I should like to tell of a demonstration which occurred in my household a year and a half ago. My little girl, eight years old, was supposedly exposed to throat trouble at school, and some days after was stricken with the disease. After 'phoning to a practitioner I called in a physician to report the case to the health officer, in compliance with the city laws. The physician, who was a friend and had always attended us before we took up Christian Science, said it was a severe case and that he really felt a powerful remedy should be administered. I told him she was being treated in Christian Science, and that I felt sure she would be all right. I shall never forget the tone of pity in his voice when he said good-by to my little girl upon leaving, though he assured me I was perfectly free to do as I felt best in the matter. We had two younger children in the family, one scarcely a year old, and much anxiety was felt for them by the rest of the family; and our near neighbors, who also had a small child, were very much exercised.
But divine Love purely can overcome every obstacle, for the next morning the throat which the night before had seemed to be in a most serious condition, was almost wholly clear, and the fever and pain had entirely disappeared. The health officer who came to quarantine us, upon finding that we were having Christian Science treatment, voluntarily told me that they invariably found Christian Scientists very reasonable and considerate in the treatment of contagious diseases. I had always had a dreadful fear of this disease, and it manifested itself for a time in this case; but after twenty-four hours fear entirely left my consciousness, and for the remainder of the week the sweetest sense of peace and security seemed to envelop both the children and myself. My little girl was up and dressed and played in her room the remainder of the time, and was really happy in her enforced confinement The other children never manifested the least symptom of the disease, and at the end of a week the physician was again called to make an examination of the child's throat for the health department. He was visibly surprised at her healthful condition, but laughingly told me that he did not believe she had a very bad case.
The following day, while we were having our Lesson together, a different health officer came to fumigate the room and remove the quarantine. While arranging the books in the room for fumigation, he came across Science and Health and the Quarterly. He gave a very audible sniff and advised me never to try any such treatment for a case like the one in hand, assuring me that I would be sorry if I did. I told him that my little girl had had no other treatment in the present instance. He assured me he had seen the "live germs" from the child's throat, and that he knew the disease could not disappear without medical treatment. He was, however, reluctantly convinced that she was well and had had no other than Christian Science treatment. He then picked up Science and Health and commenced to read. Presently he asked me why the Bible said that the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations, if we were not intended to use medical aid in time of sickness. I pointed out to him that the correct rendering of the text is, "The leaves of the tree," etc., and that Mrs. Eddy taught us in Science and Health (p. 406) that "the tree is typical of man's divine Principle, which is equal to every emergency, offering full salvation from sin, sickness, and death." He was very thoughtful during the remainder of his work, and eagerly accepted some Science literature which I offered him. When he went away he said, as he cordially shook hands with me, "I believe this is what I have been looking for." I have never heard from him since, but I know that the seed sown at that time has been productive of good results in the overcoming, of antagonism which was the outgrowth of an ignorance of the real teachings of Christian Science.
