It was during the month of September, 1887, that I first heard of Christian Science. All through my early life I had been troubled a great deal with hereditary neuralgia and catarrh. After the birth of my first child, in 1884, other diseases set in. These diseases grew worse, until three years later, when, aggravated by my former trouble, which had now seriously affected the stomach, they resulted in leaving nervous prostration, leaving me a complete wreck. I tried everything which I thought would do me any good, until I lost confidence in medicine, and as I knew of no other remedy, I believed death to be very near at hand. I made plans for my burial, and marked some keepsakes for my child; and when the little fellow would come to my bedside, and I would look into his innocent face and think of the hour that seemed so near, when I must leave him, this thought was harder to endure than the physical pain.
One day my husband said to me that a friend of his had told him of people calling themselves Christian Scientists, who healed through prayer, and had given him the address of a practitioner. To please him I consented to give Christian Science a trial. The day following my first treatment I walked several blocks to the practitioner's home, and the third day I went to the State fair. Later on I was told about God as He is understood in Christian Science, and I listened with much interest. When I was told that Mrs. Eddy was the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, and had written a book on the subject, called Science and Health, I purchased a copy. I read many hours each day, carefully looking up the definitions of many words. It took me several months to read the book through. Then came a hard struggle over the question of matter, until one day, in thinking over the statement found in Science and Health, page 109, lines 32 to 4 next page, the spiritual sense dawned upon me, and I was healed. From the time that I took my first treatment I have never used medicine in my home. Truth has been our healer. Since my healing in Christian Science, I have given birth to three children, doing all my housework unaided up to the hour of birth, and remaining in bed only twenty-four hours after the birth, each time, then going on with my work as before, no nurse or hired help of any kind assisting me.
I am indeed grateful to Mrs. Eddy for Christian Science. It has done much for me, more than I can tell in one testimony. It is not enough to feel grateful. I want to learn more and more how to express gratitude. I have had my dark hours of trial, when clouds of mortal sense have seemed to hang very low and heavy, but this thought always comforts me: they cannot remain with the Christian Scientist, because a student of the truth knows that there is no reality in them. Sooner or later the clouds dissolve into their native nothingness, and again the sunshine of divine Love shines forth, and upon the receding clouds is always seen the beautiful rainbow of God's promise, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things: and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.—" Minneapolis, Minn.
