Being German by nationality and my husband a saloon-keeper, when I first heard of Christian Science I thought it very beautiful but too good for me. A kind neighbor gave me some of the literature to read, and I became very much interested in it. I was consumptive, some of my family having died of that disease, and I seemed plainly to be going the same way. But without knowing anything of the effects of reading Science literature, I became so absorbed in it that I forgot all about the symptoms that I had, and in a few days my cough stopped, the night sweats and the swelling of my feet ceased, and I found myself well. Truth seemed to take full possession of me.
Then this neighbor invited me to go to the meetings. My first thought was, They will not want a saloon-keeper's wife at their meetings. I wanted to go, but was afraid; but she assured me that I would be welcome. I went, and the first lesson was upon "Mortals and Immortals," and it seemed plainer to me than any sermon that I ever heard at my own church. It seemed so good to me.
About this time I bought my first copy of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. I had been using spectacles about ten years,—my first reading of this book was done with them. A Scientist suggested that I could read without them. It seemed so impossible that I said I would after I had finished some sewing. So one day I pushed my glasses up and opened the book, but at first I could not distinguish anything on the page. Error suggested that I could not see anything without my glasses, but I kept on following the lines with my fingers. Then the passage (p. 393): "The light of the body is the eye," came to me, and that seemed to take possession of me. It seemed so good to me as I kept thinking of it. When I got to the middle of the page the words seemed to be in fine print, but kept growing plainer, and when I reached the bottom they were perfectly plain to me. I have not used glasses at all since, and I can read evenings as well as by daylight. I cannot remember ever seeing so well as I do now.
