Before coming into Christian Science my life seemed so full of sickness and sorrow, and I was so tired and weary of it all, that I often longed for death. But once during my sickness, and a short time before my healing, I thought that I was going to die, and then came the question: Would anything be gained by death? Would I be any better off? There came the conviction that nothing whatever would be gained, and I have never had that desire since.
Six years ago I was healed by reading "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." I cannot remember of ever enjoying good health before that time, as I was supposed to have inherited bad blood, and suffered from a skin disease. Over, fourteen years ago I was vaccinated; and this resulted in a loathsome disease, which I will not attempt to describe. Eight years I suffered from this terrible affliction without being able to find any cure for it. I tried many material remedies, and at times seemed to receive a little benefit, but I suffered so much that it finally brought on a nervous breakdown. Part of the time my eyes were so affected that I had to stay in a darkened room, and for a long time I wore dark glasses when I went out. I was afflicted in other ways also, with stomach and chronic catarrhal trouble, hay-fever, etc.
After trying so many different remedies, I began to feel that there was no cure for me. I lost faith in material remedies, and stopped using them; but my dear mother could not bear to see me suffering, so to please her I tried a simple remedy, but it did not help me. I had known of Christian Science for some time, but did not understand it, and supposed it was impossible for it to cure anything but nervousness. We had two copies of the Journal which a friend had given to my sister several years ago. I now read these, and later the lady gave me some Sentinels. As I read of the cures, I began to wonder why I could not be cured too, for I never doubted their being true. I then prayed more earnestly for my health, and for a copy of Science and Health, for I felt that if I could only have the book to read I would be healed.
