In 1904 my mother and I planned to spend the summer with my brother, who was living in South Dakota. During the year I had been very busy with one of the branches of my profession, that of trained nurse, and felt I needed the summer's rest. We expected to go the last of June, but during the first week, as we were packing our things preparatory to our trip, my mother was taken with a shock of paralysis. A doctor was called, but he said there was nothing that could be done for her. Her whole left side was affected, so that she had to be helped to turn in bed. Having seen many cases of the same kind during my fifteen years' experience as nurse, my fear was very great as to the result. With our home in the unsettled condition due to our packing, etc., and mother helpless, the outlook surely seemed dark: but again it was proved that "man's extremity is God's opportunity."
A few days later my mother said she would like to see one of our Christian Science friends, as she felt sure he could help her. He came fine evening, and gave her Christian Science treatment. That night she slept like a tired child all night. She called me the next morning, and said she wanted her clothes, as she was going to get up and dress. I helped her, and she walked from her room through a long hall to the front room and remained there through the day. Within three days she walked to the house of the friend who was treating her, and remained there several days. She walked up four flights of stairs without any difficulty.
We started on our trip just as we had planned, going first to Akron, O., where we remained three weeks. No one could believe that mother had been sick, as she seemed so well and active. From Akron we went to Des Moines, la., remaining about ten days. From there we started for Gettysburg. We could get no sleeper on that line, so for nearly forty-eight hours mother had no sleep but what could be obtained sitting up. At Gettysburg we were met by my brother, and then came the long twenty-mile ride over the prairie to his home. Mother, who at that time was seventy-three, did not even appear tired. We remained in South Dakota for three months, then returned to Cleveland. O. In 1906 we went to Boston for the dedication of the extension of The Mother Church, and at that time mother and I took a trolley trip from Boston to Berlin, Conn. She was very bright and active and enjoyed the trip greatly.
