WHEN thought reverts to the past years of my earthly experience and comparison is made of the last five years—within which period Truth has been regenerating my consciousness—with those turbulent, unknowing, unseeing, self-seeking and ungrateful preceding years, it is little wonder that my heart offers its deepest gratitude to our known God. It is beyond the power of the human mind fully to grasp, much less adequately express, the realization of an ever developing and encompassing joy and thanksgiving for spiritual freedom; therefore must our works, engendered of gratitude, faith, and true understanding, attest the reflection of that Life, Truth, and Love which beckoned the multitudes to the teaching of our beloved Master, and caused his followers to accept of their vital import.
From childhood I had been afflicted with severe attacks of illness attributed to deranged liver, stomach, and bowels. This condition continued with increasing severity all through young manhood and up to the day when Christian Science found me sorely in need. I had successively tried the regular doctors, homeopathy, electricity, etc., but without permanent results. Toward the end of this experience an intestinal complication, including a painful growth, occasioned untold suffering. Frequently it was considered necessary to rely upon an opiate that I might continue at my work. Medicines literally filled the shelves of our home. Tablets were handy in my pockets and, although I had not yet become habitually addicted to their use, it was plainly fast becoming the condition. Finally it seemed necessary to call a physician to administer hypodermic treatment to relieve numbness of the limbs. My stomach utterly refused to retain food of any sort and I was sometimes compelled to go for days without food, not only because it seemed useless to eat, but also for the reason that at this time the pain resulting therefrom was excruciating. The surgeon's knife loomed imminent and my mind was burdened with despair.
A friend of my earlier days, who was traveling in Colorado, visited us. To him I related my pitiable plight, but to my surprise I was met by silence. He then informed me that he had become a Christian Scientist and related the details of what appeared to me to be his marvelous healing at a time when every other hope had been abandoned. This narrative had the effect of bringing to my mind, in a very startling manner, the fact that my mother had been benefited through the study of this wonderful Science years prior to this time. Scraps of its teachings which she had endeavored to instil into an unresponsive mentality were recalled, and further, that in the bottom of a certain old trunk was the book which she had packed with the Bible when I left home for the West, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. This, at last, had served its purpose, and it is needless to remark that its contents were eagerly devoured. Within a very short time after its perusal was commenced, the fear of eating, with its consequent ill results, had disappeared and the wonder of it began to dawn upon me. Victories over seemingly insurmountable troubles were frequent from then on, either through the aid of a practitioner or through personal effort. But the most aggravated conditions were not all overcome at once. On the contrary, two of these were not completely removed for many months. This protracted healing, however, has been the means of lifting my thought to a higher spiritual understanding. It early became evident that as spiritual perception unfolded through the study of the Bible and Science and Health, mortal error asserted itself less and less, until I found myself perfectly free from the chronic ailment. I have also been healed of the tobacco habit, of profanity, and of many minor habits. For over nine years eye-glasses were considered essential to sight because of defective vision caused by the partial destruction of the sight of one eye. Two years ago these glasses were laid aside, as they had actually become more of a hindrance than an aid. In the particular line of work which I pursue, my eyes are needed constantly, yet I have now no need of artificial aids.
