When Christian Science first came to my notice I was an atheist in all the word implies, believing this mortal existence to be all and death the end of all things for me, but Truth came, and in its light the dark shadow of atheism in all its hideousness disappeared never again to return, for I am being led upward and onward on my journey, out of darkness into Truth's eternal dawn, from sense to Soul. Since coming into the light of Christian Science there have been many beautiful demonstrations of the power of Truth over error. The greatest of all, the one I am most thankful for, is the spiritual light that has come to me through this beautiful Christ-teaching, destroying all doubts in regard to there being a God, —a God of Love, —one to be loved and not feared.
For many years I had been a sufferer from valvular heart trouble, and so severe were the attacks at times, it would seem as though I must give up my mortal sense of life, and later on another serious difficulty was added, —lung trouble. In the fall of 1887 we left our home in Illinois, and came to Southern California, and located at Colton. Here our first child was born; this child was what the world would call an unfortunate one. I do not wish to go back and open up a wound that Science has since healed; or speak of suffering both mentally and physically because of the terrible belief of inheritance laid down as far back as the Mosaic law; also the untold suffering at the time of his birth. I had never heard of Christian Science at that time. Had I known, how different it would have been for the child and myself! The coming of this child was, however, the means of leading me to Truth. A friend who had been healed of nervous prostration prevailed on me to go and see a practitioner in Riverside. My great objection to going was because the practice was called "Christian," for, as I said in the beginning, I had become a confirmed atheist, and did not think it possible that I ever could change my belief regarding God and the Bible.
Through the patience and the reflection of divine Love on the part of the Christian Scientist, I was led gradually out of my darkened sense into the light of spiritual understanding, and the dark shadows —the fear of heart and lung trouble —disappeared my pride of wisdom in the false foundation on which I had been trying to build crumbled away, and I was ready to fall at the feet of divine Love and cry, "My Lord and my God." The beautiful teaching of Christian Science opened to me a new and true sense of life. The Bible was no longer a sealed book, but a guide to eternal life. God seemed near; and indeed "a present help," and Christ dear, —the representation of divine Principle, to be loved and demonstrated.
