I was led to Christian Science after my physician, who was also an old friend, told me to engage a room at a hospital at once; "within three days" were his orders. He gave me a note to the surgeon (which note I still have), saying that he thought I ought to have two operations performed, a preliminary or preparative one, the other a very serious operation to eradicate the trouble. This conclusion was reached after he had made two careful examinations six weeks apart. I was caused deep anxiety by this verdict. I had a dreadful fear of the knife and I could not afford the fifteen hundred dollars it might cost, nor the loss of three months' time. In this extremity I thought of trying Christian Science; not that I knew much about it, nor had I the least faith in it, but I felt it might delay my going to the hospital for a while. During my first treatment I was told that the God in whom the Christian Scientists trust does not know sickness, sorrow, sin, nor death. This arrested my attention at once, and I remember thinking, "If"—and it seemed a very big "if"—"they can prove this, they have a consistent idea of God." I went each day for treatment, and paid for each treatment, willing to test it fairly and suspend judgment. Within three weeks I stopped treatment, finding myself so much better; and since then, for over five years, I have had no trouble of that nature. Shortly after this I felt impelled to learn how this healing was done, and wanted to be able to do it for myself and others. I thank God that I am now able to say I have some understanding of Truth, and I know that God gives freely to every one who lays aside his own opinions and becomes as "a little child."
Many attacks of pain have since then been met and mastered; sin has been uncovered, and reformation has followed, for myself and others, through the knowledge and application of the truth as taught us in Christian Science. The text-book is an unfailing source of help and the Bible is now my daily companion; whereas I had been quite content to read my prayer-book in church only, never thinking that now and here I could know "God with us." To think and act in a certain way, follow certain directions and have the results always good, is to know upon what we are leaning and upon whom we are depending. Christian Science takes away our indefinite sense of a hereafter and gives us salvation now.
Shortly after I was healed some boiling water was spilled on my arm, from which the sleeve was rolled away. I covered the arm and applied what I then knew of Christian Science. The pain ceased within two or three minutes, and two hours later, when I looked for the evidence of a severe scald, I could not see where I had been injured. Another time a heavy box cover dropped on my foot. The pain seemed unbearable, but I went to work for myself, as I was alone and had to have relief. Within fifteen minutes the pain was gone, but when I tried to step on that foot it gave way under me. Another fifteen minutes realization of the truth and I was free,—in a normal condition. Upon removing my stocking that night no evidence of the blow was to be found. This, to me, was most wonderful and convincing.
