Christian Science stands to-day in all its sweet dignity as an established fact—its adherents do not have to advertise themselves. This was not the case twenty years ago; then, a student returning from class instruction to his field of labor sometimes sought to make himself and his work known in various ways, one of these being to send out a letter or circular saying that the Christ-healing had been given again to the world in Christian Science, after having been seemingly lost for so long a time. A letter of this character reached a New England home and was carefully read, the same interest being shown as had been given for years to every medicine or new cure circular received there, in the forlorn hope that here at last was something which would bring relief from suffering. When the practitioner called he was kindly received, and listened to as well, and after a few weeks' treatment in Christian Science there followed the healing of a case of asthmatic trouble of many years' standing. Three other cases of healing in that family followed, and led, two years later, to my own healing, for I saw—and I believed what I saw.
My health had failed, and when I had been for weeks under the care of the family physician, but still remained weak and miserable, I remembered what Christian Science had done for my aunt's family, and I wrote to a cousin who had been healed at that time and who had since become a student and practitioner. I told her my condition, and asked if she thought that Christian Science could help me. The answer I received was so encouraging that I wanted to begin treatment at once, but was told by my family that if it meant giving up my medicine they would not consent to my having the treatment. Much disappointed, I again wrote to my cousin, and received a reply so full of patience and love that it disarmed prejudice and a reluctant consent was given to try the "new cure," but I was told not to talk about it at all; that if I was "cured," all right; if not,—
I wrote again to the practitioner, promising to stop all medicine and asking her to come to my home. This she was unable to do immediately, as she lived in a distant city; but she wrote me that she would begin absent treatment at once, and the night I received her letter I slept all night—something I had been unable to do for many weeks on account of severe pain. The following day also I was free from pain, but I said nothing about it, although I saw the family were watching me. The next day, however, I was asked, "Is your back better?" My reply was, "My backache has gone;" and it was gone for good, for I never suffered from it again. Although I write this calmly, after nearly twenty years, the wonder and the beauty of my healing, and—thank God—my gratitude, have never left me! After my cousin arrived I improved each day, and at the end of two weeks we climbed to the top of Orange Mountain, where from a high rock a view of seven cities is to be obtained. There were four or five in the party, but when we arrived at the foot of the rock we were the only ones to make the ascent, the others saying they were tired and would wait where they were, and we could tell them about the view.
