About the middle of August, 1900; my son, then nine years of age, was riding on a grocer's wagon and wanted to get off, but the driver would not stop; so my son, who was afraid to jump, reached his right foot out to the hub of the wheel, and as it turned his foot slipped between the spokes, and he sustained terrible injuries. A' bicyclist saw the predicament the boy was in, with his head dragging on the ground, and ran and stopped the horse, freed the boy, and placed him in the same wagon to be brought home. He then brought the news to me in advance of the child, and when he told me I lost control of myself. A Scientist who was present, hearing my outcry, declared the allness of God, divine Mind, and it was like the Master's "Peace, be still," to the troubled waters. Immediately there was a great calm in my consciousness, and I never again, during my son's illness, became either excited or anxious.
We sent immediately for a Christian Science practitioner, and called a physician, who said that we must have a surgeon. He was told to get the very best one in the city. There were six adults in the family, and all were opposed to the Christian Science way of thinking but myself, and it happened that they were all away from home at this time. I was young in Science, and this was my very first experience in knowing anything of the work of a practitioner, but I knew that the healing was of God. I had been reading Science and Health probably about a year, and had had some helpful illuminations; the Bible was being made practical to me, but I was not giving Mrs. Eddy due credit for my changed condition of thought nor giving to God all honor and glory. My heart was lifted up in pride instead of gratitude, and like Nebuchadnezzar I fell, and great was the fall. Like some young Scientists, I talked unwisely and said things I had not proved, and I had to come back and prove them.
When the surgeon arrived, the doctor and he consulted together and suggested taking the boy to the hospital and amputating the limb, as they thought it could not be saved. I however refused to have him moved from the house, and I told them to put the leg together the best they knew how. and we would take the responsibility and save them further trouble. They were told at the start that we wanted to have Christian Science treatment, and that their services were only required for the needed surgery. They did their work, placing the boy under an anesthetic, and when it was done, the surgeon said to me, "Madam, are you sure you know what you are doing?" I said, "Yes, I think I do;" and he then said to me very emphatically that the case was most serious and that the very best we could expect would be a stiff leg for life. The physician came back three times the next day and twice a day for the next four days, although each time he was told that his services were not further required. No medicine had been given, or even prescribed up to this time, but now the doctor insisted that we use material means. I however said I was relying on a tried and understood Principle, and he said in a very excited manner, "Woman, do you know you are going to lay your son away in a short time?"
