At the age of five a childhood malady left my system in a tainted condition, according to the pronouncement of physicians, and neither medicine nor hygiene even alleviated it. As the years passed, the physique wasted and weakened until young womanhood was reached, when, after the case was finally pronounced practically incurable, I turned to Christian Science as the last available means of cure. Treatment was patiently given by a practitioner, but as I was not whole-hearted in my adherence to this new-found truth, no healing was experienced. Still, I was so attracted by the noble nature of the teaching that I continued to attend the church services, even though not willing to give up the world and material pleasures; but in little over a year these all failed me, and in the maze of disillusionment I cried out, "Not my will, but thine, be done."
There was a fleeting manifestation of this life-long malady a few years later, but there has been no return of it for the past six years. The whole system was cleansed, — boils vanished, strength and flesh came, also color, and the heart grew strong. Thus perfect health was gained within a year. Whereas I used to become faint very easily, now I can stand up in a crowded place for two or three hours without feeling any ill effects. A nervous condition, the result of a shock in seeing too realistic a play, which left an overwhelming fear of the dark, was overcome in one day by reading what Mrs. Eddy has written on prayer in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," although this condition had caused much mental suffering for a year. Since then many healings have resulted just from reading the text-book, among them a violent attack of illness, which yielded within twenty-four hours. After a practitioner had faithfully worked for two weeks, overcoming all pain and destroying each alarming symptom of blood-poisoning as it appeared, I resolved to devote several hours to the study of our text-book. At the end of an hour the swelling and discoloration had gone, and the healing came quickly.
Another severe trouble was overcome after two hours' study of Science and Health. I had allowed it to continue for four months, thinking it would get well of itself if I just read the Lesson-Sermon each day. This malady took the form of an abnormal enlargement of the figure, causing intense discomfort, though not apparent to others. Finally, after a month's visit in Canada, during which time I had done no scientific study beyond the daily reading of the Lesson-Sermon, the swelling and weight became intolerable. Then one day I found myself alone, so I took up Science and Health eagerly and read with the full expectation of being healed, and sure enough I was. The swelling and heavy weight were gone by the time I stopped reading, and I was free and joyful, but also much rebuked for allowing such an illusion to continue. At another time an attack of ptomaine poisoning was overcome.
