From childhood I was at war with orthodox doctrines as taught me by my grandfather, a stern, uncompromising religionist. They aroused a fierce, antagonistic spirit within me. I did not want to be "saved," if any of my dear relatives and friends were to be "lost," and no orthodox teacher ever convinced me that the place which he called heaven could be at all desirable. As I grew older, I questioned still more as to God's plan of salvation, while unconsciously seeking for something to cling to as the truth.
In early womanhood I read several of a well-known agnostic's books, and at least found new thought in them. Later, I thought I had found the truth, but I sounded the shallows and found myself again adrift upon the sea of inquiry. After my marriage, and the birth of a dear little son, my husband and myself became members of an orthodox church, the only organization in our neighborhood, for we are country people. Later it was "dissolved," and eventually reorganized into a church of another denomination. We stayed with it, stumbling blindly toward the light. Little as we recognized it, the great light was already shining round us as Christian Science, and it shone upon us in our greatest need. Like Saul, I was made to see. God in His loving-kindness opened my blind eyes. I began to read Christian Science literature, that I might see for myself if it was worthy of acceptance, and I found the pearl of great price. God had led me away from sin,disease, mistakes, and sorrows into the path of righteousness. — into truth. As I read and studied more in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by our Leader, I found that I had always believed its wonderful teaching'. What joy to know a loving God —one who is Love. What a glorious awakening to know that God can and does heal all our sin and disease.
My first great benefit came in the mental and moral help which I gained; afterward came physical healing. Organic trouble, malaria, many ailments succumbed to the application of the truth. My son was healed of a mastoid abscess, of a broken bone, and once, after a very severe hurt occasioned by a runaway accident, we felt that death itself was overcome. The boy was dragged for fifty yards with one leg on top and one underneath a plank drag of several hundred pounds weight. To mortal sense he was terribly crushed, and suffered so intensely that before the practitioner arrived he had all the symptoms of lockjaw, but our faith never wavered. The practitioner stayed with him all night, and the early morning brought the assurance that the danger had been met and conquered.
Our little daughter was entirely healed of diphtheria in one treatment. A severe case of scarlet fever was also met and overcome in one treatment. My father was healed of heart trouble, of almost a lifetime's duration, and also of the tobacco habit of forty years, when he was seventy years of age. He is now stronger and better than ever before. When my dear and only brother passed on, Christian Science was the comforter. The everlasting arms upheld us all in that time of sorrow, and we were lifted out of the sense of materiality to a spiritual plane never before attained. All my family and that of my husband, with two exceptions, are Christian Scientists, and we are all members of the Christian Science church.
I cannot express my love and gratitude to Mrs. Eddy for her goodness to all mankind in giving them our textbook. Since reading it I have never had a doubt that it voices the truth, which to know, makes us free from the law of sin and death. My daily prayer is for wisdom to recognize God's leading, and to be able to demonstrate my faith by my works. — Topeka, Kan.
