking medicine." When I picked up Science and Health again, I opened to page 422, and read, "If the reader of this book observes a great stir throughout the whole system, and certain moral and physical symptoms seem aggravated, these indications are favorable. Continue to read, and the book will become the physician allaying the tremor which Truth often brings to error when destroying it." At this I started in with new vigor. I ate of everything I wanted. I was not afraid to do anything, if I could stand on my feet. The one expression that stood out clear and strong, was this, "God is my life, I will not die," and I repeated this over most of the time, and I believed every word in the book. I seemed to think it must all be true. Mrs. Eddy must know, for she had proved it. I was healed in three weeks' time. Then I came home.
Let me add a little more for the benefit of those who may be discouraged from having a relapse. Three months later I had some work to do out of doors and it was very cold. My mother kept saying, "You will catch your death of cold," and sure enough I came down the next day with everything I ever had, in a most aggravated form. I was greatly disappointed. I had thought I never would be sick again. I had a piece of work to do. I would try to do that, work a while, then lie down a while. I was relying on my will-power, but did not seem to know it. I read very little, but did not improve. I finally took some powders and the effect was terrible. I did not know any practitioner, or any one that ever had read Science and Health. I said to my mother, "I don't seem to know the Science well enough to heal myself again, and I cannot take medicine; I think I will have to die." Then the thought came to me, You have been living on will-power, now go by yourself and read Science and Health right. I did so. And it came like a flash of light, and the work was done, and I have had no return of the dread disease. Six months later I found one of Mrs. Eddy's students and took class instruction, and since that time I have been able to help many others out of trouble by unfolding to them the understanding of Truth that makes us free.
