In childhood there came to me a deep and abiding desire to know and serve God, and at an early age I became a member of an orthodox church. I resolved to allow no opportunity to pass which would aid me in gaining my highest purpose, and I began early by binding myself to do those things which I felt were necessary to its attainment. I pledged myself to pray and read the Bible every day; to attend every service of the church. Noticing that the pastor did not dance, play cards, nor attend the theatre, I felt I ought to add these restrictions; not because I was urged to do so by others, but because I felt that if the pastor could not afford to allow these things to come between him and his God, neither could I.
Although I followed the "letter" most assiduously, as I grew older I became more and more dissatisfied with my progress. I knew my spiritual growth was not what it should be. I was chagrined to find myself still unable to control my temper, inclined to gossip and criticise unkindly, and to do many other things which I felt were unbecoming to a Christian. What was still more discouraging was to learn, as I came into closer touch with those who were much older in the work than myself, that these things had not been overcome. I could not but feel that if constant work brought no better results there must be something wrong with the system.
About this time I joined a camping party of thirty young people, mostly members of the church. There was one Christian Scientist among them, a girl of seventeen. I had never heard of Christian Science, and one day when, in her absence, the subject was brought up I asked what it was. I was told that "Christian Scientists believe in taking no medicine, but that God will heal you." Although this information was vouchsafed with the idea of bringing ridicule upon Christian Science, to me it came as a rebuke to my own lack of faith in God. My thought was, "Oh if God only would heal, how beautiful it would be." I felt an interest in Christian Science and began to watch its young disciple. I soon found that she had many of the things which I had felt were lacking in myself. One thing which impressed me deeply, was her interest in Bible study. Now I had tried earnestly to get an intelligent hold on this subject, had taken several courses under different instructors outside my own church, but I never studied it as she did. While I read mine sanctimoniously for fifteen minutes, she studied hers for two hours and seemed to enjoy it. I noticed too that she never gossiped; she never found fault, although there seemed ample opportunity for the rest of us; she was so unselfish and happy; her conversation was always good and pure. I used to watch her as she studied, and I thought what a help she would be to our Christian Endeavor Society. I invited her to go to Church with us on Sunday, but she declined. I began to wish she would say something about Christian Science, but she never did, until one day several weeks after our return home, I managed to blurt out one day, "I should think if you really believe Christian Science is true, that you would say something about it to others." She seemed glad to begin and she has not finished yet. Whenever I meet her she has something to say on this interesting subject. I did not wish to leave my church, and I tried to satisfy myself with the thought that, after all, the spiritual teaching was the same as that received in our own church.
