MOST people at an early time of life have an underlying conviction, seldom expressed in words, that there must be a true religion. As time goes on, this conviction often changes into doubt and sometimes disappears, according to the environment and education of the individual. Though I hardly ever expressed my reasoning in words, and did not think on the subject a great deal, I had a solid conviction that God did exist, though I could but speculate as to His nature and character. When about the age of nineteen, I reached a point where I was convinced that the logical and true answer as to the nature and existence of God could not be found in the religious education of the schools which I had had, and this caused me to contract a great dislike to any form of religion. I had, however, an underlying respect for Christian Science, because I had derived considerable benefit from its treatment while seriously ill at school. I also saw that it had at least no bad effect on some relatives who had taken it up. Nevertheless, in spite of this, my experience and education seemed to point to the utter impossibility of bringing to men anything but superstitious and blind beliefs about God. Thus by degrees my thoughts were apparently directed away from good and its possibilities to the contemplation of evil, which then seemed ever present.
So long, however, as I was at college, contemplation of this sort was kept in check by a great love of games and athletics of all sorts. When I had to leave these and start work, a kind of mental reaction set in, and I became hopeless, depressed, and dissatisfied. The change from an athletic and social life to a more or less solitary business life in the city of London seemed too much for me; and existence became almost unbearable. There appeared but two ways to me then, either to let go altogether and become the slave of sin and sensuality in all its forms, or to obey the scholastic education and desist from sin merely through fear of the consequences. Vibrating, as it were, between these two alternatives, and thoroughly unhappy, I took up a copy of the Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, and read it for a while.' Though I had previously scoffed at the book, the fact suddenly came to me that it contained the science of both mental and physical healing. With this perception, the hopelessness and depression that had made life a burden to me vanished and I experienced a great sense of peace and confidence. For two or three years I had suffered increasing agony from gout in my feet, so that at times I could hardly walk; but Christian Science has healed me of this and now I have not one atom of pain. No other remedy than Christian Science was employed, and I may say that in many physical ailments it has been proved to be a true healer. It has also been my experience that Christian Science. not only heals disease and overcomes sin, but it prevents them. That which both prevents and cures evil, whether it be manifested in bad habits or bad health, must be good—unchanging and eternal good. This good is God, an ever-present help and an available protection" and guide for all mankind. I am grateful for Christian Science, for it has led me where superstition and scholastic theology could not, i.e., to happiness, health, Science, and Christianity.
My gratitude to Mrs. Eddy is sincere, and increases as I see more and more how selfless and loving she has been. We cannot say what self-sacrifice it has required to discover and establish Christian Science, but of this I am certain, that an honest investigation of her life will reveal the fact that she has striven for the betterment of human conditions, for the healing of sin and sickness, for the establishment of peace on earth. Though maligned and opposed, she has not striven in vain, but has proved the honesty and purity of her mission in the moral and physical healing effects of Christian Science, to which thousands have given and are giving willing testimony.
