Long before I heard of Christian Science I wished for something higher and better than the religion of the church with which I was then connected, as it did not satisfy me. At the early age of eight years I began my search for God and was baptized in an orthodox church. My childhood days were unlike those of the majority of children, for I grasped every opportunity to read the Bible, and to attend all the church services with my parents, yet was never wholly satisfied. At the age of eleven I felt that I had done my best to reach heaven if I should die. Heaven had always been pictured to me as a locality or place, which could only be reached after death. I went on in this way for years, pondering certain serious questions of religion, and consulting many of the theologians, who told me that even the most eminent teacher could not answer my questions. It has only been since I took up the study of Christian Science, that the so-called mysteries of life have been made clear to me.
Nine years ago my only child was hovering between life and death. Some of the best physicians in Boston had pronounced his case incurable, saying that if he lived he would always be an invalid and a cripple. One of the diseases was gastric catarrh. He was allowed to eat but very few things, and even after taking every precaution, he suffered to the extent that he would lie in spasms for half a day. He also had rickets; physicians saying that there was not a natural bone in his body.
It was while he was in what seemed to be his greatest agony, and when I was in the darkest despair, that I first heard of Christian Science. The bearer of the joyful tidings could only tell me to come and hear of the wonderful things that Christian Science was doing. I accepted the invitation, for I was willing to try anything to save my child, and the following Friday evening I attended my first meeting, which was in The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist. Long before the service began every seat was filled, which was amazing to me, being an ordinary weekly meeting, and that night I realized from the testimonies given that Christian Science was the religion for which I had been searching for years. The next day I went to find a practitioner, but was unable to get the one who had been recommended, he being too busy. On my way home I thought of some of the testimonies which I had heard the night before, — of people being healed by simply reading Science and Health. I resolved at once to borrow a copy, and not dreaming of the sacrifice that my friend would make by conferring such a favor, I went and asked her for a loan of Science and Health. I never saw any one part so reluctantly with a book as my friend did with her copy of the text-book.
